Contents(6)
- Borders Open! Overseas Dive Travel Fever — "My Trips Are Already Booked Through Next Year!"
- The Philippine DOT Leads an Official Delegation — Itineraries and Resort Info All in One Place
- What's Hot at the Islands? Beginner Dives, Big Animals, and Macro — Take Your Pick
- The Pinnacle of Maldives Liveaboards? Hotel-Grade Luxury, Superyacht Specs!
- The DRT SHOW Golden Triangle! Cat Island Grand Lucky Draw — Win a Dive Computer and Regulator
- Over 30 Ocean Seminars Spanning Conservation, Photography, and Dive Safety
Borders Open! Overseas Dive Travel Fever — "My Trips Are Already Booked Through Next Year!"
With the pandemic behind us and international travel finally back, "overseas dive travel" was undeniably the hottest topic at this year's DRT SHOW. Borders are open — so what's everyone rushing to do? Take a look!
The Philippine DOT Leads an Official Delegation — Itineraries and Resort Info All in One Place
The center of the expo floor was transformed into a "Philippine island" overnight, as the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) brought ten diving-related operators to exhibit! Hazel, President of the DOT Taiwan Office, said: "We have many operators here together this time, including some newly opened resorts, which shows how excited everyone is about the Taiwanese market. We hope more people will visit the Philippines and get to know it." Hazel mentioned that the Philippines has dive-friendly destinations year-round, and that Bohol — where she herself is a beginner diver — is her top recommendation for a dive trip that combines both diving and land tours.
Hazel (right), President of the Philippine DOT Taiwan Office, says Bohol is her top dive travel recommendation!
Hazel also highlighted the newly opened Starboard Diving Resort, located in Batangas Province, which focuses on a relaxed, slow-paced holiday experience and pairs well with other diving itineraries in the Philippines. The resort also offers unlimited complimentary shore dives and one boat dive, or group boat dive packages for parties of four, giving travelers plenty of flexibility.
The Philippine DOT led ten diving-related operators to the show, drawing large crowds.
What's Hot at the Islands? Beginner Dives, Big Animals, and Macro — Take Your Pick
First-time DRT SHOW exhibitor "海島瘋" has bases in Taipei, Kenting, and the Philippines. More than just a dive shop, it is also a licensed Class-A travel agency. This year, the team came prepared with a wide variety of dive travel packages to satisfy every type of ocean enthusiast!
Director Ying-jie shared that the "Bohol — Jackfish Tornado Journey," designed with budget-conscious divers in mind, was the most-enquired-about package at the booth. The five-day, four-night, eight-dive itinerary promises encounters with massive jackfish tornadoes and barracuda vortexes, with the chance of spotting wild Whale Sharks too. Ying-jie noted that March through mid-June is the best season for weather and sea conditions in Bohol, and the starting price of NT$13,800 attracted plenty of divers eager to "get out there ASAP."
The jackfish tornado is absolutely one of Bohol's must-see spectacles!
Other popular Philippines itineraries include exploring wrecks and dugongs in North Coron, macro critter hunting in Dumaguete, and heading to Malapascua — where Thresher Shark sightings are highly likely and macro marine life is equally impressive. Over in Indonesia, Nusa Penida off Bali — famously dubbed the "Manta Ray Guarantee Class" — is also a crowd favorite. On top of that, 海島瘋 this year became the exclusive agent for DUNE Group liveaboard itineraries, with particular emphasis on the DUNE AURORA offering hidden-gem liveaboard routes across Raja Ampat, Komodo, and the Banda Sea in Indonesia, expanding the range of liveaboard options available to Taiwanese divers.
The Pinnacle of Maldives Liveaboards? Hotel-Grade Luxury, Superyacht Specs!
For divers who want the best of both diving and comfort in the Maldives, a liveaboard is the go-to choice. Luxury Maldives liveaboard INFINITY X sent its top executive, General Manager Yansong Bi, to attend DRT SHOW in person, bringing what he called "the pinnacle of the liveaboard world" to Taiwanese audiences.
The pinnacle of liveaboards — eat, drink, play, and dive, all on one vessel.
On the hardware side, the vessel holds international hull fire-resistance certification to the "A60 fire protection standard" and is built to superyacht soundproofing specifications, reducing noise to below 50 decibels for an ultra-comfortable voyage. "The boat is so stable that while showering, you wouldn't even know it was moving," is how actual passengers have described the experience. Comfort aside, there's no shortage of entertainment either: General Manager Yansong Bi went on to describe the on-board amenities, including an exclusive open-air KTV under the stars, a jacuzzi, speedboats, a banana boat, and a giant water slide.
The most popular route is the Deep South itinerary, where Tiger Sharks, silvertip sharks, and other large pelagics appear in impressive numbers. However, due to weather, currents, and tidal conditions, ideal diving windows are limited to roughly February through March each year — making it especially precious. The Four Directions route, by contrast, is less season-dependent. The operator also revealed that INFINITY X bookings for next year are already 50% full, a testament to its soaring popularity.
After diving, lying on the deck watching the sunset — truly one of life's greatest pleasures!
