- snorkelling
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Area in north east Bali with fantastic snorkelling, diving and beaches. Well away from the busy south but has some great small hotels and places to eat.
A small settlement on the west coast of Australia where Ningaloo reef is just a short swim from Paradise Beach.
I'd recommend it for those on a budget as the snorkelling rivals any organised trip on the Great Barrier Reef and can be done to your own schedule.
Stay at the nearby campsite for a few days and you can venture out on to the reef as many times as you like and see reef sharks, turtles, trumpet fish, octopuses, you name it. It's also handy if you fancy doing a diving course without being out at sea for days, or if you want to take in a leisurely glass-bottom boat tour. It's best to visit outside of the school holidays.
Visit www.coralbay.org/
If you want warm water and easy snorkelling, the best time to visit the Red Sea is in October or November before the sea temperature drops. If you go in February or March you are likely to get cooler sea temperatures requiring wet suits, and the water may well be too choppy to see much.
Rarotonga is absolutely beautiful, with amazing white sand beaches, and the Rarotongan Beach Resort is set right on the edge of Aroa beach. The resort offers free snorkel hire so you can explore the lagoon where you might find giant clams and blue starfish as well as thousands of colourful fish.
The beds are huge and comfy, cocktails are highly recommended (although beware - you can put all your food and drink costs on your room bill so be careful or it'll take you by surprise when you check out!) and you can dine on fresh coconut and starfruit for breakfast.
Aroa beach, Rarotonga
A beach 3km from Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz. There is a massive beach for surfing and a smaller one for swimming and snorkelling. There is also a trail that takes you through an area full of marine iguanas.
The walk starts in Puerto Ayora and goes east. At the start of the trail you have to sign in. The beach is open from 06.00 to 18.00
A swimming hole which is a mixture of fresh and salt water. The water is crystal clear and there are fish, so take snorkelling gear.
To get there take a water taxi 0.50$ from Puerto Ayora harbour to Angermeyer point and walk for 20-30 minutes, just follow the signs.
Lovely rocky beach with deck chairs for hire and plenty of shade from forest if wanted. Large area so not crowded. The sea was crystal clear and the snorkelling was great!
one of closest Pakleni islands - take a taxi boat from Hvar town (30kuna/£2.80 return), about 15/20 mins
We had a fantastic week in Hvar, which has earned the reputation as the St Tropez of Croatia.
Some info that i would have found useful/interesting before going: Its reputation is accurate - it is fun and fashionable, and the price of eating and drinking is more comparable to western European cities than other parts of Croatia/other towns on Hvar island.
Hvar town is beautiful but very busy in July and August (although if you want to party then this is great!).
If sandy beaches are your thing, then Hvar probably isn't. The beaches are either pebbles or large rocks (can be uncomfortable).
There are sea urchins! Buy some rubber shoes.
Snorkelling is great, definitely worth investing in a snorkel kit.
Beautiful pebble beach to the east of Hvar. You have to walk down a dirt trail to get to it. The snorkelling here was excellent, and the beach was quite large and not too crowded. We had a great meal here in the restaurant on the beach - huge plate of grilled prawns and scampi!
If driving from Hvar, there's a long car parking bay on the side of road with a bus stop.
This was our favourite beach. Not too overcrowded, round pebbles, bright turquoise water, no sea urchins (common on many of the beaches on Hvar).
We headed for a little sheltered cove off to the right of the beach which was meant to be for nudists. Not only does this have shade from the trees, but there were less people. The majority of people sunbathing there weren't nude, and as long as the odd naked couple doesn't disturb you, it's ideal! Great snorkelling here too, as on most beaches in Hvar.
Good restaurant on beach with BBQ fish and meat.
Get taxi boat from Hvar for 30 kuna return (£2.80), takes about 20 mins. The beach is called Mekcevina or something similar
A beautiful tiny beach, with the most gorgeous colour of azure sea, good for snorkelling.
We took a sailing boat out from Ancon Marina, just outside Trinidad, skippered by two of the most friendly locals we met during our stay in Cuba. Noberto and Benito have been operating dive and snorkel charters from Ancon Marina for over ten years, so you are in safe hands with them. The boats are very new and well looked after with room enough for 12 people on each.
A two hour trip takes you out to Cayo Blanco, a tiny island covered in scrub and coral which you will have more or less to yourself – though you will have to share it with the iguanas! The island is uninhabited, though there is an outdoor restaurant. You will get a slap-up lobster, chicken and salad buffet (all food and drink is included in cost of the trip) – generous tips are a must as they don’t get paid much by the government!
After letting your dinner go down with a 30 minute walk around the island, grab your snorkelling gear and swim out to the reef. With a shallow bottom, you can really appreciate the numerous tropical fish species, black coral, sponges, turtles and shellfish. I was followed around by a large barracuda, but managed to shake him off by swimming in close to the beach. There is also a wreck that attracts lots of fish. Noberto will point you in the direction of the best places to snorkel.
We loved this trip so much we booked it again the next day, and having made friends with the skippers, they let us helm the boat and showed us how to put up the sails. A fantastic end to our trip in Cuba – we didn’t want to go home!
Book this trip directly with the tourist information office in Trinidad. Ancon Marina is 12km from Trinidad (15/20 mins by taxi/car). Ancon Marina also offers mooring services, deep-sea fishing, and access to some 30 diving and snorkelling sites.
These are NOT for the faint hearted! For $10, get picked up at your hotel and taken on a boat around the beautiful waters of Nha Trang.
Be prepared for a mighty feast, some lethal Vietnamese wine, serious drinking games and a boat full of travellers.
Snorkeling and food/drink is included. It's one hell of an experience.
Ask at any hotel in Nha Trang - they'll know what you mean and help you contact Mama Han.
This is the only place on the island to go scuba diving – the rest of the island is unsuitable for the purpose. What you will find is akin to a fabulous underwater grotto. The water in the bay gently gets deeper, but the real magic is when the rocks turn into shallow shelves under the water, about 10 metres off the shore. You can snorkel here quite happily here in less than 2 feet of water, with the sun on your back, chasing fish, as I did.
The drive down US1 towards Key West has to be one of America's most scenic, especially if you hire a convertible on a sunny day, and you're the passenger. The bridges over the water afford you some spectacular views.
You can do Key West and back in a day from Miami, but it's a long day.
If you've more time, make a day or two of it in Key West (see separate posting) and if you don't, you can get a flavour of what the laid-back Keys are all about (fishing, diving, snorkelling, seafood etc) by heading for Key Largo and/or Islamoroda towards the top of the island chain.
The John Pennekamp State Park on Key Largo has many facilities, including a glass-bottom boat tour if you don't fancy getting wet.
Follow the US1 south from Miami, it runs all the way down to Key West (160 miles away). Key Largo is 58 miles from Miami, Islamoroda 76 miles; Telephone 305-451-6300 for boat tour reservations, 305-451-1202 general information; www.pennekamppark.com
Lots of snorkeling trips available. We are really talking pretty here. Lion-fish, parrot-fish, groupers; it’s a riot of colour down there.
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