We will be in Roatan for a day and were considering a day package trip to BIBR. We are a family of 4 including 2 boys (ages 7 & 9) who are pretty good swimmers and have snorkeled before. BIBR will pick up and return us to the ship, and provide lunch. There is snorkeling from the shore, or the option to take a morning boat trip. It looks like a good way to spend the day, and the snorkeling from shore looks good. Is the swim from shore too far for young children? Would the boat trip be recommended? Are their boats often broken? Anyone have any thoughts or other suggestions? Thanks for your insights.
Lodging at BIBR Roatan
- Thread starter easydiver
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Visibility Unlimited's owner is one Cathy Agulopolis (sp?). Nice lady.
Do you know Cathy? Thanks for providing that tidbit. I need to email her.
And she is a nice lady.
Spoobs,
As far as the snorkeling goes at BIBR, I reccomend the diving. They do have a cool snorkel trail that I did not do, but others in my group did and they saw a lot. (Juvenile fish, Octopus, and other reef life found in a lagoon) If you get off of the path you'll be surrounded by eelgrass at depths of a foot or two. It's a few hundred yards of snorkeling. I think that with good fins it would be an enjoyable trip for your family. The wrong fins could tire you out.
For my money, if I was going to spend a day there, I'd take the boat out and go diving instead. (Just read the ages of your boys...so that's a non-issue.) As far as the boats go...One broke when I was there, but that has happened at other resorts before. A replacement was soon found and we went diving after about an hour delay. Two others were there and ready to go, but were not fast enough to go to the south side of the island in time. The replacement was found on the south side and away we went.
To be more precise, I PREFER the boats at other resorts. I was on a boat that was a little slow, but made it wherever we needed to go satisfactorily. I did not like the setup on the boat, however. There are boats that are set up better than the boat that I was on. I did not mean to imply that you'll be traveling to dive sites on leaky barges. That is not an accurate description!
And she is a nice lady.
Spoobs,
As far as the snorkeling goes at BIBR, I reccomend the diving. They do have a cool snorkel trail that I did not do, but others in my group did and they saw a lot. (Juvenile fish, Octopus, and other reef life found in a lagoon) If you get off of the path you'll be surrounded by eelgrass at depths of a foot or two. It's a few hundred yards of snorkeling. I think that with good fins it would be an enjoyable trip for your family. The wrong fins could tire you out.
For my money, if I was going to spend a day there, I'd take the boat out and go diving instead. (Just read the ages of your boys...so that's a non-issue.) As far as the boats go...One broke when I was there, but that has happened at other resorts before. A replacement was soon found and we went diving after about an hour delay. Two others were there and ready to go, but were not fast enough to go to the south side of the island in time. The replacement was found on the south side and away we went.
To be more precise, I PREFER the boats at other resorts. I was on a boat that was a little slow, but made it wherever we needed to go satisfactorily. I did not like the setup on the boat, however. There are boats that are set up better than the boat that I was on. I did not mean to imply that you'll be traveling to dive sites on leaky barges. That is not an accurate description!
Well let me add my two cents about BIBR. I just got back Saturday. Most of the other comments are very accurate. I will admit that our accommodations were not al that bad. We stayed in the main house and were pretty happy with it. Our air worked good and only had minor problems with bugs. The air worked fine. No one in our group of 25 had any complaints about the accommodations. As for the boats, they were bad. Ours ran out gas, the batteries went dead, one of the other boats ran aground. The only DMs I had any contact with were Andy and Ricardo. Both were very unprofessional. They were not helpful nor were they to concerned about the quality of your trip or your time there. The guys on the other boat I guess were good. Our guys on that boat enjoyed them.
The manager Bob. There are many comments I could make about him but suffice to say, they would not be good at all. He is what you would not want to have as a manager. As for the food I could not really complain too much about it. The biggest problem was the staff could never seem to get the orders right. I was not very pleased with the stray dogs and cat running around looking for food. I just felt that the place was not very well managed and the dive staff was very unprofessional. The high point was the opportunity to swim with the whale sharks. That was the most awesome experience. That made the trip worth it. As for the rafting trip, 15 of our people went and had a blast. If i was to make a reccomendation, I would advise against it. If ya need more info PM me.
jim
The manager Bob. There are many comments I could make about him but suffice to say, they would not be good at all. He is what you would not want to have as a manager. As for the food I could not really complain too much about it. The biggest problem was the staff could never seem to get the orders right. I was not very pleased with the stray dogs and cat running around looking for food. I just felt that the place was not very well managed and the dive staff was very unprofessional. The high point was the opportunity to swim with the whale sharks. That was the most awesome experience. That made the trip worth it. As for the rafting trip, 15 of our people went and had a blast. If i was to make a reccomendation, I would advise against it. If ya need more info PM me.
jim
starfish365
Contributor
we're planning (maybe) on taking a trip to Roatan next year...what's your feeling on TACA airlines
Hey MisFit,
Sorry I missed you that night. We'll talk.
