Top 5 Punta Cana Snorkeling Excursions
By Alexia Mcclurking

The Punta Cana underwater world makes for exceptional snorkeling and diving into incredibly clear waters and a variety of colorful marine life. The entire country is listed as one of the top diving locations in the Caribbean. A Punta cana snorkeling tour can be booked alongside your holiday plan or you may wish to book one while on holiday. The dive operators Punta Cana boasts of comprise a combination of snorkeling, diving and a variety of activities that includes midday lounges on the amazing white-sanded beaches to excursions to the Isla Saona. Amongst the top dive operators Punta Cana offers, the following listed below are a must as they satisfy the need of beginners to professionals alike.

Punta Cana Snorkel Excursion:

If you have never snorkeled before then you should consider an introductory trip with this excursion cruise. Though they may be short, say a ninety minutes duration but your benefits includes:

1. An introduction to the popular water sport
2. A cruise to shallow reefs protected from the ocean for an introduction to underwater life.
3. An introduction to the use of snorkeling equipments alongside a guide.

Choose a date you hope to embark on your holiday and place your booking. This cruise departs from hotels around Riu.

Catalina Island Snorkeling cruise:

This cruise cruise allows you discover untouched beauty of of the Island of Catalina as you snorkel and dive off amazing coral reef. The dive operators help you enjoy:

1. Snorkeling in the best underwater view as the boat will anchor directly over a coral reef,
2. Snorkeling equipments are available on board for free, although diving may incur additional cost.
3. As it is a 9 hr cruise, lunch is provided on the white beach of the Island. Beverages are available althrough the trip.

Most departures for this tour are around the Riu area, check your accessibility to the area. Otherwise, you can use a shuttle bus that runs the Barcelo Bavaro area.

Bavaro afternoon cruise:

This is a brief two hour tour towards the late afternoon time of the day. You can capture the beauty of the blue water even as the cool breeze fills the air. You should depart Punta Cana, cruising along the coastline with magnificent view of the ocean. You are provided with a variety of snacks and drinks as you sail in the wind watching the day creep into the night. It makes for an amazing day in paradise.

Caribbean Festival Snorkel Cruise:

About 3-4 hours cruise culminating in an unforgettable day snorkeling, cruising and dancing along the Bavaro coastline. Amongst the benefit on this trip are;

1. Snorkeling at a popular site known for sightings of sharks and rays.
2. Snorkeling through the warm waters for a perfect introduction to the colorful marine life of the Caribbean.
3. A light refreshment and dance show awaits you aboard. You should join up!

This cruise offers quite an extended variety that ranges from a cruise along the Bavaro coastline to snorkeling the clear waters, hotel pick up to a Caribbean dance show. I highly recommend this.

Catamaran Cruise to Saona Island from Punta Cana:

The coconut palms, white sandy beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters in Sanoa island makes your holiday a beautiful experience. You have ten hours to enjoy the trip which begins with a bus ride to the dock where you board and begin the journey. Part the excitements are:

1. Spending enough time lounging on the beach sands, playing beach games entertained by dance troops.
2. Another stop is the Natural pool lagoon with starfishes in abundance.
3. Proceed to Sanoa Island on a speed boat
4. A barbecued lunch served buffet-style under the palm trees awaits you.
5. After which you can indulge in whatever leisurely activity you can think of. I propose you arrange one suggest you embark on the cruise. Although there is quite a lot still to do out there. It is never a dull moment.

The journey back is merrier as you are treated to an open bar. For your convenience, hotel pick up is available from most Punta Cana hotels.

There are competitive dive operators Punta Cana prides in, a snorkeling experience is satisfactorily achieved with these Punta Cana snorkeling tours and cruises. If you are new to snorkeling they are perfect. A professional may as well function as an expert or the "look up to" kind of person amongst the crew, so it still makes for fun.

