Really Need Advice Now!

[RevCindyA]

Okay, on my Bonaire? thread, it would seem that island will make my husband wildly happy and leave the rest of us just meh. So now I would like some more advice on where to go. Here are the details:

* Neither myself nor my 24-year-old son dive but we love snorkeling.
* Husband is a pretty advanced diver, loves wrecks, any sea life big or small
* Possibly coming are 2 friends, 1 non-diver, non-snorkeler, 1 diver who hasn't gotten wet in years
* Traveling from the east coast of USA in September 2016.
* 30th wedding anniversary trip
* been to Aruba and loved it.
* Been to Belize, a private island resort, and loved the diving and snorkeling
* Been to Cozumel. Husband loved the diving
* Went to Jamaica on honeymoon, didn't dive or snorkel so don't know what it's like there.
* Need some land-based activities like ATV tour, kitschy shopping, casino, maybe hiking or a bus tour
* budget of $5000-$6000 not including airfare
* don't want the lowest priced accommodations but don't need the priciest either. Would like a little luxury because of anniversary.
*13-14 nights

Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanking you in advance!

 

[RJP]

Curacao: Bonaire diving with plenty to do topside

[/thread]

But seriously, as my non-diving wife says "Bonaire is where divers go to vacation... Curacao is where vacationers go to dive."

I've been to Bonaire twice with my dive buddy, and to Curacao three times with my non-diving wife and non-diving kids. The diving is the same... maybe even give the quality nod to Curacao, frankly.

Curacao has nice beaches...

Most of Curacao's beaches have a dive op on site. I had no trouble finding buddies on any trip to Curacao. We'd head to a beach after breakfast and upon arrival I'd let the dive op know "I'll be sitting right over there and I need a buddy." I'd read a book, play cards with my wife, snorkel with the kids, etc. At some point a diver or two would walk up and ask "Are you the guy looking for a buddy?" At which point I'd tell me wife "I'm going to join these people for a quick dive... want me to grab you a Pina Colada from the bar on my way back?" and then walk into the water for a shore dive.

We always stay at the Marriott. Full service, but smaller that usual Marriott resort. Three floors, maybe 200 rooms. Nice pool, swim up bar, two beaches, beach bar. Dive op on site with nice house reef and two boats. Main restaurant on-site is/was so-so last time I was there; great for breakfast, not so much for dinner. The pool bar has lunch and dinner and they were good.

Close to Willemstad, so easy access to all the restaurants and attractions there. (Lots of kitschy t-shirt shops too!)

 

[Altamira]

+1 for Curacao and what RJP said.

 

[KathyV]

I am a big fan of renting a condo on Grand Cayman, a beautiful place with loads of great things to do for divers and non-divers alike and the 7 mile beach is truly beautiful. Grand Cayman is a wonderful anniversary spot; I know because we have celebrated our anniversary there in the past and will do so again in late October of this year.

But September is the peak hurricane season in the Caribbean - so you might have great weather, or perhaps rainy weather, and occasionally really bad weather. Curacao and Bonaire are below the hurricane belt and less likely to get hit by a serious tropical storm.

Curacao has more to do topside than Bonaire (but it is not as unique and funky as Bonaire IMO) but Curacao if a fun place and may be a good fit for a large mixed party.

 

[diversteve]

Literally everything on your list is on Curacao. Your other activities are often what I mention in posts about it. Curacao - a tropical island paradise

+1 for the Marriott also. The Hilton next door however has charitably been called a dump. There's someone who posts here who has enough Hilton points to stay there free - they pay at the Marriott next door instead. It's also this one - not the Renaissance closer to town which has no beach: Curacao Hotels | Marriott Curacao Beach Resort & Emerald Casino | Piscadera Bay

Since you mentioned casinos - there's only about 15 of them in town. Many hotels have one - the Renaissance has the best one. https://www.facebook.com/CarnavalCasinoCuracao One option for an anniversary dinner also - Bistro Le Clochard Landhuis Daniel was mentioned by our apt. mgr's also but it's inland so the view is of their pool/gardens.

For diving maybe consider the Dive Bus also one day. They pick you up for two guided shore dives at a better dive site. And paid snorkelers are welcome - they'll pick a site good for both. Another interesting option - maybe do this first - would be the Tugboat dive site. It would be a good refresher for your other diver since it's only 17' deep - you could snorkel down to it as well. And it's in sort of a protected area although really to find any current on Curacao you pretty much have to get on a boat and go look for it. Bring tanks the dive shop there recently closed.

A couple of boat operators also dive Watamula - you'd probably have to sit on the boat - or snorkel around on the surface but during the surface interval they're going to motor over to the famous Blue Cave to snorkel. Another option like that is Playa Jeremi, nice quiet beach - good dive with an easy entry. For the snorkelers the north side of the cove is named one of the top 10 snorkel sites in the Lesser Antilles by Frommers. Bring tanks there also - it's one of few sites with no facilities - most will have an on-site food option, almost all a dive operator also.

You all should go to Kokomo Beach (Varsenbaai) also one day. Husband can dive the Pontoon boat wreck at 80' to the south and look for seahorses at 40'. Snorkelers can look under the dive dock and often find squid. To the south of it in 6' of water turtles will be feeding on the sea grass. The operator told us they've been there longer than he has - and he was an older man.

 

[RJP]

There's someone who posts here who has enough Hilton points to stay there free - they pay at the Marriott next door instead.

That'd be me.

At the time of our second trip to Curacao I had 1.3million Hilton Honors points. Could have stayed in a suite at the Curacao Hilton for something like 46 nights for free. Paid cash to stay at the Marriott for a week instead. At the time of our third trip I "only" had 800,000 Hilton points. Still stayed at the Marriott.

 

[Bas Harts]

+1 Curacao

and...

The Hilton is seriously not that bad....

 

[KathyV]

I am a big fan of renting a condo on Grand Cayman, a beautiful place with loads of great things to do for divers and non-divers alike and the 7 mile beach is truly beautiful. Grand Cayman is a wonderful anniversary spot; I know because we have celebrated our anniversary there in the past and will do so again in late October of this year...

I forgot to mention that there is no casino on Grand Cayman and that was on your list. Below are some links describing topside things to do on GC to see if any of them grab your interest, but you will need to rent a car.

Again, September is a tricky time of year. It is the low season and will be less expensive and not crowded and some of the restaurants will close for the month; but there are lots of restaurants. And you will have a higher risk of bad weather or even a major tropical storm - but of course there are never guarantees about the weather wherever you go. Good luck!

Grand Cayman: Driving Tour - A Guide - TripAdvisor

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cayman-islands/437891-topside.html#post6532430

http://danilew.biz/blog/2014/03/03/grand-cayman-paradise-found/

TESTUDO'S SNORKEL GUIDE Cayman Off the Beaten Path

 

[Lorenzoid]

Curacao: Bonaire diving with plenty to do topside

[/thread]

But seriously, as my non-diving wife says "Bonaire is where divers go to vacation... Curacao is where vacationers go to dive."

. . .

My wife and I got married on Curacao and spent a few days before the wedding enjoying the kind of great topside activities that people think of when they think "Caribbean island." For our honeymoon, we hopped over to Bonaire to dive.