Trip To AKR 6/4 - 6/11, first timer need info

[genenaples]

My wife and I are traveling to AKR the week of June 4, would love to get some advice from prior AKR divers. Any advice on noseums, shots, how much cash to bring etc weould be much appreciated. We are staying on the key in one of the superior rooms. Can any one recommend a cabin number that is private and over the water? I heard #30 was good, any advice? Any one else going that date?

 

[finley]

YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!!! I can't wait to go back to AKR...upon arriving you will sit in their lounge..be served a drink and fill out a form that will make everything easy...they will ask for your passport ( it's OK) to check on departing flights etc. You will then be given your key After settling into your room go down to the boat dock and talk to the man that assigns boats....get on the boat with divemaster Wendall (pronounced Wen doll) and capt. Joel (pronounced Joe el)...you will dive everydive from the same boat with the same dive master and captain. These two are extraordinary. Every morning before breakfast sign up on the boards for the dives you plan to attend and your good to go...they have big locker area so you don't have to drag gear back and forth to your room. After that..eat, drink and relax..everything is taken care of. Have aGREAT TIME...and say Hello to PACO if he is still around. OH YEAH!!! sit on the patio outside the dining room and watch the dolphins....the Roatan Institue for Marine Biology is housed on the key....the only non AKR residents you will see is those going to the institute to swim with the dolphins.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

Cactus Juice is what I always use but I am not a bug magnet but it seems to work on most people http://www.cactusjuicetm.com/

I am taking a new product this year to test it out by Cutters It is Cutters Advanced w/picaridin suppose to be good also http://www.cutterinsectrepellent.com/

Cactus juice smells like oranges..the cutters smells like repellant...

The sand flies can be bad if the wind is not blowing. Worse in the early morning and evening.

Cash depends on how many side trips you want to do..Plan on bringing money to get out of the country 32.00pp departure tax....tips....or money for shopping trip to West End

 

[lsudive]

Pack a swimsuit, toothbrush, meds,C cards/log, mask, and reg in your carryon. There is a very good chance none of your luggage will arrive when you do, especially if you have a layover on the mainland. One in our party last year has been 5 times, and has received all of his luggage twice. It all eventually arrives, but maybe not until day 3.

The item I was most thankful I brought was powdered gatorade. We were happy to have it, as nearly everyone in our party came down with the traveller's diarrhea. Nothing debilitating, but it did stick around for a day or so. Gatorade is expensive there. So is Immodium. bring plenty.

Last year, i way overpacked as far as clothing goes. When they say "Casual Attire" for the resort, they mean it. I even wore pyjamas to dinner one night. Do bring one more towel than you think you need.

We used Deet and cactus juice, and both seemed to work equally well. Spray yourself as soon as you step out of the room. Keep your door closed.

We brought 700 cash for 2 of us and had some left. We did all of the dolphin things, and won't be doing them again this year. They were fun, but I don't want to spend the money again. They accept credit cards at the desk, and I think you can even get cash if you don't bring enough. I think we tipped the boat captain and DM $10/person/day, plus a little extra.

The food quality was good to excellent. Bring some snacks for the boat. the little snack shop is pricey. We had granola bars, power bars, and dried fruit/nuts that we ate nearly all of. I think I am going to pack a soft sided cooler this trip to have on the boat.

We brought our own hard liquor to avoid having to go into town. We packed it in plastic flasks and listerine bottles and had no problems.

We had a fantastic time, so we are returning this year. It was a very easy vacation - we did nothing. We did set up our own gear, but they will do it for you if you are that lazy on vacation. You have to sign up for the dives you will be going on, and they will put your tank in your spot for you. Pick a good spot on the boat. It's yours all week.

Now I want to go pack!!!

 

[divingjd]

All good suggestions from the others. You will definitely want some bug juice. We took Cactus Juice, which seemed to work pretty well, and DEET just in case. If you stay at the resort, you won't need much cash. You can cover it all with plastic at the desk and plastic is always a better deal internationally. Take cash for tips, any money you will want to spend off-site, and the departure tax. The standard dive schedule is three dives a day, unlimited shore diving, and you can dive the channel at night any night you want. There's a DC-3 sunk out there where we found some lobsters and an octopus who posed very nicely for pictures. Anyway, you will probably do enough diving that you may not be up for a lot of trips off the property. I agree with lsudive on taking key items in your carry-on. They are notorious for losing luggage on flights into Roatan. We got all of ours, but I know lots of people whose luggage has been lost. Mine got lost on the way to Cayman Brac this year. Luckily it was just clothes. My dive gear made it and I had enough stuff in my carry-on for two days, so I was a happy camper.

Relax, kick back, and enjoy! AKR is a great place, they take very good care of you, and you will have a great time.

 

[Doc]

The best advice I can give is the thing that most do not know to ask for...

What style of diving might I best prepare for?

The Bay Islands are marketed in many different ways, and yes, you might see a Whale Shark at certain times of year, you can always see a Dolphin performance, you may see them free swimming on the South side, and pretty much so anyone will find a Lobster or critters that are larger than a shoebox.

The area around AKR is called a "Marine Reserve", so you can be assured to find many of the same fish that you might well be used to anywhere in the Caribbean.

Look beyond that. Find a competent DM who has the desire and ability to find SeaHorses, Pipefish and little critters that will range from M&M sized Crabs to dime sized Juvenile Spotted Drums. The magic is in the details.

The Bay Islands (Utila, Guanaja, Cayos Cochinos and Roatan) reward the patient, slow-motion diver with great buoyancy skills and perfect observation. Advanced Bay Island divers always carry magnifying glasses and flashlights. Slow and careful has its rewards.

Look at the Paul Humann guides to Reef Creatures & Reef Fish. There isn't much you can't find in the waters of Roatan.

The DC3 aircraft that I know of is located on the South side at CoCoView about 10 miles from AKR. AKR will take you to the South side at least once, more often if the weather is bad. Most times, it's a bath tub and you simply flop into "the pool".

 

[tvictory]

"Plastic is always better internationally"? Maybe in terms of the exchange rate, but in the Bay Islands most vendors, including resorts, add a surcharge of about 4% on credit card transactions.