Best Value for Early April?

[dvrliz1]

Wander,

Check out airfare to Bonaire on Continental out of Newark...$349.00 pp RT includes US taxes and surcharges.

You can get PADI or SSI certified here on Bonaire for anywhere between $350 -$400, which would include all your gear, instructional material, etc. As far as meals go, I would say if you go to one of the restaurants in town, you are looking at about $60-70 for 2 persons with an appetizer, meal and a beer and or wine or 2. Breakfast and Lunch can vary, depending on what you want...just a quick snack or something like a 1/2 sub might cost you between $7-$12

When choosing your accommodations, check to see if they have a kitchenette or even a fridge. You can by lunch meat, breakfast cereals, etc and cook if there is a kitchen, saving a lot on food costs.

Liz

 

[cappyjon431]

Consider diving Bocas del Toro, Panama. Full Open Water Certification takes three full days and costs $225, everything included. We also provide two free dives at the conclusion of the class. For additional dives we charge $60 for a two tank dive including a divemaster guide and all equipment. The diving in BDT features very healthy reefs and lots of invertebrates and tropical fish. We are not known for big critters, so if you are looking for big stuff, consider diving the Pacific side of Panama. While the diving here usually gets knocked because of low viz (we average about 40'), it is all the nutrient matter in the water that nourish our reefs. We have virtually no coral bleaching or black band disease. The water remains 82-84 degrees all year, and we never experience strong currents or high seas (things that can ruin many dive vacations). Even if the viz is low because of rain, there is always a ton to see.

Airfare to Panama can be very inexpensive. I belong to Spirit Air's $9 Fare Club (www.spiritair.com) and I just paid $91 roundtrip from Panama City to Ft. Lauderdale. Restaurants and lodging are incredibly cheap (check out www.bocas.com). Decent hotels can be found for $25/night. Hostels for $12/night. My favorite B&B (lula's lulabb.com) is $50/night. If you eat at the "locals" restaurants, lunch & dinner should run about $3-$4. Touristy restaurants are more expensive, but still very reasonable. Oh, and beers (Panama, Atlas, Balboa or Crystal) range from $.50 to $1, depending on whether it is happy hour or not.