looking for advice: vacation ideas for family of 6

[reefdna]

Hey fellow divers long time reader in scuba forum but first time poster. My wife and I have been diving since 2000 and have dove mostly Carribean (Bonaire was our favorite so far)

Anyways we are wanting to do a nice family vacation for our daughters last year at home and though we have done a ton of research on-line, we are having a hard time staying within budget and making it so everyone has something to do. I was hoping to borrow your experiences and advice to maybe find the right place and experience. Any input is appreciated.

Here's our parameters:

Budget: $9,000 including airfare
Dates: Over Christmas
Ages: 2 in the 30's, 17, 13, 12, 9.

Ideas: Live aboards, All inclusive resorts, Rainforst experiences, even snow ski resorts. We are open to new adventures. We'd love to dive but are open for anything that will give us a unique family experience with a little pampering. :D


Please share your own great vacations and advice especially with links maybe this could turn into a great imformative thread for everyone. Thank you for your help!

Ed C and Family

[NewFish3]

Check out the Sandals Resort in Jamaica. My wife & I had a stop there on our last cruise. It was in Ocho Rios. It was awesome. We are now going to book an all inclusive vacation there. There are a lot of things to do. We took a safari tour that took us into the rain forest & showed us the back woods of Jamaica. We also climbed the Dunn River Falls...its a natural water fall that you can climb. WOW... cant wait to go back.....Just a thought

[sasscuba]

Post your question at www.scubaboard.com

I Think you will get more responses than you can handle.

Awesome board and is my home away from home when not diving.

[vtminter]

If you are looking to get away from caribean, try costa rica. Rain forests, Carinbean and pacific, lots of wildlife, lots of eco-tours.

[dougie]

come to Australia. great barrier reef, 2300km of awesome.

[Dustin1300]

I'm hoping NewFish is right about the sandals resort...Have my honeymoon there for 9 nights here in July. Planning on doing quite a few dives....My idea is at least 6-7 dives but we'll see what my fiance says...

[snorvich]

Jamaica diving is mediocre at best if you are a reasonably experienced diver. Also, highly regimented. But if you just want to get wet, Jamaica is a reasonably priced location.

[Dustin1300]

Since it will be my first dives I'm sure that it will be much more than "mediocre"!

[snorvich]

Well if they are your first dives, then the diving in Jamaica should be quite satisfactory. Enjoy.

[reefdna]

My wife and I did The Sandals St. Lucia for our honeymoon 7 years ago and loved it. We sprung for the concierge and 24 hour rom service as well as the one bedroom suite. It was awesome! Deep sea fishing, diving etc. Someday we'll go back

Jamaica was fun when we stopped there on ou rcruise but not anywhere near the nicest island we've been to. I'didn't like the parents making their kids beg the tourists for money. Only spent one day there and did the normal tourist stuff (dunn rivers falls etc.) and haven't felt a need to go back yet.

AUSTRALIA!!!! What I wouldn't give to be able to afford a family trip to the barrier reef! When my wife and retire we are spending the first two years of retirement sailing the world and Australia is on our list of where we-will-spend-allot-of-time. Need to see the reef before the crown of thrns eats it all. CAn we stay with you dougie? LOL

Thought you guys might also be interested... I started another thread in a local forum and have had a great response. Lots of links and some great info and pics. Please join in there also.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1346937

Thanks for the help so far

Ed C

[corbyjames]

Costa Rica given your parameters. Friend of mine just when down with his family of 5 and had a blast. People are great, lots of things to do, diving is good on the Pacific side (not Carribean side) and its relatively cheap.

That said my favorite places to dive are all in the South Pacific, just don't know how you might do it in the financial parameters you have.

Finally, ditto on checking out scubaboard.com, it is a great site.

[snorvich]

Yes, diving in the south pacific is almost not comparable to any other diving. For color Fiji is without compare. For critters, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea are awesome.

[Reefdiver77]

Culebra and/or Vieques in Puerto Rico. No passport required. Affordable airfare. You can ride the ferry/fly or leave time on the day you return home and explore El Yunque Rainforest on the big island of PR. This is the only rainforest managed by the US Park Services. My daughter loved horseback riding on the beach in Vieques and Vieques has the brightest Bio Bay in the world. A night swim in the warm bay when there is no moom is truly magical and an experience none of you will ever forget. Culebra and Vieques both have outstandingly beautiful beaches. Diving is available on both islands. Your $9000 will go far on either of these islands. You might also want to spend some time in Old San Juan on the big island prior to catching your flight to Vieques or Culebra or on your return to San Juan for your flight home. It is a really neat place with 2 forts to explore and with cobblestone streets, narrow streets and lots of neat shops to explore. We will be spending a week each on Culebra and Vieques in July.

[robojet]

You can forget Sandals - Couples Only. I'll be at Sandals Antigua next month, and we go because there's no kids.

But, there sister brand for family friendly is Beaches. You might look into Turks & Caicos. I've been to Jamaica - I'll never go again. I got married in St. Lucia... loved it, and have been back. Bahamas is OK... but I prefer more south than that.

Anyways, it's all-inclusive, dives included. I couldn't ask for much more than that!

[Capt_Cully]

What about Mexico. Cancun, Cozumel, Mayan Riviera? Caribbean water is so clear and great wildlife at relatively shallow depths. Not to mention low airfare from AZ. Lots of all-inclusives to choose from. Mayan ruins, watersports, etc....

[sharkmanstudio]

dominica! rain forests,hiking snorkeling/diving/whale watching and not to turisty

[Dozindave]

I might be able to help you out. I have traveled and dived throughout the world I was in Jamaica 2 times this year checking out Couples and Sandals and our agency is a certified Sandals specialist I also have some recomendations for some other islands. PM me and I will try to help.

[Mr.A]

St. Lucia is amazing. I got certified there in April and got in like 6 dives after that. Say amazing stuff like a frogfish, stonefish, eels, and more. the people were very nice there and i will definitely go back there.