Belize suggestions

[Mishelley]

My husband and I are planning a trip in June and we were thinking of Belize. Does any one have any suggestions for a nice cabana dive package? We are certified divers but want a reputable/trustworthy dive shop to take trips out of.

 

[vladimir]

Turneffe Island Resort is a private island accommodating around 20 guests on one of the outer atolls. It is very close to The Elbow, perhaps Belize's best dive, and in general the diving is better out there than off the mainland. They do a once-a-week trip to the Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef on a 42' boat that easily accommodates the full group. The rest of the time your diving will be done from a skiff, usually ten minutes or so from the dock. The private cabanas are nice, if not posh. To some extent you are paying for the isolation, and the rooms are a little bit more expensive than you might pay for comparable rooms on the mainland. In my opinion the setting, the seclusion, and the superior diving are well worth it. Food is served family style on a schedule in the dining room. Three or four dives are scheduled each day, and the routine has the feeling of a liveaboard in many respects, without the big boat. The dive operation was professional. Mosquitos and flies may be an issue, depending on the wind and weather, since you are on the edge of a large mangrove swamp, but they didn't bother me outside and they weren't at all evident indoors.

 

[peterbj7]

TIR has a good reputation. If you'd prefer to be on Ambergris Caye, the "diving centre" of Belize (and commensurately busy, at least near the town), there are quite a few attractive options. A lot depends on what you mean by "cabana". Can you elaborate a bit? For example, do you want somewhere remote and rustic, or perhaps private self-contained accommodation but nearer to the "heart" of things? Ambergris Caye is a long island and there are many options, some of which have good dive centers close by. If you're anywhere near the town most dive centers will pick you up, but if you're further away you need to plan it a bit. I have several options in mind, but I really need a bit of guidance first on what you're after.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

You could consider Splash Dive Shop in Placencia. Splash Dive Shop works with a number of hotels and resorts ranging from luxury, mid-range to budget to facilitate almost any budget. You can check us out at Splashbelize.com.
There is excellent diving out of Placencia (including whale sharks if you are here at the right time)
Another big benefit of Placencia is its location in the southern half of Belize. Approximately 40% of Belize is protected by parks and reserves whcih along with Maya ruins are mainly in the southern half of the country and Placencia is central to those while still being on the beach. this gives you the opportunity to explore these during days where weather is not optimal for diving or where you just want to explore the rainforest, jaguar preserve, caves, etc.

 

[Gaz]

Hi

Here are a list of Hotels on Ambergris that offer Beach Cabanas and the dive ops that operate out of them

Xaman Ek Retreat and Spa offers Thatch Beach Cabins the resort is located 5 miles North of Ambergris Caye on a beautiful Stretch of beach the beach cabins are quaint and authentic but not huge by any means.

The resort also has an on site Spa for after dive treatments also has an on site restaurant its a very peaceful quiet resort so if you looking to escape to a serene and quiet small resort this could be it.

There diving is conducted by Scuba Steve and its more of a dive service than a dive shop and many times you will have less that 6 divers each trip. There summer special is $799.00 per diver in a beach cabin. Xaman Ek Retreat & Spa, Belize, Central America- Lodging, Hotels, Villas, Resorts

Ramons Village has beach cabins also and this resort is located on the outskirts of San pedro town so a lot busier and more hustle and bustle. Diving is conducted by there onsite dive shop that generally gets good reviews www.ramons.com

Portofino Resort

Located about 6 miles north of town this is a high end resort and very nice, they have beach cabins also and also they have a mini dive shop on site that Ecologic runs the diving for Portofino there summer package runs around $1800 us per person but includes breakfast and dinner. Portofino Resort, Exclusive Lodging on Ambergris Caye, Belize

That should get you started I am sure there will be more options posted

Gaz Cooper

 

[hpbelize]

My husband and I are planning a trip in June and we were thinking of Belize. Does any one have any suggestions for a nice cabana dive package? We are certified divers but want a reputable/trustworthy dive shop to take trips out of.

If you are looking for a laid back place you may want to consider one of the many Dive resorts/Lodges on the islands. A drawback would be that most of them have scheduled arrival days, mostly Saturdays and Wednesdays unless you want a private charter.

We are located less than half hour from Belize City and Turneffe Atoll and less than 10 minutes from the Barrier Reef. This gives us the advantage of having daily transfers to the mainland and International Airport. We have several specials going on throughout the summer along with the regular packages. We have big spacious boats and professional crew with years of experience in Belize diving.

The summer is slow around here and if you do a little research on Belize vacation sites you might find out several properties are offering specials and discounts. Airlines are offering last minute flight deals as well which works great with properties like ours (close to the mainland) that have no limit on arrival days. If you post more detailed info on what type of property you have in mind forum members will be able offer better help.

Enjoy your time in Belize!!!

We are also on FaceBook and on the cover of this month's Dive Training Magazine.

 

[peterbj7]

The resorts on Ambergris Caye that I was thinking of were quite different. I repeat - what does the OP want?