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Tim Simond has scoured the planet for luxurious pads near undersea
adventures — here are his favourite finds
The problem with diving holidays is that all too often, the
biggest dive is the hotel you’re staying in. It’s generally accepted
among the wetsuit fraternity that if you insist on classy
accommodation, you’ll be a lengthy ride from the best dive sites,
whereas if you want to stay right in the action, your only options
are a sweaty boat or a flimsy shack.
As a dive enthusiast and something of a sybarite, the
photographer Tim Simond was frustrated that tour operators had so
little information about how to combine divine luxury and dive
locations, so he has spent the past 2 years researching resorts
where sightings of the fusilier fish are not had at the expense of
the Frette linen. In his new book, Dive in Style, he describes 26
places, from Sardinia to the Seychelles, which offer that elusive,
winning combination — but we’ve made him whittle his choice down to
2. Here, he reveals the 2 hotels that really are to dive for.
AMANWANA, Indonesia
“Of all the places I’ve been, this is the one that I most want to
go back to. Moyo Island is remote, so this feels like the very best
sort of pampered pathfinding, and its reefs are beautifully intact —
they haven’t been mashed like so many in Southeast Asia. I had one
of the most breathtaking dives of my life here, with a local guy
called Kaz. A good guide can transform a dive and Kaz doesn’t miss a
trick. He showed me pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish and frog fish
set against wonderful corals. What’s even more remarkable is that he
couldn’t swim five years ago — the resort trained him.
“The island itself is mainly jungle, with a scattering of
villages. Local planning laws forbade the building of solid
structures, so the designer created tents. This is nothing like
boy-scout camping: the tents are absolutely beautiful, perched on
the edge of the beach, with monkeys bouncing off the canvas roofs.
All you can do is trek through the tropical forest to the open-air
lounge, look out to the ocean or have a massage on the beach.”
 Amanwana
Moyo Island 
Location located on Moyo Island, a nature reserve 15 kilometers
off the coast of Sumbawa, east of Bali. Vegetation on the 36,000-hectare
islands ranges from savanna to tropical jungle. Moyo is blessed with a
variety of animal and bird life, from deer and banteng bull to wild
boar, macaque monkeys, sea eagles and osprey. Rooms Twenty luxury
'tents' lie scattered beneath a canopy of tropical forest on a secluded
jungle beach. Paths link the tents to each other. Each spacious
air-conditioned tent is open plan containing three distinct areas. A
sitting area at the entrance has two large divans built into the front
corners of the tent that can be made into comfortable sleeping beds for
children, or, an additional adult. Positioned in the center is the
king-size bed, behind which is a large writing desk. The bathroom area
includes a shower, toilet and two separate vanity units. Ocean Front
tents have fabulous ocean views whereas the Jungle Tent are set slightly
behind and have jungle and ocean views. |
LIZARD ISLAND LODGE, Australia
“Much of the Great Barrier Reef has been bleached by global
warming. Fortunately, the diving around Lizard is still fabulous,
but take a 30-minute boat ride and it’s like you were at a corner
shop and are now in a supermarket. There are endless fields of coral
in unbelievably vibrant turquoises, greens and yellows, and because
they’re only inches from the surface, you see them with natural
sunlight. I must have seen fish, but all I can remember is the
startling sight of these carpets of extraordinary corals.
“And I love the lodge because it’s not manicured, it’s very
natural and ‘no worries’ unpretentious, and it lavishes you with the
best kind of luxury — fantastic food, amazing views and efficient
staff. You choose Aussie outback or beach-view rooms; you take a
dinghy to one of the dozens of virginal beaches, with the most
sumptuous picnic — masses of huge, delicious jumbo prawns; then you
might snorkel for a bit and a green turtle might pop its head up
right beside you.”
 Lizard
Island Resort
Lizard Island Resort is located right on the Great Barrier Reef. It is a
private paradise with 24 powdery white sandy beaches and a lagoon. It
lies 240 kilometres north of Cairns and 27 kilometres off the coast of
north Queensland. Lizard Island offers a total of 40 rooms, which are
all well furnished with modern conveniences. The resort's relaxed bar
and lounge are the ideal place to sit and enjoy a drink. Dining is one
of Lizard's many pleasures. You can share the panoramic coastal views
while dining seated on the broad sweeping verandah, or enjoy an intimate
dinner, beachside, in a private marquee. |
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