Archive for the ‘Scuba diving tips’ Category

Finding Cheap Flights To Melbourne

July 29, 2010 in Scuba diving tips | Comments (0)

Finding cheap flights to Melbourne has become easier than ever before. Low cost airlines have made travel easier than ever before- now even the most budget- conscious individual can think of sparing some money for a vacation. Why pay for expensive flights when cheap flights are within reach of everyone, you just need to search the internet for low cost fares.

If you want to go on a holiday that’s fun filled and exciting, grab a cheap flight to Melbourne. The city offers all that you could ever think of and much much more. Melbourne is a very popular Australian holiday destination with something for everyone. Characterized by the typical Australian ambiance, Melbourne lets you take a peek into its colorful world of theaters, museums and galleries. A unique city with so much to offer, you’ll be amazed at the abundance of culture in Melbourne. Melbourne’s buzzing nightlife is a must see, with plenty of restaurants and bars for you to visit. And all those who want to have some serious outdoorsy fun can also have their fill thanks to all the sporting events that take place here throughout the year. Be it the Australian Grand Prix or the Melbourne Cup Horse Race, you’ll be left wanting more from Australia’s sporting capital. There is so much to see in Melbourne, you’ll never want to leave.

Book cheap flights to Melbourne and save a fortune. To buy your tickets you need not scour the websites of low cost airlines individually. Instead, go through all the cheap travel websites that allow you to clinch some of the best deals. Additionally, find out which airlines operate most in the region and which offer you package deals. If you really want to cut costs you can take a look at package deals through which you can not only book cheap flights to Melbourne but also hotel rooms as per your budget. Have the entire trip planned out for you without having to worry about finding the best accommodation options. Often tours are also included in these packages so you will have everything taken care of. Also, try settling for stop- over flights if time is not an issue. Non-stop flights can be quite expensive and can drain you of all your resources. Another way to cut down costs is to book off-peak flights leaving early morning or late at night. You can usually save a significant amount be selecting flights departing at these times.

You can catch cheap flights to Melbourne no matter what the purpose of your visit is- business, weekend trip or a long vacation. You just need to do bit of research to find the cheapest airfares, there are plenty out there. But before you do anything else, get on searching the Internet. See through as many deals as possible and pounce on the one that suits your schedule and budget. Don’t settle for expensive air fares, there are plenty of low cost options out there for you to take advantage of.

Finding cheap flights to Melbourne has become easier than ever before – find cheap flights to Melbourne online.


Scuba Diving Boracay Phillipines

July 24, 2010 in Scuba diving tips | Comments (0)

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Boracay in the Philippines along with nearby Indonesia’s Bali are consistently voted by scuba diving magazines and publications as amongst the top 10 scuba diving destinations and resorts in the world.
There are quite a few diving operators offer dive safaris to hard to reach locations in Boracay such as Sibuyan Sea, Tablas, Romblon and Semirara. Closer to Boracay are also some world class dive sites catering to divers of varying diving skills. If you are not a scuba diver, you will find snorkeling in Boracay just as exhilarating because of its rich marine life.
For example, Friday’s Rock which lies close to the island’s west shore you can find a variety of brilliant colored soft and hard corals, butterfly fishes, wrasses, damsel fishes, blue tangs, stingrays and snappers, often along with big scorpion fishes and lion fishes hiding in rocks and crevices.
There are 2 dive sites nearby called Punta1 and Punta2. Punta 1 is shallower dive which is a drop off to about 24m (80ft) Punta 2 starts at 30m and goes down to 50m (170ft). Groupas, trigger fishes, angel fishes as well as sweetlips, tuna, barracuda and the occasional reef shark populate these two interesting dive locations.
Just southeast of Boracay lies the Crocodile Island (so named because of shape of the island and not after the scaly reptile) which is a very popular scuba diving site. It is wall diving here of about 25m(80ft) in depth at its bottom. This diving destination is so rich in marine life that many species of fish and corals make its residence here. There are even a few poisonous banded sea snakes here and some are as long as two meters (6.4ft) long. Do be careful because all sea snakes are poisonous and their bites can be fatal.
Another excellent dive site nearby is the Laurel Island. This dive site is for the more experienced scuba divers as the undercurrent here can get quite strong. Because of this fact, drift diving can be a pleasure here. It is also these strong currents that encourage corals to open up their beautiful yellow and orange polyps to feed on microscopic planktons and marine creatures, festooning the walls of an 8m (25ft) tunnel at the tip of the island. You can also find big sponges and handsome gorgonian sea fans here.
At northern Boracay is Yapak, which is a deep wall diving starting at around 30m(95ft) and descending the depth of 60m (190 ft). Again, the undercurrent here can be rather tricky. This area is the domain of larger pelagic fishes such as barracudas and various species of sharks. Occasionally, a hammerhead shark will swim by and giant manta rays are also frequently sighted.
Other interesting dive spots in the Boracay are Carabao (buffalo), Cathedral Cave, Buruanga, Black Rock and Dog Drift. So if you are going to the Phillipines for a scuba diving vacation, why not try scuba diving in beautiful Boracay.


