HJeffreyM
Contributor
No, youre not seeing double. I was there that same week as Captain Sinbad. I promised a trip report and so here it is.
First, to give you some perspective, my personal dive experiences have covered much of the Caribbean including: The BVIs, USVIs, Grand Cayman, Turks & Caicos, ABC Islands, Mexico (Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, & Cozumel). Also Hawaii.
I hold PADI certifications in both Rescue and EAN. I have about 150 lifetime dives. All have been under clear, tropical conditions.
My wife and I are both divers (although I took this trip solo) and we like a bit of luxury when we spend our hard earned cash to go on vacation.
The Captain has already done a fine job discussing the logistics of getting there, the airport, and being welcomed to the resort, etc. So I will dispense with that portion and move directly to the accommodations, food, and diving.
Overall, what did I think of AKR and, perhaps more importantly, what will you think of it? The answer is; it depends on what you want out of your dive vacation experience. How much lack of amenities are you willing to put up with? What is your tolerance for trust me diving? Can you exist on short rations for a week? What medical risks are you prepared to take? All of these factors come into play at AKR in a beautiful tropical setting.
Dining
First, lets dispense with the term All Inclusive. This is definitely NOT an AI. Its more like three hots and a cot. Your skimpy breakfast lunch and dinner are the only covered food and you can have tea (hot or cold), water or coffee for free. All other beverages and any snacks you may want are extra. I made a note of this when I originally posted regarding AKR before my trip. I brought a whole bunch of extra food with me and needed it.
I actually got into an argument with one of the waiters after I asked for more food at dinner one evening. I was refused and had to get a manager involved before I got what I wanted. I had to ask myself if I was on a vacation, or in a story by Charles Dickens.
I am aware that people have different definitions of fine dining. I am from Manhattan so my tastes may gravitate towards the upscale. Aside from a few exceptional fresh fish dishes, the food was pretty bad. It was apparent to me that the beef, pork and chicken served were of poor quality. I was surprised because Id heard that South and Central America had excellent beef. And one thing I know they do well down there is pork, so again, surprising. This resort obviously cuts corners where it can. Ive had much better food at true AIs in Mexico and Turks & Caicos. The restaurants in the Caymans and Aruba are world class.
The dining room is entirely open-air with fans above. It was warm there in November but eating outdoors was tolerable for most meals. I think it would be hell to try and eat there for any meal in the summer. I was in Turks and Caicos in mid-August this year and eating outside would have been unthinkable for me.
Also keep in mind that the dining room is at the top of about sixty stairs so be prepared for a good workout at least three times a day. I do recall it being mentioned in my OW class that vigorous exercise after diving is not recommended. Oh well. The front desk is up there too so if you need anything from them its another trip up the Stairmaster. Remember you cant actually call the front desk. No Phones.
Accomodations
The rooms are Spartan with few of the amenities you might expect even at a Motel 6 or Days Inn. No TV, no phone, no nice bar of soap, no lighted makeup mirror, no unlimited bottles of water, no room service, few towels. The soap, shampoo and body wash that is provided is via a rack with refillable bottles as you might find at a gym. Although the bathroom space was quite large, the shower stall was tiny. There was plenty of hot water.
The maid service was good and timed so that it is done while you are out diving.
Surprisingly, the internet service was pretty great. I had no problem using my iPhone, or laptop. I was able to use both Facetime and Skype to call and video chat with my family. Email was fine and I was even able to listen to Sirius Satellite radio and watch some TV over the internet. No complaints there at all.
Its been said before, but it bears repeating that not all rooms are air conditioned. I had a Key Deluxe room and along with pretty decent AC, the room had its own private over water porch with hammocks, clothes line and a spectacular view of the dolphin pens on the nearby island. Staying anywhere, at any time of year in the tropics would be unthinkable for me without an air conditioned room, period.
The bed and pillows were very comfortable.
Water, Water Everywhere .
Lets take a moment to discuss water Most divers are aware that hydration is an important factor in the prevention of decompression illness (DCI). When youre on a dive vacation, you want to drink a lot of water. AKR says their tap water is run through their own treatment facility and is fine to drink. However, more than a few people I met told me they were having issues with their stomachs. Since I ate the food with no problems, I have to assume it was the water.
