nagel
Contributor
Roatan, Fantasy Island Oct 16-23, 2010
Made our first trip to FI and overall it was a good trip (How can I say being on a tropical island is bad). Flying in (Delta) was a bit of an adventure because visibility was down and the pilot didnt know if we could land or not so we stayed circling the island for 30 minutes before we got a break to land. The alternative was spending a night in Belize if we couldnt land, but we were able to land. As we descended for the landing I couldnt help but wonder where all the blue water was. All we seen was dark mud surrounding the island due to all the runoff from all the rain.
We made it to the resort and our rooms. I have to say I was a little taken back. Im not really sure what I expected, but the word that the place is a little rundown is pretty accurate. Lets get all the negative things out of the way and let me also say that our stay was weeks before the new management took over and the word is that the new management is going to be spending a lot of money fixing the place up. Please dont take any of my points listed here as too negative. I believe in trying to give a far critique of places Ive been for others to read. Not every place is the Ritz and many come with a few issues. Initially, the water was not working in our rooms, the shower head was hanging down because the holder was broken (fixed this with some tape myself), sliding door was very hard to open/close and in general the room resembled a cheap motel room that we find at our local lake. Ocean View is a little bit of a stretch. What we seen was a big tree that blocked the view. The overgrowth made if very easy for the monkeys to visit you on the balcony. At first, this was a treat, but soon became a huge nuisance with leaving anything out .the monkeys took anything that was left out. Nightly Entertainment .not so much. One night they had a band in the lobby (they were very good). They said they had Fire Dancers one night .nope, no fire dancing, but they did have some dancers in the lobby that night performing some ancient cultural dancing. That was pretty much the Nightly Entertainment for the week unless you count the music played by the bartender. Walking around the resort it resembled something that at one time might have been very nice. The putt-putt golf area was overgrown and just looked bad. It would have been awesome to see the resort lit up at night, but much of the lighting was not working with light bulbs missing or broke. As with many resorts, the electric codes we find in the U.S. are not as stringent. We noticed many open boxes with wires sticking out. They said they provide water in the room for drinking, but we pretty much had to fetch the water ourselves and then we could only get a pitcher at a time. With the issue of the water, why dont they provide water bottles or a large water tank in the rooms? You can get bottled water, but that is an extra cost. They did provide a refrigerator in the room .would have been nice to stock it.
The people were great. We did not meet one person that was not pleasant and in general happy to talk to us or help us. The staff was exceptional and made the stay very pleasant. The dive operation was a well-oiled machine. First day was orientation and then getting all the gear setup and the orientation dive. Our DM, Darry, was fabulous. He worked very hard at showing/finding us things to see. The schedule was 9am, 11:30, and 2:30 for the dives coming back to the dive shop after each dive. The boats were a little rundown and in need of general paint and maintenance, but they worked for our needs. A new boat was parked at the dive shop, but they didnt have it ready to go yet. Part of our group did the boat dives every day and others did shore diving every day. The staff shuttled our shore divers back and forth effortlessly and took care of all their needs. Shore diving is at the Gazebo; which, is on the other end of the resort from the dive shop. So, it is best to be shuttled over to the Gazebo by boat instead of trying to walk it with gear and tanks. The only issue with this was getting back. There was a phone at the Gazebo, but it did not work. However, the staff attempted to time things to return to pick up the shore divers. Many joked about why our shore divers spent the week shore diving, but once the storys got out about what the seen others commented that they wish they did more shore diving. Its very hard with the boat schedule to do shore diving without giving up a boat dive or two.
