My wife and I just got back from our second trip to Roatan and I've been wanting to write this trip report since the first trip. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting my account setup here last May when we returned from the first trip so this posting will try to cover both trips in one.
We are both fairly new divers (under 50 dives each), so please forgive the lack of experience. I consider diving like drugs - once you start it is nearly impossible to stop. Last May we went to Roatan for a "vacation + diving", a compromise for my wife's sake as she was less enthralled in diving than I was. Let me just say that for those of us who usually travel to places like BVI or Jamaica, Roatan is a surprise. Roatan, or more accurately West End, is like a tiny camping/hunting town up in the mountains somewhere. It is small, dirty, comfortable, and very fun!
We made the mistake, on our first trip, of staying at West Bay Beach. We rented a nice house there, but absolutely hated the place. West Bay is a magnet for overweight non-divers to sit on the beach and do nothing. We also happened to be right next door to a resort that catered to Italians. Now, I have nothing against Italians, and have been to Italy more than a dozen times, but these were not your ordinary Italians. These were the loudest most annoying group of human beings ever to walk the face of the Earth. From sunrise to 0230 each day they placed the most obnoxious music imaginable while performing a large variety of activities ranging from water aerobics to dancing conga-lines. Rest was not easy to come by.
Fortunately, all was not lost. We took the water taxi each day (40L per person, per way) to West End to dive. We dive exclusively with Coconut Tree Divers. I cannot give an opinion on the other dive shops in West End, but I have only good things to say about Coconut Tree! From the minute we walked in last May, to booking our return last month (we went Jan 6 - 13th), they treated us very well and run a tight operation. Their prices are absolutely great, at least by us landlocked diver standards ($20/dive), and the dive masters at Coconut Tree acted very professionally throughout both trips.
On the first trip down we got our AOW through Coconut Tree. The class and dives were far better run than what our LDS had for OW. Without naming our LDS, I can honestly say that I'd rather give up diving than dive with them after seeing what else is out there. That statement is meant towards people, not dive sites.
This past trip we stayed at Lands End at the end of the road in West End. The hotel/resort was very clean and out of the way. We had an oceanfront room (upgraded free due to another couple staying longer) and enjoyed a lovely sunset each night. The A/C worked beautifully, as did the toilet, shower, refridgerator. The television is another story - if you stay at a place with cable, not satellite, expect to get reception equivalent to 1950's over-the-air reception. Then again, if you go to Roatan to watch the telly you have worse problems to deal with.
I'm not sure what everyone expects in a trip report, so let me say that I will be glad to answer any questions about West End, Coconut Tree, or Lands End. I may not have all the answers, as we have only been twice (May '06, Jan '07), but I can say that we will be coming back. We're tentatively planning on returning this September to stay for 3 - 6 months to complete Rescue -> DM -> Instructor. Did I mention diving is like drugs, only more addictive and far better for your health?
Some random thoughts that I can share with the prospective Roatan diver:
1. Check your antimalarial prescription. Our doc had us on the wrong dosage and got us quite sick. Chloroquine is once per WEEK.
2. Bring lots of small bills. Ones and fives go a long way, and it saves you from having to deal with local currency.
3. Don't stay on West Bay unless you absolutely must sun yourself on a beach.
4. If you listned to #3 but decide you need a beach anyways, drink at Sundowners on Half Moon Bay (West End) and enjoy their beach. Drinks are 25L / beer, 80L per mixed drink.
5. Bring cash or travellers checks. Credit Cards are not accepted everywhere, and when they are you automatically get hit with 16% tax.
6. Cafe Copan and Buenos Dias are good coffees. Ore is like thick mud.
7. If you don't like low-viz diving, stay away from Spooky Channel.
8. Price! Lunch can cost you as little as $3 for hearty cooking from a local joint to as much as about $15 at a touristy place. Dinner prices range from about $8 for simple food to well into the $20's for something fancy (lobster, etc).
