Seeking advice for a January trip with a non-diving spouse

[rossandmaureen]

I was hoping for suggestions from veteran Roatan divers for a planned trip in January 2015.

Perhaps the best way to start is to note that we are regular visitors to Cozumel and have found that we don't enjoy all-inclusives and prefer a good hotel with facilities for my non diving spouse (pool, gym, internet) but enjoy going to different, walkable, off-site restaurants most every night. As for diving, I have been fortunate in finding Living Underwater who offers valet diving, pick-up from where I am staying, extended bottom times, large steel tanks, gear storage and shore based surface intervals. Having said that, I don't necessarily have expectations to replicate those services in Roatan. When on holiday with my wife I don't power dive and, although I generally dive every day, two dives is sufficient so I can spend time with her. When I need tons of diving I do a liveaboard without her. We aren't looking for partying, night clubs but do like to walk and enjoy local flavour.

So we are seeking recommendations that speak to:

• What town or area on Roatan gives us the opportunity to walk to a variety of restaurants and bars?
• What would people recommend in the way of a hotel and/or condo property that is 3.5 plus stars and that has a nice pool, a decent gym or exercise room, wi-fi, on site bar and restaurant for breakfast. A nice sandy beach would be a bonus but not necessary.
• What about a good dive op. Small groups, permit you to dive your computer or air, pick up at your hotel dock, storing your gear would be nice, able to access all the best dive sites. Has contingency options for viable dive sites in the event of a Norte.

I have gone back to cull some previously posted information and apologize if I am asking for info that is already here but a lot of the posts seem to be discussions of the major dive resorts such as CCV, AKR and FBIB. I don't know if those would appeal to a non diving spouse or not.

Thanks for any information and opinions.

 

[Doc]

.....we are regular visitors to Cozumel and have found that we don't enjoy all-inclusives and prefer a good hotel with facilities for my non diving spouse (pool, gym, internet) but enjoy going to different, walkable, off-site restaurants most every night. As for diving, I have been fortunate in finding Living Underwater who offers valet diving, pick-up from where I am staying, extended bottom times, large steel tanks, gear storage and shore based surface intervals. Having said that, I don't necessarily have expectations to replicate those services in Roatan. When on holiday with my wife I don't power dive and, although I generally dive every day, two dives is sufficient so I can spend time with her. When I need tons of diving I do a liveaboard without her. We aren't looking for partying, night clubs but do like to walk and enjoy local flavour.

So we are seeking recommendations that speak to:

• What town or area on Roatan gives us the opportunity to walk to a variety of restaurants and bars?
• What would people recommend in the way of a hotel and/or condo property that is 3.5 plus stars and that has a nice pool, a decent gym or exercise room, wi-fi, on site bar and restaurant for breakfast. A nice sandy beach would be a bonus but not necessary.
• What about a good dive op. Small groups, permit you to dive your computer or air, pick up at your hotel dock, storing your gear would be nice, able to access all the best dive sites. Has contingency options for viable dive sites in the event of a Norte.

There is one simple answer, at least as I see it, nothing on Roatan will fit your requirements... not even close.

There are essentially no steel 120's (they are not needed), no "island flavour" (unless you mean drinking in a modern thatched looking hut), and certainly no 3.5*+ rated properties within 200 miles of the Bay Islands,

The most likely choice is Xblanque. Xbalanque Resort Most folks haven't even noticed it.

You will undoubtedly be deluged with myriad posts that will extoll this or that option, but after having personally examined most all of them, after taking your original post as a whole, there isn't much to recommend on island.

I have gone back to cull some previously posted information and apologize if I am asking for info that is already here but a lot of the posts seem to be discussions of the major dive resorts such as CCV, AKR and FBIB. I don't know if those would appeal to a non diving spouse or not.

Unlike sites such as Trip Advisor, SCUBABoard draws posters with the focus on SCUBA diving, the other parts of the vacation are treated as secondary concerns. Thus, the people who post about dive vacations (the ones that come here), are the ones that end up at the dive-dive-dive resorts.

Your matrimonial situation (diver/non-diver) portrays the odd dichotomy of posters in this regard. There are those who want "dive vacations", and those who wish "vacations with diving". They are simply not the same thing, there is no shame in one or the other, yet they are really oil and water, cats and dogs, ketchup and hotdogs.

Would those three AI's appeal to a non-diving spouse? They certainly have to many before, but not with your list of needs, sorry. Roatan is an ilsand that should, right now, be considered as a dive island, much as Cayman was in 1970. Possibly things were just simpler back then, we didn't need multiple levels of stimulation, we just dove, drank beer and slept. This too is what Roatan is still good for, all of the marketing fluffery aside, there really isn't that much going on the island in the realm that you seek.

Today, that is, in 2014.

