Roatan - Reef house Resort Trip Report

[phedramoon]

As it seems everyone on this board discusses Cocoview in regards to Roatan, i just wanted to share info on staying at Reef House Report - we just got back from today. Our plan for this vacation was to dive, dive, dive, and so we wanted an unlimited diving deal, that included boat dives as well as shore diving. After comparing all our options and being very worried about the weather as we were going in December, we decided on RHR which is on south -east side of the island. From everything we read if the weather got rough the south was much more protected - which was the case, we were able to do all our planned dives every day. RHR fit what we were looking for - small, i think max. capacity is around 30 people. When we were there, there was one family of four and one family of 11 apart from us. Out of that half were snorkelers (their loss) and the rest divers, meaning we were normally going out with six people. With one diver instructor on site and the island's best dive master (David), that is a great group size by anyone's standard. The best part is there are no other diving operations near to RHR and so we were alone at all of the sites we visited (and there are plenty, we did not repeat a site on the boat dives). I am shocked that this jem has not been more fully exploited. As I mentioned there is a dive instructor on site and so you do not have to try to arrange courses elsewhere if you are with people who are looking to do a course.
i would like to really recommend going out with David - an island local who has been working with RHR for 14 years, he is fabulous and seems to know every crany on the reef and where every sea horse hides (we saw three different types!), he really takes time to search out the micro. Even after so many years of diving there he seems to really enjoy taking you out to explore his "back garden".
The RHR is also the only location involved in the turtle conservation project on Roatan, and buys turtles from locals before they hit the food pot, tag them, and they swim in the front area of the resort before released, so you can snorkel with these beauties.
The reef right out front of the RHR is fabulous and we saw octupi (as in plural) both on our night dive and when we snorkeled at night.
The food was fabulous - including local shrimp, lobster, etc.
This is a simple resort, no fancy rooms but they have AC and TV (but who is there to watch that anyway?). You are right beside the ocean on a little caye - it really superseded our expectations. We compared all the resorts and RHR was the most economical by far but even if that was not the case, I would recommend it as a first choice. So next time you are hitting up Roatan, you might want to rethink the immediate CCV choice...

 

[CODMAN]

Just out of curiosity, how much was it for the week and what did it include?

As it seems everyone on this board discusses Cocoview in regards to Roatan, i just wanted to share info on staying at Reef House Report - we just got back from today. Our plan for this vacation was to dive, dive, dive, and so we wanted an unlimited diving deal, that included boat dives as well as shore diving. After comparing all our options and being very worried about the weather as we were going in December, we decided on RHR which is on south -east side of the island. From everything we read if the weather got rough the south was much more protected - which was the case, we were able to do all our planned dives every day. RHR fit what we were looking for - small, i think max. capacity is around 30 people. When we were there, there was one family of four and one family of 11 apart from us. Out of that half were snorkelers (their loss) and the rest divers, meaning we were normally going out with six people. With one diver instructor on site and the island's best dive master (David), that is a great group size by anyone's standard. The best part is there are no other diving operations near to RHR and so we were alone at all of the sites we visited (and there are plenty, we did not repeat a site on the boat dives). I am shocked that this jem has not been more fully exploited. As I mentioned there is a dive instructor on site and so you do not have to try to arrange courses elsewhere if you are with people who are looking to do a course.
i would like to really recommend going out with David - an island local who has been working with RHR for 14 years, he is fabulous and seems to know every crany on the reef and where every sea horse hides (we saw three different types!), he really takes time to search out the micro. Even after so many years of diving there he seems to really enjoy taking you out to explore his "back garden".
The RHR is also the only location involved in the turtle conservation project on Roatan, and buys turtles from locals before they hit the food pot, tag them, and they swim in the front area of the resort before released, so you can snorkel with these beauties.
The reef right out front of the RHR is fabulous and we saw octupi (as in plural) both on our night dive and when we snorkeled at night.
The food was fabulous - including local shrimp, lobster, etc.
This is a simple resort, no fancy rooms but they have AC and TV (but who is there to watch that anyway?). You are right beside the ocean on a little caye - it really superseded our expectations. We compared all the resorts and RHR was the most economical by far but even if that was not the case, I would recommend it as a first choice. So next time you are hitting up Roatan, you might want to rethink the immediate CCV choice...

