Best Honeymoon/dive Vacation

[TerryTat]

My Fiance and I plan on getting married around may or june 2007. I have 110 logged dives... and she has 35.

I'm looking for input on where would be the best place to enjoy our honeymoon both topside and underwater.

My budget is around 5 or 6 Grand.

Any suggestions?

We both would love to go to Tahiti.. but I want to hear from all of you first!!

Thanks,

Terry

 

[BurBunny]

Have to say that Tahiti, Fiji or Bali would be my top choices... probably in that order as well. Wonderfully romantic, great culture topside, beautiful underwater.

Congratulations!

 

[TerryTat]

Thank You!!!! Any Other Ideas Out There?

 

[Doc]

Thank You!!!! Any Other Ideas Out There?

Yeah, a few, but before we spend your $6k, let's hear from you.

What exactly are you looking for? A hondo dive vacation to remember like a week aboard a Russian "research" vessel in the Antarctic, or were you looking for something more idylic, such as a week in an over the water cabana with room service and a glass floor to watch the fish feed at night?

Vacations (and honeymoons) mean different things to different people.

Do you want a "dive vacation" or a vacations with some diving? Room service in Cayman or chow-line in Roatan? Aggressor or private yacht?

All that aside, what are your individual diving skills and preparedness for diverse conditions? A mere # of total dives doesn't tell us what you might be ready for. One might have 300 dives and still only be comfortable in Freeport, versus doing shore diving, Zodiacs or current dives.

The places you mention, although perceived by many to be in the "exotic realm", rank far below other lesser known destinations. They're just the ones most people, divers and non-divers alike, have heard of. Some places you might be ready for, others not.

What is your ideal?

 

[Drewpy]

I went several years ago and stayed at the Pearl Beach resort.
Tahiti is a bit expensive...ok a lot expensive,but it is truely a magical place both above and below! You only get married once right..???
Get an overwater bungalow..you wont regret the extra $$!
Good luck and congratulations!

Drew

 

[robint]

Since you are in california:
for a land-based honeymoon I would go to Fiji, Wananavu Resort($) or Bega Lagoon Resort($$) - both look fantastic for diving and still romantic. Or I would go to Palau and stay at Palau Pacific resort($$), ditto and ditto. Tahiti is also and option but I have been told it is very very expensive to eat there ($$$) and none of the resorts are all-inclusive like the ones on Fiji where you eat at the resort each meal.

for a live-aboard honeymoon (and who wants to be cooped up on a boat on their honeymoon with a group of strangers????) I would go with MikeBall to GBR or Agressor to Tahiti or Palau.
But I would opt for the land-based personally...... save the liveaboard for the next trip.

My #1 choice would be Fiji.
just my 2 cents!


robint

 

[REII]

My wife and I looked at going to Tahiti last year. It looks like a great place to vacation and dive. However, it was closer to 10k for the 10 days we wanted to go. (Keep in mind we would have been flying from FL instead of CA.

I would recommend looking at Ambergris Cay Belize. Closer and cheaper. I enjoyed Belize. The people are wonderful and the diving is great.

TOM

 

[divingjd]

The Anse Chastenet Resort on St. Lucia could be a good option. The island is beautiful, there's lot to do topside, the resort is very romantic, and the diving is pretty good. They have a good dive operation there, Scuba St. Lucia. It may not be as good an option from the left coast, but from the midwest, it's a lot easier and cheaper than the south Pacific.

 

[EvaL]

For your budget, you can do a weeklong to 10 day trip to several exotic places I have been to:
1. Bali - Liberty shipwreck at Tulamben, muck diving at Secret Bay (or nearby Lembeh Straits), drift dive at Nusa Penida/Blue Lagoon. Topside - spa/massage at resort, shopping for native arts and crafts around Ubud, Balinese performances (dances) and great beaches.
2. Palau - Dive the famous Blue corner, snorkel Jellyfish Lake. Topside - kayaking, hiking, local culture. Also take a short trip to Kosrae, Saipan, Pohnpei or Yap for even more diving etc.
3. Maldives - individual resorts on their own atolls, awesome diving (lionfish, Napoleon Wrasse). Topside - relax at the resort, trip to maldivian village. Spend a few days at the city you transit, such as Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
4. Big island of Hawaii - see manta rays upclose on night dive, topside - live volcanoes at Volcano NP. Being probably the cheapest of these suggestions, you'll have enough money left to spend a few days on Maui or Kawaii, a short inter-island flight away.
PM me if you need more info (I'm not a travel agent but I can suggest dive ops/hotels I used). Happy travels.

 

[CARHILL]

My wife & l live in this part of the worldwe have been to many islands in the Pacific. We do not like Fiji nor Tahiti there seems to be too many people from CA there on vacation. We felt we were still in the US. Also very $$ for what you get. Maldives is very nice but very $$$ For out of the way and very good value Bali is your best bet. Second choice would be Palau, but that island is next door for us we go there all the time.

Dale
Still on a little Rock in the Pacific