Tag Archives: Belize

Top 5: Best Diving Spots Around the World

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Diving is one of my favorite things to do in this world, it’s like leaving Earth and exploring some unknown and forbidden place. Full of mysterious and intriguing creatures, I never got bored of diving, each dive was it’s own experience with something new. That’s why we’ve compiled the Top 5 diving spots around the world that also incorporate amazing locations and luxury 5-star hotels! These are some places that are also near and dear to my heart.

 

Belize

 

They say great things come in small packages and while Belize is the second smallest nation in Central America, it packs big punch. Perfectly located between Mexico and Guatemala, Belize is the perfect destination for exploration, relaxation and romance. Composed of more than 400 islands, white sandy beaches, and the longest unbroken barrier reef in the western hemisphere, Belize is a world-class scuba diving destination. Some of the best dives consist of The Blue Hole, Stann Creek District (ground zero for whale sharks), and most famously Ambergris Caye. To find out more click here.

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Tahiti

 

Tahiti is a nation known for it’s abundance of honeymooners, long white deserted beaches, and crystal-clear blue water. Whether you dive or snorkel, you are sure to see playing dolphin, harmless reef sharks, and humpback whales. Tahiti is perfect for both beginning and advanced divers. Highlights include clear, shallow waters; steep oceanic drop-offs; sunken vessels; walls of bright coral; and schools of smaller species. The island of Marquesas is perfect for intermediate to advanced divers due to the abundance of caves and drop-off points. The island of Huahine is perfect for beginners due to the abundance of smaller fish and lush coral. Head to the Island of Rurutu to see the great Humpback Whale up close. Stay at the Four Seasons Bora Bora, one of the best hotels in the world. 

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Great Barrier Reef

 

Located off the coast of Queensland, Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is known to people young and old. Made up of nearly 2900 individual reefs, 600 continental islands and 300 coral cays, it’s the world’s largest single structure comprised of living organisms. Diving the Great Barrier Reef might change your life ad your outlook on the environment. Now is the time to go see it!! To find out more click here.

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Maldives

 

Grouped in 26 low atolls in the Indian Ocean, the word “Maldives” has long evoked a sense of exotic ocean life and tropical dreams. While larger fish may not be as abundant, strong currents bring nutrients to these small volcano-created island, making them abundant in bright corals, thousands of fish species, swim-through caverns, and manta rays. The perfect place to match luxury with scuba, the Maldives is one of our top destinations, not only for honeymoons. Some of the top dive spots include: Fotteyo Kandu, Vaavu Atoll, Kuredu Express, Lhaviyani Atoll, and Okobe Thila, North Male Atoll. To find out more click here.

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Fiji

 

Fiji is a nation near and dear to my heart. I spent a summer there studying shark behavior with one of the world’s best diving teams, Beqa Adventure Divers. Fiji was one of the warmest ocean climates I have ever dived, you can go down to up to 50 feet in the summertime without a wetsuit. Fiji is named the “soft coral capital of the world” due to it’s diverse and colorful species of coral, it is an underwater naturalist’s dream. Some of the top diving spots include: Great Astrolabe Reef, Kadavu , Shark Reef Marine Reserve, Pacific Harbour (best shark dive ever), and Namena Marine Protected Reserve, Savusavu. To learn more click here.

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Cayo Espanto Hotel. Ambergrys Caye. Belize

Hotel of the Week, , ,

Have you ever dreamed about staying in a private island? Well dream no more because Cayo Espanto just made that dream a little bit closer to reality.

Belize is known worldwide for it’s vast turquoise waters and abundance of diving hotspots. However, this private island is slowly becoming the main reason why travelers are heading down to Belize. At the award-winning Cayo Espanto Hotel you will discover why Island Magazine rated this property the #3 Worlds Best Private Island. This luxury 7-villa hotel takes privacy and romance to the next level incorporating high-end amenities with a mix of raw adventure.

Before you arrive on the island, based on a survey you fill out weeks in advance the Chef will plan glorious menu’s for you, whether it is breakfast in bed or candlelit dinners on the beach.

Once you arrive at the Cayo Espanto, you will immediately feel like you have rented your own private island. After being welcomed with the most delicious drink, the Espanto Wave, your butler will show you around the island before taking you to your retreat. Each of the breezy, mahogany-filled villas are spread out across this small island in a way that you never have to see another living soul if your heart desires. These villas are each located beach side and are accommodated with their own private dock. My favorite is Casa Estrella because of the sunrise and sunset views, but Casa Ventanas is also pretty special since it’s the only over-water bungalow.

The villas are quaint, with traditional Caribbean colors sure to brighten your morning. Speaking of mornings, as soon as you inform you butler you are hungry, a menu will be created right away. There is no restaurant in the island because the owner thinks it’s a better if the hotel sets up lunch and dinner at any spot the guest desires. I wasn’t sure at first, but it made all the sense in the world once I got there.

Some of the signature dishes in the island are: Sweet Corn Soup with a Black Bean Salsa and shrimp, the Belizean Crab Trio which is a Stone Crab Cake, Rock Crab and Spider Crab with Habanero and Mango Drizzle, and the Spiny Lobster with parmesan risotto, roasted artichokes, summer squash, griller asparagus, bok choi with beurre blanc.

After a few days of indulging in the daily menu, spa treatments and lots of sleep, a little adventure was the best way to stay entertained. The most popular activity at Cayo Espanto is the Gourmet Picnic. A picnic lunch on a deserted beach is organized in advance to prepare the perfect romantic lunch site. Afterwards, they drop you off in your own little paradise. You take their cell phone and call them when you are ready to head back to yet another paradise.

 

Photographs courtesy of the property.