Snorkel safari holidays

These holidays have been created specifically with snorkellers in mind, so you can be sure that the sites you’re visiting are suitable, rather than an afterthought on a diving trip. They are usually small group holidays, where you will have exclusive use of a boat. Tailor made trips are also available, where you may be sharing a boat with divers and you won’t have a dedicated tour leader either; however they do have the advantage of letting you choose your travel dates. Since the only requirement for a snorkel safari holiday is being able to swim, beginners are perfectly welcome. All safety instructions and equipment are provided on arrival.

Boat-based snorkel safari holidays have an obvious advantage in that you’re already out at sea every day, so you can get to the snorkel sites early, ahead of land-based groups, and you can move to a new place at the end of each day. You do need to be happy spending a week or more living in close proximity to the rest of your group, but boat holidays may include time on land, allowing crews to stock up on supplies and you to stretch your legs. These trips are common in the Maldives, where you might stay on a traditional gulet and holidays frequently have a marine conservation focus.

Our land-based snorkel safari holidays see you return to an island resort every afternoon. These are properties that will use mainly local staff, and may have environmental initiatives in place such as bungalows made entirely from reclaimed wood, or community waste recycling initiatives. You’ll either be staying close to the beach or in some cases right on it, so that every morning you can be ready to go as soon as the boat comes to pick you up. Snorkel sites are typically only 20-30 minutes away, but there may also be house reefs accessible right from the beach.

Most of our top snorkel safari holidays are based in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Maldives, and Indonesia, where Raja Ampat and Sulawesi are two iconic snorkelling destinations flush with colourful marine life. Another popular destination for snorkel safaris is Indonesia’s Komodo National Park, where you can swim with torpedo rays, turtles and seahorses one day, and venture on land the next to see huge Komodo dragons. Wherever you go, you can expect warm, clear waters, idyllic sunny weather and delectable food, much of it sourced fresh from islands.