batts
Registered
We spent 8 days with Bananarama Dive Resort. The dive operation is top notch; the resort had some serious issues. Overall, we had a great experience and can't wait to return to Roatan. We would absolutely dive with Bananarama again but would stay somewhere else.
The Diving: We made 14 dives, all in the West Bay beach area. The diving exceeded our expectations in most respects. The marine environment seemed very healthy with gorgeous coral and generally abundant reef fish (in addition to the usual suspects, we encountered the elusive Rainbow Parrotfish, stunning Blue Parrotfish, sharp-nosed eels). Almost every dive featured the appearance of one or more turtles, sometimes as many as 3-4. We saw a couple of eagle rays but they seemed to be pretty uncommon. Schools of squid on two dives. No nurse sharks. The variation in underwater topography was impressive - plenty of wall dives, canyons, and a few sites with swim-throughs.
With a couple of exceptions, boat rides were 2-5 minutes (easy breezy!). All surface intervals were back at the resort - very convenient to return to the room for coffee or tea between dives.
The Dive Operation: The dive shop is one of the most organized operations we've encountered. We dove with 4 guides - they were all very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and professional. Our only complaint is that the dives were terminated at 50-55 minutes regardless of air. Since most of the dives were pretty shallow, we often came up with half a tank or just under. Also, some of the rental equipment is in rough shape and needs replaced. Bring your own gear if possible. Two of our friends finished their certification on this trip and had a great experience overall - very rigorous training as compared to what we've seen in other locals.
The Resort: Bananarama is located in the middle of West Bay Beach - bright turquoise water and soft white sand. We had concerns about sand fleas, but weren't affected much at all. We left with no more bug bites than we've sustained anywhere else. We didn't use bug repellent save for the first night.
The hotel has a rustic appeal and would be an excellent choice if it weren't for the very loud, non-stop beach party atmosphere. If you're looking for some measure of tranquility, stay almost anywhere else on West Bay Beach. (The beach in front of all of the resorts is excellent; there's great snorkeling in front of Infinity Bay, next to Bananarama).
We rented the King Beach house, which is a spacious, 2-bedroom suite with a kitchen, dining area and outdoor space. We loved the massive deck and found the room to be very charming. Unfortunately, our enjoyment was severely compromised by loud music, which starts around noon and continues well into the night. Karaoke nights were the worst. The website does not disclose that the King Beach house is directly over the bar and restaurant, making it impossible to enjoy the fabulous deck in the evenings. Had we known about the music we would have steered clear of the entire resort, or at least rented rooms on the other side (the Island Pearl side).
Service at the restaurant was very slow, particularly in the morning. Breakfast was often not served in time for divers to finish eating before they were due at the dive shop. (There seemed to be some tension between the dive shop and restaurant concerning this issue). The menu needs more vegetarian options.
The Diving: We made 14 dives, all in the West Bay beach area. The diving exceeded our expectations in most respects. The marine environment seemed very healthy with gorgeous coral and generally abundant reef fish (in addition to the usual suspects, we encountered the elusive Rainbow Parrotfish, stunning Blue Parrotfish, sharp-nosed eels). Almost every dive featured the appearance of one or more turtles, sometimes as many as 3-4. We saw a couple of eagle rays but they seemed to be pretty uncommon. Schools of squid on two dives. No nurse sharks. The variation in underwater topography was impressive - plenty of wall dives, canyons, and a few sites with swim-throughs.
With a couple of exceptions, boat rides were 2-5 minutes (easy breezy!). All surface intervals were back at the resort - very convenient to return to the room for coffee or tea between dives.
The Dive Operation: The dive shop is one of the most organized operations we've encountered. We dove with 4 guides - they were all very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and professional. Our only complaint is that the dives were terminated at 50-55 minutes regardless of air. Since most of the dives were pretty shallow, we often came up with half a tank or just under. Also, some of the rental equipment is in rough shape and needs replaced. Bring your own gear if possible. Two of our friends finished their certification on this trip and had a great experience overall - very rigorous training as compared to what we've seen in other locals.
The Resort: Bananarama is located in the middle of West Bay Beach - bright turquoise water and soft white sand. We had concerns about sand fleas, but weren't affected much at all. We left with no more bug bites than we've sustained anywhere else. We didn't use bug repellent save for the first night.
The hotel has a rustic appeal and would be an excellent choice if it weren't for the very loud, non-stop beach party atmosphere. If you're looking for some measure of tranquility, stay almost anywhere else on West Bay Beach. (The beach in front of all of the resorts is excellent; there's great snorkeling in front of Infinity Bay, next to Bananarama).
We rented the King Beach house, which is a spacious, 2-bedroom suite with a kitchen, dining area and outdoor space. We loved the massive deck and found the room to be very charming. Unfortunately, our enjoyment was severely compromised by loud music, which starts around noon and continues well into the night. Karaoke nights were the worst. The website does not disclose that the King Beach house is directly over the bar and restaurant, making it impossible to enjoy the fabulous deck in the evenings. Had we known about the music we would have steered clear of the entire resort, or at least rented rooms on the other side (the Island Pearl side).
Service at the restaurant was very slow, particularly in the morning. Breakfast was often not served in time for divers to finish eating before they were due at the dive shop. (There seemed to be some tension between the dive shop and restaurant concerning this issue). The menu needs more vegetarian options.