Diving: It is very hard to comment about the diving. It was reef diving on a tropical island, much different than the lake and quarry diving we normally do. The water wasnt as clear as we have seen in other tropical areas, but it was very nice diving. The reef was different than what we have seen in Bonaire, Mexico, and Coz. Some areas was a typical reef with gorgeous walls, others had canyons and sandy areas, Marys Place and Calvins Crack are two well-known sites and a must do; really not a big issue even for the novice diver. My favorite dive of the week was the night dive .many awesome creatures out. There was plentiful marine life. I believe Bonaire had more marine life, but I did see things in Roatan that I did not see in Bonaire puffer fish, large crab, large eels, and sadly to say an abundance of Lion Fish. Lion Fish were everywhere. Darry speared many during our dives, but Im not sure what the future holds given the numbers of Lion Fish that we observed.
Food: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are provided in the large cafeteria or outside if the weather is good. Typical buffet style with plenty of fresh fruit, salads, and deserts. Main entrées were typically some type of beef, pork, pasta, and seafood. The food wasnt any type of 5-Star dining, but it was filling. No one in our group (even the 15 year old) had a problem finding something to eat. The waiting staff was simply awesome. Our main dinner server was Roque (aka Rocky) ..simply a good kid. He offered to reserve our table nightly and when we arrived he already placed our drinks; which included finding some Diet Coke (Coke Light) that was very hard to come by. (Im wondering if he stopped and purchased this on his way in every day). Very impressive. I have to stress here to offer tips when they are earned. Rocky certainly received tips from us every night.
Beach Area: As I said flying in we noticed the lack of blue water. When we arrived our hearts sank as we peered at the water. However, a couple days later the rain gods took a break, the sun came out and the blue water returned. I really cant say much about the beach; except, it was there. Due to the rain, not much beach activity, but there appeared to be plenty of chairs and shade available. Additionally, we noticed some beds on the beach .now really is this what is meant by sex on the beach? I always thought it was a lousy drink.
Leaving the island was a sad day. I woke up thinking it was finally over and now it was time to return to the day-to-day hassles and leave this bit of paradise. We were a little nervous wondering if we really were leaving. Hurricane Richard decided to take a stroll through the area and word was that it was going to be hitting the island the day we left. We were able to leave, but was told they were shutting down the airport after our departure. I did get a little frustrated leaving. Prior to boarding you have to go through a final checkpoint. They said this is a requirement for U.S. flights. All was fine until they confiscated all my batteries and a lighter. They said I could not bring them in my carry-on. I debated this a little because the requirements had been lifted according to the documentation I read and the instructions I read stated that batteries should be stored in carry-on as opposed to in checked luggage. Regardless, with the language barrier and general lack of understanding, I left without these items.
Now the real question, Would I return to Fantasy Island? This is very difficult to say and has been debated amongst our group. Roatan is on most divers Bucket List of places to go; so, in that sense, Im glad I went and can now say, Ive been to Roatan. Going into this we had heard that the place is rundown and in need of repair; so, we were not expecting the Ritz. In general, once you discount the minor issues we noted, it was a small paradise and once again, the people we met were absolutely fabulous to include all the staff, several forum members, and many new friends we met. We spent approximately $1500 per person (including airfare) for this trip. This is not much to some, but a sizable bit of change for us that we have to save all year to afford. Its very hard to compare this place to others we have been because each one is different .some are all-inclusive others are not, some the diving is included others it isnt, some have shore diving others dont. However, in the back of my mind I keep thinking that given the money we spent we could have gone other places that were a little more up scaled or at least better maintained. In general, my opinion and not really the opinion of my co-partners is that I would return, but not at the same cost. Its worth going, but again my opinion is that it would have to be discounted below the $1500 per person for me to return. I would be very interested in returning someday provided the place undergoes a major overhaul. Should this happen, it definitely would be what I call "Fantasy Island".
Please post if you have questions. Im very happy to try and answer any questions. We hope to get pics and video up soon. You can find this at www.midwestmuckdiving.com under the Photo tab at the top of the page. Give us a few days to get back into the routines of normal life and get these posted.
