5 days until we leave for Roatan

[Dive n00b]

So excited... can't wait!

Wondering if my fellow scuba boarders could offer up any last minute tips, advice or recommendations.

Will be staying at the Mayan Princess and diving with Mayan Divers or Bananarama.

A few specific things... I've read that the credit card terminals on the island are unreliable, but that most resorts dont have in-room safes etc... Trying to figure out the ideal balance of cash vs. credit for this trip. Should say $500 cash do it or should I bring more in case we are SOL with the credit card machine at the dive shop?

Also, I haven't been able to find Cactus Juice or really any of the products that you guys recommend to keep the sand flies away. Best I can find is deep woods off with DEET (which we will rinse off before diving to protect the reef). Think we'll be okay or should we look for other alternatives?

Any special items to include in our first aid kit?

Anything that the locals would love to get their hands on from Canada?
Anything that we should bring that we won't want to search for on the island?


I'd appreciate anything you guys have to offer in terms of guidance. Looking forward to an amazing experience.

Andre

 

[Dive n00b]

Oh, and I'm always looking for restaurant and dive site recco's folks!

 

[Doc]

NB: When inquiring of Roatan, always mention where you are staying. It's a big little island. In this case, Mayan Divers of West Bay area, right?

So excited... can't wait!

Oh, and I'm always looking for restaurant recco's folks!

Calm thyself: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bay-islands/277785-taste-west-end-roatan.html

 

[texas-buzzard]

we could not find cactus juice either so we settled for deep woods also. the no-see-ums didn't bother us too much but it depends if you look like lunch or not.
we have 3 days to Roatan at RHR. I B diving

 

[robint]

Cactus Juice you need to buy online or there on the island. They sold it at CCV resort but don't know if they have it elsewhere on island. We bought ours online before our trip.

The DEET works for mosquitos, I am guessing it will also work for the noseeums, but it is yucky smelling and will melt neoprene so be careful with it.

Take a box of granola bars or your favorite non-melting snacks in your luggage. Keep them in your room to munch between meals or nighttime to keep from having to go out searching food all the time. (this doesn't just apply to Roatan, it is a trick we learned a few years ago and really, really helps!) Don't know if they provide water bottles there at your resort, but we also buy several bottled waters on our trips, and take with us the little individual serving packages of gatoraid and CrystalLite tea.

Shopping - you will find on Roatan lots of native crafts, wood carvings and woven products from Central American countries. If you are into that type of stuff (we really are) be sure to have cash for them. Most stores only take cash, no credit cards at all.

Have fun!

robin

 

[georoc01]

They sell Cactus Juice at AKR as well assuming they have it in stock.

 

[Sorrows]

We were just there and didn't have any problem with bugs at all.

I always bring snacks for in-between dives as well as in-between meals. They do provide fruit and water on the boats, but sometimes a cracker or cookie or nuts/trail mix is appreciated, too. But then, I have a teenager!

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Dive n00b]

Appreciate all the input folks... keep it coming!

 

[dmoore19]

Just google cactus juice and order it online. They had it at AKR when we were there and I think I remember seeing it at one of the little stores we went into in West End, though I can't remember which one it was.

 

[Pimdiver]

Never dove with Mayan Divers; but, I recommend Bananarama highly. We dove with them and stayed at Bananarama twice and are going down a couple of days early for next month's Cocoview trip for the express purpose of diving with them again.