How You Picked Your Upcoming Trips?

[drrich2]

Reviewing the posts on the thread, the issue of solo or family/buddy pair travel vs. going with a group to aid logistics (especially an established group that's been to the destination before & knows their way around so they can act as guides) has come up.

I appreciated being with a group my 1st 4 trips to Bonaire, where driving around the island & shore diving is a big part of that unique Bonaire experience. It's a good-sized but not enormous island, fairly sparsely populated and laid back, but it's big enough to get lost, the Dutch road signs make little sense to me, I'm not used to round-abouts at 4-way intersections and all things considered, when I was still pretty green to travel and really green to diving, the group support was a big help.

For solo or family/buddy trips for fairly new divers, live-aboards and all-inclusive resorts where you can 'stay on the reservation' can work well. Some even have staff meet you at the airport, & arrange for transfers to & from airport to resort/live-aboard boat. Some places I think lend themselves to this style:

1.) Live-aboards - I did the Sun Dancer 2 (renamed Belize Aggressor IV) out of Belize, but if I understand correctly live-aboard trips in this region tend to run like this. I'd be more hesitant (& inclined to go with a group or use a travel agent) if headed to a distant new place via complicated travel route, such as to Komodo. Sun Dancer 2 was recommended to me as a good 1st live-aboard, & I had a great time.

2.) CocoView Resort, Roatan.

3.) Little Cayman Beach Resort.

4.) Cayman Brac Beach Resort.

4.) Cobalt Coast Resort on Grand Cayman.

We could mention all-inclusive options in Cozumel, but risk setting off the tangent about how much better the food is there if you venture out & eat at private establishments in town vs. eating solely at an A.I. resort. I know there are others, but if anyone new to dive travel scans this thread, those are some suggestions.

If you're willing to get out, but you're afraid of doing it on some foreign island, head on down to Key Largo, Florida, & stay at a hotel close to the marina where your dive op. is located. It's not big city metropolitan traffic, and the language, laws, health care & such are U.S.A.

Richard.

 

[Kharon]

A recent trip to an "all inclusive" that has a great reputation (which I won't name) made me reconsider my bucket list. That trip was very expensive and seriously disappointing.

I've dropped the idea of a 2 week trip to Belize for the whale sharks but may go to Cancun to snorkel with them for 1 week.

My next trip is solo back to Bonaire for 2 weeks (total cost <$1900 plus airfaire - includes truck, apartment, unlimited air).

I want to go back to Dominica with the whole family - probably 2-3 weeks, part diving, part hiking, part sightseeing.

Other than that I'm a bit gunshy. I've gone to two very highly rated destinations and thought they both sucked. Maybe Dominica and Bonaire spoiled me (first two places I went). I'm still considering a trip to either Rangiroa/Fakarave or Fiji, on to New Zealand, back through Hawaii, then home.

 

[KathyV]

Interesting question!


Our dive vacation priorities have changed over the years and our reasons for selecting specific destinations have also changed. When we were younger we averaged 2 trips per year and budget was the major issue; so some of the sites we picked were selected primarily because they appeared to be an economical choice.


But we also wanted to find good diving and were eager to try new locations. Some places were picked because they were popular with divers and we hadn’t been there. We often took turns between returning to a familiar and favorite spot or trying someplace new.


We also varied our selections between liveaboards and land-based sites. I see pros and cons to both. You can usually get the most, best, and easiest diving on a liveaboard but staying in a nice hotel or condo is a comfortable and attractive choice; especially if the weather isn’t great, and you are looking for non-diving vacation activities and options. Playing cards and board games on a storm-tossed boat gets uncomfortable and boring after a short while.


Like the OP I have also spent time calculating the Cost Per Dive for a trip and liveaboards may be the most economical because you get to do so many dives, especially if you scored a discounted price for the liveaboard trip. But my tendency toward seasickness was also a consideration, if the trip involved a deep-water crossing I was less enthusiastic about taking a liveaboard; but it seems that I took a lot of them anyway, so recognizing the preferences of your spouse and dive partner is also an important consideration!


