Hi
@Bonairejimmy - welcome to the forums! We don't live on Roatan but in Honduras on the mainland, and have visited the island many, many times over the years. I can offer some observations but please don't take them necessarily as recommendations - just advice, given freely and possibly worth exactly what you paid for it...
Accomodations
Not big on all inclusive destinations
We have never stayed at CCV (cited above) so I don't know if they are technically an "all inclusive", but I have always felt that they are what
I would consider "all inclusive". However, if what you are looking for is something similar to the Bonaire shore diving experience they would likely be your best option. Due to their location they are the best (and possibly the only) operation that is set up to provide a shore diving experience that is worth experiencing - and as such have wisely capitalized on it.
Beyond that, unless you choose to stay at one of the other larger resorts (AKR and TB are mentioned above, there are some others) then you are looking at an "a-la-carte" type of stay. Given a short stay of a week or less, possibly somewhere in West End or West Bay will be a good choice, where you will be staying close to many dive operations (or in a hotel or other accomodation closely partnered with a dive operation). As has been mentioned elsewhere in this form, especially in West End there is a massive range of options in terms of budget and amenities - from relatively inexpensive places geared to those that just want to "dive, eat, sleep, repeat" to more expensive establishments aimed at those looking for more comfort in between dives. West Bay tends to be more expensive, and aimed at more "comfort". West Bay rolls up its sidewalks (well, there are no sidewalks, but you know what I mean
) earlier than West End - that is either a good thing or a bad thing, depend on what one is looking for. What we have done in the past is careful research before booking accomodation - I'm not suggesting that travel site reviews should be the sole source of that research, but reading through them can usually give one a feel if this is the kind of place one wants to spend a week in or not.
Dive operations
It has been said that in West End you can't throw a stone without hitting a dive shop, and it's very close to the truth. There are also a number of them in West Bay, and even a few on a stretch of beach in between the two communities. I'm only personally familiar with two of them so I can't speak to all the rest in terms of quality - but many of them have been around for a very, very long time in a small market that gets more competitive with every passing year, which tells you something. It's really a "diver's market" right now, if there is such a term - shop around. Most are looking for something to set them apart from the competition - whether it's offering two-tank afternoon dives instead of the usual one, offering steel HP100 tanks instead of AL80s, "valet" or "boutique" service where they will do the bulk of the work for you, or something else. Some include the cost of rental gear in their prices, others don't. If you bring your own gear with you some "valet" shops will set it up for you (if you want), others won't since it's yours. The operations in West End/West Bay will keep their tanks under their supervision, though - shore dives on your own really isn't a thing on most of Roatan (CCV is an exception).
One thing to definitely check on with a dive operation you are thinking of using - depending on the time of year, the weather can be unpredictable. West End / West Bay are usually on the leeward side of the prevailing trade winds so that side tends to be calmer than the "South Side" (where CCV is), but the winds can change which can make the west side rougher than the south. Many dive shops have docking facilities on both sides, but if not you could possibly have a dive vacation of a few days ruined by bad weather if your shop doesn't have relatively easy access to the other side of the island.
Anything else a first time visitor needs to know
Oh boy, that's a lot
. But to keep this post to a reasonable length, a few things:
After the joy of getting through immigration (sometimes it can feel like it's taking forever), you might be surprised to see the luggage carousel turning with nothing on it. The airport staff have probably taken your luggage off the carousel and set it on the floor somewhere. Go hunting for it, you'll find it - unless the airline has actually misplaced it in transit. Keep the luggage tag the airline gave you at check-in, you may (or may not) need to display it as you leave to the airport staff to confirm you have the right bag. Mixups are common. Also, keep a hand on your carry-on at all times if you have one - not so much for the reason you might automatically think (theft) but because at entry the luggage area is usually a chaotic zoo. My dive buddy coming from out of country had her carry-on grabbed by the handler from AKR thinking it (or she) was one of theirs - it took us some wild guesses, several phone calls over a couple of days and a tip to one of the drivers that worked with our hotel to get it back into her possession.
A word about money: credit cards (Visa and MC, Amex and others not so much) are generally accepted in most places. You will be charged tax (not always the case when paying in cash), and you may also be charged the fee that the CC company charges the merchant. Not exactly legal, but not something you can do anything about. Tips to restaurant staff, drivers, hotel staff, dive crew etc pretty much have to be in cash. American dollars accepted / preferred - but prices are usually better if you pay in the local currency (the lempira). Current exchange rate is 24.6 (more or less) lempiras to the dollar - if someone offers you 20 because it's "easier", just smile and hold up your index finger (not the other one!) and wiggle it back and forth and say "No"
. Since you are in the US, bring cash with you - but small bills (nothing over a 20 - even in the local cash-based economy the highest demonination of the lempira is only worth about US$20, and you can't always even break one of those) are highly recommended, and if they are not in good shape there is a good chance they will not be accepted. There are ATMs that will dispense cash in lempiras, but they are not always in working order or have run out of cash...
Finally, always remember that despite the hype surrounding Roatan as a tourist destination, it is governed by a third world country. Infrastructure is sadly lacking. The power
will go out during your stay (many, but not all, hotels etc have generators that either kick in automatically or someone runs out to start it up). If the hotel has wi-fi, expect it to at times be slow, spotty, and sometimes simply "out" for no apparent reason at all. Air conditioning will often not run while you are out of the room - partly for ecological reasons, mostly for economic reasons (the local electric company charges a small fortune for electricity...)
Final piece of advice - ENJOY your vacation. Despite all the quirks I just mentioned that can aggravate the first-time visitor, Roatan (in my opinion) is a great place to spend a diving vacation...
