DESTINATION ADVICE

Old Nov 9th, 2014, 11:07 PM
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DESTINATION ADVICE

Hi, I am planning a holiday for July 2015 leaving around 30th June/1st July. The maximum time I can be away is 18 days, and the budget is £4500 for 2 adults and a 16 year old child. Travelling from Manchester, UK. Multi Centre is an option. Meals don't matter whether they are included. However we are unstuck where to go?

We are interested in Asia and The Caribbean, and we want somewhere with good diving opportunities. Here are a list of destinationd we are interested in :

Indonesia (Bali), Thailand (Ko Samui), Malaysia (Penang, KL, Borneo), Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, Barbados, Caribbean Cruise, Cuba.

Please could you advise whether the destination needs vaccinations and malaria?

Thanks
jackhodgy is offline  
Old Nov 9th, 2014, 11:21 PM
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Taking medical advice on a message board isn't really a good idea. Have a look at...

http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx

Haven't you already narrowed down your destination search...

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...or-2-weeks.cfm
LancasterLad is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2014, 04:06 AM
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LL, perfectly valid for people to reconsider their destinations.

You have quite a range of options there. You say good diving is important, but a lot of those places don't have good diving. Is this to be a diving action or are you just hoping for a couple of days of diving?

Maximum time away is 18 days, so the most days on the ground at your destination will be 16 days. No matter where you go, you'll be better off if you choose not more than three stops which are fairly close together.

In Asia, Hong Kong and Singapore are your budget-busters, so avoiding those (other than perhaps a brief stopover) will help your budget.

Malaysian Borneo has some world-class diving as well as many other attractions. But if you choose that area, concentrate on it rather than spending time in KL and Penang (I love Georgetown, but it is a long way from Sabah and Sarawak).
Kathie is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2014, 04:32 AM
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>>

Provided it's not 'wheels-on-the bus' stuff, and hasn't already been said...

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...or-2-weeks.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/cari...ba-vs-bali.cfm
LancasterLad is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2014, 10:01 AM
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for diving in July Bali or the gulf coast of thailand are your best bets. I have dived both Permuteran in the north of Bali and Koh Tao, close to Koh Samui. Diving wise, Koh Tao has the better dive sites but is primarily a backpacker type island. Koh Samui is way to busy these days for my tastes but some will like it. both Are cheap destinations s far as scuba is concerned. Bali would be my choice of those two options

As mentioned by Kathie, Borneo has by far the best dive sites but will be more expensive to get and places es like Sipadan do get booked up. . If you did choose Malayasia then flying into KL from teh UK would be your cheapest option. It is Air Asias hub so flights to elsewhere in Malaysia are both cheap and frequent. If weather is important to you then be aware that penang and the west cost of Malaysia does not have the beat of weather in July.

sort out which destination you want to go to check out the website LancasterLad has provided ( essentially the one health professionals will use) and then go see you Gp or the nurse responsible for travel meds at your surgery. Don't rely on advice given on travel websites as it is usually misguided and invariably given unqualified individuals.
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Old Nov 13th, 2014, 05:17 PM
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"Mexico, Barbados, Caribbean Cruise, Cuba"

We live in Texas, are divers and love cruises also. These places (except Cuba) have been the mainstay of our vacation time for 30 years. If you are interested in diving, a cruise ship is not the way to go. During June - July the cruise ships will be loaded with kids and it is hard to do any kind of dive except the cruise ship tours which are not good dives. Though we do a Caribbean cruise every couple of years, we still like a land vacation to these location best.

Mexico is having lots of problems right now, though Cozumel is a good dive vacation place and safe, but 18 days is a bit long. I would combine with a Caribbean Island.

Have been to Barbados three times. It is a pretty island, but not noted as a dive destination. I would be hard pressed to spend 18 days there, though up to a week or so would be nice then move to another Island in the southern Caribbean.

Grand Cayman is great dive island, we have rented beach cottages for a week and enjoyed many good dives. Plus you could also combine with the smaller Cayman Islands.

Our all time favorite dive/fun vacation site is the Virgin Islands both the US and British...great dive sites on several of the islands and wonderful vacation houses and other self catering places, also very nice hotels in moderate to luxury price range. It is a great short ferry ride between the two countries and many of the islands so is easy to sample lots of great boat and shore diving in both countries. asy to move between two locations for lots of day trips.

No malaria in these places and we have not taken any special vaccinations for these places either. We have taken malaria medicine for some of the Asian countries. But that is something you need to talk to your health care professional about,
cwn is offline  
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