Thinking about Roatan for Next Year - Where to Stay?

[parrotheaddiver]

great choice...make your reservation early they fill up fast....I will be back there in June 2010....I sometimes go alone too and always have a roommate...like Robin said get on the chat board it is a lot of fun and there is tons of infor:blinking:

 

[Benawa]

Come on now!

 

[GA2039]

Roatan is a 3rd world country...Fantasy Island and Coco View are off the main island...and Coco View has "lousy" first aid (if any at all !!!)...and you have to take a boat from the resort to the landing area to get to the road to get to medical attention. I definitely will not go back to Roatan for this reason. If I were a new diver...I would think about somewhere on a mainland.

 

[Doc]

Roatan is a 3rd world country...Fantasy Island and Coco View are off the main island...and Coco View has "lousy" first aid (if any at all !!!)...and you have to take a boat from the resort to the landing area to get to the road to get to medical attention. I definitely will not go back to Roatan for this reason. If I were a new diver...I would think about somewhere on a mainland.

Roatan does have lousy medical care, no argument from me.

CCV has superb "First Aid"- there is a Paramedic there every day with multiple US certifications and years of service.

 

[robint]

Roatan is a 3rd world country...Fantasy Island and Coco View are off the main island...and Coco View has "lousy" first aid (if any at all !!!)...and you have to take a boat from the resort to the landing area to get to the road to get to medical attention. I definitely will not go back to Roatan for this reason. If I were a new diver...I would think about somewhere on a mainland.

If you don't mind me asking, what did you need "first aid" for?

As you noted, Roatan is part of Honduras, which is a 3rd world country. No one here has said otherwise. If you are in need of having a full American-style medical facility near your dive destination, you might want to stick with USA or US territories. I know even Bonaire has nothing more than a clinic and the hospital is on another island (Curacao) where you must be flown to on a plane. I have heard that the Caymans and Turks & Caicos have nice hospital facilities (British) but that they don't take DAN insurance so you must pay cash or CC for anything. That is definitely one thing about dive travel - if you are expecting things like medical facilities like home, you will most likely be disappointed. For some people with medical conditions, this can be a big issue.

 

[David_57]

I dove Roatan stayed at Fantasy Island had a great time the shore dive is fantastic, reef wall, aeroplane and wreck can all be dove from the shore at no extra charge, one of the few dive facilities that has a full time doctor available for the on site deco chamber.

Not really shure where GA2039 is coming from, my wife required some minor first aid which she recieved with no problem, added to that a full time Doc specialising in DCS with an on site chamber available at all times. I asked if I could see it so they gave me a tour the Doc was there to answer any questions I had, see below picture, in my book hard to beat even if Honduras is a 3rd world country?

 

[CODMAN]

Yhen you should only visit very rich countries and never stay further away than 2 km from a hospital. And you'll miss all the wonders 95% of this big blue sphere has to offer!

Life is a dangerous game full of risks. And no matter how safe you play, you never make it out alive. Well, to each his/her own!

Hm... does anybody else here smell troll?

Roatan is a 3rd world country...Fantasy Island and Coco View are off the main island...and Coco View has "lousy" first aid (if any at all !!!)...and you have to take a boat from the resort to the landing area to get to the road to get to medical attention. I definitely will not go back to Roatan for this reason. If I were a new diver...I would think about somewhere on a mainland.

 

[RTBDiver]

Roatan is a 3rd world country.

Actually Roatan is not a third world country, Roatan the Island has two municipalities, Roatan and Jose Santos Guardiola. They are part of the 11th department which is Islas de la Bahía and also includes the municipalities of Utila and Guanaja. It is Honduras that is the Country.

If I were a new diver...I would think about somewhere on a mainland.

Hmm,
Looking at your info under your Avatar you ARE a relatively new diver, or not too active, when did you visit Roatan, where did you stay ?

you have to take a boat from the resort to the landing area to get to the road to get to medical attention. I definitely will not go back to Roatan for this reason

I guess you will never do any boat/liveaboard diving, in all likelyhood that would involve at least some type of boat ride before getting to a mainland, even with air rescue you would be on the boat longer than the couple of minute trip from FI to the "mainland" Roatan

 

[CajunDiva]

I dove Roatan stayed at Fantasy Island had a great time the shore dive is fantastic, reef wall, aeroplane and wreck can all be dove from the shore at no extra charge, one of the few dive facilities that has a full time doctor available for the on site deco chamber.

Your visit must have been some time ago...the chamber is no longer operational and the doctor is no longer on staff :depressed:

 

[David_57]

Your visit must have been some time ago...the chamber is no longer operational and the doctor is no longer on staff :depressed:

I was there is 2007, wonder why they closed it?