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Roatan and Bay Islands Discussion List Archive
| Posted On: | 12-Sep-2003 |
| From: | "Lane Crampton" [lanec.....com] |
| Subject: | [roatan] Our Roatan trip |
We have just returned from Roatan on a part business and part fun trip (9/5-10/03). The following may be a little long but this is my wife and I's personal opinion of the 5 days there and the island. If we offend anyone I don't mean to this is just how we felt while there and now. And hope that if anyone is planning a trip it may help them to make their plans. And yes we are going back. Air Transportation- Continental Airline Houston to SPA then Alantic to Roatan then back. We were booked with SOSA but when we arrive at the airport their card reader wasn't working so we moved to Alantic they run the same schedule. This is the only time I felt taken advantage of by the host country. An extra charge to get out of each and every airport. Then, the $25 departure change to come home, then an extra $2 charge to leave for being US. Trying to get to the gate leaving SPS was an adventure itself. Once you start going towards the gate they must have checked our boarding passes and passport every 5 feet. We stayed in 3 different places. The first 2 nights at Fosters on West End, 2 nights at the Mayan Princess, West Bay, and the last at La Posada Arco Iris back at West End. Our thoughts: Fosters were nice, the people friendly, covenant, picked us up at the airport, clean, and AC, ref. Coffee, TV with cable for $45 a night. I'd stay there again with no problem. Mayan Princess, well it'd be hard to say anything bad about the rooms. The property is still a construction zone so parking was just where ever you could find a spot to roll on to but this will improve with time. Of special note, when they get the swimming pool done I could see some people never leaving it while there. It will be nice. We had a second floor 2-bedroom suite that was just awesome, full kit. TV, vcr, dvd, cd, surround sound, double porch, gas grill, full sized ref, however also very $$$$$. West Bay beach there again AWESOME beach, water, an easy snorkel reef and plenty of diver operators. However, we felt to secluded, and found the nightlife, well let's just say there was none, no water taxis after dark. Maybe during peak time it'd be better because most of the places were pretty empty all over. So we ended up back over in West End every night. This is a wonderful resort and when it'd completed will be one of the nicer places. However I don't think we would stay there to high fluting for this Texas country boy nor any property on the West Bay beach area. Maybe once they develop a village/town like area to give the people someplace covenant to go and walk, shop, talk, res. Bars, etc. On the flip side I can see where this end would be a better family type area or for the people who want the seclusion. La Posada Arco Iris, Obviously glad to be back in West End. Again this little resort was very nice, clean, the staff friendly and the big must have AC, or not your choice, ref, and cook stove in our first room. This room developed AC problems so we moved to another smaller room, which was still nice, but with only a small ref. Right across from Half moon bay with a nice little beach and for swimming. Nice reefs close enough to kayak out to or around in front of Half Moon Bay's dock, Iris also has these with no charge. And according to my wife the best thing about here was the 3 monkeys, she love playing with them. We'd stay here again with no problem. Plus someone there drove an awesome BMW bike I loved. The food - in West End is a bit pricey except for breakfast at Half Moon Bay $3.50 very good I highly recommend sitting out over the water. I'm sure there are other good places but we just like there's that's the only place we went for breakfast. All the food we ate around the island was very good with one exception lunch at Fantasy Island; I knew what it was suppose to be just not real sure what it was. And special mention to Dianne's in West End I recommend the lobster. We figured out that no matter where or what we ate other then breakfast the bill for the four of us was pretty consistent, lunch always ran in the mid to high $30's and dinner was always right at $50. This was for good meals but near the most expensive and with only a couple of cokes or beers for each of us. Also of note my wife doesn't eat meat so she mainly always had some kind of fruit or salad. Taxis =96 The same in any 3rd. world island you go to. Set your price before you every get in and nobody has any problems. We would just tell them what we'd pay and a couple times we did have to tell a couple but we always got one with no problem. Just don't be insulting they do have to make a living using $4 a gallon gas. I think it's also a rule that cabs will not have a second gear they must always go from 1st to 3rd. A couple times on the car taxis running back and forth I though we were going to have to get out and push up a couple hills. But that's ok because he would always just floor it on the way down to get a running start for the next hill. We were paying $10 for runs to the airport each way did this twice, $5 between West Bay and West End. When we would ask we were always told $12 and $6 as I said above don't be insulting. Shops =96 Again West End, Tourist town, everything is priced high. But everything can always be bargained for. My wife is the haggling queen. She enjoys it anywhere we