CoCo View/Utila Lodge Report/Pics, Long

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Nice report, When were you at cocoview. I'm curious to see if anything has changed since its been sold? I sure hope not.
 
flatwood:
Nice report, When were you at cocoview. I'm curious to see if anything has changed since its been sold? I sure hope not.

We were there a month ago and the new owners were on site and promised not to change much.

They were installing a new satallite dish for the TV upstairs while we were there.

We spoke with them everyday and other guests did as well. I think they get the msg. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Nice folks they will not be living on site.

Our wonderful Erin and Billy aka Ms Erin and Mr Billy will still be running the joint.

Killer went with Mr Bill and Ms Ev but they now have Poncho a huge golden retriever and of course Maggie.
 
mjh:
It was a “small” eagle ray, about 4ft across. It must have been very, very hungry because you could get about 2ft from it before it would move. Even then it just go a couple of feet and settle in again. I am trying to put together a series where you can see it land, start digging in and then take off. The shots were taken with the 60mm.
I can hardly wait:D
 
We happend to be there as the previous owner and his grandson arrived to run their boat back to the keys. They seem to feel almost everything will be left the same. The new owners are adding airconditioning to every unit, as mentioned updating the entertainment and I understand the website might get an update.
 
I was there at CCV the same week mjh was and fully agree with everything he said (save me a lot of typing!!!). Had heard about the resort from two friends of mine who had been there on repeated occasions - just raved about the place. It's got a "barefoot" style to it...kinda funky but everything is totally setup for diving, from the dive and photo shop to the dive masters and their crew. Everybody is a pro!
No locks, no keys, no doors on the lockers...everything is on the honor policy. What a feeling of freedom! You want some sunscreen or a t-shirt from the boutique? Grab it and write your name/room # on the piece of paper next to the door.
My sons and I stayed in one of the houses that the resort manages just a few hundred yards away. It was worth the extra $$ to have our own seperate rooms, a full kitchen, living room, sundeck and semi-private beach.
The last night we all were there there was supposed to be a final barbeque and limbo contest out on the point with fire dancers to entertain us. Welp...the electricity went out (again) so the resort manager said that it was an "open bar" until we got power back. She couldn't anticipate the power staying out until 1AM. What a blast!!
The fire dancers were an added bonus as they performed on the decks that were built over the water - and there was NO other lighting anywhere.

You can see some of my pictures on my website at:
www.edited.tv
Just click on the scuba diver at the bottom of the page.
 
mjh:
We happend to be there as the previous owner and his grandson arrived to run their boat back to the keys. They seem to feel almost everything will be left the same. The new owners are adding airconditioning to every unit, as mentioned updating the entertainment and I understand the website might get an update.

I would think it would difficult to add a/c to the over the water cabanas since they have an opened screen wall that faces the ocean.

The bungalows had a/c added as an option recently,but when we were there last month I didn't see anyone using them. The cool ocean breezes and the lapping waves will lull you to sleep.

'bout Time, Captained by Mr. Bill & Crewed by daughter Jill, son in law Jim, and grandson Chris pulled out of CCV channel at 12:05pm on July 30th for the boats final voyage home.

Adios amigo you will be missed :07:
 
mjh:
It was a great trip and this is just another way to re-live it. I will probably post more pics in the photography section as I have a ton of decent shots, hell I have 30-40 of the Eagle ray eating alone!

MJH, from your description of accomodations, I figure you stayed at the on-shore a/c rooms at CoCoView. CCV just added a/c to the over the water bungalows, but for my money, we like the Cabanas which are over the water, very close to the crashing waves of the CCV wall. You can look out the full wall screen and watch the eagle rays and baby nurse sharks feed.

Having looked at all room types at AKR and CCV, I still like the Cabanas at CCV even better. Next time, take a visit to one of the 12 cabanas.

Excellent, detailed report.
 
As a professional that lives and works on Utila it's great to have such positive feedback posted on this board. All, and I mean all, of the dive operators on this island work so hard to create an excellent level of service to complement the great diving that is to be found in this area. For so long Utila was always 2nd considered against other established destinations in the Caribbean but it is amazing to hear that experienced divers find that there is always something waiting to discovered in the Caribbean. In fact the 'Reef ID' group even found Utila to have the most diverse variety of micro fish life in the whole Caribbean.

I hope that more divers who are found of Utila are able to return here, and for those that haven't you'll never be dissappointed. Just tonight I was talking with Steve and Jasmin of Deep Blue Divers discussing the variety of 'nudibranch' and recent shark sightings that make Utila a naturalists and photographers paradise alike, just imagine if the residents of the dive community on Utila are impressed every time they dive then think about how much 1st time vistors to Utila will enjoy their experiences here.

Enjoy this beautiful place.

Warmest regards from the Caribbean,
Andy
 
parrotheaddiver:
I would think it would difficult to add a/c to the over the water cabanas since they have an opened screen wall that faces the ocean.

The bungalows had a/c added as an option recently,but when we were there last month I didn't see anyone using them. The cool ocean breezes and the lapping waves will lull you to sleep.

'bout Time, Captained by Mr. Bill & Crewed by daughter Jill, son in law Jim, and grandson Chris pulled out of CCV channel at 12:05pm on July 30th for the boats final voyage home.

Adios amigo you will be missed :07:

Yeah, I cant see how (or why) you would add a/c to the Cabanas. I would doubt the electrical would handle it on that end of the resort... not for me to say. But you won't find me bothering to use a/c out there!

The " 'Bout Time " (Mr Bill's yacht) suffered some kind of mechanical issues on it's way North, so it got pulled into Mexico (Cozumel) by a pineapple ship. Lot's of locals and official assistance just because of Bill's reputation.

I think Terry is down there this week trying to bring it home.

Mr. Bill made the comment, roughly paraphrased: "25 years in Honduras and as I'm leaving I have a Nautical Disaster and a hurricane" (referring to Hurricane Charlie and his breakdown in Mexico)
 
Thanks for all the nice emails about the report. At CCV we stayed in Bungalow A over the water, and closest to the bar. The only reason we gave the "advantage" to AKR is we liked the "isolation" of our unit and the fact it had it's own dock. At CCV the room itself and having AC where great.
 

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