Solo Dive Travel Guide: Best Liveaboards & Dive Resorts
Solo dive travel has many benefits, including flexibility, independence, personal growth, and meeting new people. However, divers traveling solo often face a difficult choice: to pay a substantial single supplement or share their rooms/cabins with strangers. As seasoned divers with plenty of experience traveling solo, the experts at Bluewater Travel have put together a guide of liveaboards and dive resorts with single-friendly policies. The list includes resorts and liveaboards with single-occupancy pricing, low single supplements, and/or single rooms/cabins. Read on for our complete guide to the best liveaboards and dive resorts for solo travelers!
Best Liveaboards For Solo Dive Travelers
Liveaboards remain one of the most popular ways for divers to explore a more expansive area in a region or bucket-list destinations only reachable by liveaboard, such as Socorro and Malpelo Islands. Planning a dive holiday aboard a liveaboard vessel is one of the best options for solo dive travelers for several reasons, including cost-effectiveness and social experience. Some key benefits of liveaboards for solo travelers include:
Budget with Ease: Liveaboards are generally a packaged all-inclusive format with varying additional fees that may include Marine Park, fuel surcharges, Nitrox, and rental gear. Ask our advisors about the inclusions and exclusions for your trip so you know exactly what its going to cost.
Dive, Dive, Dive: You will maximize the time spent diving on your holiday, doing up to 4 dives a day and covering a larger area. Bonus: you typically dive with the same group throughout the trip on a liveaboard so you get to know the people youre diving with and can share experiences and photos.
Meet New Dive Buddies: Liveaboards are a great way to meet like-minded people, with mostly divers onboard. Mealtimes are social occasions where underwater experiences of the day are shared. Youll get even more out of your experience if you also get to know the liveaboards crew members!
Solo travel on liveaboards can be done in several ways: single cabins, single supplements, and sharing basis. Weve broken down the options by explaining what they are, who theyre best suited to, and which liveaboards offer each option.
Liveaboards With Single Cabins
If privacy is a priority for you - whether you are a light sleeper, heavy snorer, or simply prefer the comfort of a private cabin - look for a liveaboard with single-occupancy cabins. Single cabins on liveaboards are designed to accommodate one person in a single bed with either a shared or private bathroom. There are often only 1-4 single cabins on the few vessels that offer singles, so you should book early if this is your preferred option, as they often book out well in advance. Liveaboard single cabins are typically more expensive than sharing a double-occupancy cabin but cheaper than a private double cabin with a single supplement.
Read on for our comprehensive list of liveaboards with single cabins, and click on the liveaboard nameto learn more about the vessel, itineraries, schedule, pricing, availability, and more!
COLOMBIA (MALPELO)
INDONESIA
Cheng Ho-Damai I-Panunee Yacht-Seaisee-Velocean
MALDIVES
Conte Max-Carpe Novo-Duke of York-EcoPro Mariana-Seafari Explorer II
MEXICO
Nautilus Belle Amie-Nautilus Explorer-Solmar V
MICRONESIA (TRUK LAGOON)
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Liveaboards With Low Single Supplements
If you prioritize privacy but the liveaboard you want to book doesnt have single cabins available, you can often pay a single supplement to book a private double cabin. This is often the most expensive option for a liveaboard holiday, but it is worth it if cabin sharing could ruin your holiday. Liveaboard single supplements are typically calculated as a percentage to add to the double occupancy price and vary depending on the vessel and cabin category you choose.
Read on for our comprehensive list of liveaboards with low single supplements, and click on the liveaboard name to learn more about the vessel, itineraries, schedule, pricing, availability, and more!
INDONESIA
MALDIVES
MEXICO
Nautilus Belle Amie-Nautilus Explorer-Nautilus Undersea
MICRONESIA (TRUK LAGOON)
Bluewater Tips For Solo Liveaboard Travel
Join a liveaboard full of other solo travelers, such as Scubaspa's special weeklong Solo Travelers Cruise, so you can live out your dream dive trip to the Maldives surrounded by like-minded travelers.
Bunk with another diver in a shared cabin so youre only paying for your spot on the boat. If youre worried about sharing with a stranger, keep in mind that most divers spend very little time in their cabins and find sharing a cabin can range from a minor inconvenience (at worst) to a new dive buddy for life.
Other Destinations
Looking for something else? No problem! Contact our experts to discuss your dream holiday in one of the 100+ destinations we've traveled to!
Not sure if a liveaboard is right for you? Read our liveaboard diving article to learn why you should choose a liveaboard vacation, how liveaboard holidays work, and what to expect onboard.
Not sure where to go? Read our article about the best liveaboard destinations in the world here.