go. And for the most parts we've found the locals do also. It's all part of the game and experience of an island vacation. She pretty much had it figure for an avg. if the tag said $12 you sit it down and start walking and they usually came back with $8. If you got this offer then you start talking and will end up paying $6. Again this can be part of the experience but remember not to be insulting. Your there for fun and nothing to lose they have to live. Diving- It's Roatan ?? What can you say, no placed better in the world and $20 a dive or less depending on the package with boat, guide and all your equipment supplied!!! You most likely couldn't make a local dive in your in your home town with all your own equipment for this. The only problem was that believe it or not I didn't get to dive one time this trip. Remember up top I did say it was also a business trip and it took up more time then I thought it would. But I did snorkel a couple times. Canopy Tours- AWESOME, if you haven't done something like this, do it. It only takes a couple hours. At some point you will most likely drive between West End to West Bay so you'll drive right past them. STOP and GO. Best $30 we spent the whole trip. It starts at the top of the mountain and ends down on the beach. With 11 sections to do you'll know and feel you really did something at the end. I'm not sure about age limits my dad went and he's 77 years old but also is in very good shape for his age. It doesn't take a lot of strength but it does take some. As for small kids ?? I guess if they're willing to step off the platform why not. I'm sure any kids under around at least 6 or 7 would need to double up with a guide. We found the guides to be very friendly, helpful, explained each section as to how to handle it and were very safe and aware of everybody making sure we were ALWAYS clipped to the platform. I never felt in any danger flying from platform to platform through the trees. Well maybe a little danger but it was only in my mind not there operation. I will do this again on out next trip. Half Moon Bay Glass Bottom boat- $20 per person for 1.5 hours and in AC comfort. My dad and wife loved it, their not divers and had never really seen the deeper reefs. Being a diver I really enjoyed watching them marvel over the fish and hey it was kind of nice to cruise the reefs and come back dry and clean. After - Luna's on Sat. Night and Loafers on Fri. night we had a blast other then that just walk down the street and pick a bar stool any bar stool and you'll have a good time. The Island Itself- Beautiful, every part of it that we were able to see from the south side iron shore and deep blue water, mountain top views and drives down to the crystal clear water and beaches. The lizards, birds, humming birds, and butterflies by the millions, flowers, trees we enjoy every bit of it. Police- As with most 3rd world country's yes we were stopped by the police at a roadblock step up at the entrance/exist of West End. Luckily we were with our realtor in her car, her front lic. plate had come off but she did have it with her. After going back and forth a few times about a ticket and some well placed pleases, sorry's, then the uncomfortable quite starring at each other he figured out she wasn't going to pay and let's us go on. A few minutes later we ran into a guy on a scooter who didn't bring his drivers lic with him and they got 200 lip from him or threaten to take him to jail for 25 hours. Sand Flies/Fleas whatever- They are blood lusting horrible little creatures that have no use on earth. First 3 days nothing, then on West Bay beach they starting eating my wife and I alive and never stopped even after we moved back to West End. We both still itch and have places all over us. 3-Legged dogs on West End: This bugged us for a while then one night we think we saw why. While walking down the street what appeared to be a drunk local was chasing a dog down the street hacking at it with his machete. Of course the dog was to smart to get caught, this time. The people: They were all very friendly and we never felt unsafe or threatened at anytime anywhere we went day or night. Our Summation: WE LOVED ROATAN and are about to start the process of buying a small beach house located in Sandy bay we found. Weather we'll push forward with our plans to live there full time?? This is still open mainly because of our son. When he's gone I wouldn't hesitate living their full time at all. And are still considering starting a business down there but this will not be real soon since we'd have to find just the right person there for on site management and operation. Our other regret is that we didn't have time to talk to all the people who responded to me like we'd hoped. But we do look forward to our next trip and hopefully will fine time then. Also regret that we never got to venture more then about a 10-15 mile radius of the West End. We saw so much we can't wait to explore the other 30 miles of the island to see what else we can find. Thank you for all the advice and help I've received from everybody out here. We're looking forward to our next visit and for a much longer period that can be devoted to just play time. Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for Your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at Myinks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. h= ttp://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=3D5511 | |
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