How experienced do I need to be?

Advanced Open Water and comfortable self-sufficiency at minimum. You should be able to deploy an SMB, manage your own gas, and handle current without a guide holding your hand. Many operators want 50 to 100 logged dives.

What if something goes wrong?

Ask the operator for their emergency plan before booking: oxygen on the boat, nearest chamber, communication from the site. Buy dive insurance with evacuation coverage. It is the one thing you should not economize on here.

Is the lodging really that basic?

Often, yes: a fan, a mosquito net, a cold shower, and great food. Sometimes it is a small liveaboard. Read the itinerary honestly and decide whether you can be happy without air conditioning.

Off the Beaten Path Dive Trips: Remote, Few Divers

You would rather spend two days getting somewhere than share a site with six other boats. These trips go where the dive maps run out: outer atolls, unlit islands, coastlines with one operator and no dive shop on the corner.