9. The Argentinian Grill changed chefs two weeks ago. The new guy is not quite up to their former standards. A well done steak should not be cold. Even cold, it still tasted better than most of the rubbish that passes for a steak at American franchise restaraunts.
10. If you are going to use any, bring your own bug spray. A can of OFF cost 130L, Cactus Juice is about 210L.
11. If you go to Coconut Tree, say hi to PJ, Gay, and Tree for me (diver #1012). No, I don't get anything for it, but at least they'll know who sent you.
12. The Garlic Chicken at Pinochios is 85% garlic, 10% chicken, 5% creme. It is certified to defend against all known forms of vampires.
13. If you get "Roatanned" / "Roatan Runs" - drink lots of Gatorade or other sports drink and be prepared to lose a day of diving.
14. Decide what size boat you want to dive from. If you like roll off diving, pick a shop that uses smaller boats. If walk in is your style, go with one that has larger boats (Coconut Tree has both, we like the big boat).
15. Many places add the tip on automatically. Check before leaving another tip.
16. Tip your divemasters. Where ever you choose to dive, be kind if they do their job.
17. Roatan != fancy. Expect to feel like you are on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean at least once during your trip.
18. Bigger dive boats enable (men) you to relieve yourself off the back of the boat.
19. Accomodations range in price from $5/night - $250+/night. You can get a heck of a lot for $20 - $80/night in Roatan. Do not be fooled into thinking you need to spend a lot of money to have a nice place.
20. Don't think that the only way to dive in Roatan is to go with AKR, FI, or CCV. They are all well and good, but a lot of good dive shops, dive masters, instructors, and places to stay/eat can be found outside the confines of the big resorts. Determine what is important to you, and pick accordingly. My wife and I enjoyed staying in West End, but others on our flight preferred that they were at a Resort. Whatever makes you happy, go with it.
Well... I've been back since Saturday and am already getting geared up to book a return flight. If anyone has any comments, questions, or general banter I'd love to see if I can answer. If you are truly bored, check out my dive photos at my gallery.
We are both fairly new divers (under 50 dives each), so please forgive the lack of experience. I consider diving like drugs - once you start it is nearly impossible to stop. Last May we went to Roatan for a "vacation + diving", a compromise for my wife's sake as she was less enthralled in diving than I was. Let me just say that for those of us who usually travel to places like BVI or Jamaica, Roatan is a surprise. Roatan, or more accurately West End, is like a tiny camping/hunting town up in the mountains somewhere. It is small, dirty, comfortable, and very fun!
We made the mistake, on our first trip, of staying at West Bay Beach. We rented a nice house there, but absolutely hated the place. West Bay is a magnet for overweight non-divers to sit on the beach and do nothing. We also happened to be right next door to a resort that catered to Italians. Now, I have nothing against Italians, and have been to Italy more than a dozen times, but these were not your ordinary Italians. These were the loudest most annoying group of human beings ever to walk the face of the Earth. From sunrise to 0230 each day they placed the most obnoxious music imaginable while performing a large variety of activities ranging from water aerobics to dancing conga-lines. Rest was not easy to come by.
Fortunately, all was not lost. We took the water taxi each day (40L per person, per way) to West End to dive. We dive exclusively with Coconut Tree Divers. I cannot give an opinion on the other dive shops in West End, but I have only good things to say about Coconut Tree! From the minute we walked in last May, to booking our return last month (we went Jan 6 - 13th), they treated us very well and run a tight operation. Their prices are absolutely great, at least by us landlocked diver standards ($20/dive), and the dive masters at Coconut Tree acted very professionally throughout both trips.
On the first trip down we got our AOW through Coconut Tree. The class and dives were far better run than what our LDS had for OW. Without naming our LDS, I can honestly say that I'd rather give up diving than dive with them after seeing what else is out there. That statement is meant towards people, not dive sites.