Scuba Diving in Ambergris Caye, Belize

July 22, 2010 in Scuba diving tips | Comments (0)

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If you’ve never been to Belize, a great spot to start is Ambergris Caye. It offers great diving and interesting topside attractions to keep you busy during those surface intervals.
Ambergris Caye is the most popular spot in Belize for scuba diving. It offers a variety of diving such as reefs, walls, blue holes and more. If you’ve never been to Belize before, Ambergris Caye is a great place to start.
Geography
Ambergris Caye is the largest island of Belize and is about 25 miles long and 1 mile wide. So it’s a small island and easy to explore. The town on Amergris Caye is San Pedro and lies near the southern tip.
San Pedro has 3 main roads that run parallel to the beach and reef. They have more tourist oriented names now but many of the locals still call them by their old names. The 3 main streets are Barrier Reef Drive (Front Street), Pescador Drive (Middle Street) and Angel Coral Drive (Back Street).
The barrier reef lies just offshore from Ambergris. It is about a half mile east from the shore so boat rides to most dive sites are short.
Location
Belize itself is situated on the Caribbean coast. It is bordered by Mexico in the north, Guatemala to the south and west and the Caribbean on the east.
Ambergris Caye is located about 35 miles northeast of Belize City and 11 miles north of it’s sister island Caye Caulker.
There is airport on the island with several flights a day from Belize City (Maya Island Air and Tropic Air). The flight is short, about 20 minutes, but beautiful. You can also reach Ambergris via water taxi from Belize City (or Caye Caulker). The ride from Belize City is about 75 minutes and is a fun way to get the island.
Weather
The average daytime temperature during the summer months is typically around the mid to high 80’s F with temperatures in the 90’s F not that uncommon. Things cool off a bit in the winter months with average temperatures closer to around 80F.
Belize and Ambergris Caye have a rainy season from June to November with the most rainfall occurring in the September-November timeframe. The island does get hit by hurricanes during the hurricane season (June-November also).
Reefs and Rides
Ambergris Caye Belize sits right off the second largest barrier reef in the world (the reef runs for 185 miles). The reef is only about a half mile offshore from the island so boat rides can be short. The visibility is typically in the 50-100 foot range.
If you go out to the reef, some dive sights are less than a 10 minute ride away. One of the most popular spots for diving is within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve which lies less than 5 miles from San Pedro. This is also the area where the popular Shark Ray Alley is located. Although it is a snorkel spot, it is fun and worth doing.
There is alot of variety in Ambergris Caye diving. You can do canyons, tunnels, wrecks, blue hole, etc. Since it is the most popular tourist spot and dive destination in Belize, there are alot of dive operators to choose from. Most hotels usually have or are affiliated with/recommend a particular outfit.
So if you’re looking for a spot with great diving and interesting topside attractions, Belize and Ambergris Caye may be for you.