Travel Destination Advice Neede

[Peter Bomberg]

Hi Everyone,

I need some help, I am planning our (me and my wife) annual 1 week dive trip, we are both 2-3 dives a day people with her having less than 50 dives and me with 100+ dives.

We enjoy walls and varied wild life, no need for nightlife but we enjoy good food and local culture. Our choices are Utila, Roatan, Dominica or Saba. What would you guys say has the best diving of these 4? Also we are going in early to mid Feb of 2006 any comments on visability/weather would be good. I am happiest when I spot a nudibranch, so no need for big animals.

Any advice is welcome!

PS. Should add I am really looking for some great diving as I am a wildlife nut (have a 600G salt water tank at home to tide me over between my dive trips), and would head back to Asia in a flash if I could get the 10-14 days needed to go back to Fiji, Cairns, Bali or any other amazing spot in that area

 

[Doc]

Dominica and Saba will have the best evening entertainment, unless you look at entertainment as night diving. Then, Roatan wins, at least on the South side.

If you want to see an island before it gets invaded, get to Utila, now.

Roatan and Utila have essentialy no culture that is visible to most tourists, even those who try!

If you need Nudibranchs, you've seen the best/most of them in the S Pacific.

I do like your goal, if I translate it into "small stuff". That's a great target! The mark of a diver with good buoyancy and observational skills. After seeing one shark, I am still ready to see any available Pipefish!

All over Roatan and Utila- take a magnifying glass... lots of cool stuff.

 

[ddawson]

I have been to Utila, Roatan, and Dominica but not Saba.
I am going to Saba in December 2006.
You can see trip reports and slideshows for Utila, Roatan, Dominica and other places at
http://www.ces.clemson.edu/ece/crb/dawson/scubareports/scubareports.htm

From what I understand from people who have really dived out the Carib, Saba has the best unspoiled diving in the Carib followed closely by the south side of Dominica. That is, the diving is very pristine in these two locations. I was shocked how good the diving was in Dominica.

Between Utila, Roatan, and Dominica, if I was planning a trip for just the diving, I would go to Dominica. I am going back to Dominica in March 2006.

But I dont think you would be disappointed in Roatan or Utila as long as you hook up with the right dive operation. In Roatan, we stayed at Cocoview (CCV) and in Utila we stayed at the Deep Blue Resort. I believe that the Bay Islands is the best value for your dive dollar if you like to dive alot (3-5 dives a day). There are alot of threads here about where to stay on Roatan and Utila. If I was going to Roatan, I would stay at CCV (My second choice based on reviews would be the Inn of Last Resort). If I was going to Utila, I would stay again at the Deep Blue Resort (My second choice would be Laguana Beach Resort based on the great reviews).

 

[Peter Bomberg]

Thanks guys, I pretty much arrived to the following conclusion, in order of preference Saba, Dominica, Utila, Roatan, in order of affordability Roatan, Utila, Dominica, Saba and in terms of our budget Roatan, Utila then a decent gap in terms of cost.

So I believe I am heading to utila. I have looked at several resorts and really like the value for money at the Mango (Inn), any thoughts on them (dive ops, food, stay)

 

[Peter Bomberg]

I am a cluts, somebody sent me a PM and I deleted it by accident, please resend.

 

[Peter Bomberg]

Where on Utila would you stay, any thoughts on the Mango Inn? As far as sharks are concerned, I like them my favorite was either Tiger or Hammer, but to be honest would rather see a pair of mated coral banded shrimp or the interaction of a blennie and it's shrimp (slave) than a very graceful shark.