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Dive Review of Hamanasi in
Belize/Southern

Hamanasi, Jan, 2008,

by Michael Emerson, MN, USA (Contributor Contributor 13 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 3782.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 1 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments Just finished our second family trip to southern Belize in the past year. This time we stayed in a 3 BR condo at Belizean Dreams which is next door to Hamanasi Resort where we staid last time and dove with their operation again this time.

The condo was great for a family of five. It is designed to accomodate up to 10, but I think 8 would be a comfortable maximum. Very nice units with nice ocean view throughout. We ate several meals in our unit which saves a lot. I recommend King Kassava in Hopkins for a good value meal but cash required. We also rented a SUV and drove down from BZE which is about a 2 1/2 drive. The roads are very good, although a little nerve racking after dark because of 8 one lane bridges. For a family, you can save a lot of money by doing this.

In addition to diving, we went to the Mayan ruins on the Guatamala border which are a must see if you like that type of thing. We decided that next time we will visit the Tical ruins in Guatamala but will stay in night near the border to make the trip more reasonable. We also liked the Belize Zoo. Placentia was also a nice day trip for non-divers.

The Hamanasi dive operation is absolutely first class, and caters to a wide variety of dive skills. They are great for young divers and both of my teen children were certified there and they consider it the gold standard for diving any where in the world.

We spend one day at Turneffe's Atoll and dove the famous Elbow which was a bit challenging for inexperienced divers. The subject matter was great -- we saw a pod of dolphins, multiple turtles, multiple sharks, and nice schools of fish. Glovers Atoll was also nice with very nice visibility and topography. The diving was a bit easier there as well. We then spent two days at the local barrier reef which is standard destination for all divers. Again, lots of nice things to see with multiple eels, turtles, eagle rays, lobsters, and spotted drum fish (the closest thing in the Carribean to a clown fish). All in all, a great experience. I will be posting my pictures on flickr in a week or so. Plese contact me at medas2005@msn.com if you want a link or more advice on the locale.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Burma, Solomons, Fiji, Palau, Galapagos, Little Cayman, Cozumel
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy Seas calm
Water Temp 81-83°F / 27-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 70-90 Ft/ 21-27 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Dive by computer
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins Schools Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 2 stars Large Fish 1 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 3 stars Boat Facilities 2 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities 2 stars
UW Photo Comments Did not cater to the serious underwater photographer. Did have a big fresh water bucket on board. Staff was very helpful in handling equipment.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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