DESTINATIONS — ACTIVE & ADVENTURE HOLIDAYS
Take the plunge G
Dive right in to some of the world’s most exciting underwater experiences, says Katie McGonagle
aze out over a bright blue sea and it might seem as if
nature doesn’t get any better – but duck under the surface and there’s a world even more alive with colour. Fluorescent fish, tiny minnows
moving as one enormous shoal, happy-go-lucky turtles swimming serenely and vast networks of brightly coloured coral – and that’s just the beginning. Diving holidays are big business, but knowing where to direct would-be divers is something else entirely. Which shipwrecks do they most want to see? Are they experts or beginners? Is diving the priority, or just one part of a family or romantic holiday? So here is our quick guide to some of the world’s most diverse dive spots.
1
AUSTRALIA The Great Barrier Reef is ‘great’ for a reason: the world’s largest coral reef
system is 50% bigger than the UK, stretching more than 1,400 miles along the Queensland coastline. Competitive pricing and plenty of dive centres make it ideal for first-timers, who are guaranteed to see the reef’s dolphins,
porpoises and more than 1,500 species of fish. Book it: Contiki’s five-day Learn to Dive course in Cairns includes two nights’ in-resort and two on-board a boat, plus transfers, equipment and Padi open water certificate, from £640 without flights.
contiki.com
2
MALDIVES Great beaches don’t always make great dive spots – but the Maldives
has both. Divers need not go far to see manta rays, tuna and whale sharks, but more advanced drift dives are also popular. Book it: Seven nights’ premium all-inclusive at Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa costs from £3,605 with Western & Oriental, including five dives, international and domestic flights and transfers, in August and September.
westernoriental.com
3 4
GOZO Don’t fancy flying long- haul? Gozo’s calm waters are home to caverns,
reefs, tunnels and wrecks suited to advanced divers, as well as offering shore dives for beginners. Depths vary from 12 metres to the 50-metre-deep underwater tunnel at Lantern Point off Comino. Book it: A week’s B&B at the Hotel Calypso in Marsalforn starts at £561 with Belleair Holidays, including flights and transfers, for departures on September 20. The Calypso Dive Centre offers shore dives from £25 and Padi- certified courses from £209.
belleair.co.uk/agents
TURKS & CAICOS Caribbean diving is world-renowned, but the 200-mile-long, 65-mile-
wide reef surrounding the Turks & Caicos set these islands apart. The
visibility is up to 60 metres, and there is diverse flora and fauna, including humpback whales. The family-orientated Beaches
Turks & Caicos includes twice-daily dives for Padi-certified divers, while novices can try the three-hour Discover Scuba Diving course ($90) and little ones learn the basics on the Bubblemaker ($85) and Seal Team programmes ($150). Book it: A week’s all-inclusive in a concierge room at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa starts at £2,530 in October, including flights, transfers and tips.
sandals.co.uk/tas
5 THE AZORES
These Atlantic islands lie in the blue shark’s summer migration
travelweekly.co.uk — 24 July 2014
1
10
of the BEST
Dive Spots
PICTURE: TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND/DARREN JEW
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72