Epic Scuba Diving: SE Asia, South Pacific, or...???

Planning my first-ever trip to Asia with my girlfriend, looking for epic SCUBA & snorkeling locations. Thinking about Havelock Island (Andaman Islands, near Myanmar), but wondering how it compares to Indonesia, Fiji, and other South Pacific and SE Asia locations?

Probably the very best diving/snorkelling area are the Raja Ampat Islands of West Papua, Indonesia.

Raja Ampat is indeed still excellent - but there are some areas in the Pacific which get pretty close and are much easier to get to. Basically the less developed areas of the equatorial Pacific and Coral Triangle have the most diversity of species and the best condition coral.

The Solomon Islands is excellent diving, expecially the north west, More remote areas of the Fiji group (not the popular Yasawa group), and Sabah, Malaysia are well known great spots. It also depends how experienced you are and what you are looking for of course - strong drift dives on 40m walls in Fiji probably won't suit people with less than a few years regular diving under their belt.

Stay away from the more developed & populated areas as a basic rule - so most of Thailand is not so good any more, many of the well known spots in the Philippines are on the decline, whilst places with minimal population, overfishing and coastal development, like most of the Pacific, are still great.

Sipadan, Borneo. Try Sipadan Scuba.

Malapascua, for the thresher sharks, Try Exotic.