This past trip we stayed at Lands End at the end of the road in West End. The hotel/resort was very clean and out of the way. We had an oceanfront room (upgraded free due to another couple staying longer) and enjoyed a lovely sunset each night. The A/C worked beautifully, as did the toilet, shower, refridgerator. The television is another story - if you stay at a place with cable, not satellite, expect to get reception equivalent to 1950's over-the-air reception. Then again, if you go to Roatan to watch the telly you have worse problems to deal with.
I'm not sure what everyone expects in a trip report, so let me say that I will be glad to answer any questions about West End, Coconut Tree, or Lands End. I may not have all the answers, as we have only been twice (May '06, Jan '07), but I can say that we will be coming back. We're tentatively planning on returning this September to stay for 3 - 6 months to complete Rescue -> DM -> Instructor. Did I mention diving is like drugs, only more addictive and far better for your health?
Some random thoughts that I can share with the prospective Roatan diver:
1. Check your antimalarial prescription. Our doc had us on the wrong dosage and got us quite sick. Chloroquine is once per WEEK.
2. Bring lots of small bills. Ones and fives go a long way, and it saves you from having to deal with local currency.
3. Don't stay on West Bay unless you absolutely must sun yourself on a beach.
4. If you listned to #3 but decide you need a beach anyways, drink at Sundowners on Half Moon Bay (West End) and enjoy their beach. Drinks are 25L / beer, 80L per mixed drink.
5. Bring cash or travellers checks. Credit Cards are not accepted everywhere, and when they are you automatically get hit with 16% tax.
6. Cafe Copan and Buenos Dias are good coffees. Ore is like thick mud.
7. If you don't like low-viz diving, stay away from Spooky Channel.
8. Price! Lunch can cost you as little as $3 for hearty cooking from a local joint to as much as about $15 at a touristy place. Dinner prices range from about $8 for simple food to well into the $20's for something fancy (lobster, etc).
9. The Argentinian Grill changed chefs two weeks ago. The new guy is not quite up to their former standards. A well done steak should not be cold. Even cold, it still tasted better than most of the rubbish that passes for a steak at American franchise restaraunts.
10. If you are going to use any, bring your own bug spray. A can of OFF cost 130L, Cactus Juice is about 210L.
11. If you go to Coconut Tree, say hi to PJ, Gay, and Tree for me (diver #1012). No, I don't get anything for it, but at least they'll know who sent you.
12. The Garlic Chicken at Pinochios is 85% garlic, 10% chicken, 5% creme. It is certified to defend against all known forms of vampires.
13. If you get "Roatanned" / "Roatan Runs" - drink lots of Gatorade or other sports drink and be prepared to lose a day of diving.
14. Decide what size boat you want to dive from. If you like roll off diving, pick a shop that uses smaller boats. If walk in is your style, go with one that has larger boats (Coconut Tree has both, we like the big boat).
15. Many places add the tip on automatically. Check before leaving another tip.
16. Tip your divemasters. Where ever you choose to dive, be kind if they do their job.
17. Roatan != fancy. Expect to feel like you are on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean at least once during your trip.
18. Bigger dive boats enable (men) you to relieve yourself off the back of the boat.
19. Accomodations range in price from $5/night - $250+/night. You can get a heck of a lot for $20 - $80/night in Roatan. Do not be fooled into thinking you need to spend a lot of money to have a nice place.
20. Don't think that the only way to dive in Roatan is to go with AKR, FI, or CCV. They are all well and good, but a lot of good dive shops, dive masters, instructors, and places to stay/eat can be found outside the confines of the big resorts. Determine what is important to you, and pick accordingly. My wife and I enjoyed staying in West End, but others on our flight preferred that they were at a Resort. Whatever makes you happy, go with it.
Well... I've been back since Saturday and am already getting geared up to book a return flight. If anyone has any comments, questions, or general banter I'd love to see if I can answer. If you are truly bored, check out my dive photos at my gallery.
)