I always travel with several types of water purification systems when I leave the US. For this trip I brought my First Need water filter, Camelbak UV purification bottle system, and a simple Hamilton Beach electric boiler pot. I treated or boiled every drop of water I drank there and had no problems with my stomach.
They also expect you to obtain your water from what is essentially the bathroom sink in the room. The same sink where you wash your hands after using the toilet, etc. I found that especially gross, but as I said, I boiled all the water I got from there. I also brought some clean Nalgene bottles with me. After the water cooled in the boiler pot, I put it in the mini fridge to get cold. Oh yeah there was a mini fridge.
When youre on a dive trip, you want to drink a lot of water. Frankly, they dont make it easy.
Consider Your Medical History (Help is So Close, Yet So Far)
The obvious choice place to stay at AKR is on the Key. The Key has the nicer rooms with over-water porches, the pool, bar, etc. And, AKR is the only resort in Roatan with its own complete medical facility (including hyperbaric chamber). However, the Key is an Island and the med center is on the mainland and there are no phones. There is only a skiff shuttle that runs back and forth between the two.
I would estimate that about twenty-five percent of the people there that week were of retirement age (65) or older. I am 55. I realize that you are taking a risk any time you travel to a third-world destination. But if you were to have a serious medical emergency on the Key, the response time would not be life saving. To the best of my knowledge, there is no Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on the Key. Perhaps it would be a good idea to put one out there.
The Diving
Across the world there exists concierge diving. That is where you bring your gear to the dive shop at the start of the trip and they store it for you, wash it and hang it to dry daily, and it shows up on the boat the next day all set up with your tank (unless its Nitrox, then youll measure it yourself and THEN theyll set it up for you). AKR is not concierge diving.
Now I know what most of you SCUBA Board fanatics are going to say no one touches my gear! But consider this: if someone else sets up your gear and then you check it AND your buddy checks it, then three sets of eyes have looked over your gear, not just one or two. Just sayin .
Yes, your tanks will be on the boat, but you must haul, set-up, clean and hang your own gear each day. You will be assigned a dive locker. The dive locker is inside a stuffy, smelly building right next to the dock. You will squeeze your gear into a semi open box that is about 18 inches square and about 6 feet tall. Your gear will never dry out in this box. There is no air flow in this building. On your last dive day, make sure to take your gear to an outdoor location and hang it outside so it will be dry enough to pack the next day. My porch did the trick nicely.
The operation is designed primarily to get the maximum number of divers to the dive site at a time. There were 11 divers assigned to my boat and one divemaster. The resort was not full the week I was there so there could have been more. More people on that boat would have been a bit too cattle-like for me. 11 was fine.
The dive plan was the same for each dive: descend near the boat (40fsw), swim over and down to the wall (70-80fsw), swim along the wall, return to the boat, ascend. The plan nearly always called for a 45-50 minute dive.
Now, I learned in my OW class to do the deepest dives first in the day and the deepest part of the dive first on all dives. So after one day of this, I told the DM that I would follow the rest of the group snorkeling on the surface for the 150 or so yards to the wall and descend there. That way I could do the deepest part of the dive first and conserve the air everyone else was wasting on the way to the wall. I would do that dive plan at AKR if I went there again.
As Captain Sinbad mentioned, the vis was not great but the structures were interesting. It was cloudy and rained for some part of nearly each day I was there. Not a big deal really, but if you were looking to take photos using natural light, you wouldve been disappointed. The one surprise for me was the lack of biomass. Ive seen many more fish and other creatures elsewhere in the Caribbean and with greater diversity. We saw a few turtles, morays, etc. I did not go on the shark dive and saw not a single shark or other pelagic species.
One thing I did love about the diving was that you do your surface intervals back at the resort doing whatever you want, rather than just sitting on a boat waiting for the next dive. It also affords you the option of selecting which dives to go on, and which ones to skip. For example, Im not much of an early riser so I elected to skip most of the 8:30am dives. How civilized to have breakfast at your leisure and still have plenty of time to make the 10:30am dive.
Some Dive Warnings (Trust Me!)
