Roatan Trip Report - Week 1

[SoSiouxme]

Roatan Trip Report – Nov. 10 – Nov. 17

Week One

I organized a trip to Roatan for a group of eight people. Four of us were there for the week of Nov. 10-17 and six of us were there for Thanksgiving week. The plan was to vacation, dive, relax and have a proper Thanksgiving feast in a tropical paradise. Mission accomplished!

For the months leading up to our trip, I was in contact with Will from Coconut Tree Divers in West End. (Scuba Gear and Scuba Diving Equipment - Discount dive gear) Will also has his own web site packed with valuable information for planning a trip to Roatan – specifically doing independent travel in West End. (See Dive Bay Islands) Will helped with all the details and helped me plan an excellent trip and a fantastic feast.

The first wave of us arrived in Roatan on Saturday Nov. 10 after an uneventful Delta flight. We maxed out our baggage allotment by bringing a cooler full of wine (8 bottles in total and several foodstuffs (cheese, homemade pesto, shallots, smoked salmon, etc). Will told us in advance of some of the more difficult items to find on the islands so we brought them. We had absolutely no trouble with bringing in the wine and the food – although the cooler had been gone through by both the TSA and the Honduran customs officials.

Hint: It can take forever to get through customs so people who sit near the front of the plane have an advantage in getting to the line. I was in the back and it took nearly 45 minutes to get through customs.

We had arranged for a driver, Enrique, to pick us up at the airport and he was on time and very professional. His car was a well-maintained min-van which comfortably fit the four of us and all of our luggage. (Roatan Tours - Roatan Shore Excursions - Roatan Honduras or e-mail him at tours@roatanadventuretours.com) Enrique spoke very good English and was pleasant. We all liked him so much that we ended up using him exclusively for virtually all of our transportation needs. His prices are fair and he is a safe driver. I liked him so much that I hired him to give my parents an island tour when they arrived later in the week on a cruise ship. My mom raved about the tour and how personable Enrique was.

Upon our arrival in West End, Enrique took my three friends to the house we had rented for two weeks (Roatan West End Vacation Rentals Real Estate - House). After dropping off my friends, Enrique took me to Coconut Tree Cabins, where I had arranged to stay due to the close proximity to my dive shop of choice: Coconut Tree Divers.

The house was perfect for our two weeks. We chose the house because it had a full kitchen and a nice expansive deck. It was a lovely home and Jeff, the owner, couldn’t have more helpful with all of our inquiries and requests.

The cabin at Coconut Tree cabins (Coconut Tree Divers - Roatan, Honduras) was perfect for my needs as well. It was small, but clean and well-appointed. I had a small kitchenette (microwave, stove top, mini fridge), AC and satellite TV. I paid $35/night, but their advertised prices are a bit higher. I felt like my valuables were very secure. In fact, I left a dollar on the night stand every day as a tip and that dollar bill stayed there throughout my entire stay. The cleaning staff ignored it, as well as a lap top, camera, ipod, etc.) I’m not telling anybody to be lax with their valuables, but I was pretty impressed with level of security and the staff.

The downside is that the power goes out frequently. Coconut Tree Cabins does have a generator but for some reason, the water goes out when the power goes out. That means you can’t shower and you can’t flush the toilet. It was a minor inconvenience and it only happened twice during the week and never for an extremely long time.

Our diving was done with Coconut Tree Divers. CTD is a top-notch operation with an emphasis on safety and fun. I had one friend finished her OW while there and she was thrilled with her instructor (Jose) and was impressed with the communication she received even prior to arriving in Honduras. Although the weather was not what we had hoped, we were able to dive every day but one. CTD offers four boat dives a day off of their new boat, the “Wish U Were Here”. That boat is the fastest and most comfortable in West End.

Some of my favorite dives were Hole in the Wall, Spooky Channel and the Aguila – but on Nitrox. ($8 per tank) If CTD recommends Nitrox for a particular dive, take their advice. The extra bottom time on the Aguila is well worth it. I’ve heard that it is worth it for the Odyssey as well.

Above and beyond the diving, the dive instructors and staff members at CTD were helpful and fun to be around. This is the third time I’ve dove with CTD and I didn’t think it was possible for them to get better, but the bunch they have right now are the best lot they have ever had. Each person was unique with different experience, but all willing to answer any questions or help in any way. I cannot recommend them enough.

We ate a lot of meals at the house but some of restaurants we visited: Mavis and Dixie’s, Half Moon Bay Cabins, and the Vietnamese restaurant past the Blue Channel. Best breakfast could be found at The Bakery – yummy bagels and cream cheese.

The first week was a blast, but the second week was freakin’ amazing. That trip report is forthcoming.

[ucrtwf]

That sounds great, thanks for the report!
Tim