Nowadays, my husband and I usually only take one dive vacation each year so we do a lot of research and plan very carefully, but sometimes we are still a bit disappointed with a destination, or the hotel, or the diving or dive operation - or we just get hit with bad weather. When that happens we try to make the best of it and we still enjoy having the leisure to spend time together in an interesting place. We've been lucky and most of the time we enjoyed good diving in beautiful locations.
Over the years the Caymans have become a favorite destination and we will be returning again this fall; it will be our 6th visit to these islands. The Caymans are very expensive but we have found ways to reduce the costs and still have a fantastic trip:
- Of course we shop for the most reasonable (but still most direct) airfares.
- We stay for 2 weeks, usually visiting 2 of the Cayman Islands (or boarding a liveaboard for one week). That's cheaper than paying for airfares for 2 separate "one week vacations"; and we will have more time to relax, and a better chance at getting stretches of good weather over a 2 week period.
- We travel in the low season, when the rates are cheapest and it is least-crowded, but we run a higher risk of weather problems.
- For the first week, we rent a nice, clean, 1 bedroom, air-conditioned, kitchenette apartment on GC away from 7 mile beach and West End. Our favorite is the Turtle Nest Inn in Bodden Town and their rates includes a compact rental car for a week, but there are other good rental apartments and condos available on GC.
- We shop for groceries and cook some of our own meals, mostly breakfast and lunch, and then go out for dinner - but not always at the most expensive restaurants; "Over the Edge" in Old Man Bay is a favorite.
- We bring a small carry-on cooler containing some frozen food products (bacon, egg beaters, lunch meat, hamburgers, hotdogs, maybe a few cuts of meat); and we pack some other food items in our suitcases (ground coffee, snacks). That helps to keep down the grocery bill and saves us from having to run out to shop the moment we arrive. There are no problems with customs as long as the items are small quantity (personal use only) and still intact in the original packaging.
- Buying some diet Cokes and a bottle or two of the local rum is the cheapest option for alcoholic beverages (and it's good too!)
- We do more snorkeling than diving on GC; there are a lot of good and easy snorkeling sites available - and they’re free! If the weather is good we may do some dives at the Turtle Farm or arrange a few boat dives with a local shop; but we prefer diving the sister islands. And there are a lot of fun things to do and enjoy topside on GC - and some of them don't cost anything!
- We usually choose an all-inclusive venue for our second week that will include accommodations, meals, and diving (the Brac Reef Beach Resort, the Little Cayman Beach Resort, or the Cayman Aggressor.) These are all excellent destinations and operations and they offer great food and fantastic diving. Sometimes you can get "price rates specials" for these venues during the low season.
I am sure that we will still manage to spend too much money but we will enjoy it! We hope to have a wonderful, relaxing, and memorable trip with great diving! This fall we will be back at TNI for a week on GC. We will then travel to Cayman Brac and stay at the BRBR. We’ve booked The Autumn Escape special for $1185 per diver. That price includes our lodgings, 3 (excellent) meals a day, 12 boat dives, airport transfers, taxes, and service fees. We may arrange for some additional dives depending on the weather and our health (we are getting older!) Our past experiences with the hotel, the dive operation, and the diving have been excellent.
We will take advantage of the amenities of the resort and I will probably visit the spa and have a massage! The local area is beautiful for walks and bike rides and spending time on the beach; and I am sure that we will rent a car for a day or two to enjoy this beautiful island and its friendly people. Not a lot of “night life” on CB, but there is plenty of that on GC if desired.
So our pre-paid base price is approximately US $5000. Not cheap but that's for 2 people for 2 weeks and it covers RT airfare from the Midwestern US (including inter-island air in the Caymans), lodgings, diving, many of our meals, a rental car for one week, and trip insurance. It's still a lot of money, but life is short and I am looking forward to a wonderful trip (keeping my fingers crossed for good weather!)
I would love to hear about the ways that others have found to enjoy the Caymans but still control the costs, please share!
Over the years the Caymans have become a favorite destination and we will be returning again this fall; it will be our 6th visit to these islands. The Caymans are very expensive but we have found ways to reduce the costs and still have a fantastic trip:
- Of course we shop for the most reasonable (but still most direct) airfares.
- We stay for 2 weeks, usually visiting 2 of the Cayman Islands (or boarding a liveaboard for one week). That's cheaper than paying for airfares for 2 separate "one week vacations"; and we will have more time to relax, and a better chance at getting stretches of good weather over a 2 week period.
- We travel in the low season, when the rates are cheapest and it is least-crowded, but we run a higher risk of weather problems.
- For the first week, we rent a nice, clean, 1 bedroom, air-conditioned, kitchenette apartment on GC away from 7 mile beach and West End. Our favorite is the Turtle Nest Inn in Bodden Town and their rates includes a compact rental car for a week, but there are other good rental apartments and condos available on GC.
- We shop for groceries and cook some of our own meals, mostly breakfast and lunch, and then go out for dinner - but not always at the most expensive restaurants; "Over the Edge" in Old Man Bay is a favorite.
- We bring a small carry-on cooler containing some frozen food products (bacon, egg beaters, lunch meat, hamburgers, hotdogs, maybe a few cuts of meat); and we pack some other food items in our suitcases (ground coffee, snacks). That helps to keep down the grocery bill and saves us from having to run out to shop the moment we arrive. There are no problems with customs as long as the items are small quantity (personal use only) and still intact in the original packaging.
- Buying some diet Cokes and a bottle or two of the local rum is the cheapest option for alcoholic beverages (and it's good too!)
- We do more snorkeling than diving on GC; there are a lot of good and easy snorkeling sites available - and they’re free! If the weather is good we may do some dives at the Turtle Farm or arrange a few boat dives with a local shop; but we prefer diving the sister islands. And there are a lot of fun things to do and enjoy topside on GC - and some of them don't cost anything!
- We usually choose an all-inclusive venue for our second week that will include accommodations, meals, and diving (the Brac Reef Beach Resort, the Little Cayman Beach Resort, or the Cayman Aggressor.) These are all excellent destinations and operations and they offer great food and fantastic diving. Sometimes you can get "price rates specials" for these venues during the low season.
I am sure that we will still manage to spend too much money but we will enjoy it! We hope to have a wonderful, relaxing, and memorable trip with great diving! This fall we will be back at TNI for a week on GC. We will then travel to Cayman Brac and stay at the BRBR. We’ve booked The Autumn Escape special for $1185 per diver. That price includes our lodgings, 3 (excellent) meals a day, 12 boat dives, airport transfers, taxes, and service fees. We may arrange for some additional dives depending on the weather and our health (we are getting older!) Our past experiences with the hotel, the dive operation, and the diving have been excellent.
We will take advantage of the amenities of the resort and I will probably visit the spa and have a massage! The local area is beautiful for walks and bike rides and spending time on the beach; and I am sure that we will rent a car for a day or two to enjoy this beautiful island and its friendly people. Not a lot of “night life” on CB, but there is plenty of that on GC if desired.
So our pre-paid base price is approximately US $5000. Not cheap but that's for 2 people for 2 weeks and it covers RT airfare from the Midwestern US (including inter-island air in the Caymans), lodgings, diving, many of our meals, a rental car for one week, and trip insurance. It's still a lot of money, but life is short and I am looking forward to a wonderful trip (keeping my fingers crossed for good weather!)
I would love to hear about the ways that others have found to enjoy the Caymans but still control the costs, please share!
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