Life is in the detail

For a different (and crowd free) take on a classic view – cross the Yamuna River at dusk to see the Taj Mahal glowing pink and reflected in the river.

Tom - Original Diver

Tom Barber

Original Travel Expert

I have extensive travel experience throughout Middle East, Africa, Caribbean, Far East and Europe.

My travels

Travel Things I Want To Do Before I Die

Sudan. More pyramids than northerly neighbour Egypt and a miniscule fraction of the visitor numbers.
California for sheer diversity of special things to see and do.
Sao Tome & Principe, because it just sounds magical and unspoilt.

Best Moments

Diving Neptune's Arm off the coast of Mozambique and generally considered the best dive in the world. It didn't disappoint and we were surrounded by white tip reef sharks and groupers the size of Minis.

Weirdest Travel Moment

Chicken hearts in Brazil. Bleeurch.

Explore my blog posts

Picnic lunch on a white sand narrow beach in between blue waters in the Maldives

Soneva and Scuba – a match made in heaven

I've been lucky enough to visit the legendary Soneva properties in the Maldives four times, and every time, I have had a dive experience to savour for a lifetime. I first visited Soneva Fushi in 2011 and immediately fell for their 'no news, no shoes' ethos. So many people parrot the concept…

Find a Happy Place

These past couple of months have been the hardest yet, thanks (if that's the word) to the double dose of winter and lockdown. Here at Original Diving, we're determined to stay as positive as possible, so we asked the team to each describe their 'Happy Place' - one blissful moment from their…

Keep Your Distance

It's fair to say that there has been some confusion surrounding the loosening of the lockdown. We're confident that the Great British public will use their famed common sense to work things out - after all, this is the nation that elevated queuing to an art form - but in the meantime, we've…

The Original Diving Quiz

Picture the scene. It's the Original Diving office Christmas party, and several members of the team start an impromptu round of the 'Guess the Three-Letter Airport Code' game. One of the interns is overheard to say: 'Wow, you lot really are travel nerds.' Thank you, Fenella - there is…

Diving the Remote Outer Islands of the Seychelles: Part II

Following on from Part I of Original Diver Neill's exploratory dive expedition to the remote Outer Islands, the team leave Astove to discover the virgin waters of Cosmoledo…

Diving the Remote Outer Islands of the Seychelles: Part I

As someone who has been diving for over 20 years, I had heard talk of the remote islands of Aldabra, yet I have to admit I had no idea where they were. Once I found out, and once I found out it might be possible to actually get there, the adventure began. What started as a conversation with…

Gozo - Is it the Best Diving in the Mediterranean?

Having dived a few times in the Mediterranean, I have never been particularly impressed. So it was with a mixture of excitement and a small dose of pessimism that I travelled to the tiny island of Gozo next to Malta.

The 11 Best Dive Sites in the World

Bucket lists are for landlubbers. If you're a diver, and the ocean is your oyster, then you NEED to dive these spots, arguably the greatest dive sites on our blue planet.

Alphonse: No Mangoes, Lots of Diving

400km south of the main island of the Seychelles, Mahe, lies the remote Alphonse group of islands - Alphonse, Bijoutier and Saint-Francois. Look at the area on a map and you realise just how remote a location this is.

The PADI Bubblemaker Course

Do you remember your first dive? I most certainly do. It was in the Bahamas, aged 16 and with - in hindsight - a distinctly cowboy dive outfit, but within five minutes of being down I'd seen a shark off in the distance, and after 20 minutes, a turtle considerably closer. As you can imagine,…

Top Family Diving Holiday Destinations with Young Kids

If, like me, you are in the phase of life where everything seems to revolve around nappies, nursery and obsessions with football (I have a 1-year old, a 3-year old and a 5-year old) then you will know that finding a suitable destination for a diving trip as a family can be tricky. If, also…

The Best Way to Dive the Azores – our Exclusive Diving Liveaboard

For years, we've been desperate for an exceptional quality diving liveaboard in the Azores. Finally, we have one in the luxurious Water & Wind. What's more, we're incredibly excited to say that we are the exclusive UK partner for the boat - so if diving in the Azores is on the to-do…

What is the Best Diving in Africa?

Neill has just come back from an amazing research trip to find the best diving in Africa. Here he discusses his top spots.

Original Diving Partners with Bite-Back Shark Conservation

Bite-Back Shark and Marine Conservation We are delighted to announce that we are partnering with charity, Bite-Back, to try and help the cause of shark and marine conservation. Every time someone books with us, we will be donating an amount to the charity; and if people want to donate more,…

Nitrogen Narcosis: Drunk on Depth

Nitrogen narcosis, derived from the Greek word Narke is loosely translated as the "temporary decline or loss of senses and movement." Like any other adventure sport, scuba diving comes with some associated risks. Nitrogen narcosis or getting "narked" is one of them.