Mar Hosted Trips

This is the part people don’t think about before booking a remote dive trip:

The photos show the beautiful water and nature.

They do not show the smaller airport, the long transfer, the early boat ride, the simple hotel, the weather delay, or the moment when local timing IS local timing.

And honestly, that does not make the trip bad at all. To the most contrary! it makes it exciting because we as travelers are about to learn about other cultures. We will open our minds and hearts to a different way of life.

Mos of the time that is exactly where the best diving lives!

This is why we talk so much about choosing the right trip for the right person at MHT. A trip can be beautiful and still not be the right fit for every diver, every comfort level, or every season of life.

Before we open a trip, we are not only asking if the destination looks amazing. We are asking if the diving, travel, pace, support, and local operation make sense for the people we are bringing.

A beautiful destination is easy to get excited about, but the reality of planning something that makes sense is way different.

If this is the way you want to travel, follow Mar Hosted Trips.

Learn more about who we are and where we are going: www.marhostedtrips.com

Panama 2027 is open, this group trip is for the divers who like a adventure and remote destinations!

We are officially opening our 2027 Panama trip to Coiba, and we have 9 spots available.

The trip runs June 16–23, 2027. One week of diving in the Pacific!

Santa Catalina is a small coastal town on the Pacific side of Panama, and Coiba is the reason we are going. Remote diving, nature, smaller boats, longer rides and simple logistics.

That is part of what makes it so exciting!

This is a coed MHT adventure trip with a medium challenge level. Advanced Open Water is recommended so you can enjoy the deeper dives, and we recommend at least 25 dives.

Conditions can include longer boat rides, lower visibility, stronger currents, smaller boats. This is Pacific diving! so you will see pelagic and also reefs full of life. We are hoping for hammerheads, whales and whale sharks that month!

We fly into Panama City, get the group together, and then make our way toward Santa Catalina on a van ride for diving around remote Coiba.

Panama June 16-23, 2027 - event here - let me know if you want to see the flyer!

Learn more about who we are and where we are going: www.marhostedtrips.com

Okay, the 2026 MHT World Tour shirt is officially becoming real.

And I love her.

This one has our 2026 trip destinations on the back, the Mar Hosted Trips logo on the front, and a little Scuba MAR Maids moment on the sleeve because, of course, she had to be there too.

We are only ordering a small batch, so I want to make sure the people who really want one can get the right size before we place the order.

If you want to pre-order one, comment your size below or message us so we can count you before we finalize everything.

This is one of those shirts that feels extra special because it is not just merch. It is a little wearable memory of all the places this community is going in 2026, all the trips we are building, and all the divers who are part of the MHT story.

Who wants one?

You don’t have to figure out the right dive trip by yourself. Email us. Message us. We actually like talking about this stuff.

Sometimes people watch our trips for a while before they understand how Mar Hosted Trips works, so let’s make it simple:

We plan group trips around the world, but they are not all the same kind of trips. Some are warm, easy, relaxed weeks that are great for newer divers or people who want a softer travel pace. Some are bigger adventure trips with liveaboards, stronger conditions, currents, remote travel, earlier mornings, or more advanced diving.

This is why fit matters so much.

When you look at our trips, I want you to ask more than “Where do I want to go?” I want you to also ask, “What kind of diving feels right for me right now?”

On our website, you can see where we are going, the dates, price if the trip is available to book, what is included, and the general dive level. If a trip looks interesting but you are not sure if it fits your experience, comfort level, or travel style, ask us.

That is part of what we are here for.

We would rather help you choose well from the beginning than have you book something just because the photos look beautiful.

Once you are booked, we guide you through the next steps with trip information, payment details, group communication, and a Trip Hub so the planning feels more organized.

MHT is for people who want good diving, clear planning, kind groups, and a travel company that cares about the full experience.

If that sounds like the way you want to travel, follow Mar Hosted Trips.

You can see upcoming trips and learn more here: www.marhostedtrips.com

Ethical tourism sounds big, but it usually starts with one simple question: who are we supporting by being here?

