Trip Report - Honduras 2/21/05-2/28/05
 

After months of planning, my trip to Honduras has come and gone... Here is a report of my experiences.

Mon, Feb 21 -
Check-in at the Toronto airport for 3:50pm flight with SkyService, a charter company with direct flights to La Ceiba. My cousin gets the shocking news that she cannot fly because of Honduran regulations regarding passports. Hers was due to expire in 60 days and the requirement is that a passport must be valid for 90 days upon entry. Our travel agent never informed us of this rule and there was nothing my cousin could do but wait until Tuesday and extend it at the US embassy.

We arrive into La Ceiba at 8:30pm. There are only two customs agents working so it takes us an hour to get through. Luckily our driver from the Lodge at Pico Bonito waited for us and, after a 15 minute drive, we are greeted at the main entrance with fruit drinks. The Lodge is stunning - the main reception area, restaurant, our cabin, the landscaping are all gorgeous. The mountain is so impressive rising up from the foliage behind the lodge.

Tue, Feb 22 -
We booked the 4 day/3 night escape package so all meals were included. Breakfast is a choice of about 6 selections. I loved the pancakes and bacon. We then began the hike to Unbelievable Falls. It took about 2.5 hours to get there and it involved several uphill climbs but we did not hike at too fast a pace. The waterfall is beautiful and the lagoon beneath freezing cold. It was refreshing nonetheless as the weather was hot and humid.

After our hike, we had lunch. The menu has around 8 choices and I had the chicken quesadillas, along with a pina colada or two :) We then crashed in our rooms until dinner. Dinner was 3 courses and was fantastic. I had a Strip Steak with the best scalloped potatoes. For dessert, I chose the banana flambe crepes with vanilla ice cream that must have been homemade.

Wed, Feb 23 -
We are up at 5:30am for a trip to the Cuero y Salada Wildlife Refuge. The staff at the lodge insists that we leave at 6:30am to catch an old fashioned train leaving at 7:00am to take us to the refuge. When we get to the "train station", we can't help but laugh! First off, the locals are hammering away, fixing the train. I have no idea what was wrong with it but it took them close to 30 mins to get the engine working. The train was a hoot though - two rusty cars without windows or doors hitched together. Our ride took 30 mins to get to the refuge and the poverty along the way was pretty sad. The boat ride through the mangroves lasted about 1.5 hours and we saw several species of birds (Toucans, Orependolas etc), howler monkeys, bats and a crocodile.

We relaxed for the rest of the day by the pool and had another great dinner that evening. I had the fried grouper and a chocolate chili cake for dessert.

Thu, Feb 24 -
For my last day at Pico Bonito, I crammed in as much as possible. I stopped at the Butterfly Farm, sepenterium and walked to Las Pilas and Mermaid Falls. The hike took about 30 mins and is mainly up hill. There are two observation towers along the way and I did not see any wildlife other than birds. Both Mermaid Falls and Las Pilas are relaxing areas for a swim but I preferred the falls.

I loved Pico Bonito and would thought it would be perfect to come back for a long weekend. It provides the right mix of relaxation and activities in a luxurious setting.

Trip Report cont'd - Roatan & Misc.

Thu, Feb 24 -
Our 2:30pm flight on Islena to Roatan was cancelled without notice so we sat around until the 4:30pm. Never, never fly Taca or any of its affiliates! We should have booked with Sosa. Anyways, it turns out that Pasquale from the Las Rocas Resort was on our flight so we drove with him back to the hotel. The ride was about 20 mins.

Our cabin at Las Rocas had seen better days. I felt that the whole "resort" needed an overhaul. We stayed in the Procida cabin which had two levels to it, four beds but only one bathroom. The flat sheet and comforter were very worn, the towels were all bleach stained and the cabin had a worn wooden floor. But, the location was fantastic. It is a couple hundred feet from the start of West Bay Beach. You walk past the hotel's restaurant, past the Bite on the Beach Restaurant, over a boardwalk and you're there. West Bay Beach is truly stunning, with the clearest water I've ever seen.

That night, we had a great dinner at the Bite on the Beach. Our bartender was entertaining and allowed us to feed chum to the moray eel that lives in the rocks under along the restaurant. They even played Jimmy Buffet for us upon our request.

Fri, Feb 25 -
Breakfast is included in the rate at Las Rocas. It consists of fruit salad, breads/rolls, tortillas, an egg and bacon. The boat from Las Rocas does not run on Fridays for whatever reason so we took a pay water taxi that cost $2 per person. We then spent the day in West End shopping. We had a few drinks at the Sundowner bar and lunch at the Lighthouse Restaurant.

That night, we ate at Las Rocas. Service is incredibly slow, although friendly, and it took an hour to get our food. The small restaurant was packed though and service is slow everywhere.

Sat, Feb 26 -
During the morning, we went back to West End for more souvenirs. We tried having lunch at Pura Vida, but 45 mins later had not been served. We watched as the cooks had lunch, and asked about our pizza. Supposedly it was on the way, but then our server proceed to sit down for lunch! We ended up walking out.

