MakingBubbles
Registered
I am planning a vacation for my family in September (or maybe November). I realize that everyone's idea of the "best" vacation destination is subjective to their own situation. I am an advanced diver. My wife and 11-year old daughter have about about 10 dives under their belt. My 10-year old son is going to be a newly certified diver. I am looking for a destination that has the following (in order of priority). I realize that there probably is no location that has all of these criteria... That is why I prioritized them.
1. Safe for children. We keep a close watch on our children, but obviously there are places that I might go with other adult that would not be appropriate or safe for children. You understand...
2. EASY diving. This is very important being that my wife and kids are relatively new divers. Great visibility, little currents or surge is important. If shore diving, I may have to carry all of the tanks since my wife has a bad back and my kids aren't strong enough to carry them for any real distance. If boat diving is necessary, I am looking for a "pampered" diving experience that is not rushed in any way so my wife and kids are comfortable.
3. Excellent sea life and overall diving experience. Examples of things we would like to see are wide variety or large shoals of fish, soft corals, sea fans, eels, and larger species like dolphins, sharks, rays, whales, etc.
4. Other fun top-side activities for the ENTIRE family. While diving is the primary activity we'll be doing, other activities are a bonus. Sometimes my wife and daughter can only handle one dive every 5-6 hours. I have much more stamina than everyone else, so I may end up diving with each of them individually. It might be nice for my wife and daughter to do something else while my son and I dive. For example, we've stayed at an all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas that offered other activities (like playing on the beach, tennis, archery, etc.)
5. We also like participating in local cultural activies. For example, we attended a fish fry in a local fishing village in the Bahamas and visited Road to Hana, Place of Refuge, and waterfalls in Hawaii.
6. Kids club. Sometimes the kids like to interact with other kids their own age. This also gives my wife and I some alone time together to go diving or do other "adults-only" activities. While this is not critical, it is nice to have.
We are looking for most "bang for the buck." We are a fairly modest family that does not require luxury. We rarely eat in upscale restaurants and shopping and nightlife are not a priority. Though it might be nice to pick up a small trinket for a souvenir. Unless we are staying at an all-inclusive, we usually like rooms or condos with a kitchen that we can eat at the room to keep the dining costs low. We are also open to try local cuisines and "hole in the wall" restaurants if it's not too expensive and they have good food. As far as lodging, we are not picky as long as it's clean (i.e. not bug infested, etc.).
After looking at many reviews, I am thinking of either Bonaire or one of the Cayman Islands. I've never been to any of these locations. Can those who have been to both weigh in on your recommendation based on the priorities I've listed above? Also, if there is better destination that I am not thinking of that meets this criteria, please let me know.
For points of comparison, we've been diving in West Palm Beach, Bahamas (Freeport), all of the Hawaiian Islands (including Manta dive on Kona), and Southern California (Monterey). Any help is greatly appreciated.
1. Safe for children. We keep a close watch on our children, but obviously there are places that I might go with other adult that would not be appropriate or safe for children. You understand...
2. EASY diving. This is very important being that my wife and kids are relatively new divers. Great visibility, little currents or surge is important. If shore diving, I may have to carry all of the tanks since my wife has a bad back and my kids aren't strong enough to carry them for any real distance. If boat diving is necessary, I am looking for a "pampered" diving experience that is not rushed in any way so my wife and kids are comfortable.
3. Excellent sea life and overall diving experience. Examples of things we would like to see are wide variety or large shoals of fish, soft corals, sea fans, eels, and larger species like dolphins, sharks, rays, whales, etc.
4. Other fun top-side activities for the ENTIRE family. While diving is the primary activity we'll be doing, other activities are a bonus. Sometimes my wife and daughter can only handle one dive every 5-6 hours. I have much more stamina than everyone else, so I may end up diving with each of them individually. It might be nice for my wife and daughter to do something else while my son and I dive. For example, we've stayed at an all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas that offered other activities (like playing on the beach, tennis, archery, etc.)
5. We also like participating in local cultural activies. For example, we attended a fish fry in a local fishing village in the Bahamas and visited Road to Hana, Place of Refuge, and waterfalls in Hawaii.
6. Kids club. Sometimes the kids like to interact with other kids their own age. This also gives my wife and I some alone time together to go diving or do other "adults-only" activities. While this is not critical, it is nice to have.
We are looking for most "bang for the buck." We are a fairly modest family that does not require luxury. We rarely eat in upscale restaurants and shopping and nightlife are not a priority. Though it might be nice to pick up a small trinket for a souvenir. Unless we are staying at an all-inclusive, we usually like rooms or condos with a kitchen that we can eat at the room to keep the dining costs low. We are also open to try local cuisines and "hole in the wall" restaurants if it's not too expensive and they have good food. As far as lodging, we are not picky as long as it's clean (i.e. not bug infested, etc.).
After looking at many reviews, I am thinking of either Bonaire or one of the Cayman Islands. I've never been to any of these locations. Can those who have been to both weigh in on your recommendation based on the priorities I've listed above? Also, if there is better destination that I am not thinking of that meets this criteria, please let me know.
For points of comparison, we've been diving in West Palm Beach, Bahamas (Freeport), all of the Hawaiian Islands (including Manta dive on Kona), and Southern California (Monterey). Any help is greatly appreciated.