AKR and CocoView together

[scubamickey]

Took the words out of my mouth. Both places are really nice and do a great job looking after their guests. I think I might be inclined to spend both weeks in one place just to avoid having to pack up and move, but then i am a lazy sot...

Maybe the second place would send a boat around for you so you can just dump all of your stuff and go!

Ha ha! That would be unlikely. We never rent gear due to our style of diving. We travel with 2 large North Face duffel bags (depending on whether or not we plan on tech dives) of gear, a carry on bag with regulators, 1 large pelican case with underwater housing equipment, and a much smaller bag with regular clothes and stuff. It's the only type of international trip where we can't just take a carry on bag.
But I suppose I could always ask I figured a taxi would be the way we got to the other resort. I assume taxis will drive to the other side since it's not that far.

 

[scrane]

It will take ME 32 hours to get to Roatan and that includes having to layover for 10 hours in a hotel. I'm coming from Alaska. So for at least me, going anyone outside the USA is always a long flight.

I have a similar situation flying from Boise, ID in October. On the way out I overnight in San Salvador and coming back its overnight in either Houston or beautiful San Pedro Sula. I'm going with SPS.

 

[scubamickey]

I have a similar situation flying from Boise, ID in October. On the way out I overnight in San Salvador and coming back its overnight in either Houston or beautiful San Pedro Sula. I'm going with SPS.

Looks like our overnight will be in Miami. Which is great since they have the hotel inside the airport that we've had to use before. Returning the overnight will be in Dallas. 33hr going and 30 returning. Just shy of 10,000 miles rountrip. Much longer than our recent flights into Madrid, ironically enough.

 

[KathyV]

I'm curious what you mean about the difficulty of getting to Roatan. I've only traveled out of the USA twice, and thought Roatan was easier than Cozumel, MX.. Otherwise I don't have experiences to compare with. Are other destinations easier in some way for travel?

Since you are traveling from Florida you probably have more choices, cheaper fares, and more direct flights to Caribbean destinations. I travel from Chicago, which is a major airline hub, but my memory of arranging flights to Roatan were not easy; but again things may have changed, it's been awhile.

There were no direct flights and most required 1 or 2 stops and the airfares were quite high, around $300 more per ticket than we were used to for some other Caribbean destinations. So the accommodations/diving are cheaper but the flights are harder and more expensive and we had to pay for the travel med doctor, vaccinations, and medicines - so is it really that much of a bargain? I remember overnighting in Miami for one trip, I think it was Roatan but I am not sure.

The OP is traveling from Alaska so travel to the Caribbean will be a big issue for her. I know that she is looking for beautiful coral reefs and warm water, but Cabo San Lucas and the Sea of Cortez would be easier to get to from Alaska than to the Caribbean and maybe it offers some of the things she is looking for?

 

[kelemvor]

Since you are traveling from Florida you probably have more choices, cheaper fares, and more direct flights to Caribbean destinations. I travel from Chicago, which is a major airline hub, but my memory of arranging flights to Roatan were not easy; but again things may have changed, it's been awhile.

There were no direct flights and most required 1 or 2 stops and the airfares were quite high, around $300 more than we were used to for some other destinations. So the accommodations/diving are cheaper but the flights are harder and more expensive so is it really that much of a bargain? I remember overnighting in Miami for one trip, I think it was Roatan but I am not sure.

The OP is traveling from Alaska so travel to the Caribbean will be a big issue for her. I know that she is looking for beautiful coral reefs and warm water, but Cabo San Lucas and the Sea of Cortez would be easier to get to from Alaska than to the Caribbean and maybe it offers some of the things she is looking for?

I understand now. Even from Florida, I had to take a stop for both Roatan and Cozumel. Both times I stopped in Miami. I asked because I thought maybe you were alluding to problems at the destination airport or problems with "airport transfers."

 

[scubamickey]

Since you are traveling from Florida you probably have more choices, cheaper fares, and more direct flights to Caribbean destinations. I travel from Chicago, which is a major airline hub, but my memory of arranging flights to Roatan were not easy; but again things may have changed, it's been awhile.

