Top 3 Best Two-Week Dive Trips

[1_T_Submariner]

How about Saba/Dominica? Gernada was also on my short list for January.

I like Bonaire and Curcao but not sure they fit your explore the culture request.

 

[jupitermermaid]

Have you looked into St. Vincent and Bequia? They are small islands away from everything.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

If yor looking for remote in the Caribbean I can definitely recommend Little Cayman and/or Saba. Definitely out of the way and great diving.

 

[whalerock]

You could have a look at www.worldwidediveandsail.com, for a liveaboard trip. Could be something special for a anniversary.

 

[squarepants]

Well, there has been a date change for our "anniversary" trip. The travel period has been moved to the last two weeks in January. This change comes after a serious reality check this weekend. We swore not to let work get in the way of our 10 yr milestone, but duty calls. C'est la vie. It's just a date, right? It's about a 6-8 week difference, and maybe not too significant weather-wise. I doubt there are many warm-water dive destinations where January is not high season, though. Maybe some of these lesser traveled island ideas will be the perfect solution. Thank you!

 

[robint]

Well, there has been a date change for our "anniversary" trip. The travel period has been moved to the last two weeks in January. This change comes after a serious reality check this weekend. We swore not to let work get in the way of our 10 yr milestone, but duty calls. C'est la vie. It's just a date, right? It's about a 6-8 week difference, and maybe not too significant weather-wise. I doubt there are many warm-water dive destinations where January is not high season, though. Maybe some of these lesser traveled island ideas will be the perfect solution. Thank you!

well, looking at your budget and last two weeks of January, wanting quiet and romantic.....I would go to Cocoview Resort on Roatan.
Welcome to CoCo View Resort
I don't know if they have any openings for then, you would have to e-mail or call asap. They only have 26 rooms and a huge following of repeat customers (like us) so they fill ahead of time.
It isn't a fancy resort, but to me this is romantic:
overwater rooms

every room is oceanfront

and you can see the reef..... just walk right into the water and dive 24/7

more photos: CoCoView Resort Photos & Videos

we are having our 25th wedding anniversary in 2010, and this is where we decided to go! We'll be there in March, 2 months before our anniversary due to work issues, but it doesn't matter. It's my favorite place.

robin

 

[vladimir]

wanting quiet and romantic.....I would go to Cocoview Resort on Roatan...They only have 26 rooms

Robin has the right idea, if you're going to opt for the Caribbean. In the same vein, the Turneffe Island Lodge takes a maximum of 22 guests on the island, in nicely dispersed cabanas and rooms. I recommend a cabana. It is a 5 minute skiff ride to what is probably the best dive in Belize--The Elbow. I have seen hammerheads, reef sharks, dolphins, a crocodile! (on the surface), and huge schools of other predators not typically seen at Caribbean dive spots. Insects may be a factor though--you will take up residence in the midst of a mangrove swamp, so when the wind dies down the flies and mosquitos can be an issue. No no-see-ums, as far as I could tell, and your cabana is an effective refuge.

I would not opt for the Caribbean though. When I lived in NYC it was hard to resist 4 hour direct flights to Belize, 5 hours to Bonaire, from Newark. But from Sea-Tac? The Indo-pacific would beckon. The diving is so much better.

 

[song]

S.O. & I are trying to figure out if we can really take off for 2 weeks in Feb or March. Lembeh & Bunaken sound perfect, tons of choices for resorts in all price ranges. Research so far looks like the "rainy" season isn't that wet and not really monsoons (1st trip to Indonesia, sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong). Take a look at the Indonesia forum.

I'd posted a question on SB about the "rainy" season in Fiji for Jan-Feb and was informed that it is monsoon season, better to leave the islands at that time.

 

[squarepants]

Okay, so It's sort of looking like the French Polynesian Islands may be on our short list. Some of the reasons:
Culturally different from what we are recently familiar with.
WARM Water
Not monsoon season (as far as I can tell)
Looks like plenty of cabana/over-water lodging resorts

A problem is trying to figure out which part of the French Polynesians we want. We'd like a little social interaction with our fellow resort-dwellers or townies, but not a major party atmosphere. We just don't want the town to roll up their carpets after dinner - unless the resort has a lounge/bar that is open later.
Also, should we consider staying one place for the majority and checking out another place for a few nights, or would that be too much packing/flying time wasted when we could be diving/relaxing? It looks like many of those islands are really far away from each other.

We stayed on Toberua Island (off Viti Levu near Suva) back in early 2002, and that was just about perfect. A quiet little island resort with day trips in a trolling boat lead by local eco guide (Micah). We visited places like Picnic Island, Bird Island and the eco guides own village island. Took a trip to the mainland for the day (once was all we needed), and of course there was DIVING, snorkeling, reef golf, windsurfing or other water sports. The resort island was isolated, but only a short distance from the mainland. We slept alot, did alot of resort course diving (this was during the pre-cert years), and ate some of the most interesting and delicious seafoods ever. They had set meal times, which is okay I guess, but they always tracked us down in the early afternoon to find out what we wanted to order for dinner. There was a bar with one bartender (Big Zach), and it was open part of the time, but most evenings, and this is where everyone gathered to socialize before/after supper.

We are half inclined to go back, but January in Fiji doesn't look the best for diving with high winds and rough seas. Besides, different is better.

Thank you all again for your valuable advice and input!