Saba: Stunning Above and Below

      The Bottom, Caribbean Netherlands

      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
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      145 reviews
      Oct 9 - 16, 2021
      Group size: 5 - 12
      Saba: Stunning Above and Below
      The Bottom, Caribbean Netherlands

      Blue Planet Scuba
      • Email address verified
      • Facebook verified
      • Twitter verified
      145 reviews

      Oct 9 - 16, 2021
      Group size: 5 - 12

      About this trip

      Join us in one of the Caribbean’s best keep secrets! Saba is the perfect escape for divers and non-divers alike. Explore beautiful underwater sites sculpted by the island’s volcanic history, teeming with marine life. Disappear into the cloud forest at the summit of Mt. Scenery or splash around in crystal clear tide pools. The charm of this idyllic island and its friendly people will make this one trip you won’t forget! PLUS we'll be there during the island's month-long environmental education event with world-renowned scientific experts and presenters!

       Saba

      “The Unspoiled Queen” of the Caribbean, Saba is one of the few places in this tropical region that remains trapped in time, with an ideal amount of amenities and untouched natural beauty above and below the surface of the sea. Home to 1400 residents, there are no franchises or cruise ships here. Small eclectic bars and restaurants will infuse your nightlife after you’ve hiked a mountain rainforest trail, dived a world-acclaimed site or just lazed by a pool with a good book. And we can’t forget to mention the stunning views both topside and underwater!

      The Diving

      Minimum dive certification/experience:  Advanced Open Water Diver (can be completed on trip) and Enriched Air/Nitrox. Deep Diver is an excellent course to take on this trip if you'd like to make the most of Saba's famous pinnacles!


      Saba’s volcanic origins have blessed her waters with spectacular formations and structural diversity. From shallow patch reefs to deep water seamounts, Saba offers interesting diving at each depth and for every diver’s experience level. And with dive sites all around the island, you never know what you’ll see!


      Not far offshore, Saba’s famous pinnacles and seamounts rise dramatically from the depths to within 85 feet of the surface. The mere size and abundance of large sea fans and sponges put the pinnacles at world class status even without the added bonus of reef creatures and fish and whoever may be visiting from the blue.


      Nearby shallower sites are home to nurse sharks, turtles, eels of all kinds, spotted eagle rays and even more cryptic critters like seahorses, nudibranchs, frogfish and more. From hook and groove reef formations to walls, coral gardens to sandy muck diving, Saba is home to an astonishing amount of life.

      Other Activities

      There’s plenty to keep you occupied top side as well. Snorkeling on local reefs, hiking any one of Saba’s 14 trails, birding, rock climbing, exploring galleries or relaxing in the spa.

      Queens Gardens Resort & Spa

      We'll be staying at the Queens Gardens, a small luxury resort tucked away on a hillside near The Bottom. Enjoy beautiful roomy suites, an on-site spa with sauna, steam room and more, a pool, full service restaurant and bar plus one amazing view! Be prepared to be spoiled.

      Travel

      You should plan to fly into Saba (SAB) via Sint Maarten (SXM) on Saturday, October 9.  You can fly home at any time on October 16. You may find it easier to book your flight to Sint Maarten separately from your flight to Saba (on Winair). We may also be able to take a ferry over from Sint Maarten to Saba. Please email or call the shop before booking your flights as many airline schedules are in flux due to COVID restrictions! 

      Cancellation Policy

      Upon cancellation of a reservation for any reason, the refund of the deposit and payments made or due will be contingent upon Blue Planet reselling the participant's reservation. Any refund may also be subject to a cancellation fee and payment of any non-refundable fees imposed by the tour company, dive operator or any other contractor associated with the trip. 


      Dive accident insurance is required for all divers on this trip. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your vacation investment. Contact us if you need more information. 

      What’s included

      • 7 nights accommodation
        Double or single occupancy in a Suite
      • 11 boat dives
        5 days of 2-tank morning boat dives + 1 afternoon boat dive
      • Full breakfast daily
        At Queens Gardens
      • Dinner daily
        2 dinners at Queens Gardens + 5 dinners at a variety of Saba's best restaurants
      • Taxes, etc.
        Room taxes and service charges
      • Airport & dive transfers
        Roundtrip transfers to the SAB airport and between the hotel and dive boat

      What’s not included

      • Flights
        international flights to Saba
      • Scuba equipment
        Only tanks and weights included; rental gear available
      • Tips
        Tips for the dive shop's excellent crew
      • Other meals
        Not specified here
      • Enriched Air/Nitrox
        $59/week
      • Marine Park Fees
        $5/dive/person
      • Nature Fee
        $2/night/person
      • Airport Departure Tax
        $10/person cash

      Available Packages

      Suite, Double occupancy

      Double occupancy in Suite. One or two beds available. Each spacious suite includes an ensuite bathroom, safe, minibar and more.