Hey Starfish!
I jokingly referred to Taca Airlines as Taco Airlines before the trip. Suffice it to say that their planes are nices, big and comfy. More so than Delta. I enjoyed flying with TACA.
Colin Berry
Sorry I missed you that night. We'll talk.
Hey Starfish!
I jokingly referred to Taca Airlines as Taco Airlines before the trip. Suffice it to say that their planes are nices, big and comfy. More so than Delta. I enjoyed flying with TACA.
Colin Berry
I was completly satisfied with TACA. We had no problems with tickets, people were freindly, planes were nice. No problems with theft. We all kept our regs with us and did not put them in the check in luggage. I have no complaints with TACA at all. I would say they were fine
Aeolus
Guest
I have travelled to Roatan with TACA about 10 times and I have never had a major problem. We had some rain delays once, but that was beyond their coontrol. I would suggest that you book on the non-stop flights though. They do not have many during the week, so check into it. On the flights that stop in San Pedro Sula, the people make the connecting flight, but often the bags do not. They will come on the next flight or so, but that can make for a difficult time for a while. Enjoy your trip. I am looking into going again soon. I have alrteady been there twice this year.
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or better yet, use the search feature here to answer your question from previous posts that have beaten this to death.
People's opinions of TACA are largely irrelevant. Anecdotal experiences relating to lost luggage are amusing, but I have never had a problem. Certain resorts have enough crank to make your luggage re-appear, others do not. At some resorts it doesn't matter, because they will GIVE you first class rental gear- others will charge you for using their junk- or just shrug. Some resorts will beat TACA to death and get you $50/bag/day- some will not. That is what makes your bag appear on Monday or sooner if lost. It takes about 2 man hours each day to make this filing. YOU aren't going to do it, and I know of only on property that will send someone down to the airport and squeeze them.
Carry on baggae and weight limits should be understood and obeyed. Or- get your wallet out. Check directly with TACA for the rule of the month. Discreetly bribing the desk/ticket agent has been known to work. If you insist on using a Pelican case for your cameras, put it in a duffel and check it- duh- Otherwise, put it in a softside camera bag and drag it on board.
If you want to come to Roatan, it's pretty much so TACA or swim. It aint looking good for their competition. TACA feels competition of any sort on this cash cow leg and they will set their Tactical Air Desk on the situation, Station Chief is Mr. B.O.Aconstrictor.
Certain tour operators issue you TACA tickets that are better than others. If you buy them from anyone that doesn't do a lot of business, you may find that your flight was oversold.
Direst Non Stop flights operate only on weekends, IAH on Saturday, MIA on Sunday. There may be others. Otherwise its hopscotch thru Belize then over or to the mainland and farther.
TACA is a GREAT airline- once you are aboard and the cabin door is closed. Until then- keep your receipt and sense of humor. Antagonistic behavior simply will not work.
People's opinions of TACA are largely irrelevant. Anecdotal experiences relating to lost luggage are amusing, but I have never had a problem. Certain resorts have enough crank to make your luggage re-appear, others do not. At some resorts it doesn't matter, because they will GIVE you first class rental gear- others will charge you for using their junk- or just shrug. Some resorts will beat TACA to death and get you $50/bag/day- some will not. That is what makes your bag appear on Monday or sooner if lost. It takes about 2 man hours each day to make this filing. YOU aren't going to do it, and I know of only on property that will send someone down to the airport and squeeze them.
Carry on baggae and weight limits should be understood and obeyed. Or- get your wallet out. Check directly with TACA for the rule of the month. Discreetly bribing the desk/ticket agent has been known to work. If you insist on using a Pelican case for your cameras, put it in a duffel and check it- duh- Otherwise, put it in a softside camera bag and drag it on board.
If you want to come to Roatan, it's pretty much so TACA or swim. It aint looking good for their competition. TACA feels competition of any sort on this cash cow leg and they will set their Tactical Air Desk on the situation, Station Chief is Mr. B.O.Aconstrictor.
Certain tour operators issue you TACA tickets that are better than others. If you buy them from anyone that doesn't do a lot of business, you may find that your flight was oversold.
Direst Non Stop flights operate only on weekends, IAH on Saturday, MIA on Sunday. There may be others. Otherwise its hopscotch thru Belize then over or to the mainland and farther.
TACA is a GREAT airline- once you are aboard and the cabin door is closed. Until then- keep your receipt and sense of humor. Antagonistic behavior simply will not work.
