Roatan Hotels - Anthony's Key vs. Ibagari

[KidDocDMC]

I am planning on going to Roatan with my son in April (though am also thinking about the ScubaBoard invasion, since I just saw that post). My local dive shop recommends Anthony's Key, but Ibagari looks much more upscale. Does anyone have experience with both? Anthony's is all-inclusive and offers many more dives (including shore dives on their house reef). Ibagari prices dives separately at $46 a piece (incl taxes). Their restaurant is supposed to be excellent, though I'm not sure how much more that will add per day to the total cost. My kid, admittedly, is kind of a hotel snob.

 

[diversteve]

I don't know Ibagari at all, must be fairly new. From where they describe the location, it must be somewhere on the east side of West Bay. Diving in that area is often wade out to smaller panga-style boats unless they have a dock.

Looking at the pictures it's a lot nicer than AKR. One thing about their promo photos though, if you sit on that deck overlooking the pool at sunset the sand flies are merciless, they bite and it stings. So bring a Deet-based spray.

AKR is about 30? years old and shows it. The attraction there is the over water cabanas and the dolphin program - your kid may like that. Food is so/so and the staff is nice and helpful. Superior means A/C - you definitely want that. You don't have to be a guest to do the dolphin things either - we did the dive although we stayed at a house in the West End.

Most shops promote AKR and Cocoview since they've been there or read about it for years in the dive mags.

CCV is a slightly cheaper dive pkg. but not as nice as AKR. At least as old and "rustic" would be a fair choice. You will also hear that AKR does the cruise dives but they get their own boat and will be gone b4 you get back from a 2-tank dive.

A couple options at the same level as Ibagari would be Xbalanque in the West End or Barefoot Cay on the south sde. You could probably walk to West Bay from Ibagari - they don't exctly specify where it is,

AKR is a 10 min. cab ride to the West End - it's slightly more east on the north side. Xbalanque is closer to the West End shops/restaurants. (walking) also.

BFC is sort of all by itself on the south side - private cay. Good food, pool, spa and maybe 10 mins. walk to French Harbor which is more of a local town - several big food markets., even a strip mall - if you need something you can't find in West Bay.

Only visit Coxen Hole in daylight, the name is pretty accurate. If you/kid need a hospital - it's there. Kind of old but seemed clean - my friend had an allergic reaction and spent a night there.

In case someone needs a recompression chamber - it's at AKR - only staffed during the day but call on the way and they'll have the dr come over - he lives nearby. We needed to one night for my friend.

If you like the look of Ibagari, you may like dining at Vintage Pearl in West Bay or definitely at Ooloonthoo in the West End, their owner/chef receives regional awards. Make reservations and dress a little better than shorts/flip-flops if you go.

I'd guess the water taxi goes by Ibagari if you want to go to the West End but they stop at dark. Taxi's are available till late at the main road into the West End for the ride back to West Bay. You don't want to walk back at night, the road goes inland, gets real dark and there have been some hold-ups reported.

Don't forget the Deet - seriously. A local once told me part of West Bay was carved out of a reclaimed swamp.

 

[diversteve]

The shore dive at AKR is a long wade out from the key b4 it gets deep enough to dive so don't let that be a factor. There's actually a second one, more of a muck dive in he channel between the main building and the Key - there's a small wreck they use for classes there. I did it once,it's pretty green water.

The reef out front of Ibagari is too far out. There's really only one shore dive in West Bay and it's off the west end of the beach - you're on the east end so it's a couple miles away - and marginal from what I've read.

There's also no shore dive at BFC - the lagoon you see in the pictures is only about 15' deep out to the fringing reef which I don't believe you can get hru.

CCV wins here, they have both Newman's Wall, the Prince Albert Wreck and a plane fuselage you can dive from there. If your son is a hotel snob - don't go to CCV. He may find AKR too rustic also.

Roatan in general is not known for shore diving. But the reef often is about a 10 min boat ride away so don't worry if they tell you to start gearing up as you leave the dock. In West Bay one dive to do is Texas a few minutes off the west point. Often a drift so you get to see a lot.

$46 is an Ibagari price but not bad. Most dives in that area are $35 or 10/$300 at some ops.

 

[kelemvor]

. But the reef often is about a 10 min boat ride away so don't worry if they tell you to start gearing up as you leave the dock.

That's probably my favorite thing about Roatan diving. No surface intervals sitting on the boat, they take you back to the dock after each dive. Loved it.

Ibigari looks mostly very nice. Maybe it's just that the regular chairs were not in the promo video/photos but.. it looks like all the chairs in the room are those horrible foam deals with no real back support. That would suck, but if that's the case I guess you could pack a camping chair.

 

[KidDocDMC]

I don't know Ibagari at all, must be fairly new. From where they describe the location, it must be somewhere on the east side of West Bay. Diving in that area is often wade out to smaller panga-style boats unless they have a dock.

Looking at the pictures it's a lot nicer than AKR. One thing about their promo photos though, if you sit on that deck overlooking the pool at sunset the sand flies are merciless, they bite and it stings. So bring a Deet-based spray.

