Where to snokel in early July on budget?

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paz0
paz0

Hi All

I have a dilemma - I am going on holiday for the first two weeks of July and the criteria is this:
- 2 people
- £1400 budget altogether including everything (eg flights, accom, visas, food etc)
- great snorkeling, ideally within swimming distance from beach to minimise costs from taking a boat to reef
- lovely beaches
- warm seas

As you can see there are quite a few criteria! One of us is a beach lover while the other is an avid snorkler (is that a word?!)

I went travelling round south east asia and found the best snorkeling/beah/warm water combinations in indonesia, near komodo but this is too expensive. Philippines was also incredible and was considering Palawan and some cebu islands eg Malapascua but its the start of the rainy season in July so water might be choppy and it might rain for a few hours everyday.

And its hurricane season in the Caribbean! Generally European seas can't compare to tropical seas for white sand, warm water or colorful fish right?

Any ideas?I'm stuck so any suggestions would be appreciated!!

Thanks!
Paz

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newfie43
newfie43

I wouldn't eliminate the Caribbean for the hurricanes ( it is not very often you get a hurricane in July - try checking some historical data for better information) but the cost factors will be higher than SEA. We loved Virgin Gorda in the BVI (also avid snorkelers) - great beaches, good food and a little night life. The weather when we were there in July was beautiful. Don't know what the prices are like now but you could check out Bayview Apartments(self catering) for affordable accommodation. Also in the same area, St. John in the USVI was another great spot for beaches and snorkeling. For affordable accommodation see if Samuel Cottages is still on the go. Another great spot we thought was Anguilla. Prices are usually better in July. Good luck with your search.

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paz0
paz0

Hi Thanks for your reply!
Had a quick search on the virgin islands and the flights seem to be quite expensive - aroung £650 per person meaning theres not much left over for accomodation or expenses - any suggestions on cheap flights or alternatice destinations?
Many thanks!
Paz

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divenow
divenow

Try the Perhentians in Malaysia, great for snorkelling right off the beach. It's not very expensive & really very little to spend your money on, except for food & accomodation. July is also a great time to go there.

Jorunn

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travellinandi
travellinandi

pulau weh in sumatra or perentians....

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