Warm water, easy logistics trip

[TSandM]

For reasons that are entirely unclear to me, my husband has gotten into organizing and leading dive trips. We've done two so far, one to the area in Mexico where we cave dive, and one to the Philippines. He wants to keep doing it, but we just aren't sure where to go next.

For the purposes of leading a group, either a turnkey operation like Atlantis in the Philippines, or an all-inclusive resort with a close tie to a dive op (as we have with the Catalonia and Dive Aventuras) seems best. It's hard to give a group a sense of community if everyone has to scatter to restaurants in the evening, and nobody wants to cook on vacation (except me, apparently). Reasonably easy travel seems a good thing, with good connections and not much travel on very small planes.

We're looking at Fiji, but don't know much about the area. Going back to Puerto Galera is an option. One of our "clients" really likes Grand Cayman, which has excellent accessibility, but as far as I can determine, has nothing resembling an all-inclusive resort.

Looking for suggestions . . .

 

[AdivingBel]

If you're considering the Carribean and the Caymans....it doesn't get any easier than LCBR.

 

[huwporter]

Three suggestions for you: the caveat is none of these would be particularly easy to get to from the US, all would be best enjoyed by a group with some sense of adventure, none of these are 'luxury' (don't expect marble floors, spa baths, aircon...) - but they are all places I've personally been to and enjoyed - all are self contained resorts in (stunning) remote areas, all have great diving, all have communal eating arrangements fostering a sense of community.

#1 Uepi Island Resort, Solomon Islands, Welcome to Uepi Island Resort - my video: Uepi Island Resort on Vimeo;
#2 Matava, Kadavu Island Fiji, Matava - Fiji's Premier Adventure Resort & Spa ? Indulge your spirit of adventure and relish a remote and unique slice of nature
#3 Walindi Plantation Resort, PNG. Walindi Resort & MV FeBrina - Home

I'd happily go back to them all, but Uepi is the one I'd pick to rush back to first.

Cheers,
Huw

 

[diver 85]

Beqa Lagoon, Fiji is a sure fire hit.....Also, either Cayman Brac or Little Cayman(the Beach Resorts @ either) are GREAT AIs with superb Caribbean diving(Bloody Bay Wall is second to none)......Any of those 3 are CAN'T miss trips..........

 

[JohnN]

Three suggestions for you: the caveat is none of these would be particularly easy to get to from the US, all would be best enjoyed by a group with some sense of adventure, none of these are 'luxury' (don't expect marble floors, spa baths, aircon...) - but they are all places I've personally been to and enjoyed - all are self contained resorts in (stunning) remote areas, all have great diving, all have communal eating arrangements fostering a sense of community.

#1 Uepi Island Resort, Solomon Islands, Welcome to Uepi Island Resort - my video: Uepi Island Resort on Vimeo;
#2 Matava, Kadavu Island Fiji, Matava - Fiji's Premier Adventure Resort & Spa ? Indulge your spirit of adventure and relish a remote and unique slice of nature
#3 Walindi Plantation Resort, PNG. Walindi Resort & MV FeBrina - Home

I'd happily go back to them all, but Uepi is the one I'd pick to rush back to first.

Cheers,
Huw

Uepi looks wonderful, but I'm really worried if they don't list prices. Is this one of those places where 'if you have to ask. . . ' ?

 

[MB NZ]

nothing is easier than liveaboard diving, especially if herding cats.

 

[TSandM]

Liveaboard not an option -- Peter doesn't like to sleep on boats.

 

[Damselfish]

As far as Cayman, LCBR is a great all-around trip with easy logistics and seems a very popular place for groups. Or Brac Reef Resort, though I would choose Little Cayman over that. I think Compass Point/Ocean Frontiers on Grand Cayman is also reasonably popular with groups, at least our LDS runs a trip there every year - not AI as far as the food, but they at least have a restaurant now, and there's starting to be more options on that end of the island - doing dinner reservations at various places most nights would be simple enough. I think Cobalt Coast/Divetech on Grand Cayman can be done AI and could work - thing about AI on Grand Cayman is it seems a shame with so many restaurants available. (Sunset House also seems somewhat popular with groups, but I'm not a fan.)

I think Anthony's Key on Roatan (AI) is popular for groups, it's another place our LDS goes every year. Or Cocoview, although I expect you'd have to book that further in advance for a group. There's several remote AIs on Utila that could work well - Utopia, Laguna Beach, Deep Blue. (I was on a group trip to Utopia once.) Might be a couple other places on Roatan/Utila that fit the bill. One of the nuisances of Utila is getting there, as scheduled air service is somewhat limited, but chartering seems pretty easy/common and would be a good option with a group.

Seems like there's a decent number of turnkey land-based options in the Indo-Pacific that are good for this, especially in Fiji and Indonesia, when longer travel works for people.

Of course a liveaboard almost anywhere works great for a group, and for many boats is practically the only way to do them - either because they are mostly booked up by groups way in advance, or because some only run or even schedule a trip with a minimum number of passengers. (Sorry, read the no liveaboard bit after I posted this.)

Maybe look into a place like this - The Villa On Dunbar Rock (I'm wanting to get together a group to do it sometime.)

What I usually find appealing in a group trip is not when it's a simple Caribbean trip that I can easily book (at the most convenient time for us, instead of trying to make a fixed time slot work.) But rather when it's long haul, more complicated, or otherwise more difficult to do on my own - such as getting on those liveaboards that are heavily booked by groups. Marathon travel is less painful with company. And as the main trip planner in my circle I love having someone else deal with it.

 

[Doc]

You have now been spoiled by Hotel Atlantis in the Philippines.

(I call it CoCoView West)

Change sports. You're done.

I get a lot of draw for Tobago (Speyside) offerings. It is kind-of a holy grail of the Caribbean- for those who know. I use it to train divers for Galapagos. Nuttiest currents in the Caribbean. (Cozumel is a mere walk in a mild breeze)

There are many very cool spots in the Caribbean that remain, but as Damselfish suggests above, Villa at Dunbar and many others are simply not in the realm of dependable (group sized) logistics. (Los Roques, Cisne, etc)

Riding Rock Inn? (outer Bahamas)

 

[shark63]

Ok let me try to give you some options:the Florida Keys are a great option with some shallow dives for the less experencied divers and deeper wrecks and reef for the more advanced divers and even some great tec wrecks beyond the 130ft. Another option would be St Lucia, especialy the Anse Chastenet Hotel near Soufriere, housereef and some fanstastic wall diving. Maybe to obvious one's: Bonaire and Curacao, great wall dives and almost all accessable from land.