Dive Sites of Saipan and Tinian

Saipan & Tinian offer a wide variety of great dives. Listed below are the sites that are most commonly visited by divers, but its a big ocean out there and there's always new places to be explored.

(B) Boat dive (S) Shore dive

EAGLE RAY CITY (B)- Eagle Ray City is one of the most unique dives in Saipan. Rising out of the sand at a depth 30 feet is a rocky formation that on a good day will have up to 40 Eagle Rays hanging out. While divers hold on to the rock Eagle Rays glide overhead.

ICE CREAM (B)- A seamount located on the west side of Saipan that is home to eels and octopus. It is not uncommen for a couple of Eagle Rays to visit the site. This is a shallow dive with the base of the seamount at 50 feet and the top at 18 feet.

LAU LAU BEACH (S) - With an easy beach entry and one of the largest and oldest reefs on the island, this is one of the most frequently visited sites. Lau Lau has an array of Wrasses, Butterfly Fish, Surgeons, Big Eye Skad, Snappers, and more. For the diver that likes to go slow, you will also have frequent encounters with nudibranchs, scorpionfish, and octopus. This is an ideal dive site for beginners or people interested in smaller, more colorful animals.

DIMPLE (B)- This is a seamount on the Western side of Saipan. Entering the water you will see a large school of Red Snappers in the distance, towards the base you will find hundreds butterfly fish. Eagle Rays, eels, and Surgeons are also seen often. Depth on this dive ranges from 40 feet to 130 feet making it suitable for all skill levels.

NAFTAN (B)- One of the best wall dives in the CNMI, with amazing visibility and fish live, located on the southern tip of the island. The top of the wall starts at 45 feet and goes down to over 130 feet. On the top portion, there are some great coral formations that are home to huge clams among other things. As one starts to descend on the wall, you will find magnificent fan coral and colorful animal life. Since this dive is at the edge of the abyss there is always the possibility of running into the larger fish like Napoleon Wrasses and Sharks.

CHINSEN MARU (B)- Chinsen Maru is a large Japanese freighter that sits at 30 foot of depth in the lagoon. The ship has been in the water for over 50 years, allowing for some significant coral growth as well as becoming a home to thousands of fish. There are monstrous Red Snappers as well as Big Eye Emperors patrolling the wreck while huge schools of Goat Fish sit on top. The wreck is probably the best place on island to find Stonefish, several Stonefish call Chinsen home. To top it off a resident White Tip rests underneath the wreck.

BANZAI CLIFF (B)- A beautiful wall located on the North side of the island. There is only a brief time during the year when conditions are suitable for diving, but it is well worth the wait if you like the big blue dives. Large pelagic fish such as sharks, rays, huge tuna, and dolphins are often seen. There are also amazing anemones and coral formations. This is an advanced dive due to the depths and currents.

WING BEACH (B/S)- A fantastic dive that can be done from the beach or a boat. Wing Beach is located on the northwest part of the island. There are some great geographical features here, such as large crevasses and breathtaking drop-offs. This site is well known for shark encounters and Spanish Dancers at night. A drift dive from a boat is the best way to do this dive.

SPOT LIGHT (B)- This dive site is very close to Banzai and as with Banzai only accessible during a brief time period. This cavern dive is named Spot Light, because when the sun shine through a hole in the top of the cavern, it is like a spotlight shining on a stage. There is always the possibility of seeing large fish and animals such as turtles and sharks. The cavern has some of the largest lionfish you've ever seen.

GROTTO (S)- Considered by many as one of the best cavern dives in the world , this Must Do dive site in Saipan is sure to amaze you. After a giant stride into the water from a rock in the cavern, divers can take three different exit holes out to open ocean. Once outside, there are beautiful walls, swim-throughs, and caves to explore. Turtles and Clown Triggerfish are some of the many types of sea life to be seen at this magnificent dive site. Several resident White Tip Sharks lounge on the bottem during the day.