Best Dive Resorts For Solo Dive Travelers
Dive resorts typically offer more privacy, independence, and freedom than liveaboards; however, resort travel can be more intimidating to those less experienced with solo travel. Planning a solo dive trip to a resort is a great option for the diver who wants to enjoy a less dive-focused holiday. Some benefits of resort-based diving for solo travel include:
- Experience Balance: You can do some awesome diving and spend plenty of time enjoying other experiences, such as cultural tours and other land-based activities.
- Feel Free: You can sleep in, eat when you like, and take each day as it comes with the flexibility offered at most resorts. Consider whether you want to be within walking distance of shops and restaurants or if you prefer to be off-grid.
- Meet Different People: At a resort, guests often come and go during your stay, so you'll have a chance to meet more people from different walks of life.If youre confident in approaching people, youre sure to have some fascinating conversations.
Whether you prefer land-based dive resorts for the freedom or to avoid seasickness, there are plenty of options to choose from in most parts of the world. A resort with a dive operation onsite will enable you to make the most of your time underwater and enjoy hassle-free diving during your stay.
Resorts With Single Pricing
While most accommodations simply have a nightly price per room, some resorts are priced per person per night (or week), such as those with dive and stay or all-inclusive packages. In this case, single supplements vary and some resorts even offer single bookings on a shared basis (like liveaboards). Read on for a comprehensive list of dive resorts that provide specific pricing for single-occupancy bookings and click the resort name to learn more about the rooms, pricing, amenities, and more!
BELIZE
FIJI
Beqa Lagoon Resort-Garden Island Resort-Paradise Taveuni
INDONESIA
Ambon
Spice Island Divers
Bangka
Coral Eye Dive Resort Bangka
Bunaken
Siladen Dive Resort
Halmahera
Kusu Island Resort
Lembeh
Dive Into Lembeh-NAD Lembeh-Thalassa Dive Resort Lembeh-White Sands Beach Resort Lembeh by Eco Divers
Raja Ampat
Agusta Eco Resort-Dive Into Raja Ampat at Waiwo Dive Resort-Papua Explorers-Papua Paradise Eco Resort-Raja Ampat Dive Lodge
Sulawesi
Eco Divers Manado-Gangga Island Resort & Spa-Lumba Lumba Manado Resort-Thalassa Dive & Wellbeing Resort Manado
MEXICO (COZUMEL)
Presidente Intercontinental Resort & Spa Cozumel
PHILIPPINES
Atlantis Dive Resort Dumaguete-Atlantis Dive Resort Puerto Galera-Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort
ROATAN & UTILA
SIPADAN
Bluewater Tips For Solo Dive Resort Travel
Visit a resort with no single supplements. At some resorts, such as Alor Divers Eco Resort, you'll pay the same price whether you are a single traveler or traveling with a buddy!
Choose a dive-focused resort to ensure some friendly divers are around to socialize. This will also maximize your odds of getting out diving, as some operators require a minimum number of divers to run their dive trips.
Other Destinations
Looking for something else? No problem! Contact our experts to discuss your dream holiday in one of the 100+ destinations we've traveled to!
Read our Bluewater staff picks for the best dive resorts in the world here.
How many of our scuba diving bucket list items are on your list? Read about them here.
Guided Group Trips For Solo Dive Travelers
Join a group trip to reduce the stress of traveling solo. Bluewaters guided group trips are carefully planned and led by one of our experts, meaning you just sign up and show up! You get to enjoy your holiday, meet awesome people, and do incredible diving, all while Bluewater handles the logistics. Bluewaters guided group trips are the perfect way to travel solo without truly traveling aloneand are a great way to explore unforgettable destinations such as Antarctica, Norway, Africa, Papua New Guinea, and more. You might even make a lifelong friend and dive buddy on one of our group trips!
Click here to view Bluewater's upcoming guided group trips, including underwater photography workshops, immersive whale experiences, African land safaris, and more!
Read one of our recent trip reports to learn what to expect from a Bluewater Travel guided group trip.
Plan Your Next Solo Dive Vacation
Bluewater Travel is a full-service dive travel agency. We can book you a resort or a liveaboard almost anywhere in the world at the same price, or even lower, than booking any other way. Our team of travel advisors has been to most of these places, some of them even many times. We know the diving, resorts, liveaboards, and logistics better than anyone else in this industry. To get started, you can:
Email us to start planning your trip!
Don't forget about the importance of insurance! Read our guides to travel insurance and dive insurance, and make sure you purchase your policies before you travel!
Looking to buy or rent some underwater photography gear for your next trip? Head over to Bluewater Photo Store for the latest cameras, housing, lights, and accessories!