 

[phedramoon]

For the two of us - during high season - it was a few dollars less than $2100 total. This included transfer to and from the airport, all food (very good at that!) three meals a day, 7 night accommodation, 6 days unlimited diving including three boat dives a day (and not drop offs like at CCV on the last dive), one night dive, purified water, there was a laptop with internet that was open use, and as there was a deal on when we signed up, my partner's advanced course was included at no extra charge - he just had to buy the book. The only things we had to pay for were sodas and beers, there was an honesty system at the bar, at $1 a soda and $2 a beer. We also tipped as our dive master and captain were fabulous.

- Also, we were traveling light and so this price included all gear except for our masks

 

[tridacna]

.
The reef right out front of the RHR is fabulous and we saw octupi (as in plural) both on our night dive and when we snorkeled at night.

"There are three forms of the plural of octopus; namely, octopuses, octopi, and octopodes. Currently, octopuses is the most common form in the UK as well as the US; octopodes is rare, and octopi is often objectionable". (Source is Wiki)

Note that none of the above is "octupi". ctopus: Nice report nonetheless.

 

[John_B]

Great review. CCV fills up quickly, its nice to hear what some of the other dive resorts are like.

I can't really tell from their website; they are located on the south side of the island, east of CCV/Fantasy Island?

Do you have a log of the dive sites you did? How many dives per day were you able to get in?

 

[Doc]

Nice to read a report of this often overlooked option. JohnB- Yes, it is very near Calvin's Crack, about 35 minutes by CCV/FIBR boat East of those two resorts.

What did they use for dive boats the week you were there? In that you made reference to CCV's operation and dives and the DM at RHR being the best on Roatan, where else on Roatan have you dived? RHR says that snorkelers will enjoy their house reef but your report infers to snorkelers as "their loss". Maybe they didn't know or understand how to best enjoy the week's offerings, but in your experience was it less accessible than FIBR/CCV's house reef? Is it as doable for snorkelers as they say? Did you do any shore diving there? This is one of the few places on Roatan where shore diving is a reality.

Were the power outages felt very often or how did that work out that far East on the island?

I think those things you found were octopuppies. Other resorts on Roatan (Paya Bay & CCV) and the Caribbean have tried Turtle "buy back" programs with the locals, and unfortunately this seemingly altruistic act has elicited and driven other unfortunate human behaviors. It is generally not an accepted practice in terms of sustainability, but it plays well with the tourists.

RHR has been giving divers access to my favorite side of the island (the Southern shore) for many years. If you could flesh out your trip report with pictures and real specific details, that would be a great thing.

I agree with your overall impression- there's more on the South side than CCV. But not much! RHR is Roatan 20 years ago (and that's a good thing). Go there quickly- it's changing every day!

 

[ncchuck]

Great report. I've lived on Roatan and worked at Paya Bay which was about 7 miles from Reef House. Paya Bay is on the north side and we often had to travel around the island to dive on the south side. We almost always dove in front of Reef House. As you indicated, it is rare to see another boat except at Calvin's Crack.

Before working on Roatan, I dove with several operators including Reef House back in 1991 when it was under different ownership. I loved it then and went back two more times including a more recent trip in 2005. The new owners are great and take excellent care of their guests.

I found the accommodations basic but adequate as you mentioned. The entire staff is outstanding. They made my birthday special by making a cake for me. The same dive guide was there and he was outstanding for us also. I think his name is DAVEED rather than David but I could be wrong.

I highly recommend this often overlooked resort. You might ask them if they can take you to Morat Wall. If is seldom visited but may very well be the best dive site in the Bay Islands. It's lush with coral and no algae like many of the other dive sites around Roatan. Even if they charge extra, it's worth it.

Thanks again for the report. It's so nice to hear someone report on something other than CCV and the crazy west end.

 

[phedramoon]

i have been meaning to put my dive log online, i am old school - dive book. we just did 3 dives a day and snorkeled at night - except for our night dive - though there was the option for as much shore diving as possible. i was teetering on a cold and so we just kept it low key.

 

[Ayisha]

Thanks for the info. We'll be staying there towards the end of February.

How is the health and colour of the reef near Reef House Resort - both shore and their typical boat dives?

Which dive sites are the most recommended that RHR has access to?

What kinds of sea life did you see? Was it abundant?

Does anyone know what kind of water temps are expected in late February? What type of weather is typical at that time?

Any info is appreciated. Thanks!