We're back from our third trip to Roatan in the past year. As usual, we stayed at a different place this time as we enjoy trying a variety of resorts/hotels in search of the perfect place. While that part of our trip left something to be desired, the diving with Coconut Tree Divers was excellent as always.
We arrived on Saturday the 5th late in the afternoon. After hurrying through customs we grabbed the first cab to West End. The island air and warmth was a delight after being stuck in airplanes all morning. We showed up in West End a few minutes too late to stop by Coconut Tree and say hello to our friends there (and drop off the camping chairs we brought down for Tree!) so we had the taxi take us straight to Seagrape at the edge of town. We stayed at Lands End on our last trip, so we knew exactly where we were going as the two properties are side by side. Check-in at Seagrape was painless, although I still hate the use of a credit card impression requiring signature that lacks any numeric value filled in.
We booked a cabin overlooking the water at Seagrape. While another couple who were diving with us (rleslie here on Scubaboard) seemed to have some luck with their cabin, ours was in pretty rough shape. The bathroom was swarming with ants, enough so that I took video of it and will be putting it up on my site for anyone who doesn't believe me. The shower floor was soft and felt as though we might fall through, while the flooring in the bedroom had gaps large enough to see the ground underneath the cabin. The A/C worked quite well, although the refrigerator did not work at all. The cabin had two beds - a full size and a twin. For those of us who normally sleep in a king size bed, the full size was a bit of a tight squeeze. The bed sizes are to be expected, as many sites we have visited have small(ish) beds.
After our first night in the cabin we requested a different room and were given a room in their new(er) building. This was much nicer than the freestanding cabin, as the flooring was solid, the shower was tiled and nice, and the bed was king size(!). The new room also included a television and working refrigerator. Unfortunately, our next room was also infested with ants, both in the room and in the bathroom. Considering the improvement over the cabin and the PITA of moving stuff around, we resigned ourselves to accept the ants and get on with things.
The diving with Coconut Tree was great! We took three classes - Nitrox, Wreck, and Deep - each of which was taught by Marc. Marc is a technical diver from North Carolina, and while he is a bit of a BP/W and DIR nut, we loved the insight and knowledge he had to share. To be fair, he isn't a nut, he's just found a system that works very well for him and has served many others quite well. We're sold on BP/W and DIR, actually, although it will probably be a year before we plunk down the cash to switch our rigs out and commit totally to it. Marc was a pleasure to dive with and offered a lot of experience beyond learning new techniques and skills - he has a marine biology background that really shines when it comes to identifying the less obvious marine wildlife. All in all, my wife and I are so pleased with the experience of diving with Marc that we're planning on heading back soon to take the Cavern class through him.
We also did several "fun dives", both advanced and afternoon (less advanced) with some of the other instructors and divemasters at Coconut Tree. We only got to dive once with Liz, one of our favorite divemasters and a true gem of an individual, as she was preparing for her instructor exam. We dove with Elan (sp?) and Monty, both competent and affable individuals who led the dives without pressuring us to stick to the group. Since we both were there to take pictures and relax on the fun dives, we generally kept to the back of the pack a dozen or so meters behind the rest of the divers. Monty was especially interesting as he has a background in commercial diving - fun stories to hear while kicking back some Salva Vida or Port Royal on the deck after diving.
One of the highlights of the trip was finally diving with Tree. For those who haven't been to Coconut Tree (no relation), Tree is the shop manager - a native Canadian with one of the most spellbinding and relaxed personalities we've ever met. Tree is also a very accomplished underwater photographer, and going out on a "photo dive" with him was a blast. His ability to spot and identify the smallest of marine life astounded both of us. His good natured attitude and personality is always a joy to be around.
Gay and PJ, the owners of Coconut Tree Divers, were also a blast to spend time with. As we found out on our last night - Gay and PJ are both incredible cooks and hosts beyond just running a wonderful dive op. PJ can cook one heck of a steak! The friendship and fun of hanging out with the Coconut Tree staff will be remembered long after the dives are forgotten.
Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to dive with two of our other favorite instructors - Will and Loren. They both were busy with open water and advanced students. We did, of course, get to have some drinks and an incredible Thai dinner at Will's place. After this trip I am firmly convinced that everyone at Coconut Tree must have attended culinary arts school prior to getting into diving.
We had the opportunity to meet and dive with Steve, the individual responsible for the Coconut Tree website. Steve is a mid twenties computer engineer with a passion for diving and for West End that knows no limits. Diving with him was a pleasure - he is half fish, and conversing about the culture of West End and the people at Coconut Tree was equally enjoyable. It goes without saying, Steve is also one heck of a good cook - he makes a Shrimp Pasta to die for! (Also, Magnetic(sp?) from Scubaboard was diving with us - he made a soup that was, by far, the best soup I have ever consumed in my entire life.)
