Gardens of coral, elusive toadfish, giant clams, take your pick with these scuba trips on three different budgets in wide-ranging locations.
| destination | price point | location | stay | the hook | details | book it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonaire, West Indies Part of the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean, unspoiled Bonaire sports a laid-back divers' culture. |
Less than $1,700 | Bonaire is enriched by a marine sanctuary that's inhabited by tarpon, seahorses, moray eels, frogfish, and, depending on the season, whale sharks and nurse sharks. | The Deep Blue View has 5 spacious rooms in a pretty villa set on lush garden grounds. A pool-side patio dotted with hammocks is the site of weekly barbeques. | All dive sites are accessible from the shoreline, there's good visibility year-round, and you can drive 24 hours a day. | Shore Dive package from $1,690/couple for seven nights, with breakfast, truck rental, unlimited shore diving (with tanks, air, and weights), airport pick-up, marine park fee. | 599/717/8073, deepblueview.com |
| Turneffe Island, Belize Off-the-radar Turneffe Island is a quiet coral atoll that's part of the second-largest reef system in the world. |
more than $2,000 | Twenty-five miles from the mainland in the western Caribbean, this idyllic island is populated by rare white-spotted toadfish, eagle rays, jewfish, moray eels, reef sharks and horse-eye jacks. | The eco-minded, well run Turneffe Island Lodge comprises beachfront rooms and cabanas with screened-in porches and outdoor showers, plus a PADI dive center. | Remote but still in North America, Turneffe boasts rich nearby dive sites, including the legendary Blue Hole and Elbow. | Dive package from $2,300/person (double occupancy) for seven nights, with meals, airport and boat transfers, 12-15 one-tank dives, a trip to Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye. | 800/874-0118, turneffelodge.com |
| nukubati island, fiji Nukubati is a rarefied peaceful private island in the South Pacific with personal diving guides at the ready. |
$3,000 and up |
Just off the northern coast of the larger Vanua Levu, Nukubati is a short boat ride from the Colossal Great Sea Reef, which is home to manta rays, dolphins, turtles and whales. | The pristine island accommodates just 14 guests in airy beachside suites and bungalows and offers tennis, massages, and fresh-caught seasfood daily. | Nukubati is the only Fijian resort with access to the Great Sea Reef, and every couple has access to it's own boat and PADI "dive master." | $4,570/couple for seven nights, with all meals and beverages, daily laundry service, one 30-minute massage per person, three two-tank boat dives per person. | 888/692-4375, nukubatifiji.com |