Vacation Reef Destination

B

Boa1277

Member
I am planning a vacation for my son and I and was wondering what great reef locations besides the Great Barrier Reef would anyone recommend. I was thinking Fiji, Indonesia, I am open to suggestions. I am trying to keep it below 5K including airfare.
 
Have been diving in multiple locations (Carribean and Pacific) and so far nothing compares to Indonesia! If you want to do a pure dive trip, I would recommend doing a liveaboard (like with Aggressor fleet). You get to do A LOT of diving, but it is pretty much ONLY diving for the week. Depends on what you are looking for - as far as a land based location, Wakatobi looks great in pics...haven't been there, but talked to those that have and they loved it.
 
I am biased, but try looking at sodwana bay in South Africa, or benguerra or pemba in mozambique.
 
Sanur, Bali. The reefs were 40 feet from my abode and the fish and sps blew my mind. Very cool vibe and food is amazing
 
I stayed at the Mana Kai in Maui this year and it was pretty epic.

It's right on the Makena state park, just north of Wailea without the Wailea price tag.

The boat dock for the dive trips is half a block north and the hotel itself is planted on an incredible reef.

I was on the dock by 5:30am for two dives, a quick lunch, then hours of snorkeling right off the hotel. Its located on Keawakapu Beach and even though I had a car and could drive wherever to snorkel after diving I never did. There was plenty going on locally.

This is the reef that was an 80 ft walk from my bed :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM6LzsKr2_8&list=UUKnlzTNy1WD74pIlN7h2Ldw

I booked through the turkish company otel.com with my intentional credit card... and paid about half of what the other residents paid. Not sure if I just got lucky or what.
 
You are going to have a tough time doing a trip anywhere around Australia or Indonesia for under $5k.

Roatan, Honduras has some of the best wall dives (possibly THE best) in the world. Airfare is reasonable, and lodging is dirt cheap. Lionfish spearfishing is encouraged and many restaurant will cook what you kill, or just grill it up yourself. Check my blog in my profile if you want more info.
 
Its been years but I have dove in Hawaii, The Great barrier Reef, and Cozumel Mexico. My favorite place is Cozumel. Most of the reefs there are in the 30 to 60' range and you could get packages all inclusive packages back then for about 1000.00 per person. Airfare, Hotel (Nice Hotel on the Ocean) Food, booze, and 5 day dives and one night dive.

Mark
 
There are quite a few Caribbean locations with nice diving that can be done for less than $5k. $5k will get you a week pretty much anywhere unless you really blow it out on your accommodations. But are any Caribbean locations "great" when compared with top notch Pacific locales?

In the Caribbean, my top pick is Bonaire. I just got back from my third trip-- $700pp r/t Atlanta to Bonaire, $1200/wk for a two bedroom condo on the water with great diving right in front. $350/wk for a small SUV. $175pp unlimited tank fills for a week. You can manage food costs how ever you want. There are restaurants and every level, and with a condo you can eat in if you want. Bonaire is the easiest diving there is and because it can all be done from shore, you are free to dive your own profiles on your own schedule. You can also go to a resort (Captain Don's) if you want more structure.

I've also loved St Croix (Tamarind Reef, diving at Cane Bay and the Fredrickstead side), Little Cayman (LCBR) and St Lucia (Ti Kaye, really nice diving in the marine park), and would go back. But Bonaire is my top pick, especially if you have someone new to diving.

My experience in Cozumel (three trips) is that while it is definitely inexpensive, the currents can be incredibly strong, even dangerously so, and it is less cheap that it used to be. I've also been to Ambergris Cay in Belize, which I enjoyed, but I wouldn't go back over the others I've listed, and St. Kitts, which I didn't much enjoy. Also Grand Cayman (two trips), but I wouldn't go there again either. Diving on the East End is nice, but you are better off taking the hopper flight over to Little Cayman.
 
Okay, why couldn't there be just one great place? I am thinking the same and, well, that's to many to choose from.

I was thinking Indonesia also, but, how stable is that place?
 
Key Largo, diving capital of the world (if interested let me know, we have a vacation rental and connections with a diving company)

Mesoamerican Reef (Central America)..
Turks and Caicos has some nice Reefs.
I've heard great things about Raja Ampat.
 
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