What more is there to say? We've been there three times in the last 12 months, with another trip planned for later this year. The only really bad part of the trip was boarding the flight to return home and having to say goodbye to friends. In a lifetime of travel to many unique places, never have I come across a vacation spot where we found not only beautiful vistas and exciting activities, but true friendships that we will maintain for life. The eclectic vibe of West End, combined with the vivacious love of life and diving of the folks at Coconut Tree Divers, have once again made us indescribably happy and concurrently unimaginably miserable to leave.
To answer some often asked questions:
1. Take your anti-malarial meds. They are cheap and easy, and sure beat the alternative.
2. I do not have a favorite dive site. I have seen lovely Hawksbill Turtles on simple afternoon dives followed the next morning by incredible experiences in a shipwreck. Each site offers its own beauty, and the marine life has a tendency to move around without regard for the site name!
3. ATM machines in Honduras are not reliable! Simply put - bring travelers checks and cash, don't put any faith in the machines and you won't be let down.
4. The food at Pura Vida is not very good. Each time we go to Roatan we end up eating there at least once and each time we end up regretting it.
5. The best place to buy coffee is now West End (or Coxen Hole?). The duty free shop at the airport closed, and the price is now $8/lbs at the airport compared to $4.50 in West End.
6. The staff at Seagrape were polite, kind, and friendly. The rooms were not as we would have wished, but this in no way should be construed as an attack or disparagement of the wonderful staff there.
7. Good places to eat include, but are not limited to, Argentinean Grill, The Lighthouse, and Mavis and Dixie's. If you happen to be invited to dinner by a divemaster or instructor - be prepared for some incredible food beyond that which you'll find in the restaurants!
8. Coconut Tree takes Paypal, Cash, Travelers Checks, and Credit Card. Be aware - most Credit Card transactions, including those at Coconut Tree, are subject to a 16% Honduran tax.
9. West Bay generally has nicer accommodations (at a higher price) but lacks the "scene" and the food selection of West End. If you aren't into roughing it a bit, you might want to consider "commuting" from West Bay.
Feel free to ask any questions you might have. We're not experts and we don't live there, but I can try my best to answer what I know!
We arrived on Saturday the 5th late in the afternoon. After hurrying through customs we grabbed the first cab to West End. The island air and warmth was a delight after being stuck in airplanes all morning. We showed up in West End a few minutes too late to stop by Coconut Tree and say hello to our friends there (and drop off the camping chairs we brought down for Tree!) so we had the taxi take us straight to Seagrape at the edge of town. We stayed at Lands End on our last trip, so we knew exactly where we were going as the two properties are side by side. Check-in at Seagrape was painless, although I still hate the use of a credit card impression requiring signature that lacks any numeric value filled in.
We booked a cabin overlooking the water at Seagrape. While another couple who were diving with us (rleslie here on Scubaboard) seemed to have some luck with their cabin, ours was in pretty rough shape. The bathroom was swarming with ants, enough so that I took video of it and will be putting it up on my site for anyone who doesn't believe me. The shower floor was soft and felt as though we might fall through, while the flooring in the bedroom had gaps large enough to see the ground underneath the cabin. The A/C worked quite well, although the refrigerator did not work at all. The cabin had two beds - a full size and a twin. For those of us who normally sleep in a king size bed, the full size was a bit of a tight squeeze. The bed sizes are to be expected, as many sites we have visited have small(ish) beds.
After our first night in the cabin we requested a different room and were given a room in their new(er) building. This was much nicer than the freestanding cabin, as the flooring was solid, the shower was tiled and nice, and the bed was king size(!). The new room also included a television and working refrigerator. Unfortunately, our next room was also infested with ants, both in the room and in the bathroom. Considering the improvement over the cabin and the PITA of moving stuff around, we resigned ourselves to accept the ants and get on with things.
The diving with Coconut Tree was great! We took three classes - Nitrox, Wreck, and Deep - each of which was taught by Marc. Marc is a technical diver from North Carolina, and while he is a bit of a BP/W and DIR nut, we loved the insight and knowledge he had to share. To be fair, he isn't a nut, he's just found a system that works very well for him and has served many others quite well. We're sold on BP/W and DIR, actually, although it will probably be a year before we plunk down the cash to switch our rigs out and commit totally to it. Marc was a pleasure to dive with and offered a lot of experience beyond learning new techniques and skills - he has a marine biology background that really shines when it comes to identifying the less obvious marine wildlife. All in all, my wife and I are so pleased with the experience of diving with Marc that we're planning on heading back soon to take the Cavern class through him.
