Utilia-Trudy's Suites/Underwater Vision Dive Shop?

[laurenceh]

bear in mind the sps to utila flight is considerably further than belize city to the cayes

 

[Pillpusher]

After looking more closely at a map, yeah, looks like you're correct. Just wasn't expecting to drop nearly twice as much ($450-$500) on the puddle jumpers as we are on our hotel, is all...lol. Overall though, as long as the diving is good, it still seems like one of the best deals on the planet. Can't wait.

 

[Sloeber]

Thanks for the shout out Stout!

For the OP, I work freelance on the island and would be pleased to show you the best of Utila. I'll also happily offer my opinion on any of your questions. Since I work for many shops I don't want to talk one up more than another in a public forum. I hope you understand. Drop me a PM and I'll give you the straight dope on Utila and the shops here.

 

[Stout]

Hi Henry. great to see you back online again. An update to your blog please as I'm getting tired of reading Donkey Dung over and over. Glad to hear you got your camera fixed and...a tiger shark at Blackhills ? wow.

 

[laurenceh]

was it a tiger shark that ecomarine saw this a.m.?

 

[Stout]

It was something I read over on Coral View's facebook page earlier this week, kind of a crappy story actually. You know, I've never seen a shark other than nurse sharks and leopard sharks. Not even a reef shark and here was some guy telling me last month that while he was over on Roatan doing his DM, a hammerhead surfaced right beside their boat just as they were getting out of the water after a night dive.

 

[Sloeber]

Tiger Shark.. meh. Sad story.

I was telling an island DM/Intructor of 10 years that a tiger was spotted out on Black Hills. He called BS, saying he's never seen one, not even caught by fisherman. So I chaulked it up to perhaps a mis-identification. Sadly, it was a tiger shark. Utila's finest poachers had it finned by weeks end. :sad:

I'll try to get that blog updated Stout. You aren't the only one pestering me about it.

 

[laurenceh]

i saw one in a fishing dory two years ago. the guy stopped in town to sell the fins before heading to the cays to butcher it. it was around 7ft.

 

[diversteve]

Leaning towards using Alton's, it they ever decide to reply to my email...lol. Also, I just noticed that flights from SAP to Utila are around $220 per person?!? $620 to fly the first 1100 miles (United from IAH), but $220 just for the last 50 or so? Is there a better option that I haven't figured out yet?

There is - you can take the ferries from Roatan. You go from Roatan back to La Ceiba then over to Utila. We did it a couple years ago.

If you can get to Roatan by noon (allowing for customs/immigration) - the 1st boat leaves at 2PM - you're on Utila at 5. Return leaves early - 6:20AM so you're back on Roatan about 11ish. The Galaxy docks in Dixon Cove - maybe a 10min. ($20) cab ride from the airport. The Utila Princess docks next to the Galaxy in La Ceiba - just walk across the parking lot. The schedules are timed so pax from one can connect to the other.

Just over $100 R/T for both ferries 2 years ago. Pay the extra $10 on the Galaxy for 1st class, it buys A/C and a free soda.

The one complication is that if several planes land at RTB simultaneously - it's happened every time we go through there around noon - the wait thru customs/immigration can be long enough that you start to worry about missing the boat. If there's a line outside get in the right lanes, when it curves around into the terminal it's the shorter line.

Roatan Ferry, La Ceiba Ferry | Safeway Maritime
Utila Princess - Utila, The Bay Islands, Honduras

Deep Blue puts it together on their site: http://www.deepblueutila.com/ferry.php

One other Roatan->Utila direct option is Capt. Vern's Catamaran. He leaves from Coconut Tree's dock in the West End on Roatan and docks in town on Utila. But he leaves at 1PM unless you make other arrangements as it's a 3+ hour sail. A taxi from the airport to the West End would cost you about $20-25pp each way also - less if you negotiate. Vern charges $55 one-way so the ferries are cheaper. Ferry between Roatan & Utila, The Bay Islands, Honduras, daily with Capt Vern on the Nina Elisabeth II Catamaran

 

[Pillpusher]

Thanks, but sounds like a lotta work... Besides, after the additional cost of flying into Roatan instead of SAP, or getting there from SAP, it doesn't really save any money.

On another note, I STILL haven't heard back from anyone at Alton's... Not sure what's up with that...