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Best Snorkeling vacation

twinglez

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I searched for snorkeling threads, but found mostly ONE specific location and the best places withing THAT one particular place.

I want to place a snorkeling vacation, anywhere. The question is where is the best place to go?
My oldest daughter does research on a boat in Alaska during the winter. I would love to give her a trip somewhere warm doing what she loves....being in the water with the fish.

Any suggestions I can plan for the future?

Any time of year for her, if our family joins, then I look at school holidays as my last two kids are seniors in highschool.

Thanks for any suggestions.
 

WinniWoman

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I searched for snorkeling threads, but found mostly ONE specific location and the best places withing THAT one particular place.

I want to place a snorkeling vacation, anywhere. The question is where is the best place to go?
My oldest daughter does research on a boat in Alaska during the winter. I would love to give her a trip somewhere warm doing what she loves....being in the water with the fish.

Any suggestions I can plan for the future?

Any time of year for her, if our family joins, then I look at school holidays as my last two kids are seniors in highschool.

Thanks for any suggestions.


We actually loved snorkeling in Kauai. Our son was 14 at the time. Lygate State Park and Salt Pond Beach were two favorites. We were there in the summertime.
 

RNCollins

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In May I did a sailing with Tradewinds in the British Virgin Islands. We typically had 2 snorkeling stops a day (or you can dive if certified). They start sailing again this winter in St Martin and the BVI (due to Hurricane Irma) but they have other destinations in the Caribbean and South Pacific as well.
 

Talent312

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My personal favorite is Bonaire (near Aruba) - surrounded by a National Marine Park.
Many places to snorkel from shore. "Renee Snorkel Trips" is highly recommended.
The shallow coral was beaten up by storms a few years ago, but it's still good.
A night-snorkel is not to be missed.

.
 

geist1223

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Fiji. But not the Island of Suva.
 

remowidget

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Our best experiences have been:

Australia. Amazing, although you have to do a long boat ride to get out there

St John, but who knows now.

The big Island of Hawaii. Our favourite is Two Step. Awesome snorkeling from the shore. It's kind of fun to snorkel with the suckers who paid the bucks to come in a boat.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk
 

bobpark56

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For shore snorkeling, St John tops my list, with Haulover Bay North and Waterlemon Cay (Leinster Bay) topping the list, in that order. Curacao is also good, once you learn where to go and have booties and the associated fins for the beaches that have sharp sand. Have yet to try Bonaire or the Cayman Islands. Honolua Bay (Maui) is the best I have found in the Hawaiian Islands. Xcaret in Mexico used to be good (and excellent for beginners), but I thought it had slipped a bit when there 2 years ago. Perhaps it will come back. I felt the same what about Yal Ku.

For snorkeling from a boat, Ambergris Caye in Belize offers 4 nice choices: Hol Chan marine reserve, Mexico Rocks, Tres Cocos, and Shark Ray Alley. Puerto Morelos, Mexico (just south of Cancun) is also good. Have not yet tried Cozumel.

A sailing vacation with Tradewinds or Festiva will also get you good snorkeling.
 

Laurie

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Curacao is also good, once you learn where to go and have booties and the associated fins for the beaches that have sharp sand.
Would you mind sharing where in Curacao? We are going next year.

We also loved Big Island, Grand Cayman and Cozumel (tho I encountered some creepy-looking barricuda there).
 

dioxide45

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Belize had great snorkeling. You may be better to go on a cruise and snorkel on several different islands.
 

Sandy VDH

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Panama Bocas del Toro region has one of the most diverse snorkeling I have seen. It is located on the Caribbean side of Panama.
 

LisaH

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Sandy, That’s what I’ve heard. Do you mind telling us more about where to stay, where to snorkel in Bocas Del Toro?
 

Sandy VDH

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I did a tradewinds sailing trip there. I am a tradewinds member. Not sure if they are doing more Bocos sailings now, but there is a few islands with places to stay. Bocos town is the main town and there is an airport on that island. That is where most of the hotels are. There are a few other resorts that you just catch a water taxi from the main dock in Bocos town. All of the snorkel dive sites are not that far away from Bocos town.
 