Snagel
Made our first trip to FI and overall it was a good trip (How can I say being on a tropical island is bad). Flying in (Delta) was a bit of an adventure because visibility was down and the pilot didnt know if we could land or not so we stayed circling the island for 30 minutes before we got a break to land. The alternative was spending a night in Belize if we couldnt land, but we were able to land. As we descended for the landing I couldnt help but wonder where all the blue water was. All we seen was dark mud surrounding the island due to all the runoff from all the rain.
We made it to the resort and our rooms. I have to say I was a little taken back. Im not really sure what I expected, but the word that the place is a little rundown is pretty accurate. Lets get all the negative things out of the way and let me also say that our stay was weeks before the new management took over and the word is that the new management is going to be spending a lot of money fixing the place up. Please dont take any of my points listed here as too negative. I believe in trying to give a far critique of places Ive been for others to read. Not every place is the Ritz and many come with a few issues. Initially, the water was not working in our rooms, the shower head was hanging down because the holder was broken (fixed this with some tape myself), sliding door was very hard to open/close and in general the room resembled a cheap motel room that we find at our local lake. Ocean View is a little bit of a stretch. What we seen was a big tree that blocked the view. The overgrowth made if very easy for the monkeys to visit you on the balcony. At first, this was a treat, but soon became a huge nuisance with leaving anything out .the monkeys took anything that was left out. Nightly Entertainment .not so much. One night they had a band in the lobby (they were very good). They said they had Fire Dancers one night .nope, no fire dancing, but they did have some dancers in the lobby that night performing some ancient cultural dancing. That was pretty much the Nightly Entertainment for the week unless you count the music played by the bartender. Walking around the resort it resembled something that at one time might have been very nice. The putt-putt golf area was overgrown and just looked bad. It would have been awesome to see the resort lit up at night, but much of the lighting was not working with light bulbs missing or broke. As with many resorts, the electric codes we find in the U.S. are not as stringent. We noticed many open boxes with wires sticking out. They said they provide water in the room for drinking, but we pretty much had to fetch the water ourselves and then we could only get a pitcher at a time. With the issue of the water, why dont they provide water bottles or a large water tank in the rooms? You can get bottled water, but that is an extra cost. They did provide a refrigerator in the room .would have been nice to stock it.
The people were great. We did not meet one person that was not pleasant and in general happy to talk to us or help us. The staff was exceptional and made the stay very pleasant. The dive operation was a well-oiled machine. First day was orientation and then getting all the gear setup and the orientation dive. Our DM, Darry, was fabulous. He worked very hard at showing/finding us things to see. The schedule was 9am, 11:30, and 2:30 for the dives coming back to the dive shop after each dive. The boats were a little rundown and in need of general paint and maintenance, but they worked for our needs. A new boat was parked at the dive shop, but they didnt have it ready to go yet. Part of our group did the boat dives every day and others did shore diving every day. The staff shuttled our shore divers back and forth effortlessly and took care of all their needs. Shore diving is at the Gazebo; which, is on the other end of the resort from the dive shop. So, it is best to be shuttled over to the Gazebo by boat instead of trying to walk it with gear and tanks. The only issue with this was getting back. There was a phone at the Gazebo, but it did not work. However, the staff attempted to time things to return to pick up the shore divers. Many joked about why our shore divers spent the week shore diving, but once the storys got out about what the seen others commented that they wish they did more shore diving. Its very hard with the boat schedule to do shore diving without giving up a boat dive or two.
Diving: It is very hard to comment about the diving. It was reef diving on a tropical island, much different than the lake and quarry diving we normally do. The water wasnt as clear as we have seen in other tropical areas, but it was very nice diving. The reef was different than what we have seen in Bonaire, Mexico, and Coz. Some areas was a typical reef with gorgeous walls, others had canyons and sandy areas, Marys Place and Calvins Crack are two well-known sites and a must do; really not a big issue even for the novice diver. My favorite dive of the week was the night dive .many awesome creatures out. There was plentiful marine life. I believe Bonaire had more marine life, but I did see things in Roatan that I did not see in Bonaire puffer fish, large crab, large eels, and sadly to say an abundance of Lion Fish. Lion Fish were everywhere. Darry speared many during our dives, but Im not sure what the future holds given the numbers of Lion Fish that we observed.
