Trip planning

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:57 am Post subject: Trip planning

Hi all! I've been lurking here for awhile, and gathering tons of information to plan our trip. Thanks for all your great suggestions -- they are much appreciated, and especially helpful for planning our first (but hopefully not last) trip to Grand Cayman. We will be flying to Georgetown on July 6th, and will be staying at the Turtle Nest Condos until the 12th. From the 12th to the 20th, we will be staying at Cobalt Coast as part of the Sea Camp week. My thought is that we'll do non-dive related activities from the 7th to the 11th, since our week at Cobalt Coast will be centered on diving. Considering that we have 5 days, do you think it's possible to do all of the following? And if so, in what order? Rum Point, Botanical Park, Pirate's Caves, Blow Holes, Atlantis Sub Ride, Butterfly Farm, Jolly Roger Cruise, snorkeling at Smith's Cove and/or Cemetary Beach, and possibly parasailing I haven't included the Turtle Farm because it's included as part of our week at Sea Camp. Any and all suggestions are welcome and appreciated! Sorry that this is all jammed together -- I haven't figured out why I can't put spaces between paragraphs...

Temporary Resident Joined: 01 May 2005 Posts: 110

Hi there orion, I've been going to the Caymans for many years now. Probably dived at every site with 10 or more companies, plus Little Cayman and Brac.

I would never spend a whole week at ANY AI kind of place in Grand Cayman, let alone Cobolt Coast. They are way back around a maze of roads in W. Bay with a sharp rocky entrance and no beach. The diving in front of the resort is pretty good, but I sure wouldn't want to dive any site over and over every day. You'd be way better off and save money by staying at a condo or one of the less expensive resorts and doing your dives separately. You'll get to a lot more sites with someone like Neptunes, who go to the north and west sides. There is excellent shore diving all around the island, depends what the weather is to say which is best. Almost always at least 1 part of the island is perfect!

But you never know. All it takes is a cold front or storm to be in the area and that whole side of the island becomes the worst side. You got to build in your own flexibility, cause the weather and sea are sure not flexible!

Some of the best shore dives are Babylon, Cracked Conch, Rum Point, Spanish Bay, Sunset House.

They have pictures and videos here for most of the other stuff you mentioned. I've never been to the butterflly farm and cemetary beach is not that great anymore. Most of the other places are worth doing. GLad to see you didn't add HELL to your list!

Frequent Flyer Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 69

Hey Les, your take on all of that is pretty much spot on! Spanish bay is closed though, not sure if you can still dive there, I guess so if you bring your own tank.

How long have you been going to the Caymans? My first visit was over 15 years ago at the ORIGINAL Holiday Inn. Things have sure changed since then.

I was thinking of coming in March so maybe we can get together for a dive or something. Not sure when my tax refund is coming yet, and that's a big part of the timing.

Native Joined: 18 Feb 2005 Posts: 1195 Location: Illinois

Orion1325 wrote:

Considering that we have 5 days, do you think it's possible to do all of the following? And if so, in what order? Rum Point, Botanical Park, Pirate's Caves, Blow Holes, Atlantis Sub Ride, Butterfly Farm, Jolly Roger Cruise, snorkeling at Smith's Cove and/or Cemetary Beach, and possibly parasailing I haven't included the Turtle Farm because it's included as part of our week at Sea Camp. Any and all suggestions are welcome and appreciated! Sorry that this is all jammed together -- I haven't figured out why I can't put spaces between paragraphs...

If you take an early morning drive out to the east end you could look at the blow holes, then come back and do the botanic Garden (it doesn't take that long there) But go early in the day or a cloudy day so that it's not so hot when you're walking around.

Then you could go on to Rum Point and on the way back hit the pirate caves. Pirate Caves take less than an hour and the Botanic Garden you could probably do in an hour and the Blow holes, you just look at. You could do these in whatever order you want, but I think if you were ambitious you could do them in one day---otherwise it's a long drive on separate occasions.

The Butterfly Farm doesn't take that long either. Maybe on one of the days you go to Smith's cove you could do the Botanic Garden on the way back, or on the way there. I think it depends on how much relaxing time you want, as opposed to how much of the other things you want to take in.

Have fun

Shelly :-)

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:10 pm Post subject:

We were just on Grand Cayman in January, for the first time, and snorkeled Cemetery Beach, and loved it. Just be sure you head out and go to the right of the cemetery, as you are standing on the beach. It is a ways out to swim, but worth it when you get there.

I am thinking with your kids week sea camp, you will be doing boat dives to other locations.

Have fun!

We can't wait to get back in May!

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