We were also more adventurous when were younger, especially if the choice seemed economical and/or new and exciting. We were quite willing to go to places that were Off the Beaten Path and even rather inconvenient. Our first liveaboard was on Blackbeards and I also remember dragging scuba gear on jitney buses in Jamaica and Nassau to travel to the dive op or marina, and rinsing our gear in anemic showers with little water pressure. Or driving the family car all the way from the Midwest to Florida and staying in budget motels as we visited different areas and sampled the dive ops and sites. These were great trips and we had a lot of fun and I am not complaining, but we have gotten a little more selective about locations, convenience, comfort, and accommodations as we have gotten older.


I have also found that a cheap vacation destination may not really be as inexpensive as it seems. The accommodations and diving may be economical but the air travel options can be pricey, complicated and infrequent. It also may not be all that cheap if it means seeing the doctor before we leave and taking vaccines and medications for things like Typhoid, Hepatitis A, and Malaria. Buying bottled water and taking food precautions while we are there, and then dealing with the discomfort, medical bills, and interrupted trip if one of us got sick anyway. Plus I am allergic to strong DEET preparations so that is also something to think about when making a destination decision.


We have also balanced all-inclusive vacations versus the do-it-yourself type of trip. The AI choice is convenient and easy and you will know your costs in advance. Some of them were great and others not so good and we didn’t like the large, mega AI resorts. Nowadays, if we are going to a place with good grocery stores and nice restaurants we often rent an apartment or condo and cook some of our meals and go out for dinner. But if we are going to a more remote location we will look for an AI, preferring a smaller, diver-dedicated AI with a good reputation.


We did some group trips when we were younger too, either with the local dive shop or chartering a liveaboard with friends and these trips were a lot of fun. But the friends drifted apart over time because of children, divorce, work, and other factors and now we mostly travel together as a couple - and are very happy with that option. We can go where we want and at a comfortable pace. But if I were traveling solo then a group trip would be my preference.


Easy travel times and reasonably priced airfares has been a recurrent theme throughout our history of dive trip destinations. The idea of traveling many hours each way and spending thousands of dollars on airfare was rather daunting. Therefore most of our dive trips have been to Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. The furthest we’ve traveled to dive have been to Hawaii, the Red Sea, and Baja but sometimes I wish that we had invested the time and money to travel more widely, but it stills seems expensive and a lot of work; especially when there are good diving choices that we enjoy close to home.


The time of year and water temp has also been a factor for consideration. If we encountered rough weather on one trip we were more likely to head to Bonaire or Curacao on the next trip because it seemed like a smarter choice to stay below the Hurricane belt. I also prefer warm water destinations nowadays and am less willing to wear heavy wet suits and lots of weight. My company is sending me to Hawaii next winter which is great, but I am debating about adding on a dive vacation. I’d like to do that but the water will be chillier than I prefer.


The distance from the hotel to the reef is also something to think about. We spent a lot of time on boats heading to and from the reef on our earlier trips to Cozumel. And our 2 trips to the T&Cs have been liveaboards because we don’t want to spend most of the day on a boat just for a couple of dives. And sometimes traveling in a van from the hotel to the dive op or marina can eat up a lot of vacation time, especially if they will be stopping at multiple hotels to pick up divers. A hotel with a good, onsite dive op and short boat trips to excellent reefs is a very attractive choice IMO. I would rather spend my vacation time having fun then being driven around in crowded vans and boats.


Skill level is also something to consider. We are just warm-water OW vacation divers. A trip to Truk Lagoon might seem very thrilling and enticing but we recognize that we don’t have the skills to safely take a trip like that.


As we have gotten older our health has become an ever more important factor in selecting dive destinations. I have back problems and now find some shore dives and inflatable boat dives challenging, and it is more difficult to schlep heavy equipment for any distance. Valet diving is an attractive option to me. And my husband takes a medication that makes him more susceptible to infections and so we are less likely to travel to destinations where food-borne and mosquito-borne diseases are a major concern.


