I stayed at End of the World Resort in April, 2006 on Guanaja Island and I found a fantastic spot which is not at all like what was described in a review I read in this forum. I am glad that I did not let the review change my decision to go there. What was described as horrible is exactly what I find appealing, a breath of fresh air and altogether unique and yes, different.

My family, 2 kids, husband and I, wanted a vacation spot where we would could enjoy a tropical island far from the nearest cruise ship and fast food joint. What we got was a Robinson Crusoe paradise. Capt. Brian, as he is known on the islands, knows more about diving, boats and living the good life than anyone I ever met. We all felt right at home all the time during our stay with him. We have been diving in the Bahamas, Hawaii, Mexico, and Florida with many different kinds of operations and with very different ideas. I have to give Capt. Brian credit for his devotion to his work and eye for small details. He is very conscious to the need of his guests and he is a first rate mariner.

After our arrival the first evening we all had dinner and some cocktails, Capt. Brian brought us on a tour of the hotel and showed us the main points of interest. He discussed what activities were available to us during our stay. We went back into the clubhouse and he put on this presentation of the areas diving sites with a fantastic slide show. Unlike large operations, Capt. Brian went diving with us every day. The dive boat was built and set up perfectly for about seven divers. We all learned a lot from him during our short stay and I felt very comfortable knowing that he was in charge. The meal times were a big deal at this resort. The food was very tasty and plentiful. If the Capt. went fishing that day we would have catch of the day. Seafood was almost always served. King crab steamed, fish on the open pit BBQ, lobster, shrimp, conch, and lots of it. Rarely could I finish everything on my plate.

If you want to get off the beaten track and stay in an lush tropical paradise this place is for you. There are not a lot of people around so if you like the bar scene and crowds of people forget it. The diving was superb as were the long stretches of deserted beaches. To see what other guests have said about their stay at the check out the website’s Guest review page: www.guanaja.com/guestreviews

The beaches are pretty nice, but being Semana Santa, there were broken bottles in the water as a result of late-night drive-by boat parties. It was relaxing to go snorkeling (lots of fish and other sea creatures to see!) and just sit by the beach and read. There were also two waterfalls nearby. We went to the smaller one, which was nice, but nothing to write about. We heard from the other guests that the larger waterfall was worth the hour hike, but we weren't there long enough. The reason we weren't there long enough is because the owner, Captain Brian Rowland, (I don't know why he calls himself a captain), who is an obnoxious American, started swearing at us (remember, we were paying $200, plus tax, EVERY night) because we asked him why he never informed us that we couldn't get off the island on Good Friday (no planes) and told him he shouldn't charge us for the Thursday night (because we could either leave Thursday or Saturday and didn't have the money to pay for an extra night). Anyway, it was a very unpleasant experience.

The one highlight was the food. It was exceptional, but if you didn't want to eat what they served, then too bad! Aside from this, we heard the scuba diving was good but costs a lot more (on top of the $200, which just includes the cabin, snorkeling, and three meals), and you're technically supposed to have the opportunity for excursions to town, around the island, etc. (all at extra costs). However, when a couple at the resort wanted to have a boat tour of the island, the owner wanted to charge $500 for a half-day tour.

The summary? If the price of the resort would have been $50 or less (without the crazy owner's behaviour), we would have loved it. The guests were awesome, the weather was truly beautiful, and the locals were very gracious.