There is a weekly lunch on the south side of the island at a place called Maya Key. I was warned by Doc Adelman from Coco View NOT to be a sailor-man and take the ride on the boat. There is a bus available from the resort and it can get quite rough going around the point, as it was the day I went. Almost everyone on my boat was at least a bit seasick on this ride (although no one actually heaved). Consider yourself warned. Feeling quite green around the gills myself, I hitched a ride back in a car with one of AKRs employees.
There are two wreck dives available each week. I did not go on either. Both wrecks are in 100 110fsw. I was told that the inside of one of them silted up after the group went in. So you will be going into an overhead environment, at over 100fsw, where the vis could close out, on a single tank. I dunno, you do the math trust me, youll be fine!
There is an available shark dive each week. I dont actually approve of baited shark dives, so I did not go. Apparently, the location has a lot of current. You must descend on a line to get in behind a rock outcrop (about 70ft down) in order to be sheltered from the current. In the video I saw of this dive there was at least one diver who needed to be grabbed by the tank valve and forced into the correct position next to the rock. It seemed like most of the divers were having trouble maintaining their positions due to the current and surge. There was a chum bucket, it was released, the sharks ate it, end of show.
Heres a video of the shark dive in question. It was made by the resort. Check out the diver being helped at about the 4 minute mark.
https://www.facebook.com/WorldofAziz/videos/10153734302963523/
There were two night dives available. I went on one. The dive site was fairly deep at 65fsw for a night dive. There wasnt a lot of organization. Most operators hang a high-powered light under the boat for a night dive. AKR hung a far less visible purple glow stick. If you dont happen to own a dive light, they will happily rent you one for $15US + tax. Every other night dive Ive ever been on, the light was included. At AKR, the night dive is included, but if you want to see anything well thatll be fifteen bucks.
Here are a few odds and ends to consider:
The air intake for AKRs compressor operation is right next to the dock where all the dive boats come in and idle before and after each dive. Now I know there are filters for this, but it does seem somewhat ill advised to place the intake right next to half a dozen chugging diesel engines, dont you think? If I went back there, I would bring a CO sensor. I did have a headache after one dive.
I listened to all the dive briefs and read all the materials both on line and what was available at the resort. To this day I have no idea if their dive boats are equipped with first aid kits, oxygen, or a radio. I never saw any of those things. No diver recall or emergency plan was ever discussed.
Other than the divemaster doing a quick headcount after each dive, there was no formal roll call or other announced plan to ensure no diver was left behind.
I traveled there as a single diver. Although I was aware of other single divers there that week, no effort was made at any time to pair me up with anyone as a dive buddy. I had to dive solo in a group setting. It was my choice to go ahead and do that, of course. I just tried to stay close to the nearest octo.
Sand Flies
I had heard so much about the marauding sand flies that I came fully loaded for bear. Three cans of Deep Woods Off, one small spray bottle of Bens 100% deet and permethrin soaked clothes guaranteed to stop biting insects. I used the spray religiously, wore the clothes and got one or two bites the entire time I was there. Yes, the flies were there, I saw them. I wasnt bothered by them at all.
Biting insects are a real issue on Roatan. The CDC recommends taking anti malarial drugs while there. My doc gave me Malarone which I took as directed. I met an expat on the plane on the way down who told me hed had malaria twice while living there so I was glad to have taken the pills.
Final Thoughts
A vacation is always what you make of it and, despite the above review, I did have fun at AKR. You can substitute the sport of your choice, but the motto your worst day diving (skiing, etc.) is still better than your best day at work holds true for me. I love to dive and dive I did!
However, it begs a larger question. Why do we as divers put up with this level of service and accommodation in the Caribbean when other vacationers demand (and get) better elsewhere? For example, youll find wonderful 4 and 5 star hotels and all inclusives all along the Mayan Riviera. But not on Cozumel. Great hotels and food on Aruba, nothing like it on Bonaire.
My wife and I are far from rich, but if your budget for a dive trip is two grand including air, youre going to stay in a sand fly infested hole with lousy food and dubious dive practices. We have to demand more and spend more to get great service. Or perhaps take up handball instead.
There are 4 5 star dive resorts. They are in Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Tahiti, Fiji, and Hawaii. Why not the Caribbean? Indeed, why not?
