I have 156K FF miles to play with. That's four round trips to Region 1, Hawaii, Caribbean or Central America. I'm thinking Kona or Cozumel in March or April 2008. I want cheap food and lodging and want to not have to rent a car.
Points in favor of Kona - been there, know the diving, can do free shore diving on my own.
Drawbacks - Kona is expensive, been there many times
Points in favor of Cozumel - never been there, Mexico is cheap.
Drawbacks - never been there don't know where to stay, would have to use a dive operator.
Help me make this decision.
Points in favor of Kona - been there, know the diving, can do free shore diving on my own.
Drawbacks - Kona is expensive, been there many times
Points in favor of Cozumel - never been there, Mexico is cheap.
Drawbacks - never been there don't know where to stay, would have to use a dive operator.
Help me make this decision.
posted by:
|
SF Bay Area
|
-
Re: Kona or Cozumel?
Sun, September 30, 2007 - 2:22 PMOr can you suggest another region 1 destination? My miles are on United. -
-
Re: Kona or Cozumel?
Mon, October 1, 2007 - 7:10 AMI don't know Kona or Cozumel but I hear good and bad about both. Depends on who you talk to and personal preference, I guess.
If it is within your FF pints range, and you've never been, consider Turks and Cacos. Some of the world's best dives and the whale migration route runs right around Grand Turk. Phenominal diving that you will talk about for years. Check out my travel blog from March 2003 at www.gailene.com/ggblog/arc...003_03.html and the photos too at www.gailene.com/Caribbean_.../index.html (my pics are 'foggy' looking because I use a regular digital camera in a diving case... no strobe or external light source. So, no pics from the night dive.
I used Oasis Divers on Grand Turk and Provo Turtle Divers on Providenciales (aka Provo). Both shops came highly recommended and I highly recommend them. Very professional, adventurous and FUN, FUN, FUN.
Info: Caribbean humpback whales migrate through the Turks Head passage, past Salt Cay toward the Silver Banks of the Dominican Republic and back to Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands & British West Indies - every year from January through April
Enjoy whatever trip you decide to take.
-
-
Re: Kona or Cozumel?
Sun, September 30, 2007 - 2:46 PMI used "Cozumel Equalizers" a few back, was good gorilla diving
check this out
cozumel-diving.net/
haven't dove Kona, but did Lanai years ago... I like the carib better......
-
-
Re: Kona or Cozumel?
Mon, October 1, 2007 - 8:19 AMThe diving on Cozumel is terrific but it's not a cheap part of Mexico by any means. Is Honduras in Zone one? For the cheapest diving this side of the world try Roatan or Utila. $15 a dive, $30 a night for air-condo room (I paid $7 a night to share a bathroom and had a fan) and food is barely anything. I was on West End, went without knowing where to stay and found a place immediately. It was some years ago so I am sure prices have gone up and the dollar is not good these days, but still, very cheap.
I've heard Turks and Caicos is great too! -
-
Re: Kona or Cozumel?
Mon, October 1, 2007 - 9:03 AMI did Roatan two years ago and I was thinking of going again. -
-
Re: Kona or Cozumel?
Mon, October 1, 2007 - 9:55 AMI dont know if this helps, although I had fun doing this in December-
I flew to Cancun and took the bus to Tulumn spent the night there and then to took the bus to Belize City.
Next day I took the ferry to Caye Caulker and had 3 days diving, unfortunately I didnt make it to the Blue Hole due to bad weather.
I then headed down to Flores and Tikal, you can drop this part of the trip if you only want to dive.
From here I bussed up to Mexico and stopped off in Tolumn where I did a days Cenote diving, Id recommend it although its not something Id personally rush back to do.
After Tolumn I headed over to Cozumel, in my opinion its the best diving along the Caribbean Coast, although the town is dreadful....just one big parking lot for cruise ships and all the dross that goes with that particular crowd. I did 3 days diving and then headed back to Playa Del Carmen to spend the last day or so before my return to Cancun to fly back.
Apart from Diving, I visited Tikal, Chicken Itza, had a 3 day stay on a Finka in Guatemala and had 2 days in the jungle.
I was in Utilla in June, the diving was fine although I found the island to be claustrophobic.
-
Re: Kona or Cozumel?
Mon, October 1, 2007 - 2:23 PMAnother link to photos from Turks and Caicos diving:
www.gailene.com/Caribbean_.../index.html
-
Re: Kona or Cozumel?
Tue, October 9, 2007 - 4:20 PMIf you go to Roatan again, let us know! We could get an apartment. (cheap)
I'd love to dive Utila during whale shark season.
I do love Kona.
-
-
-
-
Unsu...
Re: Kona or Cozumel?
Mon, October 1, 2007 - 10:27 PMResponding to your criteria:
Cozumel does not require a car, unless you want to visit the other side of island, and has a range of prices for accommodations. The resort hotels are not cheap, but you can find cheaper accommodations a few blocks in from the beach.
Yes, you have to use an operator, there is no shore diving to speak of. There are tons of dive operators. pay a little extra and get a lot more. Avoid the slow boats and the cattle boats.
-
Re: Kona or Cozumel?
Sat, October 20, 2007 - 11:58 AMi'm headed to puerto vallarta in two weeks, i couldn't make cozumel work due to flight schedules and there weren't any supersaver flights aval. for the times i could get away. i booked an all inclusive for 2 without diving for 6 nights with air for 1400.00 total instead of using 140k miles. that'll put me way over 200,000 FF miles. i looked at Kona; and the hotels would have been a lot more. i have always wanted to dive cozumel because an old friend of mine owns a dive operation there it's called Dive Paradise. i'll have to plan out a lot farther to make the miles work. diving at the two dive resorts in the caribbian i've been to, Bonair and Roatan is what i want to really do again. they had tanks right on the dock so you could just go anytime your computor said it was ok.
