My husband and I are looking for a vacation location. We want a warm climate and are planing to travel at the end of January. We like to snorkel and explore the land.<BR>Looking for reccomendations that are not Hawaii or Bora Bora<BR><BR>Thanks

No contest then - Whitsunday Islands off the Queensland coast - Hayman in particular

Hayman's webite is: http://www.hayman.com.au/<BR><BR>Then you can look up the website for the Whitsunday area for what is available around. <BR>You can rent yachts or cats and just go around whatever and whichever island you want. We did that some years ago and it was fantastic. We anchored off little islands and spend the day there snorkling and fishing......fantastic

I heard the Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas was nice as well as Hamilton Island. Hayman is great if you want to get away from it all, but it seems pricey with not as much activities as Hamilton.

Hamilton is nice but it is also more commercial than Hayman Island. The Sheraton Mirage at PD is a great spot but being late January I would be staying further south if possible as the weather would be more predictable - if weather can ever be predictable!<BR>If these people are from the USA then Hayman will be a bargain because of our low $.

Agree with Liz about weather. Don't forget Queensland is in the tropics and late Jan is wet season. Another alternative may be Lord Howe Island, much further south.

Just a thought here: the is a new resort just opened on South Stradbroke Island just off the Gold Coast called Couran Cove. I have not been myself but friends spend 3 days there a few weeks ago and had a lovely time. However it is not near the Barrier Reef and that would be a plus for anyone I would think.