Strongly considering a trip to Roatan. AKR, CocoView, Fantasy Island, and Inn of Last Resorts all look so good and fairly equal. What are to pros and cons of each place. My wife likes to a fair amount of top side activites and I like them as well but will probably want to do some of the shore diving from each resort. Who has the best food, the best house reef, best free activites. Each place seems very nice and recently renovated but info about the rooms would be great too. We like the cheapest rooms that offer A/C. Thanks to everyone in advnace. Also looking at Trinidad/Tobago but have a seperate post there.
Everyplace looks good, would like views on each site.
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I love both Roatan and Tobago.
This has more than a few authors waxing poetic.
You'll find a quick answer on that shorediving thing. You really can not do shore diving from more than one resort in any given week. As a matter of fact, from some of the resorts, you really can't shore dive at all~ even though they advertise it.
The rest is very subjective, but also highly biased by reporting divers who have only been to one or two resorts, possibly only visiting the other side of the island for one or two dives.
This has more than a few authors waxing poetic.
You'll find a quick answer on that shorediving thing. You really can not do shore diving from more than one resort in any given week. As a matter of fact, from some of the resorts, you really can't shore dive at all~ even though they advertise it.
The rest is very subjective, but also highly biased by reporting divers who have only been to one or two resorts, possibly only visiting the other side of the island for one or two dives.
UnderwaterBumbleBee
Contributor
I'm a highly biased diver that has only been to Anthony's Key.
I can tell you that from what I have heard from others and my own experience, AKR probably has the most amount of top side activities (some of them free) out of your list. They have less expensive rooms on the hill by the resort but you have to walk up very steep wooden steps to get to them and who wants to do that after a dive! It is however where the food is located so you have to walk them anyways. I'd recommend the Key rooms. Ours had perfect AC but I think some might just have cross breeze from the windows. We also had our own private covered deck with two hammocks that were awesome! On the Key there is a really nice pool and bar. You can also take the kayaks or canoe anytime you want. They do have a shore dive, I just snorkeled it but others seemed to like it. However, you have to haul your gear from the dock, on a small boat that takes you to the key (very short ride) and then haul your gear across the key to the opposite side. I was too tired to lug it after 2 to 3 dives a day. They have FREE horseback riding at the resort, down the beach and the horses actually looked like they were in pretty good shape. They also have massages at the resort and you can book other activities like the zip line. They have the marine museum and a daily show for free with the dolphins. You can also take the water taxi over to Bailey's Key and watch them for free anytime or pay for the encounter, snorkel or dolphin dive. You can also snorkel in the water around Bailey's Key and there's a little beach there. Food was pretty good, always two choices, almost always soup and or salad with dinner and dessert.
We loved AKR but I've heard a lot of great things about other places too. Some of those other places might be closer to the "better" diving. AKR will dive on the other side but it's a longer and choppier trip. The Aguilar wreck is very close to AKR and was one of my favorites. They also have the shark dive you can pay for which I highly recommend. It was very relaxing and aside for leaving the property to do the zip line we never left all week.
I can tell you that from what I have heard from others and my own experience, AKR probably has the most amount of top side activities (some of them free) out of your list. They have less expensive rooms on the hill by the resort but you have to walk up very steep wooden steps to get to them and who wants to do that after a dive! It is however where the food is located so you have to walk them anyways. I'd recommend the Key rooms. Ours had perfect AC but I think some might just have cross breeze from the windows. We also had our own private covered deck with two hammocks that were awesome! On the Key there is a really nice pool and bar. You can also take the kayaks or canoe anytime you want. They do have a shore dive, I just snorkeled it but others seemed to like it. However, you have to haul your gear from the dock, on a small boat that takes you to the key (very short ride) and then haul your gear across the key to the opposite side. I was too tired to lug it after 2 to 3 dives a day. They have FREE horseback riding at the resort, down the beach and the horses actually looked like they were in pretty good shape. They also have massages at the resort and you can book other activities like the zip line. They have the marine museum and a daily show for free with the dolphins. You can also take the water taxi over to Bailey's Key and watch them for free anytime or pay for the encounter, snorkel or dolphin dive. You can also snorkel in the water around Bailey's Key and there's a little beach there. Food was pretty good, always two choices, almost always soup and or salad with dinner and dessert.
We loved AKR but I've heard a lot of great things about other places too. Some of those other places might be closer to the "better" diving. AKR will dive on the other side but it's a longer and choppier trip. The Aguilar wreck is very close to AKR and was one of my favorites. They also have the shark dive you can pay for which I highly recommend. It was very relaxing and aside for leaving the property to do the zip line we never left all week.
Delphinus
Registered
Stay away from Inn of Last Resort. For more details, read my Trip Advisor review of our experience.
Hagan34
Contributor
AKR is very nice, I did my diving at Pura Vida but visted AKR one night and was highly impressed with every thing at teh resort. from the list you gave it would be my pick. also if you havent checked out Luna Beach Resort you may want to check them out also, but feel you cant go wrong AKR.
jiminmd
Registered
Ignore Delphinus' trip report. While his group did in deed have some problems, ILR tried making it right but sometimes you can't please everybody. My wife and I have been there many times and never left disappointed. Do a search on ILR and you will find many positive reports often by repeat customers. If you have specific questions please post them or PM me.
Delphinus
Registered
Nice. Ignore my trip report because it's negative. We're only allowed to report positive experiences. Pay no attention to the dive operator behind the curtain, whose boats left oil slicks in the marine park on every dive.
