Looking for something caribbean. Looking for something similar to our last vacation (turks, and caicos). Been to Nassau, but liked the turks a lot better. Looking for something with good diving, a great beach, but a spa or shopping for her. Somewhere there is not going to be a lot of people, and we can relax. So far we are leaning towards the Grand Caymans, but open to suggestions. Any and all replys will be appreciative.
Planning our honeymoon.
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Kilili
Contributor
Bonaire, more low key, less expensive, and like most GC diving, relaxed, with minimal current.
For relatively new divers, both places are just fine.
Cozumel has less predictive waters.
GC has most shopping, with minimal difficulty, she will be able to spend every cent you have.
For relatively new divers, both places are just fine.
Cozumel has less predictive waters.
GC has most shopping, with minimal difficulty, she will be able to spend every cent you have.
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Grand Cayman would work, it's a larger version of Turks/Caicos without the easy access to the other islands (West Caicos, French Cay etc.) for diving. Probably more shopping than you found in Grace Bay however expect to be competing with traffic from 2-4 cruise ships in the shopping area downtown. And it's equally expensive there.
Seven Mile Beach is mostly a very nice beach. But there's no shore diving there as the reef is too far out - you'll see dive boats moored out there daily. Some have flat bottom boats to pick you up off the beach - most of the others pick you up free at your resort. The Marriott Beach Resort is very nice, as is the Westin Casuarina - I've seen both. So is the Ritz Carlton. There's some good restaurants in that area and others nearby.
Access to the wall is very close on the North side - there's also almost a dozen shore dives that are decent - for me the ones downtown near the cruise port were a little tired looking. Most have onsite dive resorts or operators - they own the property to the water line so you rent from them. It's good though as all have good facilities, restaurants etc. There's also a few more non-dive things to do on Grand Cayman, Boatswains Beach, Stingray City (dive or snorkel) some gardens, butterfly farm etc. And some nightclubs.
If shopping is a priority, that's not Bonaire. Downtown is a smallish shopping area - cruise ships go in there now - so that must be a mess when they dock at Town Pier in the heart of downtown. There's really no other significant shopping there. Some good restaurants but the only decent beaches off resorts are at Harbour Village, Eden Beach or the Plaza Resort - almost all of the other resorts and most of the condo complexes are on ironshore. Bonaire is slightly harder to get to also.
Another option might be Curacao. The diving is as good as Bonaire (basically the same reef) but since the reef is just slightly further offshore, they have a lot of nicer beaches. Most don't have an onsite resort but there are a few that do. The Curacao Marriot Emerald Casino is one. It's in Piscadera Bay - a quieter resort area about 10mins. from downtown, nice beach, pool area, oceanfront dining, small casino, Caribbean Sea Sports on-site for diving/other water activities and a shore dive. The Dive Bus picks up there for escorted shore diving all over the island. There's also a Hilton next door to the Marriott, the grounds were nice but the hotel itself looked like it was from the 60's - I've read poor reviews of it in the ABC forum here. Nice outdoor bar area and one of the Ocean Encounters dive shops is on-site. I've seen the Avila Hotel downtown mentioned as very nice also but they don't have a dive off their site afaik. And a new (opened 2010) Hyatt Regency Golf Resort/Marina a few miles from town.
Curacao is more spread out for diving than Bonaire so a car is a necessity for most of it - actually on Bonaire also. There's several good beaches with good dive sites just offshore, that list includes Playa Lagun, Playa Jeremi, Porto Mari, Varsenbaai and others in town.
The shopping district downtown is world famous - it's the brightly colored buildings in all their promo material - and even with cruise ships moored there on Sat. morning it didn't seem as hectic as Grand Cayman as it's quite a bit larger - several blocks of stores waterfront, an open air market behind that and the famous floating foot bridge.
Curacao from Houston was about 6hrs. travel on a Sat. morning thru Miami - Dallas should be the same or better since AA flies to Curacao.
Curacao Travel- Caribbean, Curacao, Dutch Caribbean
Seven Mile Beach is mostly a very nice beach. But there's no shore diving there as the reef is too far out - you'll see dive boats moored out there daily. Some have flat bottom boats to pick you up off the beach - most of the others pick you up free at your resort. The Marriott Beach Resort is very nice, as is the Westin Casuarina - I've seen both. So is the Ritz Carlton. There's some good restaurants in that area and others nearby.
Access to the wall is very close on the North side - there's also almost a dozen shore dives that are decent - for me the ones downtown near the cruise port were a little tired looking. Most have onsite dive resorts or operators - they own the property to the water line so you rent from them. It's good though as all have good facilities, restaurants etc. There's also a few more non-dive things to do on Grand Cayman, Boatswains Beach, Stingray City (dive or snorkel) some gardens, butterfly farm etc. And some nightclubs.
If shopping is a priority, that's not Bonaire. Downtown is a smallish shopping area - cruise ships go in there now - so that must be a mess when they dock at Town Pier in the heart of downtown. There's really no other significant shopping there. Some good restaurants but the only decent beaches off resorts are at Harbour Village, Eden Beach or the Plaza Resort - almost all of the other resorts and most of the condo complexes are on ironshore. Bonaire is slightly harder to get to also.
Another option might be Curacao. The diving is as good as Bonaire (basically the same reef) but since the reef is just slightly further offshore, they have a lot of nicer beaches. Most don't have an onsite resort but there are a few that do. The Curacao Marriot Emerald Casino is one. It's in Piscadera Bay - a quieter resort area about 10mins. from downtown, nice beach, pool area, oceanfront dining, small casino, Caribbean Sea Sports on-site for diving/other water activities and a shore dive. The Dive Bus picks up there for escorted shore diving all over the island. There's also a Hilton next door to the Marriott, the grounds were nice but the hotel itself looked like it was from the 60's - I've read poor reviews of it in the ABC forum here. Nice outdoor bar area and one of the Ocean Encounters dive shops is on-site. I've seen the Avila Hotel downtown mentioned as very nice also but they don't have a dive off their site afaik. And a new (opened 2010) Hyatt Regency Golf Resort/Marina a few miles from town.
Curacao is more spread out for diving than Bonaire so a car is a necessity for most of it - actually on Bonaire also. There's several good beaches with good dive sites just offshore, that list includes Playa Lagun, Playa Jeremi, Porto Mari, Varsenbaai and others in town.
The shopping district downtown is world famous - it's the brightly colored buildings in all their promo material - and even with cruise ships moored there on Sat. morning it didn't seem as hectic as Grand Cayman as it's quite a bit larger - several blocks of stores waterfront, an open air market behind that and the famous floating foot bridge.
Curacao from Houston was about 6hrs. travel on a Sat. morning thru Miami - Dallas should be the same or better since AA flies to Curacao.
Curacao Travel- Caribbean, Curacao, Dutch Caribbean
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