 

[drrich2]

I'm interested in Roatan as a 'some day' but haven't been yet, so I follow some of these threads. I'd be aiming for CocoView or Reef House Resort if traveling alone, but my certified but occasional dive wife is in somedays almost like a 'non-diving' spouse, and with a pre-toddler, I sometimes have to plan vacations with non-divers in mind (e.g.: mother-in-law helps with child care).

Speaking of which, sometimes taking a 3rd person to keep the non-diver entertained can take some of the heat off you so you can dive more without much guilt.

Sounds like you guys want to be near West End in Roatan so you can get out, not 'stay on the reservation.' I did a quick search for some places on the forum, since CocoView and Reef House Resort may not be your thing.

Here's a trip report on Seagrape Plantation. Some points of interest:

it was a five minute walk to West End. We like to eat out not do the AI deal. They do not have a restaurant.

I would say this is a family run business that caters to a the few people (in July) staying at the resort and walk in trade from the folks in the know staying in other accommodations. This is not the mega resort that handles 200 divers. I guess it depends on what you want. Everyone in West End speaks English so you don't have to stay in the dorm and eat cafeteria food. We dove with a couple that had been at AKR several years before and they went to have dinner to relive the good times. After walking around they left and came back to west end saying that it just felt cold.

I wouldn't be expecting a gym.

Anthony's Key Resort get a lot of attention. From their website:

Right here at the resort, activity seekers will find great hiking, sea kayaking, horseback riding and more – while tranquility seekers will find plenty of breeze-swept hammocks and poolside lounging under the palms. Encounter mysterious Mayan ruins, exotic tropical wildlife and secluded beaches on an included daytrip to our own Maya Key. Take a canopy ride through tall jungle treetops. Discover brilliant scarlet macaws, pirate treasure and exotic monkeys or explore a remote river. Our list of available adventures is long and exciting. We’ll be happy to arrange as many as you can handle.

Here's a thread where someone posted about needing to find a group dive trip. Scroll down to Diver Steve's post, where he discusses a range of options. Regarding Anthony's Key, he said:

Anthony's Key for example is 5mins. by cab from Roatan's West End where all the nightlife is.

Sorry if the size is blown way up; I had another window open, & enlarged to help me read it. So, Anthony's Key Resort is popular, well-reviewed from what I understand, would require a brief cab ride to hit west end, but would offer you access to some non-diving activities that could keep your wife happy.

They are also the resort chosen for the ScubaBoard Invasion June 2014 to Roatan, and here's Cardzard's trip report from that.

Since Doc pointed out that you can't get everything you want, how about you consider Anthony's Key Resort for starters and if that doesn't sound like a good match, explain to us just what's unacceptable. Perhaps then Doc and others can point out a better compromise.

Richard.

 

[Damselfish]

While it had its own set of quirks, I agree that Xbalanque might be one of your better bets on Roatan. Not so good for walking easily to other restaurants, but taxis or water taxis are reasonable options from there. Their new dive op was just getting started when we stayed there but was quite good.

 

[robint]

Roatan is NOT going to be right for you. I would never walk around anywhere on the island outside of a hotel's gate. Too dangerous.

 

[diversteve]

What town or area on Roatan gives us the opportunity to walk to a variety of restaurants and bars?

The West End or to a lesser extent West Bay

What would people recommend in the way of a hotel and/or condo property that is 3.5 plus stars and that has a nice pool, a decent gym or exercise room, wi-fi, on site bar and restaurant for breakfast. A nice sandy beach would be a bonus but not necessary.

Not walking distance to restaurants and no gym but most of the other stuff:

Lawson Creek - concierge arranges diving. Beach club on-site
Pristine Bay - Black Pearl Divers on site.
Las Verandas (same area)
Parrot Tree Beach Resort - no idea who does their diving. Nice pool, nice beach in an altered/man made lagoon.

Most of the above are pretty isolated on the north center side of Roatan. Except PTB which is south east of Cocoview. All are not near much in the way of amenities outside of what they provide.

I could make a case for Cocolobo being 3ish stars. Near the West End so you can walk there. Small pool, even smaller beach. Seagrape Divers next door. I rent a house next to Cocolobo and walked over and looked around. You'd also have a choice of dive ops including the ones they recommend. West End Divers would be a bit far to walk with gear. Afaik all the larger West End shops will hold your gear - at Coconut Tree I had to fight - with them to allow me to help them carry it on the boat. Or often rinse it.


One other option is Barefoot Cay. It's the closest to 3.5*'s of the dive-focused AI resorts. It could even be. Nice resort, nice beach, pool, good food, Barefoot Divers on-site and Mary's Place is 5mins. off their dock - one of the signature Roatan dives. Seven of us were their business one morning so two non-rushed dives at MP and the Prince Albert off Cocoview. It's a long ride to other food options though.

