One of the ports visited on our recent Royal Caribbean cruise was Grand Cayman. This was an eagerly awaited port as I've been there before but wanted to take my girlfriend scuba diving there. We were worried that we might miss this port since the Caymans were hit pretty hard by the hurricanes and indeed, they had closed the islands off to tourist travel for part of the summer/fall.
Fortunately for us, Grand Cayman had reopened just about two weeks prior to our cruise at the end of November. Getting to Grand Cayman is by tender because it has a shallow harbour. This can be a potential problem in itself: we were told that if the wind and waves are too rough, the captain would cancel the port and spend the rest of the day at sea. Apparently in the past, one of the tender boat workers had fallen and got crushed to death between the boat and the dock during one of the rougher wave days. This resulted in cruise ships being much more careful in deciding whether to allow tendering or not, given the conditions.
Again, fortunately for us, the weather was picture perfect during the day we were in Grand Cayman last week. The downtown area recovered pretty well from the effects of the hurricanes and the shopping was business as usual. There were four ships at port during the day we were there.
Grand Cayman is above average in terms of cleaniness and the attitude of the locals for a Caribbean island. It is also one of the pricier islands, though bargains can still be found, especially in liquor where there are examples of certain liquors being less expensive in Grand Cayman than even Cozumel. For example, Malibu rum was $10 US in Grand Cayman, $13 in Cozumel and about $19 back in the Miami home port. Everything else, like restaurants and activities, was generally more expensive than other islands.
According to other passengers who ventured to other parts of the island, the damage from the hurricanes was more visible inland, with fallen trees and some buildings still not repaired yet. A few of the organized tours by the cruise ship were also not available.
We decided in advance to do some scuba diving off the shore and Eden Rocks Scuba Center was a 5 minute walk from the port. There are two decent shore dives right in front of their dive shop and we spent the morning diving the site called Devil's Grotto. Instead of paying $85 US for a typical Cayman boat dive trip, I ended up paying just $8 US rental for a tank.
I didn't go to other parts of the island during this trip but have been to the turtle farm, Hell village and Stingray City before. They are all worthwhile sites to visit. I wanted to take my girlfriend scuba diving at Stingray City in the afternoon but for some reason, only the snorkelling sections of Stingray City were available that day. So after returning to the cruise ship for lunch, we went back ashore to do some shopping. We would like to come back to Grand Cayman again for a longer stay in the future.
In summary, most of Grand Cayman appears to be back in business again after the hurricanes. It is one of the nicer, but pricier ports to visit in the Caribbean.
Anyone who has ever gone scuba diving knows what a mystical and powerful experience it can be. Observing marine life in its home is something you don't forget. Moreover, there's a peacefulness under the waves that you don't really find on dry land. Though it can sometimes seem a bit unreal, it's very soothing. But for those of you interested in a more exciting, challenging diving experience, consider wreck diving. This involves exploring the underwater resting place of a sunken ship and the chance to investigate its long-lost treasures.
Although you can wreck dive in many parts of the world, some
of the best opportunities are available in Bermuda. The
following are
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White water rafting is simply a blast and a great way to get away from the clutter of life. Alas, your rafting experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a white water rafting journal.
Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent rafting trip. What sticks out in your mind? Where the rapids raging, the water low or somebody hilariously falling out of the boat? Now think about the first time you ever went white water rafting. I bet you can’t remember much about the trip besides a
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Water sports are often at the center of a family’s or an individual’s recreational schedule. Water skiing, speed boating, sailing or parasailing, scuba diving, and fishing are just some of the many exciting activities that you can enjoy on a stream, pond, lake, or sea. Depending on where you live and the places you want to visit while on vacation, you can probably find a suitable body of water for canoeing, a popular favorite of the water-loving sports crowd. You can rent a canoe or bring your own, and do it alone or take along a friend, making this one
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Arusha National Park is only a few Kilometers from Arusha and is a small but beautiful park set in the shadow of Mount Meru. There is a string of lakes in this park and canoeing has recently been added to the tourist activities.
One lake known as ‘Small Momela’ successful launched the canoeing safari this year. This is a great way to see the park from a new perspective. It is good to get out of your vehicle and actually get some exercise and get ‘down and personal’ with the African Bush. This chance to view the animals in their
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Organized river rafting trips are a good idea for novices and experts alike. River rafting tours provide all of the equipment, guidance, and instruction necessary. If the trip covers several days, the rafting company may provide camping accommodations as well. Trips are available for rafters of all skill levels, from beginners rafting for the first time, to skilled experts looking for the toughest rivers in the country.
River rafting tours are offered on many major rivers in the country. Trips are available in many different lengths, varying from an afternoon to a two week trek. River rafting trips designed for families
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