Page 44 - KSC Magazine 2020

TRAVEL MORE INTELLIGENTLY
MARGO’S TOP 5 + : CHOICES FOR BEST SCUBA DIVING VACATIONS WITH YOUNGER TRAVELERS
1. BONAIRE
Bonaire is at the top of my kid friendly list be- cause Buddy Dive Resort is perfect for small or large families.They offer 1, 2 and 3 bedroom ocean view villas. Buddy Dive is family owned as the owners have young children, they are totally focused on family. in particular The Buddy Dive Academy, offers the most kid friendly instructors of any dive operator in the Caribbean. PADI programs such as SASY for kids age 5-7, PADI Seal Team for kids age 8 & 9, and JOW, Jr. AOW, and
Jr. Rescue are taught during our Bonaire Kids Sea Camp.We offer all the PADI Pro courses as well as coral restoration.
The staff is well trained with oodles of experi- ence with kids. Bonaire is one of the calmest, clearest, and easiest places to dive with kids. Par- ents and their certified youngsters can just jump right off Buddy Dive's dock and enjoy an easy dive.
Here parents can relax and enjoy their kids div- ing with tarpon, turtles, schools of colorful tropical fish and of course the coral nursery trees.
2. ROATAN
Roatan continues to be one of my personal hidden treasures.The marine park has blossomed, and since its inception, I have witnessed a huge comeback of turtles, large schools of fish, grouper, and lobster.There are so many shallow dive sites perfect for kids to dive, and beautiful beaches to play on and explore.
My two favorite properties for families are Turquoise Bay Beach Resort and Mayan Princess, both all inclusive, and family owned and operated.The staffs are super kid-friendly at both resorts and dive operations, with Mayan Div- ers and Subway Divers offering smaller tanks and kids dive rental gear.Turquoise Bay offers
free horseback riding, and has just completed a total resort renovation with beautiful over water cabanas and a private lagoon to snorkel or paddle board, it's perfect for families that want peace & tranquility.
Mayan Princess offers 4 restaurants,1 and 2 bedroom ocean & pool front villas. The dive sites are 5 - 10 minutes away, and boats are large and spacious. Both locations offer excellent in-ocean trainingareasforSealTeam&SASY.
3. ST. LUCIA
Bonaire has lots to do topside including one of my favorites, Blow Karting or as many call it "land sailing",ontheworld'slargestsalttrack!
Did I mention chocolate tasting or farm to table culinary classes and cupcake decorating? How about live music and jazzy sunset cruises? And if that's not enough, every May and June you may be lucky enough to catch the sea turtles nesting on the Anse Mamin Beach.The sea turtles' hatch in July and August.We had 98 baby turtles to release with the kids one year, it was amazing! There are 1 and 2 bedroom Piton view and beach level rooms available.
Buddy Dive Resort, Kids Sea
Roatan, Kids Sea Camp in 2020:
Anse Chastanet, Kids Sea Camp in 2020: July 25th -Aug. 1st & Aug. 1st & 8th, Thanksgiving, Nov. 21st-28th
Camp in 2020: June 13th - 20th, July 11th-18th & 18th-25th
March 21st -28th, March 28th -April 4th; June 27th - July 4th,
www.familydivers.com
803-419-2556 email: dive@familydivers.com www.oceanwishes.org
July 4th -July11th
I just love bringing families to Anse Chasta- net Resort. It is world famous for honeymoon- ers, but now also celebrates families. Dive St. Lucia are experts in training and diving with kids. I so enjoy diving with the kids below the famous Pitons.The new sunken wrecks are perfect for teen divers to explore. It's crazy cool to dive those volcanic formations and pinnacles under the sea. Families especially love Superman's Flight, one of the best drift dives on the island.
I feel this location is perfect for both diving and non-diving family members. Other activities include: paddle boarding, kayaking, sunrise and sunset yoga, volcano hiking, and jungle biking.