http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33057 Having de-rusted our diving skills with the extremely patient staff in Tofo Scuba's pool we joined a boat and headed off into the Indian Ocean.
First we noticed a whale tail - then five, twenty, too many to count, the most our dive leader had ever seen.
Without scuba gear we leapt into the water and spent the next hour swimming with the pod and their hangers-on - a couple of enormous but exceptionally graceful manta rays. Coming face to face with alien whale shark grimaces, swimming between their enormous bodies and sensing their utter ambivalence towards us was a euphoric and uniquely calming experience.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33057 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31951 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31951 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/30596 Dominica is a wonderful island - the Atlantic coast is amazing for views and walking. The Dominican people are really friendly and proud of their country although you can see and feel the changes happening on the island.
Getting around is, er, interesting. Cars/jeeps can be hired but driving isn't easy due to the poor roads, enormous potholes and other drivers. We have preferred to use the little cheap and interesting buses where possible.
You can buy fish from the fishermen in Soufriere and Scotts Head - they don't sell reef fish fortunately.
The Saturday market in Roseau is great fun - and good value. The fruit on the island is amazing - pineapples have a totally different taste than when eaten in Europe.
I'd recommend staying outside of Roseau - not the prettiest place on the island. Dive shops will arrange accommodation according to your budget and preferences.
If you stay in the south, walk up to Galion village and the top of Scotts Head for the best views in the Caribbean.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/30596 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/29428 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/29428 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27642 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27642 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25198 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25198 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25050
I don't know what I was expecting, but the trip was well planned with really helpful staff and we saw about seven or eight Great White Sharks up close from our vantage point in the cage. All the equipment was included in the rental and I just really enjoyed the whole experience.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25050 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/23187
I went with Sea Quest who are based, along with a few other companies, at Keauhou Bay. You can get there from Kona using the free hotel trolley bus (it picks you up from the quay and drops you at the Sheraton just up the road).

The equipment provided was top notch (much better than the stuff at Hanauma Bay on Oahu) and there were light refreshments in between the two stops. We chose the "Deluxe Morning Adventure" which also takes you to Honauau Bay - near the place of refuge.
For that you need to get the shuttle leaving Kona at 7:30.

On the boat trip out we also saw a number of pilot whales a few miles offshore.

You also get to see a few interesting volcanic rock features, such as blow holes and lava tubes.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/23187 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22670 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22670 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21789 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21789 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21675
My first ever experience of reef snorkelling was at Watamu; a small, laid back and relaxed village about two hours drive north of Mombasa. The snorkelling here is excellent. There is a nice hotel on the beach called Ocean Sports, or for a more Swahili feel, try Marijani Hotel in the village itself. It's less than two minutes walk from the beach.

Alternatively you could head south of Mombasa, to either Diani or Tiwi. Diani is a bit more developed, whereas Tiwi is very chilled out. It may be tricky to get to Tiwi Beach without your own transport, but there is snorkelling available off the beach there. There are various accommodation options in the area.

Near Tiwi and Diani there is also a Colobus monkey conservation project and a very large, community-run elephant sanctuary, which are also well worth a visit.

Snorkelling is also pretty good in some spots just north of Mombasa. There are some big hotels in this area, but they are generally quite expensive.

You could also try scuba diving while you're in Kenya, with it being one of the top-rated dive destinations in the world!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21675 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21524
At it's largest, the island is only 2km long and 1km wide. With two main beaches each with their own distinct character, there is something for everyone. The busy one, Pattaya beach, has a wide beach stretched in a long crescent of fine white sand. In the evening it transforms as restaurants and bars set out chairs and bamboo mats on the sand and lit by candle lit and reggae tunes drift down the beach.

On the other side of the island is Sunrise Beach with views of several small nearby islands and a cool onshore breeze most of the year. Sunrise Beach is the opposite of Pattaya beach, with just a few resorts and bars, it is very laid back. It also has a very large coral reef with the best snorkelling on the island directly from the beach.

There are no cars on the island, and thankfully just a few motorbikes, so people get around by walking. The whole island can be explored on foot in a couple of hours. Pooh’s Bar (www.poohlipe.com) in the middle of the island is run by the charismatic Pooh and is almost an institution on the island. Famous for its live music in the evenings it draws a large crowd.

Karma Bar (www.karmabar.net) at the north end of Sunrise Beach is well known on the back packer scene with its mellow music and great location. At the other end of Sunrise beach Castaway Resort (kohlipe.castaway-resorts.com) has stunning sea and island views, which viewed from its raised candle lit deck has to be the ultimate in chilled out dining and drinking.

Tarutao National Marine Park has some of the best dive sites in all of Thailand. Within easy boat reach of Koh Lipe are hundreds of coral reefs with an amazing variety of huge hard and soft corals. The corals and seas around Koh Lipe are full of marine life, offering everything from turtles to huge rays. Even if you aren’t a diver you can enjoy the marine world drifting along the edges of coral reefs with a mask and snorkel. Compared to other dive and snorkel areas there is so much to see and no competition to see it.

Koh Lipe still has a lot of cheap back packers accommodation, with places like Varin offering simple bamboo huts close to the beach. At the top end is Sita Beach with a swimming pool and Castaway Resort with its two-story breezy bungalows which was described by the Lonely Planet as ‘the most chic on Lipe’.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21524 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21479
All meals (incl. in price, plus an afternoon cuppa!) served in the communal dining room - also right by the water's edge.

Island run by members of the Methodist Church of Fiji, some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21479 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20389 The islands include some of the best dive sites in Thailand. The possibilities range from touring coral gardens to adventurous drift diving in strong currents. The visibility tops out at over 40 metres (130 feet) during the November to April peak season, revealing a wonder world among the giant coral encrusted granite boulders, which are piled on top of each other from depths of 25 metres (90 feet) and more.

Koh Huyong, the southernmost island of the Similan group, offers a magnificent coral garden in 7 to 14 metres (23 to 46 feet) of clear waters. This site frequently has more than 30 metres (100 foot) visibility, only slight currents and is considered a very safe site.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20389 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20060 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20060 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20015 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20015 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19272
At just eight to ten metres’ depth, we swam with the resident turtles and hovered over rays, cuttlefish and octopus, in sheltered bay El Puertito, where the team has been working to restore the ecosystem. Close to the south’s plush resorts, but a million miles away in every other sense, this is a really special experience, thanks to the firm’s enthusiastic boss and his team.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19272 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18674
The town is growing quickly and is becoming more and more popular from year to year. A lot of building work is also going on in the town and it is becoming a popular area for people looking for property investments. I'd recommend visiting.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18674 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18284
The capital of the island is Pothia, worth seeing are the villages of Vathy, Masouri and the small island of Telendos. You can get there by ferry from Piraeus or by plane via Kos or Rhodes.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18284 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18214 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18214