Best budget friendly extended dive vacation?

[michellej]

Looking for a fairly budget friendly (but not backpacker) dive/travel destination for Jan/Feb 2011 for a period of 3-4. Boyfriend and I have been to Hawaii, Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and Thailand but thinking of Palau or Indonesia. Can't beat the affordability of Central America or Thailand but we're kind of looking for something different. We love to dive, but also like to explore the area and get to know the people where we are staying. Anybody have any ideas???

 

[Bubbletrubble]

For anything shorter than a week, it's pretty difficult to beat Cozumel. Airfare is affordable, the food is great, and the diving is fun/easy.

Bonaire is reasonably priced for one week or longer stays since the shore diving is so inexpensive (approx. $135pp for unlimited shore diving including weights and free 32% nitrox upgrade). It's typically more expensive to fly there than Cozumel, though.

With a longer vacation (more than one week), I'd consider somewhere like the Philippines.

 

[robint]

Looking for a fairly budget friendly (but not backpacker) dive/travel destination for Jan/Feb 2011 for a period of 3-4. Boyfriend and I have been to Hawaii, Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and Thailand but thinking of Palau or Indonesia. Can't beat the affordability of Central America or Thailand but we're kind of looking for something different. We love to dive, but also like to explore the area and get to know the people where we are staying. Anybody have any ideas???

3-4 what? days? weeks?



robin

 

[Rick Inman]

I know a place where the native residents are so bazaar and strange that watching them and trying to understand their culture is extremely entertaining, and the diving is great: Monterey, CA.

 

[ScubaduoAdventures]

You will find Indonesia to be a lot more budget friendly we believe than Palau. You may also want to consider the Phillipines.

 

[DandyDon]

3-4 what? days? weeks?



robin

Big difference huh. And adding location to profile so we know where you are leaving from?

 

[samaka]

And the right answer is of course:
EGYPT

You can get a week of diving and between t days and a week exploring pyramids, temples, cruise on the Nile and much much more. And this for less money than you would have spent on the same time on closer locations. Jan-Feb is also a slight dip in the season so you'd have no problem at all geetting a good deal.

The diving in the Red Sea is fantastic and the stuff you can see is mind blowing. I have collected some info on my private (also independent from Dive Operators) website. Take a look at WELCOME TO AZIAB and start to click on "Marine Life" plus "Yearly Cycle" where you find lots of info.

Hope it helps.
..........a.........

Feel free to email or PM me for more info

 

[michellej]

Actually we are leaving from southern California and want to travel 3-4 WKS. Now we're thinking about going back to Thailand because it's sooo cheap to stay there. But any more input on where to get the most bang for our buck is really appreciated.

 

[Doc]

Almost any place you select can be done on a budget... depending on how you chose to live when you arrive.

If you eat like a local, that is a great first step. If you "need" meat, eggs, Cheetos and Diet Coke, that's another story.

If you "need" housing that is on the beach, has a pool, telephones, and a/c, that's another story.

If you "need" to go to the most far-flung dive sites away from your base with a fast boat, if you needed a toilet on board the boat, if you needed lunch to be brought aboard for you, that's another story.

You can do almost anyplace from the Southern Pacific to the Indian Ocean in this fashion quite easily.

If you act and select living accommodations with caution, you will find that airfare is the standout cost, unless you consider a comfy box with FedEx But, that's another story.

 

[ScubaduoAdventures]

We Love Thailand and have lived there for a short while. It sounds like you have been there already and know about where you want to stay, dive etc and for a long stay of course you will have a great time.
You did however mention something new and if you have not been to Indonesia as of yet then you should strongly consider it and as most of the other board members here will tell you it is well worth the trip to dive it and can be done as easily and on about the same kind of budget as Thailand, whatever your budget maybe? Bali itself is incredible for both its below and above sights and you really could very easily spend 3 plus weeks there alone. it has great beauty ,culture and more activities than we can mention here. It is also very easy to jump over to the Gili Islands which has some very budget places to stay and dive but a flight up to Manado is very easy to arrange to dive the walls of Bunaken and then go see the critters of Lembeh. You will be able to find lots of packages that include your diving, everything for around $100.00 PP per day which is quite reasonable. her is a link to just one of the company's who can help you with planning and reservations and with a little more research you will find lots more.
Bali Scuba Diving Indonesia - Tulamben Dive Terminal Resort - Package Prices

We also had mentioned the Philippines which also has some great options for diving. You could fly into Cebu and from there it is very easy to arrange dive safaris to places like Boracay and Apo Reef. Coron Bay has some world class wreck diving and Donsol is the new hot Whaleshark location. again you can arrange packages for around $100.00 a day or evn less just look around on the net.

Last thing you may want to consider and though we generally due not pay to much attention to these kind of things as the get over publicized is what is going on in Thailand at the moment. It will probably be fine by the time you go but worth thinking about.

We are sure you will have a awesome time no matter what you choose, planning is half the fun