      Bringing a non-diving companion? Contact us for pricing!

      $1,945
      Deposit: $500

      Itinerary

      Saturday
      Arrival in Saba

      Arrive at the SAB airport and transfer to Queens Gardens. Check in at the resort and dive shop. We'll have dinner at the hotel that evening.

      Your Organizer


      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
      145 reviews
      Blue Planet is a different kind of scuba diving organization — aimed at providing the best education and experiences to divers in the Washington, DC area and beyond, while harnessing the excitement and adventure of scuba diving to help protect our fragile oceans.

      Reviews

      Great group of people and nice relaxed diving. Fully enjoyed the trip and thanks to Anthony for ensuring everything ran smoothly.
      By Richard H for Scuba and Freediving in Grenada on Apr 16, 2024
      Another great trip with Blue Planet. Everything was seamlessly planned ahead of time, from setting up accommodations to arranging things with the dive shop (shout out to Eco Dive!) to communication about all the details. Anthony was a fantastic trip leader. He thought of everything (finding places for the group to meet for meals, making reservations, arranging taxis, talking to the dive shop about schedules etc. He took care of all the small bumps associated with travel and just made everything smooth and comfortable. Plus, he’s just fun :) The diving in Grenada was beautiful and the island was lovely and welcoming. Five stars for sure! Can’t wait for my next trip.
      By Virginia L for Scuba and Freediving in Grenada on Apr 15, 2024
      Glad you had such a good time on the trip! Always fun to have you on a trip and can't wait for our next one together.
      By Anthony White on Apr 16, 2024
      AW
      The weather in Cozumel was lovely. The scuba instructor, Andrea Williams, was exceptional. The resort was tailored more to local families and tourists who appreciate that level of comfort.
      By Adrienne W for March Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Apr 05, 2024
      Thank you, Adrienne! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the trip. We hope to see you on another dive adventure soon!
      By Blue Planet Scuba on Apr 13, 2024
      BP
      Heather & Jonas were excellent trip leaders making sure everyone was well taken care of. The Galapagos Aggressor had a super crew and the diving was challenging and stunning! We saw hammerheads, penguins, seals, sea lions & dolphins! I really appreciated the personal touches like our matching jackets and a cake for my birthday. I would highly recommend this trip.
      By Catherine W for Explore the Galapagos on Mar 02, 2024
      Thanks, Catherine! What better way to celebrate your birthday?!? We're so glad you enjoyed the trip and let us share experiencing this special destination with you. Looking forward to the next one!
      By Blue Planet Scuba on Apr 13, 2024
      BP
      This review is belated, I know... ...But that only means I took **serious*** consideration into reviewing my experience with Blue Planet DC, and ranking them very highly. Its been almost a year since I was OW Certified with Blue Planet in Cozumel - my training during that trip was thorough enough to provide me with a solid foundation to continue scuba diving afterwards many, many times. The trip itinerary, accommodations, and overall pacing of the scuba lessons were incredibly well organized. The instructors were patient and attentive - at various times I was provided specific one-on-one, actionable feedback regarding things like my trim or my breathing rhythm impacting my buoyancy and what I could do to improve my technique. They made sure we knew our stuff before letting us loose into the ocean, and during our checkout dives they stayed closeby and kept a watchful eye on us, so I felt more at ease and safe. (Even with the drift moving us around!) My main priority for this trip was to learn how to scuba, but that said, there were opportunities at Cozumel to (after the day's lessons are done) be a tourist and explore the area. The resort itself is a very beautiful spot with relaxing, open air dining, lounge, and balcony areas as well as a fantastic view of the ocean horizon. I also really appreciated that lodging AND meals were included in this travel package - it saved me the trouble of having to figure that out on my own, which made a big difference by freeing up more time after each full day of lessons to just relax and chill. I know each trip is always different of course in terms of other group trip attendees you may end up with, so of course this can just be sheer dumb luck, but everyone else on this trip was chill. Even the more seasoned divers who were already certified and doing this for years were friendly and happy to drop useful advice or recount from their personal experiences how it was like them becoming certified the first time. The time I did this it was "drift diving" and of course that scared me a ton. But the PADI material that is mandatory to study goes over what drift diving is. When doing my checkout dive the drift didn't like, wash me away from the group dive route. You'll be under instructor supervision so people are keeping an eye on you, and the drift itself is mild - I didn't have to struggle against the current (if you've ever surfed, you'll see that this isn't at all like a riptide or undertow). If anything, managing your buoyancy will end up your primary concern or worry during the checkout dive. Hope this review helps anyone considering who to go with for getting certified on their first ever scuba trip! I'm very glad I went with Blue Planet.
      By M T for March Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Feb 19, 2024
      Thank you so much, M! We are so happy you joined us on the trip and started your dive adventures with us! We look forward to many more!
      By Blue Planet Scuba on Apr 13, 2024
      BP
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