First, to give you some perspective, my personal dive experiences have covered much of the Caribbean including: The BVIs, USVIs, Grand Cayman, Turks & Caicos, ABC Islands, Mexico (Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, & Cozumel). Also Hawaii.
I hold PADI certifications in both Rescue and EAN. I have about 150 lifetime dives. All have been under clear, tropical conditions.
My wife and I are both divers (although I took this trip solo) and we like a bit of luxury when we spend our hard earned cash to go on vacation.
The Captain has already done a fine job discussing the logistics of getting there, the airport, and being welcomed to the resort, etc. So I will dispense with that portion and move directly to the accommodations, food, and diving.
Overall, what did I think of AKR and, perhaps more importantly, what will you think of it? The answer is; it depends on what you want out of your dive vacation experience. How much lack of amenities are you willing to put up with? What is your tolerance for trust me diving? Can you exist on short rations for a week? What medical risks are you prepared to take? All of these factors come into play at AKR in a beautiful tropical setting.
Dining
First, lets dispense with the term All Inclusive. This is definitely NOT an AI. Its more like three hots and a cot. Your skimpy breakfast lunch and dinner are the only covered food and you can have tea (hot or cold), water or coffee for free. All other beverages and any snacks you may want are extra. I made a note of this when I originally posted regarding AKR before my trip. I brought a whole bunch of extra food with me and needed it.
I actually got into an argument with one of the waiters after I asked for more food at dinner one evening. I was refused and had to get a manager involved before I got what I wanted. I had to ask myself if I was on a vacation, or in a story by Charles Dickens.
I am aware that people have different definitions of fine dining. I am from Manhattan so my tastes may gravitate towards the upscale. Aside from a few exceptional fresh fish dishes, the food was pretty bad. It was apparent to me that the beef, pork and chicken served were of poor quality. I was surprised because Id heard that South and Central America had excellent beef. And one thing I know they do well down there is pork, so again, surprising. This resort obviously cuts corners where it can. Ive had much better food at true AIs in Mexico and Turks & Caicos. The restaurants in the Caymans and Aruba are world class.
The dining room is entirely open-air with fans above. It was warm there in November but eating outdoors was tolerable for most meals. I think it would be hell to try and eat there for any meal in the summer. I was in Turks and Caicos in mid-August this year and eating outside would have been unthinkable for me.
Also keep in mind that the dining room is at the top of about sixty stairs so be prepared for a good workout at least three times a day. I do recall it being mentioned in my OW class that vigorous exercise after diving is not recommended. Oh well. The front desk is up there too so if you need anything from them its another trip up the Stairmaster. Remember you cant actually call the front desk. No Phones.
Accomodations
The rooms are Spartan with few of the amenities you might expect even at a Motel 6 or Days Inn. No TV, no phone, no nice bar of soap, no lighted makeup mirror, no unlimited bottles of water, no room service, few towels. The soap, shampoo and body wash that is provided is via a rack with refillable bottles as you might find at a gym. Although the bathroom space was quite large, the shower stall was tiny. There was plenty of hot water.
The maid service was good and timed so that it is done while you are out diving.
Surprisingly, the internet service was pretty great. I had no problem using my iPhone, or laptop. I was able to use both Facetime and Skype to call and video chat with my family. Email was fine and I was even able to listen to Sirius Satellite radio and watch some TV over the internet. No complaints there at all.
Its been said before, but it bears repeating that not all rooms are air conditioned. I had a Key Deluxe room and along with pretty decent AC, the room had its own private over water porch with hammocks, clothes line and a spectacular view of the dolphin pens on the nearby island. Staying anywhere, at any time of year in the tropics would be unthinkable for me without an air conditioned room, period.
The bed and pillows were very comfortable.
Water, Water Everywhere .
Lets take a moment to discuss water Most divers are aware that hydration is an important factor in the prevention of decompression illness (DCI). When youre on a dive vacation, you want to drink a lot of water. AKR says their tap water is run through their own treatment facility and is fine to drink. However, more than a few people I met told me they were having issues with their stomachs. Since I ate the food with no problems, I have to assume it was the water.