The DRT SHOW Golden Triangle! Cat Island Grand Lucky Draw — Win a Dive Computer and Regulator
Over the three-day expo, BlueTrend prepared prizes totaling over NT$700,000 for visitors to win — including one lucky diver who had been looking to buy long fins (freediving) and won a pair on the spot, bursting into tears of joy on the show floor. This year, BlueTrend also teamed up with neighboring exhibitors YHS and ATMOS for a joint booth-hopping challenge activity. With grand prizes including the ATMOS MISSION2 dive computer, a YHS regulator, and a one-day experience at the Penghu Aquarium's open ocean tank, the three booths formed the expo's undisputed golden triangle of popularity.
BlueTrend, YHS, and ATMOS — three booths that became the expo's golden triangle of popularity.
BlueTrend also brought a booth mini-game as a sneak preview of its upcoming mid-year board game release, "Meow! I Own an Island" — a board game that explores the tension between tourism development and ecological conservation.
The brand-new board game combining ecological conservation and tourism development was brought to DRT SHOW for visitors to try.
Over 30 Ocean Seminars Spanning Conservation, Photography, and Dive Safety
DRT SHOW featured two main stages, and over the three days of the expo, 33 expert speakers took the floor for more than 30 consecutive ocean seminars. Director Huang Xiang-wen of the Ocean Conservation Administration joined colleagues from ocean environment management and marine life conservation to discuss marine conservation issues. Renowned photographer Jin Lei spoke about the Ocean Oasis Project and the mating competition of Risso's dolphins. BlueTrend founder Spark represented GARMIN and shared insights on "Your last line of safety when adrift at sea." The rich lineup of ocean seminars brought the ocean community together for a collective learning experience.
"Your last line of safety when adrift at sea." — have you learned what to do?
Of course, the official expo lucky draw at the close of the event drew a sea of people, a true testament to the passion of the diving community. The 2023 DRT SHOW Taiwan edition concluded successfully, with a cumulative attendance of 32,313 visitors. The show will next head to Shanghai, the Philippines, and Hong Kong in succession!
The 2023 DRT SHOW Taiwan edition concluded successfully on March 12, 2023.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How is a BlueTrend dive trip different from an unknown, no-name dive group?
Choosing us means full peace-of-mind protection and a smooth experience from start to finish. Every trip we run holds to three things.
First, full legal protection and a professional dive leader: we strictly follow Taiwan's travel regulations and provide complete travel-agency liability insurance, travel insurance, trip-inconvenience insurance and dive insurance. Every group is accompanied by a certified, foreign-language dive leader who joins you on both the dives and the land itinerary, liaising seamlessly with local dive shops and operators on your behalf to keep things running smoothly — the person our travellers trust most.
Second, fully licensed with secure payments: every payment goes into a licensed travel agency's account, with multiple safe payment channels (bank transfer, credit card and more) and a legal collect-and-remit receipt, so every transaction is open, transparent and protected, avoiding the fraud and dispute risks of transferring money privately to an individual.
Third, hand-picked quality we vet in person: every trip, dive site and partner shop is scouted on the ground by our own team, from the guides' professionalism and safety standards to the food, lodging, environment and service details on land, all vetted by us so you don't get caught out.
I want to sign up for a dive trip. Are there certification-level or logged-dive requirements?
Each dive site is different, so the entry bar varies. 'Bali Tulamben', for instance, is relatively beginner-friendly. 'Malapascua in the Philippines' is also beginner-friendly, but since thresher sharks tend to cruise between 20 and 30 metres, we recommend AOW certification with 20+ logged dives to enjoy this trip comfortably. For 'the Maldives' or 'Palau', we suggest AOW with 50+ logged dives for a more relaxed experience. If you're not sure whether your experience fits the trip you want, message us and our dive editors will assess it and help you find the trip you'll feel safest on.
Can I join if I'm signing up alone? How are rooms arranged?
Plenty of our travellers sign up solo! For rooms and beds, we prioritise pairing you with a same-gender traveller, and if you'd rather have your own space you can pay the difference to upgrade to a single room. For the diving, our professional leader will pair you with a suitable buddy, and with the happy vibe on our trips you'll quickly make a great group of dive friends. Many people sign up alone, make new friends, and end up organising the next trip together!
Does the trip fee include dive insurance, gear rental, taxes and instructor tips?
It depends on the trip, the destination's regulations and the local operators. Every BlueTrend dive trip has a detailed web page with a clear 'included / not included' list, transparent and with no hidden charges. All payments are collected by a licensed travel agency, with a standard-form contract for your protection.
I'm a new diver / haven't dived in a long time — will I fall behind the group?
Before you complete your booking, our team assesses a suitable trip based on your certification level and experience. Before departure, we strongly recommend taking time to refresh in Taiwan with an instructor, or a fun dive to get your feel back. On the trip itself, our professional dive leader groups and pairs everyone by experience, keeps a close eye underwater on travellers who need extra care, and steps in to help right away.
Will the photos and videos taken during the trip be shared with us?
During the dives, 'safety' is always the leader's top priority, so whenever it's suitable and safe the leader will capture great shots and record the best moments. During or after the trip, we compile a cloud album for all travellers to download, so you go home loaded with memories!
Besides your scheduled trips, can you arrange a private group charter or independent travel for me and my friends?
Absolutely! Besides group trips, we also arrange private group charters and independent travel. We can communicate, enquire and coordinate services with local operators based on your needs, saving you time and effort and taking the language barrier off your plate, to tailor the smoothest, most reassuring dive trip just for you. Contact our LINE support and our editors will arrange it for you!
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