Anthony's Key Resort

I am planning to visit Anthony's Key Resort in Roatan and I am thinking some time in August or early September.

Since it is a really BIG BIG trip from Greece I want you to inform me if the weather is OK during that time plus any other details you think I should know about my trip there....

Thanks..

Manogr

I have been to Bay Islands several times during the time frame you mention. Several observations:

1. Yes it is hot during August, but not unbearably so. I have been more uncomfortable in the southern US in the month of August than in Roatan. Air conditioned rooms are obviously preferable during these months and they get reserved quickly at AKR. Having said that, there have been instances when I couldn't get a reservation for an air conditioned rooms (i.e., the "Hilltop Standard" rooms are not air conditioned), but was perfectly comfortable with just the room fan.

2. Rain? Never missed a day of diving during the month of August. First week of September should be fine. Further into September increases the likelihood of rain.

3. Late August provides a good chance of encountering whale sharks!

4. Yes, the no-see-ums are a problem. Visitors often wonder if some times of the year are better or worse than others. Locals will admit that they are alway bad. Having said that, the issue of no-see-ums can be overcome if you simply accept that (a) you always need to douse yourself in DEET, bug spray, Cactus Juice, Skin-So-Soft, or your bug repellant of choice from head to toe; (b) you will still get lots of bites no matter how much repellant you use; (c) the highly recommended repellant someone else is using probably is no better than the one you are using; and (d) except for a fortunate few, most people who insist they use no repellant and never get biten will, nonetheless, end up with some nasty bites.

5. If you fly on Grupo Taca (especially through Miami), there is a distressingly high probability that some or all of your luggage will not arrive with you. Plan accordingly! The AKR staff understand this phenomenon and are flexible and helpful in this regard. When I visited last year, many Italian visitors mentioned that there was waht sounded like a direct connection from Italy to Roatan. Perhaps this would be good for you?

7. AKR and the Bay Islands in general are wonderful places to visit. My daughter and I will probably be going down for about 10 days starting the third week of August. Let me know if our paths will intersect. The diving, the accommodations, and the service at AKR is consistently great. You can plan on having a great time.

Great info AllenG !!!


Thank you very much and I will let you know about my exact dates !



Manogr

Considering it is rather difficult to get away from work for a week or so, and going on a tropical dive trip isn't exactly inexpensive, for the life of me, why would anyone choose a dive destination where frigging insects consume your flesh and make you thrash in discomfort when you can go place where it isn't so and the diving is just as good?

I always like the image of the bungalos on the water at AKR, but if I can't go to a deserted tropical beach and tan au naturel without getting consumed by the flora and fauna, forgedt it!

I am unfamiliar with tropical paradises that don't have sandflies, doctor flies, noseeums or mosquitoes.

Please suggest some places where we can go where they are not so bad.

thx.:flys:

Fiji, Yasawa islands Group,Turtle Island......no noseums (didn't see any, lol) no skeeters as the Trade Winds causes too much aerodynamic turbulence for their limited flight controls, and no other things that readily ate flesh....

Hi Manogr,

Well, late Aug/early Sept is approaching the peak of tropical storm/hurricane season in the region. Although the risk is relatively small, it is something you'll want to consider.

It will be quite hot & humid at this time, with both indexes likely in the upper 80s, lower 90s. But, so will the rest of the greater Caribbean. Rainy season doesn't start in earnest until into October. While you may have some rain, it most likely will be in the form of passing showers, often in the afternoon or evening. In any event, diving on Roatan is very rarely curtailed just due to rain.

As for the pretty much ever-present no see ums & other insects, you simply need to be prepared to deal with them. The below is from in my "Ask RSD" column in the Oct '99 issue of "Rodale's Scuba Diving" magazine:

"Sand fleas or 'no see ums' can be a bother. There is great individual variability in both allergic reaction to bites and in how attractive one is to insects. If you are high on both indexes, your dive vacation can be a nightmare.

The bother of insects can be substantially reduced by these precautions: (1) Wear long sleeves and pants, avoiding dark or bright colors, especially at dawn and dusk. Protective clothing such as the "Buzz Off" brand can be useful. As an extra precaution, you may treat clothing with permethrin; (2) Try to stay indoors at dawn and dusk when many flying insects are most active. When making reservations, make sure the resort has screened windows; (3) Wear insect repellent. Many report that Skintastic and Skin So Soft are effective against sand fleas, although the best protection against these and other insects is full strength DEET. Look for it at military surplus outlets and hunting and fishing supply stores; (4) Avoid scented toiletries and perfumes; (5) Upon arrival, treat your room with a bug bomb such as Shelltox or Fish. You can touch up with spray after that as needed.

Precautions such as these can go a long way toward insuring your comfort, although they of course don't guarantee that you will not get bitten. It is therefore wise to take along whatever medications which you have found safe & helpful in treating bites, e.g., Calamine lotion/cream, hydrocortisone lotion/cream, nonsedating oral antihistamine.

Remember that if you don't get substantial resolution from self treatment, have a severe allergic reaction, or the eruptions seem to get progresively worse or infected, you should seek medical attention in a timely manner."

Hope you found this helpful.

DocVikingo