I am not at that point in my life where I book a stay at a lodge. My trips are going to be mostly un-guided, DIY, cheap digs, cheap beer kinds of adventures. Cost is the key factor for me and when you look at cost, the single greatest factor comes down to the essential element of travel. Airfare.
Looking at likely bonefishing locations for a Spring of 2010 trip, here are the high points of what I’m seeing…
- Hawaii is just expensive to get to… with Honolulu hitting $657 and Kauai at $755, it remains more expensive to get to these beautiful places than it really seems like it should.
- The cheapest flight from SFO is, of course, going to be to Miami ($265), but everyone I talk to says the DIY plan for the Keys is also a CNAW (Catch Nothing All Week) plan… and, not having DONE it, I can’t say if that is truth or a pack of filthy, dirty lies.
- Cancun… attractive at $296, although it seems the popular bonefishing is farther south of that resort mecca.
- Freeport, Grand Bahama hits a bit of a sweet spot… airfare is $382, which isn’t so bad… cheap digs are available and there are at least a few places for the DIY guy/gal to at least spot a fish. Guides also don’t run the $800 for a full day that seems to happen at least a few other spots.
- When you start looking at other places… Marsh Harbor, Providenciales, Treasure Cay, Deadman’s Cay, you find the price tag with numbers from $600 to $750.
