Where should I go??

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bractune

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Hey everyone. This summer, my g/f and I are looking to go away on vacation. We are both certified divers, though not very advanced. Id like some suggestions on where to go. We would like to go to either the Caribbean, Mexico, or Hawaii.
The main thing is that we want to go somewhere very nice and relaxing. Of course while we are there we want to have some mind blowing scuba as well, but its not the main reason we are going on vacation.

So where would you all recommend? I am not on a tight budget so feel free to give me some first class options. Maybe some resort names too. I would highly appreciate it :)

thanks

j
 
Just my opinion but if the idea is to dive dive dive....then I would recommend Boniare. That is the up side of Bonaire. The down side is there is very little to do above the water. I have dove Hawaii and found it very "gray". Nothing at all like the Carib. You couldnt get me in Mexico right now and that is just me.

If you want a lot of options above the water as well as below the water I would recommend Barbados. If interested give a yell.
 
I wouldn't normally recommend Bonaire for a trip that wasn't centered around scuba diving, but if the focus is relaxing in a nice place and you are on a budget, it might work. The diving is really good, and can be done inexpensively. Accommodations can be had cheaply as well. So it really comes down to your idea of relaxing. Bonaire has a laid-back, slightly undeveloped vibe that you might like. If your idea of relaxing is laying on a sandy beach, their are only two that I know of, and one is at a pretty pricy resort.
 
Roatan(NORTH side---not south side ie Inn of Last Reort, Anthony's Key Resort or Bay Island Beach Resort)or Little Cayman(LCBR in particular) IMO.......latter more expensive than former, former very good diving--latter great diving....
 
Hey everyone. This summer, my g/f and I are looking to go away on vacation. We are both certified divers, though not very advanced. Id like some suggestions on where to go. We would like to go to either the Caribbean, Mexico, or Hawaii.
The main thing is that we want to go somewhere very nice and relaxing. Of course while we are there we want to have some mind blowing scuba as well, but its not the main reason we are going on vacation.

So where would you all recommend? I am not on a tight budget so feel free to give me some first class options. Maybe some resort names too. I would highly appreciate it :)

thanks

j

Since you are new divers and not on a budget, I have a few suggestions for you.
I agree with Diver85..... Roatan or Little Cayman would be excellent.
http://www.anthonyskey.com/en/index.html
Welcome to CoCo View Resort
Fantasy Island Beach Resort Dive & Marina
http://www.littlecayman.com/home.php

check here for packages to any of them:
Caradonna Dive Adventures - Dive Travel and Vacations
or
Bay Adventures :: Dive Adventures and Island Vacations :: 888.599.3483

all of these options are all-inclusive but they are a bit different in the type of resort and number of dives per day offered. All of them would give you a great vacation with kicka$$ diving.:D:D

Hawaii has some decent diving but prices of everything is much higher. Also, packages aren't available so you have to book and pay for hotel, airfare, diving, food, rental car... I like a trip where things are more centrally located and less "work" involved. :D

robin:D
 
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and you are on a budget

Since you are new divers and not on a budget, I have a few suggestions for you.
I agree with Diver85..... Roatan or Little Cayman would be excellent.
Thanks, Robin, I must have been speed-reading. :confused:
 
Fort Lauderdale offers a wide variety of dives. You can dive from the beach almost anywhere from the Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach to the Eurojacks off Dania Beach. You can also take any of a number of dive charters to the numerous wrecks sunk as part of the artificial reef program.

The city offers first class restaurants and clubs, as well as everglades tours and butterfly world. There is always shopping.
 
A couple of options.

Virgin Gorda in the BVI's. Stay at Little Dix Bay since you're not on a budget . Dive with DiveBVI, they'll pick you up there. Most of the dives don't exceed about 60' yet there's some good coral formations, the wreck of the Rhone, and other good sites. And DiveBVI is a first class operation, they take total care of your gear once you drop it off, including daily setup and cleaning.

It's very quiet island, the goats outnumber the people. Lots of dramatic scenery but not a whole lot to do other than snorkeling at the Baths or hiking. They have several really good restaurants. Rock Cafe is one of them. There's a buffet at Leverick Bay on Fridays that everyone goes to. Tortola would be another option, all types of resorts and it's a much bigger island. Some of it is pretty isolated though, it's a really long island.

