My name's Emma, and I live in Leeds with my partner. We bought a house a year ago and have now run ...
My name's Emma, and I live in Leeds with my partner. We bought a house a year ago and have now run out of steam on the DIY - it did seem like a good idea when we started. Hobbies include diving, travel, books, internet and keeping our fab aquarium.
Member since:27.05.2004
Reviews:18
Members who trust:1
Getting to the Bay Islands can be quite 'interesting'. I flew from Miami into Tegucigalpa, then took possibly the oldest plane in the world into Roatan, overall costing about £550. It's probably only worth going there directly to learn to dive, otherwise incorporate it into travelling round Central-South America. To get from Roatan to Utila, you have to take the ferry via the mainland, which takes ages but only costs around £15. If you want to get accomodation, make sure you elbow to the front of the queue as there are always are many people as beds.
Utila - everyone goes there to learn to dive, and if you're an experienced diver, you might find it a bit too regimented. It's very pretty though. There's a few places to eat and drink which are cheap, but the resort is very small. Beware - the island electricity is cut off after midnight, and it can be quite daunting walking around in the dark without knowing where you are going.
Roatan - everyone goes to the West End, although there are other places on the island. It's a really chilled out island - not the place for shopping and wild nightlife. Roatan's much bigger than Utila, and there are more plentiful dive sites. Anthony's Key Resort is apparently the place to be if you have any money, but we stayed in cheaper accomodation. You may be lucky to find somewhere with hot water, but it's not really essential in Honduran weather (rainy, and I do mean rainy, season is Jan-Feb time). There are plenty of travellers there, and it's really interesting to talk to people. Best place for drinks is the Twisted Toucan, with cheaper drinks at sunset, and Tuesday is cheap curry night. Otherwise, head right down the beach to find the volleyball and burger night 'hang-out'. Best dive place was West End Divers, they really know what they're doing, and the kit doesn't fall to pieces as in other places.
The sandflies are a nuisance, but you don't notice them after a week or so. Mosquito's only seem to dislike DEET, don't waste your money on other repellents, and do take your anti-malarials. Keep an eye on your money etc...as although most people are honest, the island economy is quite poor.
Above all, have fun, I had a fantastic time!
***I have some comments stating that I haven't mentioned other things to do. There's a reason for this - the islands are very small and limited for tourists. I stayed on Roatan for 3 months, and I have summed up everything to do, bearing in mind I was there a few years ago now, and tourism was just starting to get underway.
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