Belize or Bonaire

[DiverDean59]

If you had a choice between a week long live aboard trip in Belize or a week in Bonaire, which would you choose and why?

[gypsyjim]

Having never had the pleasure of using a live aboard I would jump on that.

We love Bonaire, and return at least once a year, but we also loved Belize the one time we made it there. Belize, especially with a live aboard would probably be a great experience, and you certainly should see more large marine life than is usually available on Bonaire.

Can't go wrong with either choice. IMO

[Byte Me]

I've not been to Bonaire but do have a trip scheduled there in Feb '12. Last March a buddy and I did the Belize Aggressor, it was my first liveaboard. I did every dive the boat offered and got in 24 dives. Some were great - Half Moon Caye being the best and a site called Sandbox being the worst. We voted to skip the blue hole, some had been there before, others, like me, didn't care to miss a couple dives just to drop down a tube. Overall, it was a good trip - I'd do a liveaboard again, but NOT in Belize. You can get to any site we dove from Ambergris and I'd MUCH rather spend a week there and still dive my brains out. The boat and crew were very nice, don't get me wrong, the diving was easy, food was decent. If you do decide to go on the Belize liveaboard, plan to leave Sunday not Saturday, skip the last night on the boat - there are no decent restaurants near the port anyway - and head to Ambergris for two nights. We went to Ambergris on Saturday AM and wish we'd have skipped the "activity" on Friday afternoon and just went their straight away. It's lovely and we could have gotten a couple more dives in!! To directly answer your question - I'd choose Bonaire for sure.

Maybe Utila or Cayman Aggressor would be better. I'm really looking forward to Bonaire though - that pretty much sounds like a liveaboard on land, kinda like CoCo View Roatan which I absolutely loved!!

I'm sure you'll have fun no matter what you choose.

[Mud&Rox]

Bonaire for more bottom time!

[DeputyDan]

If you have not done a liveaboard - Belize is a good first one to do.
If you want non-dive activities Belize is a top shelf destination.

All things being even I would always choose the liveaboard.

But If I were going on a dive oriented vacation and not doing the liveaboard route - I would pick Bonaire over Belize.

[gypsyjim]

Amen to that. On Bonaire doing only 24 dives in a week would mean I forgot why I was there completely! 4, 5, even 6, or more tanks a day are the norm on Bonaire for most of us

[DeputyDan]

But Jim, you are doing that 4:30 am dive while I am still thinking about coffee.

I guess some of us just need more beauty sleep than others !!!!

[gypsyjim]

While some us simply realize that no amount of sleep will help us, so we might as well go diving!

[tajkd]

Bonaire for the freedom

[Damselfish]

I've done both a number of times and no question I'd do the liveaboard in Belize. I don't go to Bonaire anymore because the diving bores me compared to other places - I find the sites are mostly too similar, and hauling gear all over the island to shore dive holds little appeal for me like it clearly does for some. It's also harder to get to than places I like better. And I'd rather dive off a liveaboard almost anytime given the option. But that's me, they're such different trips it really depends what you like. If you've not done either yet it's certainly worth doing both at some point. And if this is by any chance your first tropical trip I think Bonaire is a really good choice.