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Kapas Island - The Snorkeling Paradise of Malaysia
By Hanne FN

The location of this island is quite cloistered and far away from the crowds of the main island; this makes Kapas Island as one of the most perfect choices for you who are seeking for a peaceful holiday destination. Even though the location of this island is quite cloistered, you do not have to worry that you will have difficulties on reaching this island. It is because you can reach here easily in around 30 - 45 minutes by ferries leaving from Marang beach.

The abundant sunshine, the crisp of fresh air, the heavenly sceneries of this island and the untouched tropical jungles are really exotic while the numerous colorful tropical marine fish living within the beautiful coral reefs, the turtles swimming gracefully and other amazing sea inhabitants are all interesting especially for people who love doing scuba-diving or even snorkeling.

Known as the most exotic snorkeling paradise of Malaysia, Kapas Island has numerous dive resorts with many attractive offers. These dive resorts usually include services like: food and beverages, scuba-diving session and the other accommodations. You don't need to bring your snorkeling equipments because you can rent them in dive resorts here. You would not be able to imagine the beauty of Kapas Island without visiting it.

If you love doing activities like scuba-diving and snorkeling, Kapas Island is definitely the most perfect holiday destination for you. As being mentioned before, in Kapas Island, you will be able to enjoy the incredible sceneries, the crisp fresh air and the abundant sunshine.

Tips for you: If you want to visit Kapas Island, you would really need to reconsider your schedule because this island is like the other islands of Eastern coast of Malaysia; which is also affected by the northeast monsoon every year between November and February. During that period of time, it is not recommended for you to visit this island since your access to most of the dive resorts and ferry transport services will be restricted.

Dreaming to visit Malaysia, a truly Asia? For more information, have a visit to Malaysia Travel Guide, Cuti-cuti Malaysia. Other than Kapas Island, don't forget the heaven of diving site - Sipadan Island of Sabah.

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Snorkeling, Scuba Diving and Free Diving; What's the Difference? By Fred Tittle

Snorkeling would be using a mask and snorkel; you may or may not have fins on. Normally snorklers stay on the surface and cruise around looking at the fish and corals underneath them. A lot of them will then want to dive under the water, and see the fish up close.

Those that break the surface and use fins would be considered free divers. Many are now taking this to some real extremes, with the record being over 80 meters! For most free divers, 6 to 20 meters is the normal range. If you are going to try to become a serious free diver, it is in your best interest to get some professional training for a couple of good reasons

1) To maximize your skill, which will make you more efficient and able you to go down longer and deeper. PADI, SSI and most dive certification agencies have specific courses for this.

2) Shallow Water Blackout, which can be deadly! Shallow Water Blackout is caused by the changing partial pressures of air at depth, which most only affects free divers and is why it is recommended to get some training, and why serious free divers always dive with a buddy that understands about Shallow Water Blackout, and what to do should it happen. It is standard operating procedure that one of the buddy pair is always on the surface, to help the other guy if there is a problem.

Fishing while free diving is a whole separate sport and quite an exciting one, as you are looking for the fish, then you need to hit it with some sort of spear, and then you have to take the fish and yourself to the surface. In Hawaii it has been taken to a art form as they latch onto fish in the 20 kilo and larger size, and they can have a real man vs. nature battle that is quite intense, as the fish will do their best to escape, which means that you have something fighting against you, trying to keep you from going to the surface when you need a breath of air right now! Besides wrestling bears or boxing kangaroos I can't think of a fairer fight. Hunting fish with scuba diving gear is illegal in most places, and is considered in all sportsmen's eyes as unethical.

Scuba Diving would be using mask, fins and a tank of air, usually they will have a scuba jacket attached to the tank called a "BCD" also attached to the scuba take would be a set of regulators, in diver lingo referred to as "regs" or "octo's" which will have normally 2 hoses with regulators, and a low pressure hose or 2, as well as a information package containing 1, 2 or 3 different pressure and depth gauges, compass and computers. Scuba divers will also have some other equipment like weights and knives (for freeing themselves from underwater entanglements) lights, underwater cameras and underwater video cameras are common accouterments to see on scuba divers. We hope to see you soon underwater, no matter how you get there!

