My fiance and I are starting to plan our honeymoon for April 2011. I would be happy to spend most of our time diving, but understandably, he doesn't want the whole trip to be diving. I've heard great things about the diving in Fiji and Maldives, and from what I've read, they are both "romantic" destinations and also have plenty of sharks and mantas, which is what we're mostly interested in seeing on our dives.
Fiji is appealing because of the soft coral, which my fiance hasn't seen yet (he's newly certified and has dived only in the Carribean) and because of the culture and the fact that there are things to do on land, like hiking. Maldives is appealing because the beaches look so beautiful and we could easily have a wonderful time just chilling and laying around on the deck of an over-the-water bungalow.
I think we will probably stay at a romantic, up-scale resort (but not too expensive) for a few days and then do a liveaboard for a week, whichever place we go.
We want to see the big stuff, and I know there are many areas to dive in Fiji. What areas are best for sharks and mantas? I've read there's a good possibility of seeing hammerheads an certain sites in Fiji. If we do a liveaboard there, we definitely will want to go on a trip that takes us to whatever sites will give us a chance at seeing hammerheads.
With the above considerations in mind, does anyone out there who has dived both places recommend one over the other?
Also, any recommendations as to resorts and liveaboards in Fiji and/or Maldives?
Fiji is appealing because of the soft coral, which my fiance hasn't seen yet (he's newly certified and has dived only in the Carribean) and because of the culture and the fact that there are things to do on land, like hiking. Maldives is appealing because the beaches look so beautiful and we could easily have a wonderful time just chilling and laying around on the deck of an over-the-water bungalow.
I think we will probably stay at a romantic, up-scale resort (but not too expensive) for a few days and then do a liveaboard for a week, whichever place we go.
We want to see the big stuff, and I know there are many areas to dive in Fiji. What areas are best for sharks and mantas? I've read there's a good possibility of seeing hammerheads an certain sites in Fiji. If we do a liveaboard there, we definitely will want to go on a trip that takes us to whatever sites will give us a chance at seeing hammerheads.
With the above considerations in mind, does anyone out there who has dived both places recommend one over the other?
Also, any recommendations as to resorts and liveaboards in Fiji and/or Maldives?