Belize, Cozumel, or Thailand

[Pomerenke]

Hello everyone! I am new to this site so I hope I do this right. I need help on a decision between a trip in late January to early February to either Belize, Cozumel or Thailand. I know the diving in Cozumel and Belize would be fantastic but I don't know how good thailand will be. A little history. ...I am an Advanced open water diver, nitrox certified and peak performance buoyancy certified. My wife is recently open water and nitrox certified. We live in San Diego and dive here. She has some diving under her belt but I want her to have a great experience in the clear waters. It is our late honeymoon so it's special. Which of these 3 is the better choice? We want to do a week of diving and then a second week of land activities. I've put in so much time on this and can't decide. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We are considering liveaboard in these places with exception to cozumel which doesn't offer any. Thank you

 

[ron_dodge]

Hi Pomerenke,

I'm surprised there aren't 4 pages of responses to your question already.

From my perspective, there is so much personal preference involved that your is a very hard question to answer. With that being said, I'll give you my perspective.

Of the three, I'd cross Cozumel off your list. That's not to say Cozumel isn't great, because it is. I'm in fact headed there later this month. But because you want to do both land activities and diving I'd leave Cozumel off. The diving there is very fun and very easy but I don't get too excited by the land activities. In my opinion there isn't enough on the island to spend a week exploring. Granted, Playa is a short ferry ride right across the channel and Cancun is close too. But, both of those places are overly touristy to me. There is very little there that I find "authentic". However for a future trip, if you've never been, you should add Cozumel to your to-do list.

As for the other two, I would tell you to go to Thailand. But only because I've never been and, Thailand has been on my diving bucket list for a long time. Again, there is that personal preference sneaking in. I'm sure you've done a lot of research on the diving there. It's supposed to be world class and from most of the people I have spoken with they agree with that assessment. Thailand I also believe would suit itself well to a liveaboard.

I've been to Belize a few times and, so far, it's my favorite stop as far as the combination of land and sea activities go. You could easily book a trip on one of the liveaboards there. That will probably give you the most diverse diving experience. But, you could also choose to stay on Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker for your "diving" week. Dive sites are a very short boat ride from the beach.

A few years back, my new bride and I honeymooned in Belize and did something similar to what you've described. We spent a week inland at Cave's Branch visiting Mayan ruins, repelling off of cliffs, exploring the ATM cave, etc.. It was fantastic. Then we flew to Ambergris Caye and partied on the island between diving.

Best of luck to you, it's not an easy decision you're faced with. Like I said, I'd jump at the chance to do a Thailand trip. But, I also don't think you can go wrong with Belize.

 

[gr8jab]

I've been to both Cozumel and Thailand. Considering the time of the year you plan to travel, I would choose Thailand. The best diving is off the west coast in the Similan Islands area. There are day-trips, but to really enjoy this area, you should do a live-aboard. Try sea-bees.com out of Khao Lak. They also have nice hotel and day-trip options, but I would do the live-aboard. Everyone in Thailand is very friendly and welcoming. There are many options for the non-diving week, from Phuket to Bangkok.

Note that in the summer months, the Similan Islands are in low-season (for a good reason), and the Gulf of Thailand is the preferred diving destination. I would choose Cozumel over the Gulf of Thailand, but it is a close decision. I don't really like Phuket for non-divers, since there is a plethora of "activities" of which I don't partake. The resorts in Phuket are fine, but I don't enjoy the "nightlife" that was prevalent.

Cozumel does offer some great dining options, about which you can find many threads here. I find the drift diving very easy and enjoyable. It would be very reasonable to spend a week on Cozumel then go to the mainland and choose activities and hotels between Cancun and Mahahaul.

 

[Downing]

Keep in mind that you can always do all three, just one at a time, so don't put to much pressure on yourself to get it right. You'll have a great time no matter which you choose.

I haven't been to Thailand but it's on my bucket list. If it's your first scuba trip, I think you might want to start with something a little easier in terms of culture shock and distance. But if it's like your one and only chance to go there in the foreseeable future, then I'd say go for it.

Cozumel is fun but be prepared for tourist overrun. I've been there twice and don't think I'll go back again. Just too many tourists, many behaving badly. Still worth seeing at least once, however. If you do go, be sure to check out the cenotes on the mainland. That's a dive experience like no other. And you would be relatively close to some pretty cool Mayan ruins, like Chichen Itza, Tulum and Coba.

I've been to Belize a number of times and go pretty much every year. I prefer Placencia, which is further south than Ambergris Caye, which is where most of the divers and tourists go. Placencia is a small tourist meets fishing village that has a definite island vibe even though it's actually on the mainland. The big advantage there is that there's a ton of stuff to see and do just a short trip up the highway. More Mayan ruins and villages, jungle trails, jaguar preserve, stuff like that.

You're probably already doing this but if not then be sure to check out the many trip report threads posted here and on the Thailand and Cozumel boards.

