cheapest 7-night possible

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aggiecrew

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hi,

where would be the best place to go for the cheapest possible 5-7 night trip? I was originally thinking about Belize, but I don't know if that would be the cheapest option for a first-time diver. So I was thinking maybe Cozumel, Honduras, Bonaire, or the Florida Keys....but I'm open to any ideas. It would be nice to have a package that included everything, but I don't know if that's possible to find, so I might have to do some combination of package + deals on the rest of the trip.

Basically, I want to be able to pay for airfare, accomodations, diving, meals, ALL taxes, and anything else I'm forgetting for less than $1,000. is this possible? where should I be looking? I'm in Austin, so I can fly out of Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, or Houston.

thanks!
 
Hi Aggiecrew!

If you are in Austin and can fly easily out of Houston (IAH) I would highly recommend the Bay Islands. Contential flys to Roatan out of IAH so it would be a pretty easy flight.

Most of the resorts in Roatan are all inclusive but, you can do your lodging, meals, diving, etc. seperately in the West End if you want.

I have stayed at The Inn of Last Resort and loved it. It is a smaller resort and the owners make you feel like family. You get three boat dives a day and unlimited shore diving. They have a deal for $695 for 7 days or a last minute special for $495 for 7 days.

You can check them out at: http://www.innoflastresort.com/index.html

Happy Diving!
 
To me an easy answer.....Bonaire .....and look up the Golden Reef Inn run by Liz and her hubby. Do a google on Bonaire and Golden Reef Inn.

The only problem you may encounter is getting there.

rich
 
aggiecrew:
hi,

where would be the best place to go for the cheapest possible 5-7 night trip? I was originally thinking about Belize, but I don't know if that would be the cheapest option for a first-time diver. So I was thinking maybe Cozumel, Honduras, Bonaire, or the Florida Keys....but I'm open to any ideas. It would be nice to have a package that included everything, but I don't know if that's possible to find, so I might have to do some combination of package + deals on the rest of the trip.

Basically, I want to be able to pay for airfare, accomodations, diving, meals, ALL taxes, and anything else I'm forgetting for less than $1,000. is this possible? where should I be looking? I'm in Austin, so I can fly out of Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, or Houston.

thanks!

...........do the math and see if any where else compares.

Rooms $5-$25 a night. Steak dinner $6. $1 breakfasts. $2.50 lunches. Diving $17.50 a dive. Airfare out of Houston Continental to San Pedro Sula is reasonable, catch a transfer w/ Atlantic or Sosa to the island.

BTW, if you choose to and/or make an error to do so, and go with a dive resort in Utila, costs will pretty well be the same as anywhere else in Carib.

Good Diving,

Susan
 
Bonaire might cost a little more to get there, but diving is just the cost of filling your tanks. Bay Islands is a solid choice. Cozumel costs a little more diving wise, but cheap to get there. We flew RT from Detroit for $300. As I write this, I am looking through Scuba magazine - some adds for Cozumel:

Caribe Blu - 7 nights, 5 days of 2 tank boat dives, unlmtd shore dives - $490.

Dive With Martin - 5 nights, 4 days of 2 tank boat dives - $355.

There are a few nice places in town where lodging is $30 - $40 a night and include free breakfast. Just for comparison sake, me, my wife, and 3 teenagers did Coz for about $3500, including airfare, all food, diving, and extras - and we could have done it cheaper!
 
Hello, I would recommend Cozumel. We've been there three times and never been disappointed. The diving is great and you can find a moderately priced package including diving for under $1000. Contact Bay Adventures at www. bayadventures.com for sample prices. We have always selected an all-inclusive resort and find that is the most reasonably priced package. Some do not like the all-inclusive but for the cost you can't beat it and if you want to eat a few dinners in town the cost is very reasonable so for two people you can get a meal for $25.00 if you don't drink much alcohol. We have been to Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Dominica, Bonaire, and Cozumel and Cozumel still is my favorite place to go. I know that you will get differing opinions about the "best" diving site but it is definitely the cheapest place to dive particularly since you are in Texas and the flight time is very short and reasonably priced. Here is a link to my last trip report to Cozumel in 2004 http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/tripreports.php?s=2639 Feel free to email me at wjames3@cox.net if you have any questions.

Regards,

Bill
 
Aggie,

If you plan on flying out of Houston, you can get a DIRECT flight to Bonaire Starting Dec 17th in the vicinity of around $493.00 RT per person. There are many small inns that can get you a Stay, Dive and Drive Package on Bonaire for under $500.00. Lots of Specials going on at a lot of places on bonaire. Check out infobonaire.com

Liz
 
dvrliz1:
Aggie,

If you plan on flying out of Houston, you can get a DIRECT flight to Bonaire Starting Dec 17th in the vicinity of around $493.00 RT per person. There are many small inns that can get you a Stay, Dive and Drive Package on Bonaire for under $500.00. Lots of Specials going on at a lot of places on bonaire. Check out infobonaire.com

Liz
pack grits & peanut butter and you can make it under budget!
Rick
 
aggiecrew:
hi,

where would be the best place to go for the cheapest possible 5-7 night trip? I was originally thinking about Belize, but I don't know if that would be the cheapest option for a first-time diver. So I was thinking maybe Cozumel, Honduras, Bonaire, or the Florida Keys....but I'm open to any ideas. It would be nice to have a package that included everything, but I don't know if that's possible to find, so I might have to do some combination of package + deals on the rest of the trip.

Basically, I want to be able to pay for airfare, accomodations, diving, meals, ALL taxes, and anything else I'm forgetting for less than $1,000. is this possible? where should I be looking? I'm in Austin, so I can fly out of Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, or Houston.

thanks!


I would recomend Blackbeard's cruises, they run about 850 for the week+ 55 port tax and tip. There out of Miami so airfare wouldn't be all that expensive. It includes all meals except for the one night you go ashore to eat.
 
Rick Murchison:
pack grits & peanut butter and you can make it under budget!
Rick

Pack it- is right! We were in the Galloping Pogos last year (okay, Galapagos!) and a jar of PB cost us $5 u.s.!

Look at Nassau, Feeport, The Florida Keys, Ft. Lauderdale, Jamaica... etc.

The above ideas are just ducky, but the air to the Bay Islands has been about $675 out of IAH lately. I don't think Belize is much cheaper.

The air will kill'ya.
 

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