I've reported the truth of our experience in great detail. It is what it is. Yes, many people have posted positive reviews of their experience. We too had a positive experience, as I have said repeatedly -- OUT of the water. It was the dive operation in particular where we had major, repeated issues. We had a great time in the resort itself (dining/accommodations/bar).
I've posted my review/report, for those who want to hear all opinions. For those like Jiminmd who think only rosy, glowing reviews are valid, ignore Delphinus' trip report.
I don't mind hearing the negative because I want to know what people experienced.
The question about the shore diving wasn't to try and go to different resorts to do it, but I wanted to know which resort had the better shore dive as part of the decision making process. I never would have known that AKR uses a boat to take you to their house reef. That seems kind of odd.
The question about the shore diving wasn't to try and go to different resorts to do it, but I wanted to know which resort had the better shore dive as part of the decision making process. I never would have known that AKR uses a boat to take you to their house reef. That seems kind of odd.
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...but first:
In this case, as in others, that's what is for. Try this: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/3353275-post10.html, agree or not, a reference to Trip Advisor as a source alone is rather... well- it's a vacationer's message board. Diving takes third seat there. otherwise, it's a 
kind of thing.
I don't know about that AKR item, but if that's what you were asking, okay...
The best shore dive, so far, in Roatan is from CoCoView, resort based or not.
The AKR shore dive is largely regarded as imaginary (again, search here), certainly in comparison.
Spooky Channel (BIBR) is interesting, especially for old grizzled hard core night "muck divers" (and I mean that with positive affection), but you got quite a hump before you get to 'pretty fish' zone. In that one of the best uses for a resort based shore dive is the night dive, I rank Spooky Channel right up there, but most folks won't return more than once or twice.
The Lagoon out back of IoLR I would put in the same category. I have made only two night dives there, but would suggest it for those who understood what it was.
Reef House in Oak Ridge has a decent shore dive, but it is quite exposed to the vagaries of the weather.
Fantasy Island shares the same shore dive with CCV, but understand that it is quite a bit further through FIBR beach's murky run off- rather than from the entry point at CCV. Take a look: FIBR on lower left, CCV on upper right FIBR is the resort that provides occasional boat rides to do this dive. You don't see many FIBR shore divers, if at all- certainly not as compared top the parade, day and night, from CCV.
What makes the CCV version so special? The shore dive is a sandy beach entry, a wooden gear-up platform stands in 4'. From there, you can follow a ships anchor chain that is laid through the clear water of the coral heads until you arive at the 140' tanker the chain was taken from. The Prince Albert Wreck lies in 35>65fswm, and 20' past, over on the FIBR side is the DC3 aircraft. On either side of this channel floor lies two great walls that go from 5' to 90' sand then on to the deep.
It's shallow, it has many obvious and immovable land marks, there's a heavy metal chain to follow to get home.
This is the ideal night dive location. No one gets lost.
Go now before it gets trashed.
In this case, as in others, that's what
is for. Try this: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/3353275-post10.html, agree or not, a reference to Trip Advisor as a source alone is rather... well- it's a vacationer's message board. Diving takes third seat there. otherwise, it's a kind of thing.I don't know about that AKR item, but if that's what you were asking, okay...
The best shore dive, so far, in Roatan is from CoCoView, resort based or not.
The AKR shore dive is largely regarded as imaginary (again, search here), certainly in comparison.
Spooky Channel (BIBR) is interesting, especially for old grizzled hard core night "muck divers" (and I mean that with positive affection), but you got quite a hump before you get to 'pretty fish' zone. In that one of the best uses for a resort based shore dive is the night dive, I rank Spooky Channel right up there, but most folks won't return more than once or twice.
The Lagoon out back of IoLR I would put in the same category. I have made only two night dives there, but would suggest it for those who understood what it was.
Reef House in Oak Ridge has a decent shore dive, but it is quite exposed to the vagaries of the weather.
Fantasy Island shares the same shore dive with CCV, but understand that it is quite a bit further through FIBR beach's murky run off- rather than from the entry point at CCV. Take a look: FIBR on lower left, CCV on upper right FIBR is the resort that provides occasional boat rides to do this dive. You don't see many FIBR shore divers, if at all- certainly not as compared top the parade, day and night, from CCV.
What makes the CCV version so special? The shore dive is a sandy beach entry, a wooden gear-up platform stands in 4'. From there, you can follow a ships anchor chain that is laid through the clear water of the coral heads until you arive at the 140' tanker the chain was taken from. The Prince Albert Wreck lies in 35>65fswm, and 20' past, over on the FIBR side is the DC3 aircraft. On either side of this channel floor lies two great walls that go from 5' to 90' sand then on to the deep.
It's shallow, it has many obvious and immovable land marks, there's a heavy metal chain to follow to get home.
This is the ideal night dive location. No one gets lost.
Go now before it gets trashed.
UnderwaterBumbleBee
Contributor
Here's photos to give you a clearer idea of what the shore dive/boat is like at AKR.
The "Boat" you take to get to the Key Rooms/Shore Dive
Anthony's Key pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
The Distance you have to travel from the main part of the resort to the Key/Shore Dive
Anthony's Key pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
The Shore Dive
Anthony's Key pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
Spooky Channel Photo (Near AKR)
Spooky Channel pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
The Aguilar Wreck (Near AKR)
El Aguila - Roatan pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
The "Boat" you take to get to the Key Rooms/Shore Dive
Anthony's Key pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
The Distance you have to travel from the main part of the resort to the Key/Shore Dive
Anthony's Key pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
The Shore Dive
Anthony's Key pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
Spooky Channel Photo (Near AKR)
Spooky Channel pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
The Aguilar Wreck (Near AKR)
El Aguila - Roatan pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
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