One on the bucket list checked off. Layang Layang didn’t disappoint with so much to see - mantas, schools of jacks, trevally, barracuda, bumpheads plus sharks- black tip, grey reef and the majestic hammerheads. Great diving and great dive operator. Shout out to Roy who found the hammers every morning. As mentioned in several other posts, its best to have abit more dive experience before you do Layang Layang. Past the drop off, its 2000ft of blue below you and with such good viz, its easy to to forget your depth and go into deco. So stay safe and listen to the divemaster!

The resort itself was well run with good food including a Malaysian styled sit-down dinner on one of the nights - a lovely experience. Accommodation was 3-star with air conditioned, hot shower, good bed and basic bath amenities. The staff were what makes the resort great - they are friendly, attentive and a fun bunch. Wifi isn’t good but I opine its a good digital detox and just focus on the diving!

We flew all the way from the UK with just one plan- to dive with Hammerheads!
The diving didn't disappoint over the ten days we were there. There were a few days where we didn't see any but that's because we were taken to dive sites where they weren't hanging around- however on those days, we did see a manta and other large things such as turtles and Napoleon Wrasse. We had several divemasters, of which Zoey and Roy were by far the best- full of enthusiasm and able to find us Hammers every time. On our very last dive, not only did we see a large school of maybe 30 or 40, we saw them extremely close-up and got incredible footage on our cameras.
The resort itself could do with a lick of paint and some modernisation, but it was incredibly clean and the staff were all, without exception, amazing. Jerry made sure that I always had chilli and sambal to spice up the lovely food (catering was for a Western/Chinese palate and therefore delicious, but not spicy enough for me!) Mark, the resort manager was always on hand to make sure everything was OK and he was so friendly and cheerful every time! Any little niggles we had (such as wanting to be with our European friends in a group instead of on our own with a bunch of Chinese who all knew each other!) were swiftly sorted. The O rings can get a bit leaky on the tanks due to the nature of the very deep dives and therefore wear and tear. My advice is just to check before you dive and they'll replace it quickly and easily before you head off to the dive site, no problem. This is a resort where if you are unhappy about ANYTHING at all, just ask about it- they will do all they can to accommodate your needs and that includes diet. One of my friends needed lactose-free food and they made sure he had plenty of specially prepared delicious food to keep him full and happy every day.
Once a week, they do a beautiful Malaysian style sit-down meal instead of the usual buffet.Your divemasters will also join you, so remember to buy them a beer as they work so hard for you all week! It's a really lovely touch and brings everyone together.

Please LISTEN to the resort when they say you have to be an experienced diver for this holiday. It's so easy to go into deco at such depths and a few daft people clearly didn't know how to watch their dive computers properly. Be aware that if YOU go into deco and don't clear it or chase the wildlife or do anything stupid, you WILL be blacklisted and this could affect your holidays at other resorts too. I think this is absolutely brilliant because I've seen so many people disrespect the wildlife in other resorts and it's so good to see that Layang Layang will not tolerate it and cares very deeply for the welfare and sustainability of their precious reef.
The diving itself is amazing- incredible vis, sharks galore and plenty of other stuff to keep you occupied when you do your shallow afternoon dives on the reef.
I think we were very lucky with our group- everyone was an experienced diver with many dives under their belts. This meant that the divemasters could concentrate on finding us lots of Hammers to swim with instead of babysitting inexperienced divers.
Another wonderful aspect to the resort is that you can do a sunset or night jetty dive for free with your buddy if your divemaster thinks you are experienced enough. There's some really good muck diving to be had and the resort really should push this more as it truly was the icing on the cake to find so many exciting critters just on the doorstep!
I can't emphasise enough just how much I loved my time here and we will definitely be back to see the Hammerheads and the lovely staff next year! I have never been to a resort where pretty much every single member of staff simply can't do enough for you and this was very much appreciated by our group.
Top tip 1: Ignore the bad reviews but just bear in mind, you sometimes have to ask if something is not quite to your liking and when you do, they WILL sort it out asap. If you think of this resort as a live-aboard on land with much better food, then this is the place for you!
Top tip 2: Try to go as a group of similarly experienced friends. It really makes a big difference if you all speak the same language and can all dive responsibly. :)
Top tip 3: The ratio of divemaster to guests can get very high. Just make sure you take your PADI training seriously and look out for your buddy so that the divemasters can concentrate solely on finding those mysterious Hammers for you. It's so worth it when they find them! :)
In a nutshell: Go in Hammerhead season and you will experience world-class, amazing diving that you will never forget!