We look for places with low bug population so we have taken both Roatan and Utila off our lists. We have been to Utila maybe 15 trips and Roatan 5 or so, but won't be headed back. We always look for the total experience when comparing destinations. As KathyV suggests the Caymans are great. We are more than willing to spend a couple of extra bucks for excellent food and no biting bugs along with excellent dives. That puts Caymans on the top of the list. We have found that it is actually less expensive by about $2000 for us to go to Little Cayman Beach Resort than a trip to Utila, so it's an easy decision for us...
I am glad to hear that we are not the only ones that really appreciate the value of a good mosquito-abatement program in the tropics! We have been to Roatan three times and Belize twice but don't plan to return - even though they were great trips.
I have always been very sensitive to mosquito bites in general and we also took the precaution of taking anti-malarial medication for our trips to Honduras and Belize. Now with the increased prevalence of mosquito-borne Dengue Fever and Chikungunya - with no treatment options - I am even less enthusiastic about returning to the Mosquito Coast.
The Caymans are expensive, but there are ways to control the costs and make the price comparable to many other dive destinations. Plus you can eat the food and drink the water without concern and they have good mosquito-abatement. The islands are clean and safe and the locals are friendly. And the diving is great!
Food and water are safe to eat and drink on Bonaire and Curacao too; and those islands have also invested in mosquito-abatement programs and they also offer good diving - mostly easy shore diving - and the water is usually very warm during the winter and spring. The petty theft is an issue on those islands - but no place is perfect!
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