Honduras

[sbeasley]

Wea re thinking of going there diving in August/September.

Can anyone tell me what the diving is like and waht the place itself is like for the times when we are not actually diving.

Thanks

[Rick]

http://www.bsactravelclub.co.uk/reports/utila.htm

havnt been myself but a buddy I had in Costa Rica said there is loads of marine life and about the cheapest diving you can find anywhere on the planet

I think I remember him saying he found a place out of Utila for $35 /2 dives

[Alison Boler]

We spent a fortnight at St Anthony's Key Resort on Roatan during August some years ago.

Roatan is a beautiful tropical island - very green, densely forested. White and golden sand beaches. It is extremely cheap to stay there in comparison to the rest of the Caribbean. Diving packages were incredibly cheap and generally came all inclusive. Can heartily recommend AKR. The accommodation is in "barefoot luxury" style stilted cabins split between the main island shore and a tiny islet just offshore. Really idyllic place with great food, a lively bar and plenty of activities. There is a marine biology place next door where you can see dolphins.

Anyway, the diving is very enjoyable and extremely professionally run. The reefs are largely patch reefs with many caverns, swim throughs, tunnels. Not breathtakingly exciting but very pretty and there were plenty of fish and other creatures. We saw a whale shark and snorkelled with it while we were there. The dive shop on the property ran multiple dives every day. You signed your name on the list for the ones you wanted to do and then turned up and got on the appropriate boat - they loaded and unloaded, rinsed all your kit for you. :) Night dives were great because the water is so warm at that time of year - maybe 29C. I didn't wear a wetsuit at all - had one of those lycra skinsuits (I was considerably thinner then!!!!) and it was just right.

There is a lot of poverty outside the resorts but people seemed very welcoming and I would definitely go back.

We have a page on visiting Honduras here
http://www.bsactravelclub.co.uk/where/honduras.htm

To visit the Bay Islands (where the diving is best) you have to transit via the Honduran mainland. We went in via Miami to San Pedro Sula (I think that was the name). If you are interested in Mayan culture, there are some fantastic ruins and sites on the mainland which can be included in a holiday. We had a fantastic holiday there and would definitely go back some day.

The only negative thing I can say about the place is that there are these minute sand flies called "no see ums" which are the worst I have EVER encountered. We were entirely unprepared and within a couple of hours myself and the husband of the other couple we were with were literally covered in red itching bites. My husband the Dave's wife didn't get bitten at all. People "in the know" seemed to cover themselves in a bath oil from Avon called Skin So Soft. :) Not sure if it repelled the beasts or merely drowned them. So be warned and take some DEET.
Allie

[shurford]

Personally i would recommend Utila over Roatan, its smaller, better Whale Shark sightings and much more chilled.

We were there 10 days in March 06 and saw 5 Whale Sharks.

You can check out my film at www.myspace.com/shurford

Enjoy!

[Monkscuba]

Hi,

I used to live and work in Utila, though left there some 7 years ago. It's a great place, totally unique. The diving is mostly pretty easy. I did about 500 dives there and had a noticeable current just a few times. Water is normally clear as you like, and there's a great variety of dive sites. The "North Side" is where you want to go for more marine life, deep drop offs. Utila is great.

For general Utila info, try www.aboututila.com (http://www.aboututila.com)

Jungle Jim is a good guy to contact, he is a Course Director at the Bay Islands College of Diving. Have a look at Jim's Blog (http://jungleinparadise.blogspot.com/).

Enjoy Honduras!

Jamie

[ozmaclassie]

Hi,

I went to Utila last year and thought the diving was really good and the island very chilled and snorkelled with wild dolphins for the first time which was brilliant. Also took a few days off diving and went to the mainland which has loads to do ranging from jungle lodges and tours just an hour from where the boat docks to great Mayan temples and history up north. Really friendly country as well.

[syrevid]

The diving in Roatan is beyond discription its great, the West End is the most popular but there is the south part of the Island which we enjoy.

[mojito]

We have our own forum now and we welcome all input. Please check it out here

http://roatan-diving.com

You can ask direct questions on here concerning honduras and roatan and utila.
thanks