Fred Tittle has lived and worked in holiday vacation resorts his entire life, from Lake Geneva’s Playboy Club, as a rock jock for KSPN FM in Aspen Colorado, he became a PADI Pro Scuba Diver in Hawaii, diving on Maui, Kauai, Kona on the big island, and Waikiki on Oahu. He now owns EcoSea Dive in Sihanoukville Cambodia where he teaches SSI and PADI scuba diving courses and runs liveaboards in the gulf of Thailand and Asia adventure tours, http://www.ecosea.com

Fred’s new project http://www.CheapCharliesHotels.com where he reviews cheap hotels , budget guesthouses , discount accommodations and cheap international flights, but is really an excuse to vacation more, China is up next.

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Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in the Maldives
By Derrick Grover

A short cruise is the best way of visiting the islands of the Maldives. Several islands can be visited in the course of a week. Many are uninhabited and unspoiled by humans.

While cruising to the Baa Atoll we visited the uninhabited island of Milaidhoo - declared to be the very best for snorkeling and diving. It was the opportunity for an introductory one-day scuba diving trip for $96. Instruction was given on the essential theory in the morning and then over the reef to share the waters with a multitude of fish at a depth of 30 to 40 feet.

We were weighted to give us neutral buoyancy and make it easier to stay submerged. It was remarkable how much our buoyancy changed as I breathed in and out. A full breath would make me less dense so that I ascended to the surface. Beyond the reef the sea was hundreds of feet deep, a point to bear in mind when breathing out and descending to a greater depth. I was careful to keep at the same depth as the instructor.

Shoals of brightly colored fish swam by within inches of me as though I were a piece of coral, which happened to be shaped like a human being with a mask on. A turtle came by; I followed, moving my flippers in time with his legs as he lazily swam along the reef. A stone fish lay in a recess in the coral and nearby a sea cucumber resembling a giant millipede in green.

Others in on our cruise had donned mask and snorkel to view the fish in the shallow waters. It made the Stingrays more visible so there was less chance of stepping on them. It could make them very annoyed. When scuba diving it is not necessary to be so wary of the sun, but it is unwise to swim on the surface for more than 20 minutes.

Once back on shore we would take shelter amongst the trees where barbecued fish were sizzling ready for lunch. Further tables were loaded with a variety of fruit and vegetables. We sat at trestle tables in the shade of the trees.

Derrick Grover has travelled extensively. In addition to his various published articles. He is also an experienced photographer and supplies high quality images to support his writing. He has had 39 photographs published to date. More information on The Maldives cruise at http://www.travoto.com/maldives

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Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in Akumal, Mexico
By Macon Gravlee

When traveling to Akumal Mexico one nearly passes this small quiet village by without realizing that it is actually one of the Caribbean coast's best locations for diving and snorkeling on the Yucatan Peninsula. Akumal is located a mere 65 miles to the south of the Cancun resort area and 50 miles from the Mexican airport. It may be small but it is the ideal vacation get away for families or divers who wish to escape the daily rush of Mexico's often crowded beaches. Located in Akumal are two very tranquil bays as well as the Yalku Lagoon which is perfect for family swimming or snorkeling. The area boasts of 30 beautiful reef sites that are ideal for diving while the beautiful white sandy beaches invite one to enjoy the relaxing Mexican sun.

There is an abundance of accommodations in Akumal, five different restaurants which offer local and European Fare, several grocery stores, a few boutiques or gift shops plus an excellent Dive Shop. Most of these attractions are within a 15 minute walk of one and other. The best part of this small village is that should you be interested in snorkeling, diving, fishing or merely relaxing in the warm Mexican sun you will find you can walk to the various locations although buses and taxis are readily available should you desire them.