AllenG
Contributor
I found RoatanMan's comments re TACA interesting. I can concur with some, but would like to offer a slightly different viewpoint on some others. TACA flights, like visits to Roatan in general, must be viewed in the context of the destination: a third-world country. This should not be seen as a disparagement of Honduras, because I probably would move there in a heart-beat if the opportuity arose. But this simply is not the same as flying from NYC to DC. There are some elements of Honduras that with concurrent regret and pleasure I note to be different and sometimes less sophisticated than the US. So if it doesn't have the polish of Delta, United, etc., it's not a sign that it's bad, just different! Yes, there will be delays, there will be mechanical problems, there will be delayed luggage. And yes, it probably happens more than with some domestic carriers. And if you are going to get caught up in that, you probably won't be able to enjoy Roatan. Taca flights, like Roatan in general, must be viewed as an adventure. With that simple perspective, every flight I've had on Taca (and I've had many) becomes fun inspite of the problems that ensue (and there have been many). You'll meet interesting people from many communities and countries who, in the face of shared problems of delayed flights, redirected flights, etc., you have ample opportunity to become better acquainted with. And don't forget RoatanMan's comment re humor. Many of the Taca staff remember me because when (not if, when!) my bags don't arrive, I am joking and smiling. Apparently the contrast with the typical American pissing, moaning, and threatening to sue anyone is enough to make me memorable!
In the mean time, I would assert that delayed baggage IS the norm. Those who suggest otherwise have incredible luck in the face of high, adverse odds and should be sitting in casinos! Out of my many trips to Roatan over the past 20 years, only once has ALL my luggage arrived and many are the incoming guests who can be seen stewing over missing luggage. Mind you, not all of your luggage comes delayed, just some. Don't be afraid to tell the ticket counter person in Miami or Houston which one has the dive gear and should be recognized as a priority. They will try hard to get it on the plane, but don't assume that it will make it. And even if you see it loaded into the plane, don't assume it will arrive!
But equally important, I have never had luggage from the afternoon MIA-RTB flight that didn't arrive at the resort (AKR) by noon time the next day. The resort staff take care of everything and I don't have to do anything other than provide the Taca folks with info re shape, size, etc. The resort dive staff are good about providing gear backups while you are waiting, so that's never been an issue. Of the many guests I have met, only 2 or 3 had to wait more than a day and only 1 had to wait like 5 days (with Taca popping $100 per day to cover inconveniences).
In some regards, direct flights are better than connecting flights, because every connection increases the possibility of luggage being left behind. Mind you, it's not that the luggage gets lost, it's that they are trying to limit the weight (or at least that's what they have told me). And therefore, because the direct flights tend to be completely filled, weight issues are more likely to arise.
I am intrigued by RoatanMan's observation re tickets issued by one resort vs. another may get better or worse treatment. I'm not necessarily surprised, but I'm curious as to which resorts fare better.
To those that are going to get all stressed out over travel complications, stay home & dive a quarry or go for a cattle call in the Keys. But if your sense of humor and sense of adventure rival your love of diving, get out your credit card & start planning a trip to Roatan!
Allen
In the mean time, I would assert that delayed baggage IS the norm. Those who suggest otherwise have incredible luck in the face of high, adverse odds and should be sitting in casinos! Out of my many trips to Roatan over the past 20 years, only once has ALL my luggage arrived and many are the incoming guests who can be seen stewing over missing luggage. Mind you, not all of your luggage comes delayed, just some. Don't be afraid to tell the ticket counter person in Miami or Houston which one has the dive gear and should be recognized as a priority. They will try hard to get it on the plane, but don't assume that it will make it. And even if you see it loaded into the plane, don't assume it will arrive!
But equally important, I have never had luggage from the afternoon MIA-RTB flight that didn't arrive at the resort (AKR) by noon time the next day. The resort staff take care of everything and I don't have to do anything other than provide the Taca folks with info re shape, size, etc. The resort dive staff are good about providing gear backups while you are waiting, so that's never been an issue. Of the many guests I have met, only 2 or 3 had to wait more than a day and only 1 had to wait like 5 days (with Taca popping $100 per day to cover inconveniences).
In some regards, direct flights are better than connecting flights, because every connection increases the possibility of luggage being left behind. Mind you, it's not that the luggage gets lost, it's that they are trying to limit the weight (or at least that's what they have told me). And therefore, because the direct flights tend to be completely filled, weight issues are more likely to arise.
I am intrigued by RoatanMan's observation re tickets issued by one resort vs. another may get better or worse treatment. I'm not necessarily surprised, but I'm curious as to which resorts fare better.
To those that are going to get all stressed out over travel complications, stay home & dive a quarry or go for a cattle call in the Keys. But if your sense of humor and sense of adventure rival your love of diving, get out your credit card & start planning a trip to Roatan!
Allen
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