There were no direct flights and most required 1 or 2 stops and the airfares were quite high, around $300 more than we were used to for some other Caribbean destinations. So the accommodations/ diving are cheaper but the flights are harder and more expensive so is it really that much of a bargain? I remember overnighting in Miami for one trip, I think it was Roatan but I am not sure.

The OP is traveling from Alaska so travel to the Caribbean will be a big issue for her. I know that she is looking for beautiful coral reefs and warm water, but Cabo San Lucas and the Sea of Cortez would be easier to get to from Alaska than to the Caribbean and maybe it offers some of the things she is looking for?

I've traveled to the Caribbean, much farther away than Honduras (Saba). Yeah, it's a PITA but it's fine. Like I said, everywhere we go it's a 2 day adventure just to get to the destination. We expect that. Hawaii is the only thing close at 6 1/2 hrs.
I've consider the Sea of Cortez but I want warm water. At 75 degrees I'd need my drysuit and the whole point of diving outside of Alaska is to not have to take my drysuit. I hour + dives, especially repetitive days, will have me freezing in a 5mm at 75 degrees. I am literally looking for water temps at 80 or higher. I need a break from cold water.

I'm going to look at Curacao as well, but right now it looks like Roatan is the best option for a full 2 weeks that's not expensive and is hassle free.

 

[scubamickey]

For those of you wondering what it takes to get from Alaska to Roatan. Here is the itinerary with the shortest duration time.
ANC-LAX
LAX-Houston
Houston -Miami (overnight here-arrive at 8:20pm and depart next day at 11:10am so it's perfect for resting)
Miami to Roatan
33hr including the layover

But it only takes 90,000 miles rountrip for 2 people and that includes a couple of flights in first class.

 

[KathyV]

I hope that you have a great trip to Roatan, the water should be warm!

Just for future reference, we also like to take 2 week trips and if we have to pack up and move in the middle of the trip then we try and get to another (not too far away) location or get on a liveaboard. In the fall we will spend a week on Grand Cayman and a week on Little Cayman.

So I thought that the suggestion of Roatan and Utilla was a good one, and I don't know how you feel about traveling to Egypt, but the idea of doing 2 liveaboards trips on the northern and southern Red Sea was also a great suggestion, and prices are really cheap right now because of the drop in tourism in the region.

 

[scubamickey]

I hope that you have a great trip to Roatan, the water should be very warm!

Just for future reference, we also like to take 2 week trips and if we have to pack up and move in the middle of the trip then we try and get to another (not too far away) location or get on a liveaboard. In the fall we will spend a week on Grand Cayman and a week on Little Cayman.

So I thought that the suggestion of Roatan and Utilla was a good one, and I don't know how you feel about traveling to Egypt, but the idea of doing 2 liveaboards trips on the northern and southern Red Sea was also a great suggestion.

We did that in Saba. Did a week on the liveaboard and then a week just on Saba. It was fantastic. I will look at Utila too. I'd forgotten about the recommendation.
Not going to Egypt at this point. My husbands had to spend nearly 6 months in Saudi for a work related operation and the Saudis told him, with no reservation, to stay away from those areas. We had actually planned a big trip to Egypt just before the craziness broke out back in 2010?. I have no desire to go to the Middle East at this point.

 

[scubamickey]

I hope that you have a great trip to Roatan, the water should be very warm!

Just for future reference, we also like to take 2 week trips and if we have to pack up and move in the middle of the trip then we try and get to another (not too far away) location or get on a liveaboard. In the fall we will spend a week on Grand Cayman and a week on Little Cayman.

So I thought that the suggestion of Roatan and Utilla was a good one, and I don't know how you feel about traveling to Egypt, but the idea of doing 2 liveaboards trips on the northern and southern Red Sea was also a great suggestion, and prices are really cheap right now because of the drop in tourism to the region.

Darn, those ARE some cheap liveaboard trips I just looked at in Egypt. Tempting.