My wife and I are planning a spontaneous dive trip that we will take sometime between mid-April and mid-May. Our budget is approximately $1,000 each for accommodations, diving and vehicle rental. Is Bonaire or Turks and Caicos a better choice? Why?
Bonaire or Turks and Caicos
- Thread starter rye_a
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Like big fish (T/C) or little fish (Bonaire)? Water clarity is a wash and there's roughly the same amt. of non-dive things to do. Better (more expensive) shopping on Provo. Both should be equally hard to get to from your area - we were able to get to Provo from here the same day - leaving at 5AM. You might look at USAirways connections thru Phoenix. For Bonaire there's a Friday night Redeye on Continental thru Houston.
Have you priced accommodations on Turks/Caicos? Anything on Grace Bay is $300/400 + per night. (except Comfort Suites) Food is fairly expensive also - everything is imported.
I'm pretty sure you'll be going to Bonaire..you should be able to get a package deal at one of the on-water dive resorts within your budget - or maybe just slightly more. Here's Buddy's Dive's Drive and Dive rates: http://www.buddydive.com/images/resort/PackageRatesBDR2011.pdf
Have you priced accommodations on Turks/Caicos? Anything on Grace Bay is $300/400 + per night. (except Comfort Suites) Food is fairly expensive also - everything is imported.
I'm pretty sure you'll be going to Bonaire..you should be able to get a package deal at one of the on-water dive resorts within your budget - or maybe just slightly more. Here's Buddy's Dive's Drive and Dive rates: http://www.buddydive.com/images/resort/PackageRatesBDR2011.pdf
Turks and Caicos might be a bit of a budget buster, but there are some value options:
http://www.vrbo.com/4929
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lmorin
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No brainer, IMHO. Bonaire. It will be less expensive and you can do a lot more diving more easily.
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Sweet!! Grace Bay is one of the nicest beaches I've ever seen. But did you look at the availability calendar? And at $1700/wk not much left over for diving and car rental keeping within your posted budget. And you'd want a car on Provo - cabs aren't cheap either - we paid $10pp to go 6 miles to/from Grace Bay.
I believe it's mostly boat diving from there if that's a factor. Find someone to take you out to French Cay, that's probably the best diving I've done in 5 years. Turtles, sharks, stingrays, some or all on every single dive - and we did about 10. The wall is just a profusion of coral starting at about 40-50' to beyond rec depths. And it's crystal clear since it's current washed. Big stuff comes up the wall to feed also. There's supposed to be some small car sized grouper there also but we didn't see them.
Any time I see the Rolex store next to the Gucci store, budget is the last thing that comes to mind...
fwiw - having been to both, I'd repeat T/C first.
I believe it's mostly boat diving from there if that's a factor. Find someone to take you out to French Cay, that's probably the best diving I've done in 5 years. Turtles, sharks, stingrays, some or all on every single dive - and we did about 10. The wall is just a profusion of coral starting at about 40-50' to beyond rec depths. And it's crystal clear since it's current washed. Big stuff comes up the wall to feed also. There's supposed to be some small car sized grouper there also but we didn't see them.
Any time I see the Rolex store next to the Gucci store, budget is the last thing that comes to mind...
fwiw - having been to both, I'd repeat T/C first.
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morecowbells
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I also have been debating going to the Turks and Caicos in Oct. I have heard that getting to the better dive sites require some long boat rides. Any information on the length of boat rides? French Cay looks wonderful, it that a PITA getting to and from? I am one of the unfortunate souls who gets horribly seasick and try to avoid long or rough rides. Thanks in advance 
DeputyDan
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I also have been debating going to the Turks and Caicos in Oct. I have heard that getting to the better dive sites require some long boat rides. Any information on the length of boat rides? French Cay looks wonderful, it that a PITA getting to and from? I am one of the unfortunate souls who gets horribly seasick and try to avoid long or rough rides. Thanks in advance
Most posts indicate at least 45 minutes each way.
DeputyDan
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Doctorfish
Contributor
There's more to T and C than Provo. The diving on Grand Turk is excellent and the wall is at most, a 5 minute boat ride from shore. The accomodation is comparable to Bonaire and the costs not much different once you get there. Depends on whether you want big stuff or macro.
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