By Robert Walden, HE Travel Tour Director
I’ve been diving with Alyson Adventures (HE Travel) on Saba every year since 2000. It’s one of my favorite places on earth.
On Saba you can enjoy a completely different experience from all the cruise ship stops, party beaches and casino-packed towns that typify so much of the Caribbean. Saba offers an intimate Caribbean experience that makes you feel at home from the moment you step out of the plane after the 15-minute flight from St. Marten.
Even better, Saba has been a gay-friendly destination ever since 1998 when we ran our first annual dive trip there. This Dutch-heritage island was one of the first Caribbean islands to recognize and support gay marriage. Saba is the Unspoiled Queen!
Saba is home to some of the best diving in the Caribbean. Set aside as a Marine Park in 1984, the year the first divers tested the waters, it has become a world renowned destination for divers in the know. This tiny island has a total resident population of under 1500 people, no major harbor or cruise ship dock and the shortest commercial airstrip in the world. And landing here is the just the beginning of an exciting and varied week.
The island was formed by volcanic action, creating deep waters and steep drop-offs which form their famous deep water pinnacles – undersea mounts rising up from the blue, pristine with beautiful corals, healthy sea-life and the occasional hunting reef shark circling in the distance. The near-shore diving is also not to be missed with a healthy turtle population, grouper and schools of lush Caribbean sea-life. Recently we have already had reports of seahorses and frog-fish resident not far from the shore. Night diving is also something I look forward to on each visit to Saba.
Over the years we’ve made lots of friends on Saba, creating some great relationships – and one of our earliest guests actually liked Saba so well that he is now resident on the island. We’ll have our final dinner at his hotel, set at 1600 feet above sea level, with one of the most stunning views in the Caribbean.
Our hotel, also high above the ocean, is the perfect spot to enjoy the small town of Windward-side, with its small shops and friendly people. We dine at some amazing restaurants, setting up several unique meals during the week, but we also leave a couple of dinners open for our divers to return to one of their favorites. I’ve called this trip Dive and Dine (off the record) for years! You’ll be surprised at the level of cuisine available on this rock in the middle of nowhere. I apologize in advance, but you won’t lose weight on this trip…
I’d love to introduce you to my hidden treasure. You’ll come to understand very quickly why we have some guests who return year after year and book this trip for the following year as soon as they get home. You’ll be captivated by the magic of the Unspoiled Queen.
I hope to see you on the island!
Click here for more information about the “Octopus’s Garden” Saba dive tour.