We are not as interested in counting the number of dives any more either. Having a relaxing trip and getting 2 or 3 dives a day is great way to spend a vacation IMO. We also like the opportunity to travel around, see the sights, and enjoy the local culture and amenities too.


I guess I sound kind of wimpy and demanding, but we now tend to take one 2-week dive trip per year. This is not always an economical decision and we invest a lot into this single trip, so we want it to be really good. Therefore we tend to return to destinations that are familiar, convenient, safe, and offer easy but excellent diving.


So this is a complex question and each individual will have a list of factors that are important to him/her when selecting a dive trip destination and those factors may change over time; but a forum and discussion like this is great because you get a chance to evaluate the input and advice of others making similar decisions.


Thanks for asking!

 

[tkaelin]

I guess I sound kind of wimpy and demanding

Not at all. After all its your vacation. Plan it to suit your preferences. I liked your post.

 

[drrich2]

Indeed. Much appreciated, Kathy. You come at the question from different viewpoints over a range of time; new vs. seasoned diver, younger vs. older diver, traveling with others vs. as a couple, and dive-focused vs. broader destination goals.

And in doing so, cover a range of issues prospective travelers ought to consider.

On the vaccination issue, I don't know just how big a threat it is, but years ago I went to our local health department and got the 2 shot series (6 months in between shots, IIRC) for Hepatitis A. Hep. A is transmitted via the fecal oral route (vs. Hep. B & C, which tend to be with transmission of body fluids - sex & needle sharing), and it's the one you hear about in occasional outbreaks with food as the vector.

It's not just older divers who need to think about medical resources; those bringing infants and small children along might like good care readily available. Our toddler required care for a bad bronchitis case in the ship's infirmary on a cruise, for example. A women pregnant or apt to become so ought to read up on the Zika situation.

Richard.

 

[KathyV]

...On the vaccination issue, I don't know just how big a threat it is, but years ago I went to our local health department and got the 2 shot series (6 months in between shots, IIRC) for Hepatitis A. Hep. A is transmitted via the fecal oral route (vs. Hep. B & C, which tend to be with transmission of body fluids - sex & needle sharing), and it's the one you hear about in occasional outbreaks with food as the vector.

It's not just older divers who need to think about medical resources; those bringing infants and small children along might like good care readily available. Our toddler required care for a bad bronchitis case in the ship's infirmary on a cruise, for example. A women pregnant or apt to become so ought to read up on the Zika situation. Richard.

Before traveling to Honduras (Roatan) and Belize (including Ambergris Caye) our physician advised us to get Hep A and Typhoid vaccinations and to take anti-malarial medication before, during, and after the trip.

And we always used food and water precautions during trips to Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Egypt and took water precautions in Provo in the Turks and Caicos (because of Norovirus).

Mosquito-borne illnesses are an issue of concern all over the world - including the West Nile Virus in my backyard - but we took extra precautions against mosquitos in Mexico, Honduras, and Belize because of dengue and chikungunya.

In fact, several years ago, before the option of traveling to Cuba was an easy for US citizens, we considered hoping over to Cuba from the Caymans - we were all excited by the opportunity. But then I talked to a hotel employee from the UK and she told me that she went with a group of friends to Cuba and everybody in the party got severe gastrointestinal illness and that the dangers of mosquito-borne disease is also very high in Cuba. That made me a lot less excited about the chance to go there!

 

[Diving Dubai]

Lots of good points. Although the locations I love require a lot of travel, I do think hard before I book now.

Last year we went to the Philippines, for us a 10 flight to manila and then a connection. We also chose a high end LOB Now for use the diving was uninspiring but that's not the fault of the trip. What was our problem was on the flight over we obviously pick up a cold bug. Much as we persevered we both lost the last 1/3 of our trip because we were to ill to dive. While the cabin on our boat was great and we had enough stuff on our laptops to keep us amused - being around people who had been diving while you couldn't and trying to keep your distance so as to not infect them is no fun.