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WinniWoman

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Just make sure you wear/bring a flotation device. I almost drowned in Poipu following the fish around, losing track of how far out I was.
 

bobpark56

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Would you mind sharing where in Curacao? We are going next year.

We also loved Big Island, Grand Cayman and Cozumel (tho I encountered some creepy-looking barricuda there).

Up on the northwest shore, a bit before you get to Westpunt, there were a few bays, as I recall. Difficult sand to walk on when entering, but good snorkeling. You should be able to check them out on the internet. The bay at Kura Hulanda also had decent snorkeling. And there were a lot of fish along the steeply sloped rocks on the sea side of the Royal Resorts Sea Aquarium resort, with more fish in the narrow section on the other side of the resort, though the water can be a bit cloudy there.

I once swam up beside a resting 5.5-foot barracuda at Puerto Morelos, Mexico, in about 3-4 feet of water alongside an smallish deteriorated wharf. He did not seem interested in me, only in resting. As I understand it, they are nighttime feeders...and there seem to be no reported accounts of barracudas attacking humans.
 

Sandy VDH

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Just make sure you wear/bring a flotation device. I almost drowned in Poipu following the fish around, losing track of how far out I was.

I couldn't sink if I tried, I am so damn buoyant.
 

dioxide45

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Up on the northwest shore, a bit before you get to Westpunt, there were a few bays, as I recall. Difficult sand to walk on when entering, but good snorkeling. You should be able to check them out on the internet.
Klein Knip and Playa Jeremi are good snorkeling spots. We found the best snorkeling on Curacao on the Westpunt end.
 

elaine

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do you want ease of flight for DD? that would likely be Hawaii. Where are you? If East Coast, then Carib. is much easier. We have been to most Carib, Bermuda, Belize, Coz, and most places in Hawaii. All offer great snorkeling.
For Hawaii, I would mix HNL so that you can go to Hanuma (sp?) Bay on early AM with big Island. There area so many other fabulous things to do as well. We also really like Curacao. We stayed at the Marriott, which has a PADI 5* onsite and a great little shore reef right there, but lots of other great places on the island and the Dutch influenced city is really interesting, food is great. IMHO, very safe, as well.
IMHO, aside from snorkeling, Grand Cayman is sort boring.
Ambergis Cay in Belize has great snorkeling and a fun, funky town with great food, as well.
Giving that DD is in Alaska, I would vote for Hawaii.
 

dsmrp

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Our best experiences have been:

Australia. Amazing, although you have to do a long boat ride to get out there

St John, but who knows now.

The big Island of Hawaii. Our favourite is Two Step. Awesome snorkeling from the shore. It's kind of fun to snorkel with the suckers who paid the bucks to come in a boat.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

+1 for Two Step and the west side of Big Island.
We're shore snorkelers (don't go deep dive), and found Big Island pretty good for access and variety of fish.
St John and Virgin Islands were wonderful for snorkeling (shore and boat) but unfortunately they are in hurricane recovery.
Have been to Grand Cayman too, and I think it's best for scuba diving and snorkeling from a boat off the coast.
We didn't see much available from shore.

Hanauma on Oahu has had so many people that the reefs closer in aren't in good shape. But the fish you do see aren't afraid of people :)
 

Czahara1

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I searched for snorkeling threads, but found mostly ONE specific location and the best places withing THAT one particular place.

I want to place a snorkeling vacation, anywhere. The question is where is the best place to go?
My oldest daughter does research on a boat in Alaska during the winter. I would love to give her a trip somewhere warm doing what she loves....being in the water with the fish.

Any suggestions I can plan for the future?

Any time of year for her, if our family joins, then I look at school holidays as my last two kids are seniors in highschool.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Here's the site I use to research snorkeling destinations. http://www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/
 

twinglez

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WOW! Thanks everyone, what an awesome list. I appreciate you all taking the time to respond.
 

sweetbutter

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We went to Phuket Thailand last year and they have amazing snorkeling sites, I suggest that you read travel blogs before you go so you can maximize your trip. You can book a day trip, in which you can visit 4 islands and they'll drop you of a certain spot where you can snorkel. The excursion is pretty cheap and the food is great!
 
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