OBYAN BEACH (B/S)- Located near Naftan Point, this site has some of the best visibility on the island. On a good day, there will be 150 + feet of visibility. After entering through the first reef, there is a beautiful patch reef with hundreds of small fish and some interesting animals to see. The second reef starts at about 50 feet where one finds Barracuda, sharks, and garden eels. This dive site is ideal for all skill levels, especially people interested in photography.

Travel to Hawaii - Experiences

The Hawaii Islands are situated in the North Pacific Ocean, 2,300 miles (3,700 km) from the mainland, at 21°18′41″N, 157°47′47″W. In the 19th century, Hawaiʻi was also known as the Sandwich Islands.

Summer is here and there is no place on earth like Hawaii. The six unique islands offer distinct experiences that will entice any traveler.

Some of the experiences are:

Polynesian Center (A must see)
Hawaii's Polynesian Cultural Center, located about one hour's scenic drive from Waikiki, is the top paid Hawaiian attraction for a reason. The seven native villages give visitors the rare chance to participate in the daily adventures of Hawaiian and other South Pacific cultures. Along with Hawaii's most authentic luau and the world's largest Polynesian night show every trip to Hawaii must include a visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

International market
The International Market Place has been an island tradition for years upon years.
With over 130 carts, shops and artisan stands, this open-air setting in the heart of Waikiki remains a must-see-and-do for that special gift or souvenir.

Beaches
The summer [July-August] has the best water condition for swimming, snorkeling, windsurfing and scuba diving.
Beware that some beaches have seasonal high surf in summer.

Weather
Nice and hot, but sometimes has a cool breeze.

Snorkeling
Hawaii offers some of the best snorkeling in the world. Most companies provide all the snorkeling equipment you will need. The best time to go snorkeling or diving is early in the day. Most companies provide free hotel pickup. One of the most popular water sports activities and tour companies on Oahu is Hawaiian Isle Adventures.

Top 5 Resorts in Los Cabos, Mexico

At the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, the once-sleepy towns of San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas have evolved into vacation playgrounds. This striking landscape attracts fishing enthusiasts, golfers, and anyone looking for sun and fun in an area that’s always warm.

At the luxury end of the scale, the Los Cabos region has several world-class resorts that are fixtures on annual best-of lists. Here are the five top resorts where you can’t go wrong, according to the upscale review site Luxury Latin America.

One and Only Palmilla
This resort sits on 250 acres of a 900–acre community, which includes private residences and a 27–hole Jack Nicklaus golf course. Its ten categories of luxury accommodations range from large oceanfront superior rooms to 12 beachfront one–bedroom luxury suites at 1,400 square feet. The beach here is swimmable, which is not always a given on this rocky coast.

Las Ventanas al Paraiso
Las Ventanas set the tone for a new standard for Los Cabos when in opened in the nineties. With international billionaires and tabloid celebrities guests among its guests, privacy and specialized service is ingrained into the culture of the staff. With a Robert Trent Jones golf course, a highly acclaimed spa, and a bevy of butlers at the ready, this resort is still hard to top.

The Hotel at Esperanza
With only 50 casitas and six luxury suites, this boutique resort is laid out like a private Mexican village. Spread across 17 lushly landscaped acres, the oceanfront hotel is perched on the bluffs of Punta Ballena (Whale Point) above two secluded coves on the Sea of Cortez, creating a natural barrier exclusive to registered guests. Accommodations range from 925 to 4,700 square feet, all facing the sea.

Marquis Los Cabos
With a 15,000-square-foot spa, stunning infinity pool complex, and rooms with great views, this is a great spot for taking in the dramatic scenery of Los Cabos. It is also the most Mexican-feeling resort around, with all interior design and décor items sourced locally. Public spaces are filled with an extensive art collection featuring 400 commissioned oil paintings and bronze sculptures featuring many notable Latin American artists.

Hilton Los Cabos
Under the same ownership as the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, this above-average chain hotel is coming off a major renovation, to the tune of $15,000 per room. Rooms range from large to larger and are now equipped with plenty of goodies like flat-screen TVs and marble baths with separate showers and whirlpool tubs. Stunning views are a given from most areas of the hotel and the draped lounge beds and draped palapas by the pool and swimming beach add more drama.