That afternoon, we visited Anthony's Key Resort for its dolphin encounter/snorkel. I was not going to do the swim because of issues with animals in captivity but my family was going to do it with or without me. The staff at the Roatan Institute of Marine Science was very knowledgable and the dolphins all seemed very healthy and well fed. All of the animals were born in captivity. The snorkel was fantastic as the dolphins played together and whipped by you. They did swim close a few times, which can be a bit scary because they are so large.

We had dinner at Fosters Resort down the beach. The margaritas were great but, as usual, the service is painfully slow. Not that we were in a hurry, but we were hungry!

Sun, Feb 27 -
We took an underwater tour on the Coral Reef Explorer. It was a fascinating way to see the reef and I wish it would have lasted longer than an hour.

That night, we had our best meal yet at Rick's American Cafe in Sandy Bay. One fodorite described it as being in a "treehouse" and they were exactly right. There are about 60 steps up to the restaurant deck. The current owner had several parrots and a macaw that he allowed us to hold. Ownership was changing hands the next day - the new owners are British and seemed friendly as well.

Mon, Feb 28 -
After flying back to La Ceiba on Islena (again, delayed) we spent a few hours at the mall in town. We visited the supermarket and were able to buy some cheap coffee etc last minute. We returned to the airport and came home.

Other random thoughts about my trip -
- I mainly go to Central America to see animals and was surprised at how few I saw around Pico Bonito.

- Bag carriers at the airport are very pushy and will grab your luggage without asking. They then demand a tip. Also, there is no place to store your luggage.

- Cab rides on Roatan are expensive. We were charged $20 each way to Rick's.

- The Mayan Princess seemed to be the best hotel on the island and the brand new pool is fantastic. But, there was no one in it! I snuck in one morning for a swim and not one person was there.

- Be careful of jellyfish when snorkling from the shore in West Bay. I snorkeled in three different places one morning and kept getting stung by invisible bits of jellyfish. The stings are pretty painful but the rashes faded by the next day.

- Be prepared for the waiter to come back and tell you that they do not have what you ordered, particularly with dessert. I order dessert whenever possible on vacation and was told at three restaurants that they were out of an item. This also happens frequently with types of fish.

Let me know if there are any questions - I'd be happy to answer them.

Thank you for posting such a great report.

Thanks for the report. I'm planning on going to la ceiba and roatan in august, and you provided lots of great info. I think i want to stay more in la ceiba rather than at the lodge - what did you think of the town, and did you notice any okay looking places? Price doesn't matter - i just want a nice place that is safe.
thanks again.

Not that I am trying to dissuade you from staying in La Ceiba, but I did not think much of it at all. I only saw the city center and thought it was run down and lacking in character. I kept thinking that I must be missing an area of town with local shops, restaurants but I did not see it. I also thought that the ocean at the beach area by Cuero Y Salado park was choppy and brown (probably from kicked up sand/seaweed though, not litter).

I did not visit La Ceiba's beach but I believe there are a few all inclusive places like the Palma Real.

Thanks for your report. I posted a question about food safety and what you ate in Honduras, but it doesn't seem to be coming up when I search Honduras. Could you or anyone else give me some advice on what you ate and what you avoided? And whether you got sick from anything? Thanks.

I'll post my answer to your food safety thread... Just click on your name at the top left of the screen and it will pull up any posts that you have.

Reading about Pico Bonito makes me want to return there. It is such a special place. I loved the fruit shakes and the relaxed atmosphere, and the waiters in the restaurant. Great trip report.

Great trip report! Can anyone remark on safety in La Ceiba? I'll be there for one week in May and would appreciate any tips that fodorites have to offer :)

KCAPUANI:

WE ARE PLANNING ON STAYING AT LAS ROCAS IN JUNE....OK HOW "WORN" IS IT? I AM NOT TO PICKY AS LONG AS IT IS CLEAN AND THE A/C WORKS!

THANKS FOR YOUR IMPUT!

atlbelle - I'm not exactly sure about the safety situation in La Ceiba but I always felt very safe everywhere I went in Honduras. La Ceiba is a tourist area - any scary things that happen in Honduras seem to take place in the capital or San Pedro Sula.

H20LVR - The A/C in our cabin worked great, although it seemed to be on a timer and would shut off at random times. As for my definition of worn, the sheets and blankets were practically threadbare, the mattresses a bit lumpy, the towels were bleach stained and the bathroom needed remodeling. I should say that I tend to notice the flaws in any hotel I stay at because I used to work for Marriott. Also, the room was definitely clean looking, just old. And the location is one of the best on Roatan.

Thanks so much for your imput..after our last trip diaster in Barbados, we are just a little leary. I also notice the little things, as I work for a luxury home builder. But, if it's clean and the location makes up for the little things, I'm sure it's going to great, I'll just bring my own towels!

Great trip report and glad you enjoyed Rick's! We also met Drew the new owner, great guy and we wish him much success! Did you notice the "squirrelly" last series of steps up to the treehouse? I thought ... oh uh, better watch how many cocktails I have tonight!

Lisa