The temperatures in Akumal range around 80 degree during September to April and during the rest of the year you can expect 90 degree temperatures. The area receives a gentle sea breeze from the nearby Caribbean and during the winter season you may require a sweater in the evenings.

The local dive shop will setup your equipment and have it ready for your dive when you arrive at the dock. They have all the necessary diving equipment you will need at reasonable rental rates. You will be provided with an 80 cu. Ft aluminum tank which is filled to approximately 3000 psi. You will board one of the 28 foot open panga boats docked nearby. The dives are generally limited to eight people plus the dive master and the ships captain. Should you happen to be part of a larger group you can easily make special arrangements for all members to dive.

Most of the arranged dives are drift dives which take place over very stunning and colorful coral reefs. The typically currents are weak in this area and water temperature hover around 82 degree. The underwater visibility in the area can reach 50 feet up to 150 feet depending upon the weather. A light wet suit is recommended during the winter season.

If you are seeking a pristine location with clear water and an abundance of undersea life to view during your next dive adventure then Akumal Mexico is the place you have been dreaming about.

Visit our Travel and Vacation Directory at vacationsurfer.net/.

Rent our villa in Akumal at akumalvacation.com/.

M Gravlee is a retired newspaper publisher who spends several months a year traveling. He has visited every continent except Antarctica and over 30 countries.

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Yacht Charter Bali - A Perfect Opportunity For Diving and Snorkeling
By Sapphire Sunhorse

If you are an avid diver, or love to snorkel, few places in the world offer as many locations and beautiful scenes as Bali. That said, if you want to have the kind of vacation that provides you with all of the luxuries as well as plenty of aquatic adventures, a yacht charter in Bali may be just what you are looking for. No matter how long you are planning to stay in Bali, you are sure to find an itinerary that will enable you to enjoy the best diving spots, as well as many other wonders.

Many people that visit Bali begin with Moyo. This fascinating island features several pristine snorkeling sites along the shoreline. At the same time, if you are interested in going ashore, you will find plenty of exotic and wonderful things to see in the villages. Depending on your interests, you may also find that you will enjoy a good hike in the island forests, as well as spending some time on the beaches.

Today, Gil Banta is known worldwide for some of the best diving locations. While you are visiting the Komodo National Park, you are sure to enjoy spending as much time as possible viewing the corals, and other wonders that are accessible only to divers. That said, if other members of your party would rather spend some time on the beach, they are sure to be charmed by the private coves and stunning white sands.

When you choose a yacht charter in Bali, you should not miss out on an opportunity to visit the Sabalon Reef system. This area is perfect for both divers and snorkelers. The tranquil beauty of the nearby island is also perfect if you want to explore the beaches for treasure. No matter whether you are searching for sea shells, drift wood, or exotic flowers, you are sure to find dozens of items that will captivate your attention.

Over the years, many people that take advantage of Bali yacht charters also enjoy visiting Riung. This area features 17 tiny islands, dozens of beaches, and beautiful cliffs. If you are looking for a perfect combination of beach exploration and snorkeling, Riung will be one of your best opportunity. That said, if you decide to take a short hike along some of the cliffs, you will be stunned by the view of pristine water stretching for miles around you.

As an avid diver or snorkeler, it makes perfect sense to make use of a Bali yacht charter. In many cases, the itineraries for these cruises tend to include some of the best, as well as the most beautiful sites in the region. At the same time, you won't have to waste hours on end waiting for a boat to take you to a specific site, let alone try to figure out where to get your diving or snorkeling gear. Once you are done diving for the day, you are also sure to enjoy being able to visit various villages, and other land based destinations that will help round out your vacation and make it even more memorable.

Fraser Yachts specialize in luxury yacht charter in Bali and crewed motor & sailing boat charters around Bali

http://www.fraseryachts.com/Charter/Destinations/bali.aspx?Page-Charter&LastPage-&Item-Bali

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