Roatan Trip to Fantasy Island - some questions

We'll be going to Fantasy Island Resort in Roatan later this year and I hae a
few questions for others who have been there recently.

What is the situation for storing your equipment. Are there lockers and if so
do I need to bring my own lock..

I understand there's a small fridge in the rooms. Is there a grocery store
where we could by some sodas and beers to keep in the room.

Is there a fee for using the tennis courts?

What are the shore dives like?

Is Coxen Hole worth a visit?

Is it worth renting a car to drive around the island? What are the roads
like?

Thanks for any help

Ed M wonders:
>>Is Coxen Hole worth a visit? <<

Absolutely! Ya gotta see it to believe it.<G>

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 21:17:00 GMT, sirto98@verizon.net (Ed M) wrote:


>Is Coxen Hole worth a visit?
small, primitive, industrial. In your home town, would you visit the
railroad tracks and the warehouse district?
If you were driving by, you would not
see anything to make you want to stop.

>Is it worth renting a car to drive around the island? What are the roads
>like?
we didn't think so. There's pretty much only one two lane road.
If you walk to the road and wait, a taxi will come by.
Negotiate, and for several dollars ( we didn't try to get below $5), it'll
take you most anywhere along the road. Taxis will stop for more until they're
full; sometimes we picked up schoolchildren on their way home.
West End is worth a visit in the evenings. If you're there late be
sure you agree on a $ amount before getting in the cab going back..
- grr

Trying to reply to EdM regarding Fantasy Island.

10 of us visited there about 2 years ago and had a great time. The dive
operation is a short walk from the rooms and they do have lockers but the
locker room is open whenever the operation is going. The lockers are big and
comfortable but do not have intividual doors. I left my gear there overnight
but took my camera back to the room overnight. Someone did loose a pair of
fins which the hotel did recover (taken by another guest),

The rooms are quite nice and there is a fridge with a pitcher of water that is
refilled with purified wate each day. No grocery nearby at all but the hotel
staff will bring you stuff if you ask them. Tennis courts were free as far as
I could tell. The shore diving is plesant and can be quite good if you roam
around a bit. The dive staff makes it easy but you have to let them know ahead
of time what you want to do.

I would not have wanted to drive on the Island but the roads were typical
narrow, hilly, rutted, and potholed. Parts of the island were quite beautifu.

The food was plentiful and there was always something good. Home made icr
creams were great. Diving was great, sespcially when they took us (at our
request) for a second day on the other side of the island and also let us
repeat a couple of places we really enjoyed.

I thought, as did my friends, that Fantasy Island provided a good value for our
money and we had a great time.

Warren

"Rig2" <rig2@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040404235058.08889.00000793@mb-m02.aol.com...
(snip)> comfortable but do not have intividual doors. I left my gear there
overnight
> but took my camera back to the room overnight. Someone did loose a pair
of
> fins which the hotel did recover (taken by another guest),

Taken on purpose or by accident? Do you know?

(snip)

"Ed M" <sirto98@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:gX_bc.5346$_K3.4783@nwrdny01.gnilink.net...
> We'll be going to Fantasy Island Resort in Roatan later this year and I
hae a
> few questions for others who have been there recently. >
> What are the shore dives like?

This is the reason to go to FIBR. The shore dive, altho claimed to be "the
same" as CoCoView, simply is not. It is, however, quite doable and inviting.
They will drop you over the wreck of the Prince Albert off of a small
workboat- do a back roll. This is much preferable than swimming there from
the FIBR Gazebo. Take advantage of any evening boat trip to the Wreck, as
well. Investigate the top of Newmans wall on a moonlit calm night. Take
every opportunity to be put on the walls or wreck. FIBR offers the same
great S side diving as CCV. You picked the right side of the island.

>
> Is Coxen Hole worth a visit?

Yeah, but dont expect much. It just got paved 11/98. There is one North
American style grocery that has great cheap TShirts, vanilla, coffee, flor
de cana rum, cinamon stix. A few gift shops, mostly Guatemalan stuff, same
like the West end.

You can buy all of this stuff in French Harbour, three minutes W of FIBR,
but the grocery is closed on Saturday (the owners are LDS).

If you're off gassing on your last day, consider a water taxi tour thru the
mangroves, a dolphin snorkel at AKR, binge drinking on the West End.

There are a few good restaurants on the west end including the Argentine
Grille and the Garden of Eatin. Geo and Romeos are so-so, the French Harbour
Yacht Club is a better value.

Wiakula Shark dives can be fun for some.


>
> Is it worth renting a car to drive around the island? What are the roads
> like?

You forgot the important question- what are the laws like?

The laws are such that if you stub someone's toe, you may be liable for
their well being and that of their seven kids parakeets. DO NOT drive a car
in Honduras. Hire an English speaking driver. The roads are medium okay in
the daylight from FIBR to the West end. At night they are treacherous (no
reflectors, lane markers) and most cars are unlit and poorly maintained.
Accidents are common and quite often fatal- there are no trauma centers.
Driving East, although a delight, is just plain risky.

Roatan diving rewards those with good buoyancy and observational skills, Go
slowly, always follow the DM and be amazed.

Doc.

george wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 21:17:00 GMT, sirto98@verizon.net (Ed M) wrote:
>
>
>
>>Is Coxen Hole worth a visit?
>
> small, primitive, industrial. In your home town, would you visit the
> railroad tracks and the warehouse district?
> If you were driving by, you would not
> see anything to make you want to stop.
>
>
>>Is it worth renting a car to drive around the island? What are the roads
>>like?
>
> we didn't think so. There's pretty much only one two lane road.
> If you walk to the road and wait, a taxi will come by.
> Negotiate, and for several dollars ( we didn't try to get below $5), it'll
> take you most anywhere along the road. Taxis will stop for more until they're
> full; sometimes we picked up schoolchildren on their way home.
> West End is worth a visit in the evenings. If you're there late be
> sure you agree on a $ amount before getting in the cab going back..
> - grr

It's not my intention to pick nits here, but despite any logo or other
markings on the "taxi", if the driver stops to pick up others (until
they're full) along your route (on your dime), then it's not really a
taxi, but a reeely small bus. OTOH, it does sound like fun. :)

--
jer email reply - I am not a 'ten' ICQ = 35253273
"All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of
what we know." -- Richard Wilbur