The number one complaint that people have about scuba diving is that they just don’t have enough money to do it as often as they like. Let’s face it; scuba diving equipment is expensive. Add to that airfare, room and board, and fees charged by dive shops, and you may only be able to afford one or two short scuba diving excursions each year. But what if I told you that there was a place where you could go scuba diving for a month and only pay what you would for a week at other fancy dive locations around the world? I mean, would there really be any question? No doubt your reply would be something along the lines of, “Cool, where do I sign up?”
The answer is in Honduras, a Central American country bordering the Caribbean Sea. Here you will find an island, only a seven-minute flight from mainland, which is for the most part undiscovered by the world. This small island, Utila, is the smallest of three major Bay islands located off the east coast of Honduras and is home to some of the cheapest and best scuba diving to be found anywhere in the world. Just 18 miles from the mainland port of Le Ceiba, Utila is only 9.5 miles in length and 3 miles in width and its population is just around 2,500. But what Utila lacks in size, it makes up for in underwater, scuba diving adventures.
Once you arrive for your expedition to Honduras it won’t take you long to figure out that this is a dive community. The streets are lined with dive shops, schools, and hotels catering to the dive enthusiast. And do you want to know what the best part is? Everything in Honduras is cheap. An average meal costs just around $3 with formal dinners costing as little as $6. Accommodations can be found for as little as $25 per night or maybe even lower if you know how to shop for deals. A mere $150 could buy you as much as a dozen scuba diving trips out into the Caribbean Sea. And don’t let the numbers fool you, diving in Honduras is not second-rate. In fact, the beauty of this area surpasses many other sites found all over the world.
The best time for scuba diving is in the morning. And since there are no bad dive spots around Utila, you can choose to go just about anywhere and see a variety of wrecks, marine life, coral reefs, and more. Here are just a few of the creatures that you can spy in the waters: whale sharks, lobster, barracuda, octopus, sea turtles, scorpion fish, hog fish, large sting rays, corals, sea fans, and sponges of every color imaginable.
So if your looking for a scuba diving adventure that won’t leave you broke, why not try Honduras? You might find that you never want to leave.
By: Layla Tusko
Posts Tagged ‘Diving Trips’
Scuba Diving – Scuba Diving in Honduras
March 12th, 2010Benefits of Diving from a Liveaboard in the Maldives
January 9th, 2010Maldives liveaboard diving trips are one of the most exciting and memorable diving experiences for any diving enthusiast. Instead of travelling long distances from the hotel to the dive spot and back, liveaboard diving trips provide a diver with all the luxuries of a hotel room on the boat. The boat cruises around different atolls in the island nation, meaning that you never visit the same dive site twice, unless the divers onboard want to. By diving from a liveaboard, scuba divers are able to relax onboard immediately after finishing a dive, instead of wasting a lot of time travelling back and forth to the resort.
Maldives Liveaboard Amenities
Liveaboard safari boats in the Maldives provide the same amenities as most hotels. They have hot water bathrooms, air-conditioned rooms, and helpful crew members who will provide you with every service that you need. At mealtimes, you will enjoy freshly-caught seafood as you watch the sun set from the deck. The liveaboard amenities vary with each ship. The more expensive ships have more luxurious facilities like Jacuzzis and massage facilities, but all the ships are very comfortable.
To see the best range of liveaboards in the Maldives, including the prices and individual amenities, click here.
If you are not a scuba diver, or you feel like taking a day off, you can spend hours relaxing on the tanning deck, sipping on cocktails and take a dip in the clear waters when you get that urge to cool down.
Other Liveaboard Benefits
Aside from the amenities provided on liveaboard safari ships, there are a number of physical and mental benefits to be gained from scuba diving. Scuba diving is a very physical activity during which you exercise every muscle in your body, thus keeping you in tip-top shape. In addition, the very relaxing, calm, and stress-free environment on the boat and under water gives you that peace of mind that you’ve been looking for.
Prices and Duration of Liveaboard Diving Safaris
Liveaboard diving trips last from 6 to 14 nights and cost approximately USD 200 per night, depending on the boat you choose. The price of your liveaboard holiday includes everything you need while on board, except alcoholic drinks, equipment rental and additional excursions If you compare this price with the cost of staying in any of the Maldives’ great resorts, you will quickly see that a liveaboard holiday is one of the most accessible ways to explore the Maldives.
Requisites for liveaboard holidays in the Maldives.
Scuba divers interested in exploring the Maldives by liveaboard should have at least their PADI Open Water certification. Also, it is preferable that they have at least 30 logged dives, although this is not always the case. You should discuss your previous diving experience when booking your holiday.
By: Kathy Adrian