Who are we paying? Who are we listening to? Who is benefiting because we are there?

That is something I think about more and more with MHT. Because travel is beautiful, but it is also powerful. Our money, our behavior, our questions, and even the tours we choose can affect the people, animals, and places we visit.

For divers, I think ethical travel starts with paying attention.

We can choose dive shops that respect marine life instead of chasing, feeding, touching, or poking animals for a better photo. We can support operators who brief well, treat their staff with respect, and care about safety. We can eat at locally owned restaurants, hire local guides, buy from real artisans, and avoid attractions that feel like they are using animals or culture as a quick tourist show.

Nobody has to become perfect overnight. That is not real life.

But we can make smarter choices.

We can ask better questions. We can notice where our money goes. We can remember that we are guests. We can choose people who are doing good work in their own communities and support them instead of only choosing what is easiest or cheapest.

That is a big part of where MHT is growing.

We want our travelers to become better divers, better travelers, and better citizens of the world. And sometimes that starts with something as simple as asking, “Who am I supporting by being here?”

If this is the way you like to travel, our land-based dive trips are where you will start seeing more of this work first.

We are choosing local partners, asking important questions, and building trips where the people hosting us benefit directly.

Pretty places are easy to sell. Responsible travel takes more thought.

I have been thinking a lot about what it means to keep growing Mar Hosted Trips with purpose.

We love beautiful diving. Of course we do. Clear water, big animals, good food, boat days, tired happy people after a dive… that will always be part of it.

When we bring a group somewhere, we are entering someone else’s home. That alone should change how we move, we should act like guests with more care and respect.

I want our travelers to ask better questions when booking their vacations. Who are we supporting by being here? Are we respecting the animals we came to see? Are we listening to local guides? Are we choosing partners who care about safety, their staff, the ocean, and the community around them?

These are the questions I am asking as a founder too.

We are learning how to choose better partners, support local businesses when we can, avoid harmful animal encounters, respect marine life more carefully, and build trips where the people hosting us also benefit from our presence.

I want to be very honest about this: we are still learning.

I do not want to use sustainability as a pretty word on a caption. Travel has impact. Group travel has impact. Diving has impact. Some choices are better than others, and we are paying more attention to those choices as we grow.

That is the direction I want for MHT.

I want people to come home with beautiful photos, yes, but also with more awareness. More respect. More curiosity. More understanding of why their choices matter when they travel.

That is the kind of travel community I want to keep building.

Better divers. Better travelers. Better citizens of the world.

What is one thing you pay attention to when visiting a new place?

We don’t plan trips just so people can see the world. We plan trips so people can learn how to move through it better.

We want people to come home as better divers, better travelers, and better citizens of the world. More aware. More respectful. More connected to the ocean, the local communities, and the places we are lucky enough to visit.

And that is exactly why I love French Polynesia for MHT.
We have only one spot open for March 4-13, 2027 - Women-only

You fly into Tahiti, and then the trip starts to feel very real. Smaller planes, quiet atolls, blue water everywhere.

We are going to Rangiroa and Fakarava in March 2027, and these are not places that are super easy to figure out.

There are inter-island flights, transfers, dive schedules, timing details, and all the little pieces that need to flow well so people can actually enjoy the trip instead of spending the whole time wondering where they are supposed to be next.

And the diving has that big-ocean feeling.

Rangiroa and Fakarava are places where the ocean reminds you very quickly that you are a guest. This is why these destinations are for AOW divers who like to experince the best diving in the world.

When we add a trip like this to MHT, I am not only looking at the photos. I am thinking about the full experience. Does the travel make sense? Is the diving worth the distance? Will the group feel supported? Are we giving people enough structure to enjoy the adventure without feeling overwhelmed?

French Polynesia has the remote island feel, the blue water, the diving, and enough moving parts that having a group and a plan really matters.

We have only one spot open for March 4-13, 2027
We fly direct to Tahiti from LA
Women only trip lead by Shev.