I always travel with several types of water purification systems when I leave the US. For this trip I brought my First Need water filter, Camelbak UV purification bottle system, and a simple Hamilton Beach electric boiler pot. I treated or boiled every drop of water I drank there and had no problems with my stomach.
They also expect you to obtain your water from what is essentially the bathroom sink in the room. The same sink where you wash your hands after using the toilet, etc. I found that especially gross, but as I said, I boiled all the water I got from there. I also brought some clean Nalgene bottles with me. After the water cooled in the boiler pot, I put it in the mini fridge to get cold. Oh yeah there was a mini fridge.
When youre on a dive trip, you want to drink a lot of water. Frankly, they dont make it easy.
Consider Your Medical History (Help is So Close, Yet So Far)
The obvious choice place to stay at AKR is on the Key. The Key has the nicer rooms with over-water porches, the pool, bar, etc. And, AKR is the only resort in Roatan with its own complete medical facility (including hyperbaric chamber). However, the Key is an Island and the med center is on the mainland and there are no phones. There is only a skiff shuttle that runs back and forth between the two.
I would estimate that about twenty-five percent of the people there that week were of retirement age (65) or older. I am 55. I realize that you are taking a risk any time you travel to a third-world destination. But if you were to have a serious medical emergency on the Key, the response time would not be life saving. To the best of my knowledge, there is no Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on the Key. Perhaps it would be a good idea to put one out there.
The Diving
Across the world there exists concierge diving. That is where you bring your gear to the dive shop at the start of the trip and they store it for you, wash it and hang it to dry daily, and it shows up on the boat the next day all set up with your tank (unless its Nitrox, then youll measure it yourself and THEN theyll set it up for you). AKR is not concierge diving.
Now I know what most of you SCUBA Board fanatics are going to say no one touches my gear! But consider this: if someone else sets up your gear and then you check it AND your buddy checks it, then three sets of eyes have looked over your gear, not just one or two. Just sayin .
Yes, your tanks will be on the boat, but you must haul, set-up, clean and hang your own gear each day. You will be assigned a dive locker. The dive locker is inside a stuffy, smelly building right next to the dock. You will squeeze your gear into a semi open box that is about 18 inches square and about 6 feet tall. Your gear will never dry out in this box. There is no air flow in this building. On your last dive day, make sure to take your gear to an outdoor location and hang it outside so it will be dry enough to pack the next day. My porch did the trick nicely.
The operation is designed primarily to get the maximum number of divers to the dive site at a time. There were 11 divers assigned to my boat and one divemaster. The resort was not full the week I was there so there could have been more. More people on that boat would have been a bit too cattle-like for me. 11 was fine.
The dive plan was the same for each dive: descend near the boat (40fsw), swim over and down to the wall (70-80fsw), swim along the wall, return to the boat, ascend. The plan nearly always called for a 45-50 minute dive.
Now, I learned in my OW class to do the deepest dives first in the day and the deepest part of the dive first on all dives. So after one day of this, I told the DM that I would follow the rest of the group snorkeling on the surface for the 150 or so yards to the wall and descend there. That way I could do the deepest part of the dive first and conserve the air everyone else was wasting on the way to the wall. I would do that dive plan at AKR if I went there again.
As Captain Sinbad mentioned, the vis was not great but the structures were interesting. It was cloudy and rained for some part of nearly each day I was there. Not a big deal really, but if you were looking to take photos using natural light, you wouldve been disappointed. The one surprise for me was the lack of biomass. Ive seen many more fish and other creatures elsewhere in the Caribbean and with greater diversity. We saw a few turtles, morays, etc. I did not go on the shark dive and saw not a single shark or other pelagic species.
One thing I did love about the diving was that you do your surface intervals back at the resort doing whatever you want, rather than just sitting on a boat waiting for the next dive. It also affords you the option of selecting which dives to go on, and which ones to skip. For example, Im not much of an early riser so I elected to skip most of the 8:30am dives. How civilized to have breakfast at your leisure and still have plenty of time to make the 10:30am dive.
Some Dive Warnings (Trust Me!)
