Friday, May 24, 2013

Summer Special Offers...


The outlook over the Bank Holiday weekend isn't looking so great, unless of course, you've managed to get a last minute getaway booked! Those of you who are staying to put, should perhaps start planning for the coming months. Below, are a few special offers we would like to share with you!
 
For further details and how to book, please contact a member of our dream team on 0845 130 6980 or email us sales@diveworldwide.com
 
 
Galapagos - Humboldt Explorer : SAVE £800 per person
Unbeatable offer during high season! As well as the usual world-class crowd, the high season brings opportunity of more whale shark encounters. Saving is on boat only. Includes Nitrox. Limited availability on 24 Jun and 08 Jul trips. Book Now!
 
Grenada - Flamboyant Resort & Villas : SUMMER SPECIAL, SAVE 10%
Looking to learn to dive, relax on a beach or simply get away to the sun? Save 10% on the cost of your room at the Flamboyant Hotel this summer. Direct flights available with BA or Virgin. Applies to twin and single occupancy. Valid 01 Jun - 31 Jul. Book by 30 June.
 
Indonesia - Manado : Luxurious sea view for a fiver!
Travel to Manado over the summe and relax in style. Save £130 per person on the all inclusive dive package (3 night stay) at Minahasa Lagoon, which includes a sea view cottage for only £5 more than a garden view room. Additional nights and twin centre with a trip to Eco Divers Lembeh available, ask for further details. Valid for all travel until 31 Jul 2013. Based on double/twin occupancy. Book Now!
 
Indonesia - Tambora Liveaboard : SAVE 20% - last minute
Looking for a last minute liveaboard somewhere different? Save 20% on the Sulawesi Secret Sites itinerary on board the Tambora, a pioneer of adventurous diving throughout Indonesia. Visit Lembeh, North Sulawesi, Bunaken, Toli Toli, and West Sulawesi. Why not combine this with our Minahasa/Eco Divers offer? Offer on boat only. Valid 10-22 Jun sailing only. Book now!
 
Papua New Guinea - FeBrina Liveaboard : SAVE £450 per person
Walindi Resort is 30yrs old in July. Their first present is to you...Save £450 per person on their fantastic liveaboard, FeBrina. Departing Rabaul, the boat makes its way back to Walindi over eight days. Divers can enjoy critters galore in Rabaul, pelagic species at Fathers Reef and the lush underwater gardens of Kimbe Bay. World-class diving at a special birthday price. Don't miss out. Go and celebrate! Offer on boat only. Valid 20-28 Jul sailing only. Book now!
 
For further details and how to book, please contact a member of our dream team on 0845 130 6980 or email us sales@diveworldwide.com


Saturday, May 11, 2013

Costa Rica, the final destination of my central America tour. I'm heading down to the Osa Peninsula in the south-west of the country.This is Costa Rica's most remote region, a large finger of land jutting out into the Pacific Ocean. It draws adventurous travellers for its natural wilderness and wildlife. Many come to see Corcovado National Park, considered the finest of Costa Rica's excellent national parks and a superb place to see wildlife, including numerous species of monkey, scarlet macaws, tapirs and jaguar.

The main reason for my trip is to check out the diving at Cano Island, a biological reserve around 12km off the coast than is known for its big fish encounters. My base is the beautiful Drake Bay, a sweeping stretch of sand between the rainforest and the ocean. It is home to a few eco lodges, a small village and no more. The only access to this region is by boat or a small plane - it is a part of the world where the pace of modern life plays no part, a place where you wake up to the sounds of nature and the tumbling waves that lap the shore.

While the visibility can be variable in this part of the world and was not spectacular for me, the marine life more than made up for it. This is an area where the pelagic species that pass by make diving very exciting. White-tip reef sharks and southern stingrays are seen on almost every dive, while large schools of fish often ungulf divers and dolphins, manta rays and numerous shark species are regularly seen.


The island's signature dive site is called Devil's Rock, a pinnacle around a km off Cano Island that is a manta cleaning station and a magnet for big marine life.  Spotted dolphins accompanied our journey to the site and the descent took us through a swirling mass of barracuda. It was not long before a shape emerged in the distance, a giant Pacific manta ray emerging from the plankton rich waters. She circled our small group of divers as if intrigued as to our presence, forcing me to descend to avoid contact. Giant Pacific mantas are the largest of the two manta species, reaching wingspans of up to 8m. They are wanderers of the ocean, only gathering at a few special spots to clean and feed. She disappeared into the distance, but soon returned with another, and then another manta enjoying the cleaning services offered by the reefs inhabitants. It was, quite simply, a magical dive - one to remember for many years to come.