 

[lamarpaulski]

I have done a couple Cozumel diving trips (love it there) then ferry'd across for a couple days of exploring Yucatan cenotes & Mayan temples (tulum, Coba and Chitzen Itza) - that was great. Cozumel has amazing viz, cool drift diving and would be awesome for half the trip and then you could go to mainland for additional fun. Maybe be based near Tulum. Your wife would certainly have a great diving experience on Coz - it is geared towards Americans more or less. She might wish to get Nitrox certified prior to going as you can do some long, easy drift dives.

Thailand would be great too and I have traveled there BUT you lose days to travel. Very different culture and feel but very interesting too. Bangkok alone is worth a couple days imho. Beautiful countryside in Thailand and Cambodia also. If you could squeeze a couple days extra that would be awesome...add on a short trip to Angkor Wat (Siem Reap) Cambodia area which is mind-boggling.

Likewise, if you can squeeze a couple extra days, Bali ought to be on your list. Lots to do both above and below the water. You can get marriage photos in traditional Balinese garb...stay in Ubud..visit temples, spice farms, volcanoes etc..more stuff than you can shake a stick at. Really beautiful. An amazing culture too. Easy dives or hard dives and very nice diving, including an easy and fantastic wreck. Very diverse reef life too. Your dollar stretches once you're there too. Probably have lay-over in Singapore or Hong Kong, which you can usually extend a day or two and see those fascinating places.

So I guess if you can stretch a couple more days then go to Thailand/Cambodia or Bali...if not then maybe do Cozumel 1 week, then explore Yucatan based from Tulum area.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Edward3c]

I learned to dive in Belize and have been 7 times in total. However, I tend to do marine surveys rather than tourist diving. As for the Blue Hole, if you must do it prepare to be disappointed.

Cozumel, the diving was OK, but the constant pestering from the locals has put it off my list.

Thailand, this will depend on where you end up. I've been to and dived Koh Tao 4 times (came back last Saturday). For me its the leisurely pm diving that made the last holiday. We were not pestered in Thailand (except by taxi drivers wanting business).

Your time period is mid-holiday season for both Belize and Thailand. I was looking for a weeks diving and Thailand has come out at less than £1,700 (about $2,560) all in for two weeks, whereas Belize would have been that for one week. Cost of flights from the UK were pretty similar.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Edward, how can you compare the Koh Tao diving to that in Belize? Whilst I loved the overall beauty of the island Koh Tao, the diving is not that great for the most part. Perhaps you are being taken to better sites than I was. That's the only explanation I can come up with.

 

[Downing]

The OP didn't mention the Blue Hole, but I respectfully disagree that if he and his wife do it then they should be prepared to be disappointed. But I will agree that it's not for everybody. The BH is a unique dive where you basically bounce down and bounce back due to the depth but if you're lucky you'll see a bunch of sharks and that's always exciting. Even if the sharks aren't about, just the cool factor of a really deep wall dive makes it worth it. And then there's the rest of the day, when you'll dive some of the best sites in Belize and check out Half Moon Caye for that end of the world vibe. But like I said, it's not for everybody and if the OP is considering it then he should check out some of the BH threads here for more info.

I didn't mean to come down too hard on Coz. I love the drift diving there. It just seems like everybody and his sister are out on the water and it gets pretty crowded. Between that and the cruise ship tourists, the place is starting to feel like a Mexican Disneyland, making it perfect for some folks and not so much for others. On the other hand, I'd love to dive some cenotes again and would put up with a lot just to do that. And the big three Mayan ruins already mentioned are truly incredible, especially if you can avoid the times when the cruise ship crowds are there.

 

[Edward3c]

Edward, how can you compare the Koh Tao diving to that in Belize? Whilst I loved the overall beauty of the island Koh Tao, the diving is not that great for the most part. Perhaps you are being taken to better sites than I was. That's the only explanation I can come up with.

I've done over 200 dives in Belize many as part of marine surveys. Living in tents or just under a ground-sheet on the cayes. We ran our own boats, compressors in fact everything to go diving – I was the Diving Officer for one 2 month stay. I've even stayed on Half-moon caye when diving the BH. I agree the dives around the atoll are spectacular – or they were in the 1970s.

Koh Tao is altogether a different experience, with only 80 odd dives. I enjoy the leisurely 9am breakfast followed by two afternoon dives, and someone else doing the dive planning.

I was aiming my comments to the Ops experience level, not mine. But then I'm only a BSAC Advanced Diver.

 

[Wingy]

I came back from Thailand two days ago and I have to say the quality of diving has sadly deteriorated and IMO now over rated. Was diving in the Koh Phagnan area - however, for someone who has never been to Thailand its a beautiful country with lovely people. I have no experience in Belize or Cozumel. If you are relatively new to diving and from the looks on faces and comments on other divers faces, it seemed to make other divers happy. Just a comparison to 5 years ago and probably a lot to do with having dived in Raja Ampat a few months before Thailand. Try the Similans or Hing Daeng and Hin Muang if you have a little more experience and want some better quality than the average ''usual'' dive spots particularly those out of Koh Tao or Phuket.