We spent a week exploring the East End of Roatan and it was fabulous. We flew in, were met at the airport and taken to Oakridge. From there we took a boat out to Mango Creek Lodge in Port Royal. The area is spectacular. The lodge is nestled in to a bay that is surrounded by reef. The water is crystal clear and teaming with sea life.

Port Royal itself is very interesting. It was the home to pirates and then to the British. There is a strong history in the area and the reminisces of forts still stand. It was the location of the Battle of Port Royal. There have been significant treasure finds in the bay and locals still talk of undiscovered gold.

We were not on a dive trip, but did organize a couple of dives. The reef in the area was very healthy, probably because we never saw another dive boat. We also did a great deal of snorkeling which was great.

We did a side trip to Pigeon Cay and that was amazing. It is a little deserted island off of Barbaretta, East of Roatan. The trip was about 20 minutes each way. The island has turquoise water, untouched reef and white sand beaches.

We also went to the caves of Helene which was a great day. Our guide not only showed us the caves and the wildlife, but also educated us on the medicinal use of the local plants. Helene is a remote local village and it was interesting to get away from the tourist traps at west end and see how the real people of Roatan live.

There was the use of kayaks and small sailboats included in the stay and we took advantage of those. The lodge is know for fly fishing, but we did not do any while we were there.

Our stay at Mango Creek Lodge was great. The food and accommodation were excellent. The lodge is small and the nightlife consists of drinking a beer and playing board games, watching a movie or lazing in the hammock on your private dock watching the moon. It was a great holiday.

www.mangocreeklodge.com