AKR is about 30? years old and shows it. The attraction there is the over water cabanas and the dolphin program - your kid may like that. Food is so/so and the staff is nice and helpful. Superior means A/C - you definitely want that. You don't have to be a guest to do the dolphin things either - we did the dive although we stayed at a house in the West End.

Most shops promote AKR and Cocoview since they've been there or read about it for years in the dive mags.

CCV is a slightly cheaper dive pkg. but not as nice as AKR. At least as old and "rustic" would be a fair choice. You will also hear that AKR does the cruise dives but they get their own boat and will be gone b4 you get back from a 2-tank dive.

A couple options at the same level as Ibagari would be Xbalanque in the West End or Barefoot Cay on the south sde. You could probably walk to West Bay from Ibagari - they don't exctly specify where it is,

AKR is a 10 min. cab ride to the West End - it's slightly more east on the north side. Xbalanque is closer to the West End shops/restaurants. (walking) also.

BFC is sort of all by itself on the south side - private cay. Good food, pool, spa and maybe 10 mins. walk to French Harbor which is more of a local town - several big food markets., even a strip mall - if you need something you can't find in West Bay.

Only visit Coxen Hole in daylight, the name is pretty accurate. If you/kid need a hospital - it's there. Kind of old but seemed clean - my friend had an allergic reaction and spent a night there.

In case someone needs a recompression chamber - it's at AKR - only staffed during the day but call on the way and they'll have the dr come over - he lives nearby. We needed to one night for my friend.

If you like the look of Ibagari, you may like dining at Vintage Pearl in West Bay or definitely at Ooloonthoo in the West End, their owner/chef receives regional awards. Make reservations and dress a little better than shorts/flip-flops if you go.

I'd guess the water taxi goes by Ibagari if you want to go to the West End but they stop at dark. Taxi's are available till late at the main road into the West End for the ride back to West Bay. You don't want to walk back at night, the road goes inland, gets real dark and there have been some hold-ups reported.

Don't forget the Deet - seriously. A local once told me part of West Bay was carved out of a reclaimed swamp.

Thanks, Diver Steve,

Igabari (on Google Maps) looks like it's right next to Xbalanque. Glad to know their prices are comparable for dives and that the "house reef" idea doesn't mean much in any location. Were you suggesting that Anthony's has less of a no-see-um problem than the West End hotels?

 

[KatieMac]

I haven't been to Ibagari but it looks like the nicest hotel I have seen in Roatan. The other thing is that it's in West Bay vs AKR, which is a great dive resort but a little away from things.

You don't have to dive with Ibagari though. You can stay at the nice hotel for your hotel-snob son and book with any dive shop in West Bay - and in fact many in West End will also stop in West Bay to pick you up.

And if there are two of you diving, you can often negotiate discounted dive rates before you go.

 

[KatieMac]

You might want to check out Mayan Princess in West Bay. All inclusive with food, not as nice as Ibagari but not as old or remote as AKR. If you wanted to go even cheaper, I've always liked staying in West End where the action is. Your son won't like the hotel much but Splash Inn offers stay/eat/dive packages. Home | Roatan Splash Inn | Roatan Dive Resorts.

I haven't stayed in the rooms but I've eaten at the restaurant there many times.

 

[diversteve]

I thought Xbalanque was farther east - so much of my Ibegari comments also apply. Except I believe they show a boat dock in their photos.
I'm sure it's in the West End and Ibegari lists being in West Bay - maybe that's the dividing line.
Tecnically the center of West Bay is about 2-3 miles west of the West End.


It's hard to predict about the bugs. I've seen swarms of them at dusk at AKR yet I spent an afternoon on Half Moon Bay beach and escaped untouched. The house I rented was about 1/2 mile farther east and had those bifold glass doors onto the deck - which I opened one night - really bad idea - I had to "fog" the room to sleep.

We had outdoor ceiling fans on the deck which helped a lot. Most of us did the malaria treatments b4 we went but I'm not sure it was necessary. Little suckers were under the tablecloths at the outdoor restaurant - Mosquitoes not Sand Flies.

 

[diversteve]

Were you suggesting that Anthony's has less of a no-see-um problem than the West End hotels?

Not really, there's a lot of shallow standing water around the cbanas. I've been out to the Key briefly but not stayed on it.

Have done the dolphin dive and ate at their restaurant the night my friend took her chamber ride. If it matters there's a lot of steps up to it.

 

[FezUSA]

Time to work the snob out of your kid? West End. Cater to the snob? West Bay. Our family stays (now owns) in West End. AKR diving is still an option, as is the dolphin stuff. Self catering or walk into town and eat at a different restaurant style each night, or a combo. Works really well for us, but you know your needs better. Walks are 5-10 minutes, a couple of restaurants are worth a 5-10 minute drive (Oasis?). Plenty of dive ops to choose from too, and all have great dives available. We've taken a 10 minute boat taxi to West Bay. Beaches are nice, prices are up there though.