How We Pick Our Dive Destinations and Partnerships

At Chicken Feet Travels, we don’t just drop pins on a map and call it a day. Every dive trip we offer is handpicked, people-led, and seasonally timed with precision. That’s because diving, like travel itself, is never just about the place. It’s about the people, the currents, the coral, the creatures, the crowd control, and the long-game of conservation and preservation. And when we do it right, it’s transformational—for both the traveler and the reef.

We’ve seen dive destinations rise and fall. We’ve seen pristine coral turn ghostly in just a few years. And we’ve also seen what happens when people care enough to do things differently. That’s the version of the ocean we’re loyal to.

We follow the people, not the hype

There are always whispers about new dive destinations and when you are connected to local guides and expats living the lifestyle, you get insider access and knowledge to things. Because I have been an instructor for so long, I have ears on the ground all over Southeast Asia. And once we hear about these places, we go to really understand who is the best person to work with. We choose our operating partners based on who’s there. The guides and dive resorts we work with are never just divemasters. They’re people with deep history—either locals with generational ties to the sea or long-timers who pioneered diving in the area and have chosen to stay and contribute.

Whenever possible, we prioritise local-owned operations. But we also understand the nuance: sometimes expats bring operational experience that improves diver safety and reef etiquette, especially in destinations where rapid tourism growth has overwhelmed small businesses. So we don’t generalise—we listen. We spent time. We go diving ourselves.

Because ultimately, our trust isn’t given lightly. It’s earned through shared values, humility, and the kind of underwater knowledge that only comes from years of being in relationship with a place.

We time our trips with the ocean

It’s not just where we go—it’s when we go. Most dive operator websites will give you a vague seasonality advice like “May to September.” But if you’ve been diving and travelling long enough, you know that doesn’t mean much.

We work directly with our guides to time our trips based on when the ocean is alive—when the mantas are feeding, when the visibility is high, when the currents are right for beginners or thrilling enough for advanced divers. We time everything with the cycles of the moon. We’ll tell you when hammerheads and humpback whales come through, or when juvenile reef sharks are likely to show up on a drift.

This is the difference between a bucket-list dive and a life-changing one.

We don’t sell every destination. We don’t sell you are trip you’re not ready for.

Some dive destinations are over-promised. Others are already overwhelmed.

We don’t go where everyone else goes. And we don’t book you on a dive trip just because you asked. If you don’t have buoyancy control to be near delicate coral, we’ll gently say, “Not yet”. If you dive long isn’t long enough for strong currents, we’ll recommend something better suited.

Because that’s not gatekeeping—it’s responsibility. And we’re not just here to sell you an experience. We’re here to help you grow into a more confident, capable, respectful diver.

For those learning and needing to gently step into more challenging dive sites, we work in places with a lot of sandy bottoms yet a lot of biodiversity. You dive in a safe environment, where you only have to worry about yourself and your buoyancy yet still being greeted by the little and giant creatures around. Diving and improving your skills should not be stressful.

We avoid the crowds—even in famous places

Komodo is a perfect example. It’s one of the most famous dive spots in the world and with the recent push by the Indonesian government to “make it the next Bali”, a lot of the fish populations are decreasing and the corals are damaged. But there’s still magic there—if you know where to look.

We access Komodo National Park from the West and from the South instead of 99% of divers who depart out of Labuan Bajo port. Our partners and guides are discovering dive sites, hidden walls, and secret pinnacles. They don’t name them, they don’t need to. They’ve earned the trust of the sea and we trust them.

And our travellers—if they trust us—get to see a version of Komodo and other dive destinations most people never will.

We’re here for the next generation

Crowd control is more than an inconvenience. Too many divers in one place leads to coral breakge, spooked animals, altered behaviour, and toxic human residue—literally. Between the chemical damage from sunscreen and the practice of throwing food scraps off boats, marine ecosystems are under attack from the very people who claim to love them.

Even seabirds have been affected. There’s evidence their eggshells are thinning because the fish they eat have been feeding on human food waste. These things don’t go viral on TikTok, but they should.

So we don’t pack our dive groups. We don’t touch the reef. We don’t chase marine life for “the perfect shot”. We travel differently because we want there to be something left to see in the generations to come.

We Dive for Connection

If you’re the kind of diver that is looking for somewhere convenient or the cheapest operator available, we might not be the best match. But if you care about the health of the reef, the skill of your guide, and the stories that surface when you listen longer—then welcome.

Because for us, diving is not a hobby or sport. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a conservation—with the ocean, with the creatures gracing us with their presence, and with the people who live and breathe saltwater every day.

We dived to be moved. We dive to remember our place on Earth. We dive to reconnect with our breath. And we leave only bubbles—nothing else.

Holistic Approach to Diving

We know diving is a privilege. It’s expensive. It requires time and training. And it gives us access to come of the most vulnerable and awe-inspiring environments on the planet.

As Sylvia Earle said, “No blue, no green.” So we treat it as a responsibility.

We don’t just match destinations with our customers. We match skill level, experience to the right places at the right time, with the right guides to ensure the ocean benefits, too.

We’re not in this for volume. But we do care deeply about the dives we do offer. We work with partners who are an extension of our own values.