Diving at Cano Island is strictly controlled. Only 10 divers are allowed in the water at any one time and there are just 5 sites that are permitted for diving, ensuring the are remains completely unspoiled. For adventurous divers and nature lovers, the natural wildernesses of Cano Island and Corcovado make the Osa Peninsula a fabulous addition to any Costa Rican itinerary.

If you would like to discuss a trip to Costa Rica, contact the Dive Worldwide team now!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Un-Belize-able! - Phil North continues his adventure!

I am in love with Belize. I fell in love within my first hour here, an hour that included a live band welcoming me at immigration, a beautiful river, crocodiles, iguanas and howler monkeys. My first stop was Lamanai, a beautiful Mayan site situated next to a lagoon on the banks of the new Belize River.

Lamanai means submerged crocodile and this site remained a stronghold for the Maya long after other cities had fallen. The site was still thriving just 500 years ago, but experts do not know why this city was different to other Mayan sites. As well as the incredible ruins, nature surrounds this magical site and the journey up river to Lamanai is worth the trip price alone.

For serious nature lovers, Chan Chich  has the best wildlife encounters in Belize. Chan Chich Lodge is a luxury eco lodge set on another Mayan site in the north-west of the country.  The lodge is set on vast private and protected grounds and offers the best chance to encounter the elusive jaguar in Belize. It is home to five species of cat in total, including pumas and ocelots, plus howler monkeys, spider monkeys and countless exotic and rare bird species. The lodge is considered Belize's premier eco lodge, attracting naturalists and nature lovers from around the globe.


Finally it was time to check out Belize's barrier reef, the second longest in the world to the Great Barrier Reef and stretching the entire length of the country, from Ambergris Caye in the north to Placencia in the south.

It is the southern region that draws the attention of divers at this time of year, when whale sharks gather at Gladden Spit, a point in the reef that drops to abyssal depths, to feed on the spawn of snapper that breed here. The event only happens around the full moon in April, May and June each year. I conspired to miss the whale sharks, but the snapper, bull sharks, dolphins and a wandering loggerhead turtle made the trip well worthwhile. Gladden Spit can be reached from either Placencia or Hopkins.

Last on my Belize agenda was a trip inland to explore some of Belize's incredible caves. The Mayans believed that the caves were a portal to the underworld and went there to make sacrifices to the nine gods of the underworld. The most famous cave Actun Tunichil Muknal, or the ATM cave, has numerous Mayan artefacts and evidence of human sacrifice. This is the adventure capital of Belize, with caving, zip-lining and horseback riding all on the agenda.


Next up is Costa Rica to dive Cano Island, considered one of  the finest dive spots in the country, plus a visit to Corcovado National Park, the jewel in Costa Rica's crown.

Contact Dive Worldwide to create your very own adventure through Central America.

Maldives: Shark Adventures on the Carpe Vita


February is ‘Shark Month’ on board the Carpe Vita Explorer, Maldives.





These special itineraries have been a huge success over the last few years, so if you want to get on board, book early. Choose either a 7, 10 or 11 night itinerary and cruise the southern atolls; one even crosses the equator! Reports from the 2013 trips featured sightings of countless sharks including threshers, loads of eagle rays, mantas, turtles and schools of barracuda. These trips are adventurous and an ‘exhilarating challenge’ offering a trip of a life time to shark lovers. These special itineraries are recommended for experienced divers.


7 Nights (13-20 Feb, 2014). Prices from £1,745 per person (boat only)
Cruises Addu, Fuahmullah and Huvadhoo atolls.

10 Nights (20 Feb – 02 Mar, 2014). Prices from £2,495 per person (boat only)
Cruises  Huvadhoo, Laamu, thaa, Meemu, Felidhu and North Male atolls.

11 Nights (02 – 13 Feb, 2014). Prices from £2,735 per person (boat only)
This ‘Deep South’ route cruises North Male, South Ari, Meemu, Thaa, Laamu, huvadhoo, Fuahmullah and Addu atolls.



Prices quoted include full board meal plan and up to 3 dives per day.

Prices exclude applicable fuel surcharges (USD100 – USD250), bed tax, international and domestic flights. 

Dive Worldwide can arrange all your flights to get you on board, on time for any of these trips.

Contact the Dive Worldwide Team to find out more and book your cabin.
T: 0845 130 6980