Ideas for luxurious Carribean diving vacation

[Clyderyde]

Does anybody have any ideas for a luxurious diving vacation in the Carribean or near Pacific? My wife and I are getting ready to celebrate our 20th aniversery and want something really nice. We'd love to do the Maldives or other South pacific resorts but we can only devote a week to this trip, and can't really see the sense in going that far for only a week.

We've been thinking of Peter Island or Petit St Vincent but we decided to ask scubaboarders for ideas. We'd probably prefer to do a resort instead of a live aboard.


Any ideas will be appreciated.

Thanks

Clyderyde
Yes we are dork divers

 

[diversteve]

We've been kicking it around in this post recently: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/general-travel-vacation-discussions/177650-luxury-dive-resort.html

Looked at Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda? - assuming you meant that Peter Island...No diving off Little Dix, but DiveBVI will pick you up there. They have the most amazing stretch of beach and their own protective cove. You can snorkel with turtles there. For a really nice meal, there's the Rock Cafe a couple miles away.

Lodge Kura Hulanda on Curacao is one of the best small hotels in the world (or something like that) I've been there, it's very nice but also 45 minutes from town. Great diving just offshore also. Curacao is kind of grimey in places though.

 

[robint]

Does anybody have any ideas for a luxurious diving vacation in the Carribean or near Pacific? My wife and I are getting ready to celebrate our 20th aniversery and want something really nice. We'd love to do the Maldives or other South pacific resorts but we can only devote a week to this trip, and can't really see the sense in going that far for only a week.

We've been thinking of Peter Island or Petit St Vincent but we decided to ask scubaboarders for ideas. We'd probably prefer to do a resort instead of a live aboard.


Any ideas will be appreciated.

Thanks

Clyderyde
Yes we are dork divers

what do you mean by luxurious? Are you looking for posh hotel, pool, spa? Or do you mean romantic, remote, exotic? How many dives per day? Topside activities? I have a few ideas but want to be sure I am on the right track....

 

[Clyderyde]

We've been kicking it around in this post recently: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/general-travel-vacation-discussions/177650-luxury-dive-resort.html

Looked at Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda? - assuming you meant that Peter Island...No diving off Little Dix, but DiveBVI will pick you up there. They have the most amazing stretch of beach and their own protective cove. You can snorkel with turtles there. For a really nice meal, there's the Rock Cafe a couple miles away.

Lodge Kura Hulanda on Curacao is one of the best small hotels in the world (or something like that) I've been there, it's very nice but also 45 minutes from town. Great diving just offshore also. Curacao is kind of grimey in places though.

Thanks Steve,

I'll look into Little Dix Bay. Do you have any insight into what rooms are the best etc.?

You're right about Curacao, we stayed at Sunset Waters for the second time this spring and while we really like the place and the folks there. The public beachs we went to were a different story. The cleanest place on those beaches were the bottoms of the trash cans. It seemed like anything that made it into the numerous cans placed by the government was only there by chance. Such a shame as they really are beautiful beaches.

The diving was good however and when we go back again I'll think about Lodge Kura Hulanda. I should have pulled in an checked it out when we were riding around but we were a little grundgy and the place looked pretty upscale. Its proximity to Watumula is definitely a plus.

 

[Clyderyde]

what do you mean by luxurious? Are you looking for posh hotel, pool, spa? Or do you mean romantic, remote, exotic? How many dives per day? Topside activities? I have a few ideas but want to be sure I am on the right track....

Robin T,

Those are good questions,
I'll start with the easy one first. We're only looking for a couple of tanks a day. We're not getting any younger and I like to look around topside as well.

We'd probably like romantic and remote over posh but we're open to most anything.
I know Eleanor would like a good spa, and no screaming children.

I should have put it another way. I'd like to have a unique trip with good food, pleasant low stress diving, and some interesting folks to talk to. I found Young Island Resort in St Vincent several years ago and thats the sort of place I'm looking for. That place is not new or really fancy, but the service and food are excellent. The diving is not hard but Bill Tewes and his staff are trully in a class by themselves at what they do. And while it's certainly not the cheapest trip it is not really that expensive if you look at the value.

