Dive Trip—Roatan, Honduras

My husband and I stayed 6 nights at the Bay Islands Beach Resort (www.bibr.com). We stayed in the Waters Edge Lodge overlooking the western ocean.

RESORT: quiet, secluded, located on the western side of the island (less wind). Nice beach, but watch out for sand fleas. They weren't too bad while we were there, but be prepared. Take repellent or buy it there, cactus juice is best for you and for the environment. Hammocks on the beach, palm trees, landscaping is pretty.

On premises: gift shop, dive shop, dining/bar area (open air/not enclosed), guest rooms.

ROOM: covered porch with your own hammock, large room, wood flooring, dated decor, air-conditioner (working order), working full bath (shower/tub/toilet/sink), basic sheets (somewhat worn) tile floor in bath, one queen size bed, one single bed (we used as staging/storage for suitcases). Room condition was average. Honduras is a third world country. Roatan is a small island off the coast off the mainland of Honduras. If you are looking for a pampered, spa level, posh vacation this area of the world is not for you.

FOOD: food is included in price of room/dive/snorkel package. The food is usually the same breakfast/lunch (eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, etc./lunch hot dogs, burgers, chicken breast, french fries, etc). Dinner varies each night. Some nights are more pleasing than others. All our food appeared fresh and most of it was hot/steamy upon service. Since eating is in an open air dining area flies tend to congregate. Four nights in we both got sick, we think we ate some cross contaminated salad. Luckily, we were prepared with many prescriptions and recovered within 24 hours (still went diving). Many guests at BIBR had some minimal "bout" with being sick, again, third world country, you can plan on it. Drinks are not included as a part of the vacation package. We drank the resort water--it was fine. Take sunscreen and your own beach towels (3 towels provided in room). Take a travel alarm clock and your own blow-dryer. Don't take extra clothes.

SERVICE: Service at the resort was great, friendly and helpful.

SHOPPING: some local vendors come to this resort during the days--beach vendors are not as plentiful as they may be at other larger resorts. Shopping in the West End was VERY sparse! Shop/browsing took us less than 30 minutes and I LOVE to shop. BIBR is called Casa Blanca by locals--good to know if you leave and your taxi driver can't speak English.

SAFETY: felt very safe at this resort. I would not recommend going away from your resort after dark. We did walk out on the beach at the resort-we felt safe. We were diving a lot and that didn't include late nights or the party scene. I would not recommend Roatan for young children/families. I would recommend this resort for those looking for a smaller resort, great diving and a more quiet experience. We would visit this resort again. Please see my separate dive/snorkel review. The dive operation at BIBR is very highly recommended.

This was an excellent diving experience: clear water, lots of diverse sea life, canyons, caves, channels, wrecks, a healthy reef, and never the same dive twice! The dive master (Hector) and boat captain (Alden) were very professional, helpful, and nice. There were two dives in the morning, one in the afternoon, with an optional drop-off dive back in to the resort.

EVERY dive was fantastic. Nearly every kind of dive is available from this dive shop at the Bay Islands Beach Resort (BIBR). We did 15 dives in 5 days. You can dive with this dive shop whether you stay at the BIBR or not. Water and fruit are provided in between dives. The dive boats appeared maintained and worked well during our stay. Our most favorite dive was the Blue Channel and our least favorite (visibility issues) was the Spooky Channel. We paid extra to charter a boat to the other side of the island and dove Mary's Place and 40-Foot Reef (I would recommend both). The cost was $500 for the boat and dive master, split between all divers. We also dove/snorkelled the Spooky Channel Snorkel Trail. It was fun—not as much sea life as a dive—but fun. I would not recommend snorkelling the Spooky Channel when the wind is blowing; swimming part of the trail against wind current can be tiring.

The cost of the week was $1,029 per person (dives, food included). Those not staying at BIBR or who are cruising can check the resort website for up-to-date visitor pricing. Every dive we went on had visitors from nearby rental homes who paid by the dive.

We added a shark diving experience ($82 per person, PLUS $50 for the must-have-to-prove-it-to-my-family DVD. They had me at hello). For the $82, the resort takes you and picks you up, and it includes the dive with sharks. It was worth the money: lots of sharks, good visibility, not as scary as I had thought 60-foot dive, 30 minutes long, lots of other fish, and facing your fears (priceless). Please look for a separate review of the accommodations, food, and shopping. Yes, we will visit Roatan again—the diving is WOW!