Hence our wariness each time with long distance travel - now we generally pick lower end boats so if something goes wrong you don't lose so much.

With Groups

Again last year 12 of use went to the Red sea which again I found uninspiring dive wise and because of there are no direct flight took us 13 hrs from Dubai to Hugharda with connections - it would have taken the same time to fly all the way back to the UK and then out to Hugharda but thats something else.

No as a group we're all great friends and dive together all the time (most weeks) however that's something different to being on a boat 24/7 where people's minor annoying habits (which we all have) start to grate. When we came back after 7 days we all kept our distance for a couple of weeks because we'd all too much time with each other. Like any holiday being in close proximity to friends can put strains on the relationship.


With All inclusive - I'd never do that while diving, I wouldn't get my money's worth. I only have a couple of beers in the early evening before a dive day so would rather pay for what I drink. And i'd rather be diving than sat eating all day so again not great value for me

 

[KathyV]

...With All inclusive - I'd never do that while diving, I wouldn't get my money's worth. I only have a couple of beers in the early evening before a dive day so would rather pay for what I drink. And i'd rather be diving than sat eating all day so again not great value for me

Everybody has their own preferences and that's fine but I just want to point out that when you are on a liveaboard you are taking an all-inclusive vacation and it doesn't mean that you will be sitting around eating all day or drinking to excess just to make sure you are getting value for your money.

My experience on liveaboards is that they usually give you more food than you get at a small, dive resort because there are snacks available all day long on a liveaboard (and there's not much else to do beside sleep, eat, and dive.)

In the fall we will be taking an all-inclusive dive vacation at a small resort that we have visited and enjoyed in previous years, the Cayman Brac Beach Resort. We declined the package that included alcoholic beverages and only took a meal package.

They will be serving buffet food during meal times only and we won't feel that the need to take more food than we really want, although the desserts are always very tempting!

We prefer an All-inclusive on Brac because it is a small, remote island without many restaurants or grocery stores and prices are high. The supplies come in by barge once a week, so preparing our own meals or depending on restaurants isn't the best option IMO. And the resort offers very good, reasonably-priced packages for accommodations, food, and diving.

But before we go to Brac we will spend a week on the larger and more developed island of Grand Cayman with lots of great restaurants and grocery stores. The Caymans are expensive so we will stay in a one-bedroom apartment with a kitchen and prepare simple breakfast and lunch meals and then go out for dinner.

So sometimes I think that a good AI offers value but sometimes I don't think they are the best decision - it all depends on the location and the available options.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Everybody has their own preferences and that's fine but I just want to point out that when you are on a liveaboard you are taking an all-inclusive vacation and it doesn't mean that you will be sitting around eating all day or drinking to excess just to make sure you are getting value for your money.

You are totally correct. A misunderstanding caused by a common language. In the UK All inclusive is deemed to be including alcoholic beverages, where as full board is the full meal package.

I agree Dive resorts inc liveaboards feed you far too much. On my last trip to Misool Eco Resort in Raja Ampat we got 1st breakfast before the 1st dive, 2nd breakfast post dive, then lunch, with afternoon tea and cakes (how very English) followed by the evening meal. Far too much for me - I had to make sacrifices to ensure I had room for cake

 

[Rilelen]

I'll be in Belize with family at the end of May. It was picked primarily as a family vacation destination; my father wanted to go somewhere in central America, and we've been to Panama and Costa Rica relatively recently. We'll have three or four days of diving embedded in a 10 day trip, so it's more a vacation-with-diving than a dive vacation.

I'm also planning to head back down to SE Florida this summer for a week or so. That's entirely cost driven - we have a family condo there with a car, so it makes for an extremely cheap vacation - just the cost of airfare + diving!

I'd love to do one more dive trip, but unfortunately can't find any other friends to travel with who have both the funds and the time this summer. So it'll probably be local trips the rest of the summer.