Activity holidays are rapidly gaining in popularity. Evidently, growing numbers of holidaymakers are no longer content with just baking on the beach. Skiing and snowboarding have been quietly undergoing a revolution as prices have dropped allowing more than just the wealthy to head out onto the slopes for some fresh alpine air. But summer wise, we have been slow to cotton on to adventure and activity holidays. The world is over 70% water, therefore it makes sense to utilise this resource to have fun.

Scuba diving is a way to access this underwater world without having to hold our breath or view through a glass-bottomed boat. There are hundreds of places around the globe where you can learn the art of breathing underwater using oxygen tanks, weight belts and snorkels and masks.

Warm water is where it’s at for the Brits. The sea surrounding the UK is cold enough thank you very much. Instead Britons want to enjoy tropical waters and a healthy dose of sun, sand and sea. After all, we can’t spend the whole seven days getting active can we?

The Caribbean has therefore proved to be a popular place for both beginners and more experienced divers. Top of the pile has to be the Cayman Islands. Despite the scary sounding names, Stingray City and Shark Alley, the areas are perfect for beginners and are surprisingly safe. The dive sites are full of fish and brightly coloured coral and the visibility is fantastic.

Bonaire is a little-known Caribbean island, and it likes to keep it that way. Its eco-friendly diving industry works hard to preserve the marine life around this volcanic island. Because most of this dormant volcano lies below sea level, reefs have formed on top of previous volcanic eruptions so you can dive right off the beach.

However, for many, a trip to the Caribbean may be too expensive, particularly at the moment. A place a little more in the average person’s league is the Red Sea. Three of the world’s top ten dive sites according to Scuba Travel are located in the Red Sea and being less than five hours from the UK, it’s the closest and best warm-water dive site for Brits. Check out tours for all the destinations of the world.

The three sites appearing in the top ten are Thistlegorm, a shipwreck laden with motorbikes, tanks and jeeps as well as huge schools of fish, Shark and Yolanda Reefs where coral is abundant and you may even see turtles and dolphins and Big Brother, a 400 metre long island combining reefs and wrecks and a lot of fish.

If you haven't dived for a while and you're planning to go on a diving trip, better take a look at your scuba diving gear to avoid last minute annoying problems...

To do list (for checking gear)

1) Take a look at your mask to see if the strap looks ok (the plastic is not too dry or broken in any part).In doubt, buy a spare strap. They are not expensive and can help you avoid the uncomfortable situation of going back to the boat holding your mask with your fingers...or to skip a dive. Not always is there a spare mask on the boat.

2) Same thing for your fins if they are the ones with straps.

3) BCD: Check when you serviced it for the last time. If it was more than 2 years ago, you better service it before going to dive or rent one. It is not safe to use it.

4) Regulator: Same case than BCD, only that it needs to be serviced every year or every 100 dives.

5) Wet suit: Just check that the zippers (zips) are OK and the thickness is suitable for the water temperature of the destination you chose. Consider also that wet suits take a lot of space in your luggage and rental is not that expensive. the other pieces of gear are most important in terms of using your own ones, but wetsuits, as long as you are not cold in the water, are usually ok.

6) Computer: Check the battery. It's always good to buy an extra one if you suspect the battery has lasted at least 2 years...

7) If you carry an underwater camera, do  not forget to take with you the grease for the silicone ring and some Kleenex to use every time you have to take the ring off and place it again.

8) If possible, take with you one dry bag and/or dry box. Small dry bags are not expensive (usd 10-15) for cell phone, money and things that you really don't want to get wet.

9) Take with you some Dramamine (just in case), and a mixture of vinager and alcohol in a little bottle because it's always useful for cuts, fire coral burns and even to put in your ears to prevent or help cure infections. Some baby shampoo mixed up with water is good as a defogger. It works as well as spit but smells much better...

10) If you have long hair, do not forget to carry lots of hair bands. You are going to loose most of them anyway.

11) Of course, take sun screen but NEVER put it before diving since if you do, you will have leaks in your mask during the whole dive.

If you want the best all-inclusive travel Caribbean resort, then you ought to look for more than just room with sun, sea, and sand. Hey, it's not called all-inclusive for nothing you know.

You want your all-inclusive travel Caribbean resort to have, if not everything, then at least, something really close. A buzz on the beach by day, a dining room open to the night air, water sports and other activities to go crazy on, a lounge deck within earshot of the waves for a relaxing afternoon, and a comfortable to retreat to - all that is available if you choose your all-inclusive travel Caribbean resort well.

All Inclusive Caribbean Vacations

More and more people are pampering themselves at all-inclusive travel Caribbean resorts where everything they could ever want is right at their disposal. What's more, lots of these all-inclusives - about 79% - of them are beach front properties or sitting near lakes and other bodies of water where the views are spectacular. Whatever the price category, the best place to wind down is an all-inclusive travel Caribbean resort. You're on vacation. You should let someone else take the strain, for once.

Below are our top choices when it comes to all-inclusive travel Caribbean resorts:

Breezes Bahamas

Located on the eastern end of Cable Beach, Breezes Bahamas is the epitome of warm breezes wafting across an azure sea. This all-inclusive travel Caribbean resort was previously the venerable old Ambassador Beach Hotel. In 1995, the world-famous SuperClubs took over management and the resort underwent major renovations.

Breezes all-inclusive travel Caribbean resort is truly all-inclusive. At Breezes, almost everything you could ever want is included. Room accommodations, all meals, all snacks, unlimited wine or beer with lunch and dinner, as well as alcoholic drinks, mixed with premium brand liquors at each of the four bars, the list just goes on and on. Not only that, but this all-inclusive travel Caribbean resort also includes most of the water and land sports activities, as well as airport transfers, taxes, and gratuities - all in one upfront price.

Club Med Turkoise

An island all-inclusive travel Caribbean resort, Club Med Turkoise is located directly on the white sand beach of a desert island called Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos, Caribbean. Although the land is arid and flat, unlike what you may expect of a tropical island, Turks and Caicos do draw the card with its breathtaking beauty and the astounding view of the beach and sea surrounding it.

With miles of white sand and translucent turquoise water, Club Med Turkoise all-inclusive travel Caribbean is the ideal for sports lovers and scuba divers. There are a total of 298 rooms, all beautifully appointed with comfortable accommodations, 3 meals a day, including unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, most sports, and nightly entertainment.

Le Sport

"Give us your body for a week and we'll give you back your mind." That's the line Le Sport at St. Lucia uses on their clients. And indeed, this all-inclusive travel Caribbean resort does just that. With its quirky outlook on how an all-inclusive travel Caribbean resort should be, Le Sport has been helping the weary business traveler relax, suing a combination of holiday treats and intense pleasure of personalized rejuvenation.