Hilton HHonors - Best Hilton for snorkeling off the beach?

Here's a topic that hasn't been addressed specifically in any FT thread on the Hilton board (at least according to my searches and longtime observation of the board).

Which are the best tropical locations where you can simply slip on a mask, fins and snorkel and lose yourself in some undersea life for a few hours? Dive trips are great, but sometimes the more accessible, the better.

The reason I ask: My wife-to-be and I will be honeymooning in late August. And my one requisite is that I use my GLONP or GLON award (or 210,000+ hilton points) at a tropical location –. preferably one with easily accessible snorkeling.

Here are some locations we are considering. I'd particularly like to hear from those who have been to these places whether these hotels do or do not fit the bill. (A disclaimer: I have already been to Cancun and HWV, so that's why they are not on the list, plus my fiance is part-Native-American and has little interest in Hawaii and Mexico, given the lingering aboriginal issues in those countries)

Hilton Barbados
Hilton Curacao
Hilton Egypt resorts on the Red Sea
Hilton Mauritius
Hilton Seychelles
Hilton Rhodes
Hilton Fiji
Hilton Cabos San Lucas
Hilton Phuket

I'd love to go to the Maldives, likely the best snorkeling place in the Hilton chain from what I read, but my Silver status will probably lock me out of any possibility of an award stay. (The Hilton search engine says the entire month of August is unvailable)

Any other suggestions? Thoughts? I hope this can be a continuing resource for FT regulars. I can't believe I'm the only one interested in this subject.

I really enjoyed the Hilton Barbados. There are a few shipwrecks in Carlisle Bay next to the Hilton. From the Hilton property it would be a long swim. I walked down the beach between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile and then swam out about 300-500 yards to get to them. Other days I took a free kayak from Barbados Blue (Hilton's dive shop) and kayaked to the wrecks. I tied the kayak up to a mooring ball and just snorkled around. Don't tell Barbados Blue that you intend to tie up to the mooring balls - they don't want you to for some reason.

You will know where to go because of all the catamarans snorkeling trips that go there.

problem with most hiltons are big sandy beaches. find a reef

problem with most hiltons are big sandy beaches. find a reef

I agree. So here is an option maybe. It has a reef via a 217-feet stroll north. How about the Key Largo Doubletree to USA's own, world-famous, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park?

http://www.pennekamppark.com/

hilton mauritius had pretty good (though i wouldn't say fantastic) snorkeling right off the beach. but better yet, they also had free daily boat trips out to a reef (15 min away) with fantastic snorkeling. just a simple motorboat ride, nothing too complicated or structured, in which we were often the only couple.

Ironically, if you don't want to deal with Cancun and Hawai'i because of aboriginal issues, that pretty much wipes many other resorts off your list too - Fiji: aboriginal rights vs. Indo-Fijians; Baja California - whoops, that's in Mexico, same issues as in Cancón / Quintana Roo, only moreso; Seychelles - some colonial issues there; Phuket - whoops, southern Thais are not only protesting Bangkok rule, some are decapitating and using explosives; it goes on and on. If you want to stay at home, or if you want to travel, you will find human conflict, particularly between those who were there already and those who came more recently, though I didn't see too much of that in Luxembourg.:)

But if you want pristine reefs just off the hotel, you will likely have to find another place to live than a chain hotel, IMO - most disturb the environment just constructing there, and some are on landfills. And it would be useful to know how far you want to go and what airline affiliations you have as well.

Good luck in your quest.

You're right, Jdiver. Aboriginal issues are everywhere. And believe me, the political instability of both Thailand and Fiji has me thinking twice about going there. However, Mexico and Hawaii were explicitly ruled out by my intended. I put the Cabo resort on the list by mistake.

The basics: I have about 100,000 NW miles, she has about 20,000. I also have 80,000 AA miles that i can probably pump up to 95,000-100,000. Ideally, I'd like to use them to go halfway around the world on our honeymoon. I might use one set of miles to get to Europe (she's never been) and then the other set to get to either Mauritius or Seychelles. Or simply shell out (horrors!) for airfare.

Thanks so much about the insights regarding Barbados and Mauritius, which were my two top choices. Those are things I had never read before here, in the guidebooks or tripadvior.com: Another reason why this question needed to be asked directly.

I agree that the very existence of a mega-hotel like Hilton will probably limit the presence of a reef. But you never know...

I've been to Pennekamp in the Keys and loved it. However, the Keys as a whole were very frustrating to me. Too much shallow water. The best place where I could just wander in to the sea and watch some marine life was in the state park in Key West. I forget its name.