There is a weekly lunch on the south side of the island at a place called Maya Key. I was warned by Doc Adelman from Coco View NOT to be a sailor-man and take the ride on the boat. There is a bus available from the resort and it can get quite rough going around the point, as it was the day I went. Almost everyone on my boat was at least a bit seasick on this ride (although no one actually heaved). Consider yourself warned. Feeling quite green around the gills myself, I hitched a ride back in a car with one of AKRs employees.
There are two wreck dives available each week. I did not go on either. Both wrecks are in 100 110fsw. I was told that the inside of one of them silted up after the group went in. So you will be going into an overhead environment, at over 100fsw, where the vis could close out, on a single tank. I dunno, you do the math trust me, youll be fine!
There is an available shark dive each week. I dont actually approve of baited shark dives, so I did not go. Apparently, the location has a lot of current. You must descend on a line to get in behind a rock outcrop (about 70ft down) in order to be sheltered from the current. In the video I saw of this dive there was at least one diver who needed to be grabbed by the tank valve and forced into the correct position next to the rock. It seemed like most of the divers were having trouble maintaining their positions due to the current and surge. There was a chum bucket, it was released, the sharks ate it, end of show.
Heres a video of the shark dive in question. It was made by the resort. Check out the diver being helped at about the 4 minute mark.
https://www.facebook.com/WorldofAziz/videos/10153734302963523/
There were two night dives available. I went on one. The dive site was fairly deep at 65fsw for a night dive. There wasnt a lot of organization. Most operators hang a high-powered light under the boat for a night dive. AKR hung a far less visible purple glow stick. If you dont happen to own a dive light, they will happily rent you one for $15US + tax. Every other night dive Ive ever been on, the light was included. At AKR, the night dive is included, but if you want to see anything well thatll be fifteen bucks.
Here are a few odds and ends to consider:
The air intake for AKRs compressor operation is right next to the dock where all the dive boats come in and idle before and after each dive. Now I know there are filters for this, but it does seem somewhat ill advised to place the intake right next to half a dozen chugging diesel engines, dont you think? If I went back there, I would bring a CO sensor. I did have a headache after one dive.
I listened to all the dive briefs and read all the materials both on line and what was available at the resort. To this day I have no idea if their dive boats are equipped with first aid kits, oxygen, or a radio. I never saw any of those things. No diver recall or emergency plan was ever discussed.
Other than the divemaster doing a quick headcount after each dive, there was no formal roll call or other announced plan to ensure no diver was left behind.
I traveled there as a single diver. Although I was aware of other single divers there that week, no effort was made at any time to pair me up with anyone as a dive buddy. I had to dive solo in a group setting. It was my choice to go ahead and do that, of course. I just tried to stay close to the nearest octo.
Sand Flies
I had heard so much about the marauding sand flies that I came fully loaded for bear. Three cans of Deep Woods Off, one small spray bottle of Bens 100% deet and permethrin soaked clothes guaranteed to stop biting insects. I used the spray religiously, wore the clothes and got one or two bites the entire time I was there. Yes, the flies were there, I saw them. I wasnt bothered by them at all.
Biting insects are a real issue on Roatan. The CDC recommends taking anti malarial drugs while there. My doc gave me Malarone which I took as directed. I met an expat on the plane on the way down who told me hed had malaria twice while living there so I was glad to have taken the pills.
Final Thoughts
A vacation is always what you make of it and, despite the above review, I did have fun at AKR. You can substitute the sport of your choice, but the motto your worst day diving (skiing, etc.) is still better than your best day at work holds true for me. I love to dive and dive I did!
However, it begs a larger question. Why do we as divers put up with this level of service and accommodation in the Caribbean when other vacationers demand (and get) better elsewhere? For example, youll find wonderful 4 and 5 star hotels and all inclusives all along the Mayan Riviera. But not on Cozumel. Great hotels and food on Aruba, nothing like it on Bonaire.
My wife and I are far from rich, but if your budget for a dive trip is two grand including air, youre going to stay in a sand fly infested hole with lousy food and dubious dive practices. We have to demand more and spend more to get great service. Or perhaps take up handball instead.
There are 4 5 star dive resorts. They are in Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Tahiti, Fiji, and Hawaii. Why not the Caribbean? Indeed, why not?