Let me know if you want to see the details!

Good travel people make the whole trip better. And yes, we protect that.

One thing I will always care about at Mar Hosted Trips is the kind of community we are building.

Travel asks a lot from people. Flights change. Weather happens. Boats move. Bags get delayed. Plans shift. Someone is tired. Someone is hungry. I need coffee...We get it!

That is travel. Especially when we are going to remote places, diving in real ocean conditions, and working with local partners around the world.

What I pay attention to is HOW people move through those moments.

Do they stay kind when things change? Do they speak to the crew with respect? Do they understand that local guides, hotel teams, drivers, dive staff, and trip leaders are humans doing their best? Do they remember they are traveling with a group, not alone in their own little bubble?

That matters to me.

Mar Hosted Trips is a women-owned, family-run small business based in Texas. We are not a giant travel corporation with a call center and 14 departments hiding behind a logo. We are real people planning real trips with a lot of care, and we take that responsibility seriously.

We choose partners carefully. We communicate as clearly as we can. We build Trip Hubs, send updates, answer questions, work through logistics, and do our best to create trips where people feel safe, welcomed, and supported. All this while we lead 40 trips a year! Yes, we are busy, and sometimes that means you won't get a reply from Maira in the moment, but she and her team will get back to you for sure.

We absolutely protect the people who make our trips possible:

That means our very small MHT team, our few trip leaders, local crews, dive staff, hotel teams, drivers, guides, and fellow travelers all deserve to be treated with respect. Always. No questions asked.

We do not make space for mean, threatening, or disrespectful behavior in this community. I know that may sound firm, and I am okay with that. A kind group does not happen by accident. It happens because the standard is clear, and the culture is set.

The strength of MHT has always come from the people who travel with patience, curiosity, humor, flexibility, and care for the people around them.

Those are the travelers we love and the travelers we will keep:

The ones who say thank you to the boat crew, are respectfully on time for their team, try the local food, respect the local customs, listen to the local guides, check on their buddy, and understand that being a good traveler is part of being a good diver.

That is the community we are building.

And yes, we will keep protecting it.

Are you part of our community??
How many trips have you done with us??

A pretty reef will get me interested. A guide who watches the group will make me come back!

That is one of the biggest green flags I look for when choosing a dive shop abroad.

I know it sounds basic, but I am still surprised how often it is missing. A good guide is not just swimming ahead, they are looking back, checking the group, noticing who is comfortable, who is working too hard, who is drifting or who is low on air faster than expected.

The green flags usually start before anyone gets on the boat though. I pay attention to how a shop communicates when we first reach out. If they answer clearly, explain the diving honestly, talk about conditions without sugarcoating them, and do not disregard all my safety questions. I have been on a situation where I ask for an emergency action plan for their remote area and they look at me like a crazy person.

I also pay attention to the briefing. I want to hear the plan, the conditions, depth, current, hand signals, air expectations, what to do if separated, and how the group will be managed underwater.

Because when I bring a group somewhere, I am not only looking for beautiful reefs. I am looking for people I can trust when the ocean has an attitude, when someone gets nervous, when visibility changes, or when the plan needs to shift.

I look for guides that respect the marine life, we need to teach the dive shops we do not want guides poking or chasing or feeding. We want respect.

And after years of planning dive trips, I’ve learned that dive centers are made of humans. Sometimes a good shop has a messy day because their strongest divemaster was off. Sometimes a wonderful divemaster is working at a shop that does not have strong systems, and usually they do not stay there forever.

So I look for patterns.

Do they communicate well before the trip? Do they give honest answers? Do they brief with care? Do they watch the group underwater? Do they treat divers like humans instead of names on a manifest? Are the managers present and interested? Do the managers treat their staff fairly?

That is the stuff I remember. This is why you want experienced trip leaders, because we know how to notice and how to advocate for you.

A pretty reef might make me book once. A dive shop that pays attention is the one I trust with our people. If you see I stopped booking with a specific dive shop, you know why now.