Fantastic Worldwide Destinations for Your Next Vacation

Have you ever thought of traveling around the world visiting different cities, touring the great attractions of the world such as the British Museum on London, the Puerta del Sol of Madrid, the Colosseum in Rome, the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, not to mention all the sites for you to see in Hong Kong, Sydney, New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. You could easily spend a year traveling through just the cities listed here. Here are some of the highlights you won’t want to miss in some of these great cities.

Rome – There are enough sites and museums in Rome to take you weeks or even months. You won’t want to miss St. Peter’s Basilica, the beautiful fountains scattered throughout Rome, the Pantheon, the Sistine Chapel and the Piazza, just to mention a few.

After you see all those, there is still the Domus Aurea (the Golden House of Nero), the Roman Forum, and the Vatican. The Villa Borghese is for those who love nature and beautiful gardens. It is 148 acres of greenery with exotic birds, aviaries, museums and more.

London – When you are finished touring Rome, a trip to London is a great place to enjoy spectacular gardens and palaces as well as shows and museums. No visit to London would be complete without seeing Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, or the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery.

If you are interested in armor, jewelry, and British history in general, you will definitely want to visit the Tower of London. Begun as a fort, turned into a prison, and finally transformed into a sort of museum which houses thousands of pieces of armor, some of the most beautiful jewelry on display anywhere including the 530-carat Star of Africa diamond, and much more.

Madrid – Traveling from London you might stop over in Madrid for a few weeks. Here you can visit the famed Palacio Real which is second only to Versailles. It houses the Royal Library, the armory, and almost 3,000 rooms and 240 balconies. It was home to the royal families of Spain until 1931. Be sure to include the two hour tour in your visit.

Other sites in Madrid that you will not want to miss include the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza which houses art worth over $1 billion, the Basilica de San Francisco El Grande, and Retiro Park.

New York City – No visit to the United States would be complete without visiting New York City. There you will want to see the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the Bronx Zoo and much more.

If you are interested in big ships you can tour the air craft carrier Intrepid which has been made into a sea, air and space museum. That is something you really don’t want to miss during your trip to New York City.

There is still Hong Kong, Sydney, Washington DC, Jerusalem, and many more cities to visit during your worldwide tour. So if you ever decide to visit major cities of the world, you can be sure that there is so much to see that you could easily spend a year or more and still not see everything these places have to offer the tourist.

Travel to Hawaii - Experiences

The Hawaii Islands are situated in the North Pacific Ocean, 2,300 miles (3,700 km) from the mainland, at 21°18′41″N, 157°47′47″W. In the 19th century, Hawaiʻi was also known as the Sandwich Islands.

Summer is here and there is no place on earth like Hawaii. The six unique islands offer distinct experiences that will entice any traveler.

Some of the experiences are:

Polynesian Center (A must see)
Hawaii's Polynesian Cultural Center, located about one hour's scenic drive from Waikiki, is the top paid Hawaiian attraction for a reason. The seven native villages give visitors the rare chance to participate in the daily adventures of Hawaiian and other South Pacific cultures. Along with Hawaii's most authentic luau and the world's largest Polynesian night show every trip to Hawaii must include a visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

International market
The International Market Place has been an island tradition for years upon years.
With over 130 carts, shops and artisan stands, this open-air setting in the heart of Waikiki remains a must-see-and-do for that special gift or souvenir.

Beaches
The summer [July-August] has the best water condition for swimming, snorkeling, windsurfing and scuba diving.
Beware that some beaches have seasonal high surf in summer.

Weather
Nice and hot, but sometimes has a cool breeze.

Snorkeling
Hawaii offers some of the best snorkeling in the world. Most companies provide all the snorkeling equipment you will need. The best time to go snorkeling or diving is early in the day. Most companies provide free hotel pickup. One of the most popular water sports activities and tour companies on Oahu is Hawaiian Isle Adventures.