New Hoo Diver
Guest
My wife and I just got certified on our honeymoon (St. Lucia, Grenada) this past July and are planning another trip to the Caribbean this February. In general, Im looking for an island/hotel along the following lines:
- Good diving.
- Moderately priced (<$250 per day, excluding food/diving)
- Somewhat isolated: Dont want a place right next to a lot of other hotels
- Smallish hotel: we dont like places that have a resort feel and prefer places with <50 rooms.
- Good beach: My wife is a big beach person and since we will probably only dive every other day, we want a nice place to lay out/swim. She loves white sand, but that may be too much to ask.
After reading a lot of posts on this board (including responses to my earlier post as to how to get started) and thumbing through my well-worn copy of Fodors Caribbean, I have come up with a few ideas. I would love to get folks thoughts on my list and other suggestions that fit what I am looking for. Thanks in advance.
Grand Turk, Turks Head Inn.
Good: Good price ($200/night) for an ocean view room. Close to two well-known dive shops, Oasis and Sea Eye. Looks like a decent hotel. Diving sounds like it is among the best in the Caribbean. The island is supposed to have good beaches.
Concerns: The diving sounds like it is mainly on walls with a deep drop-off, which I am not sure is the best thing for beginning divers- we are used to starting our dive at the ocean floor and using it as a guide. This fear was exacerbated by the fact that Grand Turk won the Rodales award for best advanced diving- not sure if this implies that it is not good for beginners. The hotel is not right on the beach, and not sure how nice the beach across from the hotel is. The Turks are pretty north in the Caribbean, so I am worried about the weather in February.
Sugar Mill, Tortola
Good: Have heard that Tortola has good diving for beginners (though Im not quite sure what this means). Hotel and restaurant have received very good reviews.
Concerns: No dive shop nearby, so we would need to drive or take taxis. Rooms in our price range do not have an ocean view ($215 for a standard, $310 for an ocean view). No pictures of the beach on the web site, so Im not sure if it is nice.
Southern Cross Club, Little Cayman
Good: Diving sounds great, beach looks beautiful.
Concerns: More than we wanted to spend- $500/night, but it includes all meals. Same wall diving concern as with Grand Turk. Biggest issue- have heard that weather at Grand Turk in February is stormy (based on one post I read, not sure if this is right)
South of Cancun, Villas de Rosa (betweeb Akumal and Talum)
Good: Looks really nice, very reasonably priced ($120/night)
Concerns: Not sure how good the beginner diving is. Area seems known for cave diving and other advanced pursuits
Again, I would love thoughts on the places above and am open to other islands/resorts and would love suggestions. I understand that Cozumel and Belize in general offer a good value, but I dont know much about either place yet. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
I promise a detailed trip report when we return!
- Good diving.
- Moderately priced (<$250 per day, excluding food/diving)
- Somewhat isolated: Dont want a place right next to a lot of other hotels
- Smallish hotel: we dont like places that have a resort feel and prefer places with <50 rooms.
- Good beach: My wife is a big beach person and since we will probably only dive every other day, we want a nice place to lay out/swim. She loves white sand, but that may be too much to ask.
After reading a lot of posts on this board (including responses to my earlier post as to how to get started) and thumbing through my well-worn copy of Fodors Caribbean, I have come up with a few ideas. I would love to get folks thoughts on my list and other suggestions that fit what I am looking for. Thanks in advance.
Grand Turk, Turks Head Inn.
Good: Good price ($200/night) for an ocean view room. Close to two well-known dive shops, Oasis and Sea Eye. Looks like a decent hotel. Diving sounds like it is among the best in the Caribbean. The island is supposed to have good beaches.
Concerns: The diving sounds like it is mainly on walls with a deep drop-off, which I am not sure is the best thing for beginning divers- we are used to starting our dive at the ocean floor and using it as a guide. This fear was exacerbated by the fact that Grand Turk won the Rodales award for best advanced diving- not sure if this implies that it is not good for beginners. The hotel is not right on the beach, and not sure how nice the beach across from the hotel is. The Turks are pretty north in the Caribbean, so I am worried about the weather in February.
Sugar Mill, Tortola
Good: Have heard that Tortola has good diving for beginners (though Im not quite sure what this means). Hotel and restaurant have received very good reviews.
Concerns: No dive shop nearby, so we would need to drive or take taxis. Rooms in our price range do not have an ocean view ($215 for a standard, $310 for an ocean view). No pictures of the beach on the web site, so Im not sure if it is nice.
Southern Cross Club, Little Cayman
Good: Diving sounds great, beach looks beautiful.
Concerns: More than we wanted to spend- $500/night, but it includes all meals. Same wall diving concern as with Grand Turk. Biggest issue- have heard that weather at Grand Turk in February is stormy (based on one post I read, not sure if this is right)
South of Cancun, Villas de Rosa (betweeb Akumal and Talum)
Good: Looks really nice, very reasonably priced ($120/night)
Concerns: Not sure how good the beginner diving is. Area seems known for cave diving and other advanced pursuits
Again, I would love thoughts on the places above and am open to other islands/resorts and would love suggestions. I understand that Cozumel and Belize in general offer a good value, but I dont know much about either place yet. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
I promise a detailed trip report when we return!