Scuba Trip

The best advice I can give you is to check out fodors website. All they do is rate vaction destination. They also have some pretty good forums you can check out.

I think we are going to goto St Lucia next year. It is supposed to be good.

Bonaire & Belize are also top destinations.

 

Cozumel is the best place to do both. could be very cheep that time of year also.

 

If you want something that is more of an adventure and less of a tourist trap, I'd recommend Belize. Besides they have the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world. I haven't experienced anything close to it, but if you are interested, let me know and I'll tell you more. They speak english and accept US currency. There are lots of things to do on land as well.

 

Actually Belize is becoming a popular destination for Americans to retire. We have been there & it was clean & people spoke english.

We didnt get a chance to dive but I recomend the country.

If you get tired of diving, take a day & go cave tubing!!

 

My wife and I stayed at a resort on the ocean shore in Belize, on Ambergris Caye. During the day we could hang out on the private beach, take a short boat ride into San Pedro (or rent a bike and ride into town), or pick a excursion such as snorkeling/diving. The nice thing about the beach is the wavebreak the reef provides. You can see it from shore. Grab a kayak and your snorkel gear from your resort and be at the relatively shallow reef in minutes, paddling through what is usually pretty calm waters. The reef is pristine. You can take a guided snorkeling tour with gear to some of the better areas for about $40-60. If you want an extreme dive check out the Blue Hole.
We took a day trip to Lamanai, which included an awesome and sometimes very fast boat trip through some mangrove cuts, and a tour of ancient ruins in the jungle. Also included was all the rum punch you can handle and a delicious authentic local lunch. You can actually climb the ancient pyramids to the top and see above the jungle. The howler monkeys and exotic plant life were a highlight. Our guides were very professional and entertaining.
At night we would take a boat into San Pedro to check out the nightlife. Fido's bar (right on the beach) had excellent live local music. We'd usually see a few dozen Americans there. San Pedro had a lot to offer from small shops selling local made crafts to fine restaurants. The best restaurant I've been to is actually a small Thai place right on the beach that seats about 20.
The #1 source of income in Belize is tourism and it shows. The people took great care of us, possibly because we bring in the cash and they don't want a bad reputation. I never felt unsafe even in the dirt roads of San Pedro at night. We did meet tourists on our excursions and in town, but I don't think it is overrun... yet. For the most part, it is still a stunning piece of paradise.
I'd say that most of the American tourists there were looking more for something different... an adventure.

 

I thought the prices in Belize were reasonable. The area was full of dive shops, as it is their biggest draw for tourism. They all looked great. I didn't dive, but did snorkeling in some of the same waters where divers were. It was all very safe and well equipped from what I could tell. From where I was it seemed quicker and easier to just snorkel though.

 

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