Inexpensive alternative??

[Pembina]

We stayed at Inn of Last Resort in Feb '08 and had a great time!!! This past March we went to Bonaire and had a great time!!! This coming Feb we are thinking of trying Roatan again (to have another great time!!). As I have been searching our options which are limited due to finances I can no longer find a website for Inn of Last Resort. Are they still in operation??

For an inexpensive trip, who else would you recommend?? I have also been searching Fantasy Island but of course they don't have any GREAT discounts in Feb as the 2 for 1 they currently are offering.

I am even considering Utila but I cannot find an easy way to get there.

 

[rob@diveinutila.com]

Hi Pembina, Utila can offer a good cheap alternative for a dive vacation. You could go independently (most dive centers offer dive packages starting at $25 per dive) and stay in one of the many great hotel rooms, vacation apartments, or homes. We have a page on our website where we offer preferred rate accommodations for our divers. Alternatively, If you don't mind roughing it a little to backpacker level you can even find free accommodation. We offer free accommodation in twin rooms with fans and shared bathrooms.

Getting to Utila is pretty straight forwards.

Flights to San Pedro Sula from the States and Canada are very cheap, especially booked a decent amount in advance and many of our customers simply change plan at San Pedro Sula to fly to Utila.

Others use buses or private cab hire to get to La Ceiba where there is a twice daily ferry to Utila.

It's much easier to get here than you think! You can even fly here from Roatan and there is a boat capt who makes the crossing almost daily between Utila and Roatan on his catamaran - $50 per head I believe.

Hope that all helps, but if you need more info you can get in touch with me directly (private message or email).

Cheers for now,
Rob

 

[diversteve]

Instead of staying in an AI, look at something in the West End. Coconut Tree rents cabins for around $50 or less/nt. And dives are in the $25-35 range. You can do both with Coconut Tree and save on a pkg. deal. The cabins are rustic but decent. If there's 3-4 of you, the 2BR cabin had a full kitchen including a full-size stove/refrigerator. Coconut Tree Divers - PADI 5-Star IDC Dive Resort on Roatan, Honduras
Lots of other housing options in all price ranges also, look at one of the Posada's (Los Orchideas or the other one) or Seagrape. Cocolobo looked nice but it was a short walk to town also. And there's some cheaper cabins across the road from the water in town. Don't know which one it was, but there was one behind the Argentinian Grille that looked decent.
Some options in all price ranges: Hotels and accommodation in Roatan

There's a small market at CTD, Woody's market a block away (think big 7-11) and a regular sized market in Coxen Hole. Food was really cheap, from a pasta place for lunch at about $5/meal to a full dinner for under $20. Even steaks at the Argentinian Grille weren't much more. At Rotisserie Chicken dinner for 4 (2 chickens plus sides) with food left over cost me $21.

Capt. Vern runs the previously mentioned catamaran to Utila. Ferry between Roatan & Utila daily with Capt Vern on the Nina Elisabeth II Catamaran He docks at Coconut Tree's dock in the West End - about 20mins. from the airport by cab.

Or if you can get to the ferry port at Dixon Cove b4 2PM, you can take the Galaxy Wave back to LaCeiba and connect with the Utila Princess at the adjacent dock and be on Utila about 5:15-30. It's around the same money as Vern, cost us just over $100 r/t. The return ferry leaves Utila at 6AM and there's a longish wait for the Galaxy but you arrive back on Roatan late morning - plenty of time to catch the CO flight.

It's possible via the Continental flight from Houston that arrives at 12:10 but it's cutting it close due to Roatan Immigration delays. We did last spring and arrived at the ferry port with about 20 mins. to spare. And we were almost dead last in line as they didn't open the back door on the plane. I'm sure you know this but the right side lines are shorter...

 

[jjblomquist]

You may want to check out reef house. We stayed there in May for 2 weeks it was around $100 a day all meals and diving. Had a great time. Food was very good and all dives where great. They went out of there way to meet are needs and arrange trips (shark dive and Dolphine dive) to other resorts. Hope this helps