Everything in that area revolves around boats. There's fast ferries between the islands and all sorts of charters. Stop by Willy T's for lunch when you're in the area. We started our trip with a couple of days on St. Thomas, then a week on VG. With the ferry schedule, it was possible for my friends to leave VG one morning for a 1PM flight from St. Thomas. We just spent a short time on St. John, but it looked pretty peaceful. There's some local diving there also and in the Cays nearby.

Curacao might be another option. Either the Marriott in Piscadera Bay or Lodge Kura Hulanda out on the West End. Both have onsite diveops. Kura Hulanda is a little remote from everything else though. I was in one of the suites at the Lodge, they're very nice. It's one of the leading small hotels of the world. The Renaissance might have opened in town by now also. There's shopping in town, casinos etc. It's on the same reef as Bonaire so you get the same great diving (mostly small stuff) with a lot more topside. There's a dolphin dive at the Seaquarium, it's booked through Ocean Encounters. Parts of Curacao are a little seedy though.

I've been to both Roatan and Utila in the past year. While the diving was very good and there are some nicer resorts on both, the bugs were enough of a nuisance that we've decided to go elsewhere in the future. Utila is so small that except for less than a dozen restaurants in town, you'd do most of your meals at your resort. Utopia Village is a new upscale resort there. Most of the island is un-navigable by foot/car.

Roatan has a much more developed infrastructure, besides the resorts mentioned previously, there's some nicer ones in West Bay. The West End is the main touristy part but you can stay nearby and still experience it. Some good restaurants in that area also. Anthony's Key is about 10mins. from there. Cocolobo also looked good, we stayed at a house just down from it. But no beach in that area except Half Moon Bay in the West End. There are some resorts on the beach in West Bay but Deet is highly recommended, the sand fleas chewed us up pretty good.

Some of the best diving we've done was in Maui. The clarity of the water is amazing. You have access to Molokini, Lanai and sometimes Molokai diving from there. Sharks and Turtles are almost a given and Manta's are often seen. Since the substrate is volcanic and not sand, the coral formations tend to be smaller and less vivid. However there's some amazing dives in and around the lava tubes, a couple not to be missed are anything at Molokini and the Cathedrals off Lanai. Both are easy dives suitable for all skill levels.

In south Maui, either the Grand Wailea or the Four Seasons are nice. Or the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua - a little more removed from everything in West Maui. And there's every imaginable topside activity, shopping, the Maui Ocean Center is worth a look, helicopter tours, the volcano at sunrise, parasailing, world class golf etc. Can be a little congested in some areas like Kaanapali at times.

Haven't been there yet, but Turks/Caicos is on my short list. Supposed to be great wall diving and really nice accommodations.
 
If you want to relax in a place with a great Caribbean vibe and do some great diving as well, consider diving in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Topside we have gorgeous beaches, beautiful rainforests chock full of howler monkeys, sloths, ocelots, poison dart frogs, parrots, and other beautiful creatures. Accomodations range from $10/night hostels to $300/night all inclusive resorts. Excellent rooms can be found for about $50/night. Food runs the gamut from street vendors to gourmet restaurants, with Panamanian, Chinese, Indian, Seafood, Thai, Soul, Italian and American food well represented. A good breakfast can be found for $2, while excellent lunches and dinners are served for $3-$7.

Diving is excellent. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Station is based in Bocas del Toro and they have identified over 90 species of coral (with virtually no black band disease or coral bleaching), 140 species of tropical fish, and almost 200 species of other invertebrates (excluding corals). The diving is easy--little if any current, flat calm seas, low to mid-80 degree water temperature all year round. Diving is some of the cheapest in the Caribbean, with $60 for half day two-tank dives, $70 for full day two-tank dives, $35 for single tank dives, and $50 for night dives. All prices include all dive gear (brand new ScubaPro) and an experienced certified local divemaster.

English is widely spoken in Bocas del Toro and Panama uses the U.S. dollar as its official currency. Once you visit Bocas, you may want to return year after year. For some good, basic info on Bocas del Toro, check out BOCAS DEL TORO - Ecotourism in this Panama Caribbean region.
 
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