We also did several "fun dives", both advanced and afternoon (less advanced) with some of the other instructors and divemasters at Coconut Tree. We only got to dive once with Liz, one of our favorite divemasters and a true gem of an individual, as she was preparing for her instructor exam. We dove with Elan (sp?) and Monty, both competent and affable individuals who led the dives without pressuring us to stick to the group. Since we both were there to take pictures and relax on the fun dives, we generally kept to the back of the pack a dozen or so meters behind the rest of the divers. Monty was especially interesting as he has a background in commercial diving - fun stories to hear while kicking back some Salva Vida or Port Royal on the deck after diving.
One of the highlights of the trip was finally diving with Tree. For those who haven't been to Coconut Tree (no relation), Tree is the shop manager - a native Canadian with one of the most spellbinding and relaxed personalities we've ever met. Tree is also a very accomplished underwater photographer, and going out on a "photo dive" with him was a blast. His ability to spot and identify the smallest of marine life astounded both of us. His good natured attitude and personality is always a joy to be around.
Gay and PJ, the owners of Coconut Tree Divers, were also a blast to spend time with. As we found out on our last night - Gay and PJ are both incredible cooks and hosts beyond just running a wonderful dive op. PJ can cook one heck of a steak! The friendship and fun of hanging out with the Coconut Tree staff will be remembered long after the dives are forgotten.
Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to dive with two of our other favorite instructors - Will and Loren. They both were busy with open water and advanced students. We did, of course, get to have some drinks and an incredible Thai dinner at Will's place. After this trip I am firmly convinced that everyone at Coconut Tree must have attended culinary arts school prior to getting into diving.
We had the opportunity to meet and dive with Steve, the individual responsible for the Coconut Tree website. Steve is a mid twenties computer engineer with a passion for diving and for West End that knows no limits. Diving with him was a pleasure - he is half fish, and conversing about the culture of West End and the people at Coconut Tree was equally enjoyable. It goes without saying, Steve is also one heck of a good cook - he makes a Shrimp Pasta to die for! (Also, Magnetic(sp?) from Scubaboard was diving with us - he made a soup that was, by far, the best soup I have ever consumed in my entire life.)
What more is there to say? We've been there three times in the last 12 months, with another trip planned for later this year. The only really bad part of the trip was boarding the flight to return home and having to say goodbye to friends. In a lifetime of travel to many unique places, never have I come across a vacation spot where we found not only beautiful vistas and exciting activities, but true friendships that we will maintain for life. The eclectic vibe of West End, combined with the vivacious love of life and diving of the folks at Coconut Tree Divers, have once again made us indescribably happy and concurrently unimaginably miserable to leave.
To answer some often asked questions:
1. Take your anti-malarial meds. They are cheap and easy, and sure beat the alternative.
2. I do not have a favorite dive site. I have seen lovely Hawksbill Turtles on simple afternoon dives followed the next morning by incredible experiences in a shipwreck. Each site offers its own beauty, and the marine life has a tendency to move around without regard for the site name!
3. ATM machines in Honduras are not reliable! Simply put - bring travelers checks and cash, don't put any faith in the machines and you won't be let down.
4. The food at Pura Vida is not very good. Each time we go to Roatan we end up eating there at least once and each time we end up regretting it.
5. The best place to buy coffee is now West End (or Coxen Hole?). The duty free shop at the airport closed, and the price is now $8/lbs at the airport compared to $4.50 in West End.
6. The staff at Seagrape were polite, kind, and friendly. The rooms were not as we would have wished, but this in no way should be construed as an attack or disparagement of the wonderful staff there.
7. Good places to eat include, but are not limited to, Argentinean Grill, The Lighthouse, and Mavis and Dixie's. If you happen to be invited to dinner by a divemaster or instructor - be prepared for some incredible food beyond that which you'll find in the restaurants!
8. Coconut Tree takes Paypal, Cash, Travelers Checks, and Credit Card. Be aware - most Credit Card transactions, including those at Coconut Tree, are subject to a 16% Honduran tax.
9. West Bay generally has nicer accommodations (at a higher price) but lacks the "scene" and the food selection of West End. If you aren't into roughing it a bit, you might want to consider "commuting" from West Bay.
Feel free to ask any questions you might have. We're not experts and we don't live there, but I can try my best to answer what I know!
I am glad you liked my soup, it was a bit of a challenge with my total unfamiliarity with the local ingredients but, I was pretty happy it came together.