Food: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are provided in the large cafeteria or outside if the weather is good. Typical buffet style with plenty of fresh fruit, salads, and deserts. Main entrées were typically some type of beef, pork, pasta, and seafood. The food wasnt any type of 5-Star dining, but it was filling. No one in our group (even the 15 year old) had a problem finding something to eat. The waiting staff was simply awesome. Our main dinner server was Roque (aka Rocky) ..simply a good kid. He offered to reserve our table nightly and when we arrived he already placed our drinks; which included finding some Diet Coke (Coke Light) that was very hard to come by. (Im wondering if he stopped and purchased this on his way in every day). Very impressive. I have to stress here to offer tips when they are earned. Rocky certainly received tips from us every night.
Beach Area: As I said flying in we noticed the lack of blue water. When we arrived our hearts sank as we peered at the water. However, a couple days later the rain gods took a break, the sun came out and the blue water returned. I really cant say much about the beach; except, it was there. Due to the rain, not much beach activity, but there appeared to be plenty of chairs and shade available. Additionally, we noticed some beds on the beach .now really is this what is meant by sex on the beach? I always thought it was a lousy drink.
Leaving the island was a sad day. I woke up thinking it was finally over and now it was time to return to the day-to-day hassles and leave this bit of paradise. We were a little nervous wondering if we really were leaving. Hurricane Richard decided to take a stroll through the area and word was that it was going to be hitting the island the day we left. We were able to leave, but was told they were shutting down the airport after our departure. I did get a little frustrated leaving. Prior to boarding you have to go through a final checkpoint. They said this is a requirement for U.S. flights. All was fine until they confiscated all my batteries and a lighter. They said I could not bring them in my carry-on. I debated this a little because the requirements had been lifted according to the documentation I read and the instructions I read stated that batteries should be stored in carry-on as opposed to in checked luggage. Regardless, with the language barrier and general lack of understanding, I left without these items.
Now the real question, Would I return to Fantasy Island? This is very difficult to say and has been debated amongst our group. Roatan is on most divers Bucket List of places to go; so, in that sense, Im glad I went and can now say, Ive been to Roatan. Going into this we had heard that the place is rundown and in need of repair; so, we were not expecting the Ritz. In general, once you discount the minor issues we noted, it was a small paradise and once again, the people we met were absolutely fabulous to include all the staff, several forum members, and many new friends we met. We spent approximately $1500 per person (including airfare) for this trip. This is not much to some, but a sizable bit of change for us that we have to save all year to afford. Its very hard to compare this place to others we have been because each one is different .some are all-inclusive others are not, some the diving is included others it isnt, some have shore diving others dont. However, in the back of my mind I keep thinking that given the money we spent we could have gone other places that were a little more up scaled or at least better maintained. In general, my opinion and not really the opinion of my co-partners is that I would return, but not at the same cost. Its worth going, but again my opinion is that it would have to be discounted below the $1500 per person for me to return. I would be very interested in returning someday provided the place undergoes a major overhaul. Should this happen, it definitely would be what I call "Fantasy Island".
Please post if you have questions. Im very happy to try and answer any questions. We hope to get pics and video up soon. You can find this at www.midwestmuckdiving.com under the Photo tab at the top of the page. Give us a few days to get back into the routines of normal life and get these posted.
Snagel
You can't have it all: dirt cheap diving as well as all the little extra amenities that are missing. That's exactly what Cocoview accross the channel is! A bit more expensive... and better on all these little details. I think if you were to return to Roatan, you would probably appreciate Cocoview. They get rave reviews on pretty much everything... In your review you mention that for 1500$ per person you could have gone to better maintained places (which I'm sure is true), but with as much good diving included? I'm curious because I honnestly know of no other places in the caribean that come close, except maybe for Bonaire.
