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Scuba Forum / Scuba Locations / November 2006Roatan - West End
Looking for suggestion on places to stay and dive operators in West End. I want to stay within walking distance of the town. Not interested in all inclusive resort like Anthony's Key. Pura Vida looks nice and the price for diving looks reasonable, $150 for 10 boat dives. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Chris > Looking for suggestion on places to stay and dive operators in West > End. I want to stay within walking distance of the town. Not [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Any suggestions would be appreciated. Tell me what you are expecting in accommodations, etc. and I'll do my best. Pura Vida is definitely within walking distance of the town, inasmuch as, it is smack dab in the middle. No cockroaches..:-) Something clean, a door that locks, daily maid service, functioning plumbing. Not too demanding. Chris > > Looking for suggestion on places to stay and dive operators in West > > End. I want to stay within walking distance of the town. Not [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Pura Vida is definitely within walking distance of the town, inasmuch as, it > is smack dab in the middle. > No cockroaches..:-) That's a pretty tall order. >Something clean, How clean? > a door that locks, daily maid service, > functioning plumbing. Not too demanding. OK. Puravida meets those requirements. Sueno del Mar Resort, right on the beach west end of West End. Lost Paradise, get a unit on the oceanside. Good location, nice beach area. As for dive ops, you can stick with Puravida, or if you chose to stay at Sueno del Mar, you can use them. Or you can check out a handful of others. I haven't used Native Sons, but they always get high marks. They are down at the other end of town though, so would be a better pick if you were staying at Posada Arco Iris or Halfmoon Bay Cabins. In town, check out Ocean Connections and West End Divers. I've had a blast with both. I've been diving with all of the foregoing except Native Sons, but I would have been diving with them, if they were located closer to where I stay. Everyone's prices should be about the same. It's usually $30 for a one tank or maybe if you do two only. Then there's a price break at 5 dives and again at 10+. No problem at all if you know you are going to do 10+ dives. When are you planning to go? > Chris > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Pura Vida is definitely within walking distance of the town, inasmuch as, it > > is smack dab in the middle. >> a door that locks, daily maid service, >> functioning plumbing. Not too demanding. > > OK. Puravida meets those requirements. Seconded. I stayed there and dove with West End Divers. Pura Vida was quite clean and comfortable. Each room has a safe with an electronic lock that you can set the combination on. The restaurant is fine. I didn't dive with them. I went to West End Divers, which was fun, rather like diving with a youth hostel. > >> a door that locks, daily maid service, > >> functioning plumbing. Not too demanding. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I didn't dive with them. I went to West End Divers, which was fun, > rather like diving with a youth hostel. Of the five ops that I've been diving with in West End, Sueno del Mar was the only one that didn't put me in mind of a youth hostel. They've gotten rid of their cranky old dive manager and so who knows how it is now. Oh wait, and of course, Tyll's but I don't recommend Tyll's for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the dive nazi they had working for them last year. > > >> a door that locks, daily maid service, > > >> functioning plumbing. Not too demanding. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > reasons, not the least of which is the dive nazi they had working for them > last year. Mm, actually now that I think about it, Pura Vida wasn't entirely youth oriented either and they have the Sofia, a better boat than most of the other ops. Thanks Chilly. Always a good source of information. We plan to be there Feb 16-25. Going to try TACA for this trip. That will be a new experience. Chris > > No cockroaches..:-) > [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > as, it > > > is smack dab in the middle. > Thanks Chilly. Always a good source of information. Wow, nice compliment. Thanks (blush). > We plan to be there Feb 16-25. Should be a good time of year to go. > Going to try TACA for this trip. That will be a new experience. OK, if you must. ;^) Don't forget to tell us all about it. S > Chris > [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > > as, it > > > > is smack dab in the middle. Yea, if I fly Delta or Continental I have to leave a day later and depart a day earlier. So if I don't loose my bags.....I get two more days of diving. Have a question about taxis. I saw one web site that side they will try to chage $15 per person from the air port to West End but the "real" fare should be more like 18 Lps which is only about a dollar. Sounds too low. Here is where I got this information. http://www.roatanisland.net/cruiseship.htm Any idea what the real rate for a gringo scuba diver will be? Chris > > Thanks Chilly. Always a good source of information. > [quoted text clipped - 76 lines] > > > as, it > > > > > is smack dab in the middle. > Yea, if I fly Delta or Continental I have to leave a day later and depart a day > earlier. So if I don't loose my bags.....I get two more days of diving. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Any idea what the real rate for a gringo scuba diver will be? 18 Lps is definitely too low. BIBR is aout 1/4 or maybe 1/3 of the way to the airport and they generally say $2 to West End, though I paid anywhere from $2 to $5. You could probably negotiate less than $15 to the airport, but not much. But most places include airport transfer as part of your lodging. Pura Vida certainly does. The cabbie bitched and moaned about how they paid him so much less than normal... > Yea, if I fly Delta or Continental I have to leave a day later and depart a day > earlier. So if I don't loose my bags.....I get two more days of diving. I hear that!! > Have a question about taxis. I saw one web site that side they will try to > chage $15 per person from the air port to West End but the "real" fare should be > more like 18 Lps which is only about a dollar. Sounds too low. Here is where > I got this information. http://www.roatanisland.net/cruiseship.htm > > Any idea what the real rate for a gringo scuba diver will be? Sorry, I'm not so good with the taxi from the airport thingy. My hotel always picks me up. Did you pick a hotel yet? Maybe they'll do the same? If not, I suspect that you are gonna have to pay what they ask for. I dunno how much gear you have (bags) but apparently, if you leave the airport area and get out to the road, you can flag a taxi down and it will cost you much less. Seems like more trouble than it is worth to save $5+/- to me. :^) The juice ain't worth the squeeze, know what I mean? I have caught a taxi out on the road, from Bay Islands Beach Resort into town. It cost me about $2.00. I also got a tour of another village on a side road, as we went along. And then the driver picked up another guy too. I don't mind saying I was a bit nervous at that point. But all's well that ends well. It turned out to be another adventure that I loved in Roatan and can have some fun telling about. If you take a taxi directly from the terminal, it should take you directly to your destination, no muss, no fuss. > Chris > [quoted text clipped - 78 lines] > > > > as, it > > > > > > is smack dab in the middle. >> Yea, if I fly Delta or Continental I have to leave a day later and depart >a day [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >airport area and get out to the road, you can flag a taxi down and it will >cost you much less. Seems like more trouble than it is worth to save $5+/- Isn't that like $80 CDN??? >to me. :^) The juice ain't worth the squeeze, know what I mean? > [quoted text clipped - 106 lines] >> > > > > > is smack dab in the middle. >  Signaturedillon If you can't figure out how to unmunge my address, email me and I'll explain it. > >airport area and get out to the road, you can flag a taxi down and it will > >cost you much less. Seems like more trouble than it is worth to save $5+/- > > Isn't that like $80 CDN??? Not these days! >> >airport area and get out to the road, you can flag a taxi down and it >will [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >Not these days! I have a friend in Edmonton (beautiful area). We were in Chicago drinking whisky. I bought the first round and Kees said "this is great. It would cost $12 back home" I replied "then you should buy some, it's $12 here, too". This was back when the Canadian dollar didn't look quite as good as it does these days. Signaturedillon If you can't figure out how to unmunge my address, email me and I'll explain it. > I have a friend in Edmonton (beautiful area). Geez, it's cold up there though. >We were in Chicago > drinking whisky. I bought the first round and Kees said "this is > great. It would cost $12 back home" I replied "then you should buy > some, it's $12 here, too". This was back when the Canadian dollar > didn't look quite as good as it does these days. :^) > Have a question about taxis. I saw one web site that side they will try to > chage $15 per person from the air port to West End but the "real" fare should [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Any idea what the real rate for a gringo scuba diver will be? That Taxi rates at the airport are now standardized and posted, they aren't allowed to negotiate. You can save a bit by going outside the airport gate and getting a Taxi Urbana but (very) generally speaking the airport taxis are slightly better. $10-$15 (plus tip) is about right. Thanks for the insight. Pur Vida gave me two quotes. $60/dbl room only and $70/dbl room, airport transfers, welcome cocktail and breakfast. So if we are talking $30 RT for taxi, that makes it $7 a day for two breakfasts. Sounds like a good deal...oh and the welcome cocktail....:-) Chris > > Have a question about taxis. I saw one web site that side they will try to > > chage $15 per person from the air port to West End but the "real" fare should [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > airport gate and getting a Taxi Urbana but (very) generally speaking the > airport taxis are slightly better. $10-$15 (plus tip) is about right. that makes it $7 a day for two breakfasts. Sounds > like a > good deal...oh and the welcome cocktail....:-) Depends on what the breakfast is. could be just coffee and a roll. > that makes it $7 a day for two breakfasts. Sounds >> like a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > could be just coffee and a roll. Pura Vida gave me a real breakfast, I think. > No cockroaches..:-) Something clean, a door that locks, daily maid service, > functioning plumbing. Not too demanding. By the way, did you look into Luna Beach? >> No cockroaches..:-) Something clean, a door that locks, daily maid > service, >> functioning plumbing. Not too demanding. > > By the way, did you look into Luna Beach? I felt Luna Beach was too far away to really be a good base for diving from town. > >> No cockroaches..:-) Something clean, a door that locks, daily maid > > service, [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I felt Luna Beach was too far away to really be a good base for diving > from town. True enough, but Luna Beach has its own on site dive operation and with nicer boats than we were diving with West End Divers. >> I felt Luna Beach was too far away to really be a good base for diving >> from town. > > True enough, but Luna Beach has its own on site dive operation and with > nicer boats than we were diving with West End Divers. I kind of had the impression they didn't go out all the time. The place always seemed kind of empty to me. Didn't we have a drink there and we were the only customers in that huge bar? > >> I felt Luna Beach was too far away to really be a good base for diving > >> from town. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > always seemed kind of empty to me. Didn't we have a drink there and we > were the only customers in that huge bar? Maybe everyone was out diving? Luna markets itself as a dive resort. I know some people that used to go to Belize all the time, really love it there and they go for the diving. That said, there is a group of them when they go, so enough to fill the dive boat. I've never seen a single posting anywhere, complaining that the dive boat didn't go out all the time. Have you? If so, I'll quit recommending the place (for the dive op portion anyway). Last time I was there, the people that I know were still running the dive op. High quality dive op management and instructors. But they are ex-pat world travelling dive professionals, so they may have moved on by now. |
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