Infinity Bay in West Bay has a nice pool, Infinity Divers on-site, is on the beach. Breakfast buffet only afaik. Several beach bars/restaurants at the resorts adjacent. Privately owned so 3.5*'s is not likely.

Vintage Pearl up the beach a short walk is one of the better restaurants on Roatan. Arguably (not really) the best is Ooloonthoo in the West End. Resv. required.

Up until around 8-9PM there's water taxi's running between West Bay and the West end also.

What about a good dive op. Small groups, permit you to dive your computer or air, pick up at your hotel dock, storing your gear would be nice, able to access all the best dive sites. Has contingency options for viable dive sites in the event of a Norte.

Almost no one picks up unless you're staying a resort with a dock and no dive operator. Most of those have their own on-site operator. The bigger shops on the north side can move their boats, shuttle you across. Coconut Tree, probably Native Sons, West End, I'd guess Subway would make that list. The West Bay shops run pangas off the beach so IDK what they do. You might like Native Sons or Reef Gliders - they do most of what you want.

This may be the only gym on Roatan. It's in Sandy Bay - a little east? of Anthony's Key. https://www.facebook.com/islands.roatan

I really agree with Doc, Roatan is not a 3.5*'s sort of place with a few exceptions. Not much in the way of uncrowded beaches and a lot of bugs..everywhere. Take something with Deet and something for after they get thru it - it's a tropical jungle out there...

Thought about Grand Cayman?

 

[zeppelindiver]

If you like small more intimate properties take a look at Cocolobo & Mayoka Lodge. Cocolobo is right next to the West End village, about a 5 minute walk through a very safe neighborhood. Small bar & pool onsite, breakfast is included in the room rate but no other meals, no gym, not a fancy hotel but a very nice well run inn. Right on the water's edge, no beach but on a rocky shore with outstanding views of the ocean & sunsets. It's a 5 minute walk to one of the nicest beaches on the island at Half Moon Bay. A lot of our charter guests have stayed there either before or after their trip with us & they have all been pleased.There are a number of good dive operators within walking distance, we particularly like Sun Divers which is very close, excellent shop, all new equipment & boat, very professional & experienced staff, small groups.

Mayoka Lodge is one the nicest boutique hotels on the island, expensive, great service, small luxury inn, only 5 rooms, excellent restaurant, bar & pool onsite, no gym. Right on the beach in Sandy Bay, a couple of other restaurants & resorts on either side on the beach with decent food. Good dive op next door at Tranquil Seas, again usually small groups. Too far to walk into West End but only a 5-10 minute cab ride costing a couple of dollars.

There are a number of other options available, but based on the original post these 2 are most likely to be closest to what you are looking for. All of the options I have mentioned above have websites you can check out. I have posted a number of times to threads with more details about the range of options available on Roatan, if you search my posts you will find lots on discussion on that. Also feel free to email me directly with any questions you may have, my email address is on our website.

Regarding the one poster's comments about Roatan not being safe to walk around at night, I have to completely disagree. We have lived here for almost 3 years now full time, we are often out in the evening in many places on the island and in particular the West End is a fun, vibrant, eclectic village after dark with lots to do, very laid back vibe. That being said, like anywhere else in the world there are places that you shouldn't go at night & Roatan is no exception. My 2 sisters, my nephew & his girlfriend rented a house right next door to Cocolobo for 2 weeks in June and afterwards said quote "our best vacation ever anywhere!" They spent every evening in the village having a great time, walking there & back from their rental, and spent their days doing a little of everything. None of them were divers when they arrived, and when they left my sisters had done Discover Scuba, gone diving a handful of times, and my nephew & his girlfriend were both Open Water certified and are now keen divers. A classic mix of divers & non-divers having a great time.

 

[lthomas132]

The nicest place that I have seen is Infinity Bay on West Bay Roatan Resort and Luxury Roatan Hotel | Infinity Bay Spa and Beach Resort. Many nice restaurants up and down the beach and have heard that their dive op is good.

 

[chillyinCanada]

robint, I'm sorry you feel that way. West End is a great little village and i feel as safe there as most anywhere else i hang my scuba hat. That said, Coxen Hole is not for the faint of heart. but nor is it where divers stay when on the island.

 

[laurenceh]

too dangerous to leave your hotel? thats ridiculous.
2013 statistics :-

u.s. virgin islands 39 murders per 100k population
st. kitts 38
trinidad & tobago 35
bahamas 27
puerto rico 26
dominican rep 25
st.lucia 25
domininca 22

fyi. the murder rate for the bay islands in 2013 was 18 per 100,000 population (roatan had 16 murders, utila 1, guanaja 1 and the combined population of the islands is 100,000+/- 5%).
thats half as many as the u.s. virgin islands and less than all the other islands listed above.

time to get a grip robint. the bay islands are no more and certainly less, in many cases, dangerous than the rest of the caribbean islands. and the bay islands murder rate is still lower than half a dozen u.s. cities.