I plan to keep returning to old favorites like Cozumel and Cayman as long as the body and wallet hold out, but for this trip I'm looking for one we will really remember.

I know its tough to do in a week.

Thanks,

Clyderyde

 

[robint]

Robin T,

Those are good questions,
I'll start with the easy one first. We're only looking for a couple of tanks a day. We're not getting any younger and I like to look around topside as well.

We'd probably like romantic and remote over posh but we're open to most anything.
I know Eleanor would like a good spa, and no screaming children.

I should have put it another way. I'd like to have a unique trip with good food, pleasant low stress diving, and some interesting folks to talk to. I found Young Island Resort in St Vincent several years ago and thats the sort of place I'm looking for. That place is not new or really fancy, but the service and food are excellent. The diving is not hard but Bill Tewes and his staff are trully in a class by themselves at what they do. And while it's certainly not the cheapest trip it is not really that expensive if you look at the value.

I plan to keep returning to old favorites like Cozumel and Cayman as long as the body and wallet hold out, but for this trip I'm looking for one we will really remember.

I know its tough to do in a week.

Thanks,

Clyderyde

thanks! That helps. I have a couple of suggestions. Some Caribbean and some Pacific.

I have heard great things about Hamanasi Resort in Belize (on mainland) - very romantic and remote, all meals included and choice of topside excursions or diving each day. Also, Blackbird Resort and Turneffe Resort in Belize (outer atolls) are very remote with 3 dives per day included as well as meals. Not much to do on the island though but dive and relax.
Also, Cayman Brac resort is one a friend went to recently and thought it was the nicest Caribbean place he has ever been. Food was gourmet, dive op was awesome, spa on site.
check out the deals on Caradonna Dive Adventures - Dive Travel and Vacations

In the Pacific I would highly recommend Fiji... check out Beqa Lagoon and also Wananavu. We have friends who have done both and thought they were fabulous. Very romantic and very exotic, 2 dives per day, gorgous bures (little cottages) and all food included. One of the best things is that the flights there are overnight (8 hours from LAX) non-stop so you sleep and wake up in paradise. It isn't as hard on your bodies. Price for those trips is right in the same area as the prices for most Caribbean places these days so I would look at these seriously. VERY romantic, great diving, exotic... my kinda of "special occasion" trip.
check out caradonna (link above) and also Ultimate Dive Travel - Scuba Diving Tours - Scuba Dive Vacation or Island Dreams Travel scuba diving vacations, cozumel scuba diving, dive travel, dive resorts, diving trips
all these have similar packages and can arrange airfare and give you a quote.

robin

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Try Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia. Verrry nice and I think it meets with your requirements.

 

[Lottie375]

Try Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia. Verrry nice and I think it meets with your requirements.

Tim beat me to it - I would also recommend Anse Chastanet as well - if you're looking for that added wow-factor - have a look at their information for Jade Mountain.

HTH

Lottie

p.s. Tim - I love your signature

 

[Manuel Sam]

Two ther places for your consideration:

Anguilla: as luxurious as you may ever want at Cap Juluca or Malliouhana - there maybe others by now; fantastic beaches; quiet by Caribbean standards but St Maarten is just a 20 minute fast boat ferry ride away for a day of shopping or what-have-you; never dove there bu tteh snorkeling is great - check thru this forum for Anguilla diving info.

St. John - Caneel Bay used ot be the sister resort to Little Dix Bay, not sure if it still is; otherwise, there's a couple of luxury hotels near Cruz bay, used to be a Westin, not sure if it still is; great beaches; still quiet by Caribbean standards; and proximity to St. Thomas for a day of shopping , etc.; very decent snorkeling, yet another place that I haven't dived but that you can check for in this forum. Some decent hiking trails.

Saba: Willard's or Queen's Garden are up there in luxury; no beaches, but the snorkeling and diving is fantastic by Caribbean standards; it is probably one of the quietest islands in the Caribbean; great hiking trails; and it's close enough to St. Maarten that you can make a day trip over there or fly off early on your departure day and do a little shopping before your PM flight out of St. Maarten.

 

[Diver Lori]

Turneffe Island Lodge. Remote, gorgeous, tranquil. Pony up for the private cabana.