Roatan Island, Christmas 2004

Scuba diving would have to be the best reason to visit Roatan. Unfortunately, for our trip we had rainy weather and cloudy skies most of the week, which limited the number of times we went diving. The dives we did go on were nice, and the dive outfit we were with, Coconut Tree Divers, was very fun and accommodating.

We also did something called canopy tours. Basically, you hooked yourself up to a zip line that went through the forest down to the beach. There were 11 different lines in all. Surprisingly, it wasn't scary at all but very scenic and fun.

Quick Tips:

We stayed at a cabana with a full kitchen, so we found a grocery store and bought some food for the week. Some nights we were tired from a long day, so it was nice to be able to relax on the hammock with a drink and a sandwich instead of going out to dinner.

Best Way To Get Around:

Taxis are plentiful and not that expensive. We rented scooters a couple of days and a truck another day. I highly recommend the scooters if the weather is nice. With a family of six, it takes two taxis to get anywhere, so the truck rental saved some money as well. And rent a truck - not all the roads are paved!

Coconut Tree is owned by Mr. Bush. We met him the second day of our trip, and he couldn't have been anymore accommodating. They have cabanas in the West End and West Bay. We rented two cabanas (nos. 7 and 8) that shared a wraparound deck. It was perfect for our set-up (six people). Our cabanas were the closest to the water, about 10 steps from the waves! I would not recommend renting either of these individually. They are set-up to be rented together.

There was nothing fancy about the cabanas, but they were clean and comfortable. Everyday maids came to change the sheets, give fresh towels, and mop the floors.

The biggest attraction about this place would be the hospitality from Mr. Bush. He drove us to town for groceries, brought us a barbeque grill to grill out one night, and offered us a drink whenever we saw him (even at 8am).

I would recommend staying in West End instead of West Bay because there is more to do in West End. However, the cabanas in West End are not on the beach.

This restaurant was conveniently next door to our cabana. It is an open-air restaurant. The menu could have been from any restaurant in the U.S., including hamburgers, steak, buffalo wings, etc. The food was okay but nothing too exciting. The service was slow, but I think that is just part of the island, because the service was slow everywhere!

I selected the fine dining category because I think this is about as fine of a dining experience you'll get on Roatan. The food was excellent! I had the typical honurdan plate and my wife had the seafood platter. Both were superb. The service was slow, but I am pretty sure that is just part of Roatan, and no matter where you go, the service will not be as quick as in the U.S.

Like I said in the overview, it rained, A LOT. We literally had a total of 6 hours of sunshine - for the entire week! The rest of the trip was cloudy and rainy. We knew it was rainy season, but give me a break! The locals confirmed that it was raining more than usual, and to make it worse, the three days before we got there and the day we left were gorgeous. Oh well, that just reconfirms that I really want to go back, just not during rainy season!

This island has one paved road, no stoplights, and no streetlights. While there were some bigger houses, most of the island seemed to be poor. We arrived after dark, and I must admit, we were really worried about what we had gotten into. The cab took us from the airport to our cabanas, and at night it looked like we were in the middle of nowhere! Once we arrived at our cabanas, all doubts were removed when we looked out from our deck over the ocean.

Roatan is a diver's paradise. There are more dive outfits than anything else on the island. I believe the saying is, "Diving put Roatan on the map." We choose to go with Coconut Tree Divers. They were a great group. We were staying at Coconut Tree Resorts, so our dives were $15 a piece! That is an unbelievable price. That included all of the equipment rentals as well. I think the dives are only $20 if you’re not staying at the resort. My brother and sister got certified there for $150 each, including the dives! Anyone that has gotten certified knows how great of a deal that is.

Other than diving, we did a canopy tour, which was a tour through the jungle and down to the beach via zip lines. It was a lot of fun. I recommend doing this - and bringing your camera.

There was also a lot of shopping along the streets of West End. There were small family-owned shops with all kinds of wood carvings, cigars, hammocks, T-shirts, etc. We picked up a few gifts and souvenirs there.

One day we rented scooters and went exploring around the island. This was great! We stopped off for lunch, snacks, pictures, and groceries on different parts of the island. Scooters are probably the best way to get around the island.

Whenever I do get back to Roatan, it will probably not be on a family vacation again. This island is really geared towards scuba diving. My family did have a great time (even with all the rain), but we wouldn't go back for a family trip. While I did enjoy where I stayed and who I dove with, I would probably try Anthony's Resort if I went back. I stopped by that resort, which seemed really nice. I didn't compare prices, so I am not sure of the price difference.

If you are looking for a scuba diving trip, I think Roatan has to be considered. The reefs are fantastic and there is a great culture to enjoy on the island.