We have family visiting with a 15 month old baby, so we thought this would be the perfect opportunity for another Top Five Tips! We’ve talked about what to remember when visiting Roatan, but what about when you’re visiting Roatan with a baby?
Roatan is a very family-friendly island. The locals love kids, the beaches are beautiful and the ocean is warm. It’s a great place for your kids to develop a love of the ocean and introduce them to different people and different cultures, all in a nice environment. Even if you’re only here for a week, you’ll see development and growth in your baby that you didn’t think was possible.
Word of warning, all the photos on this post feature the same baby. There are two reason for this, the first being that he is our nephew and is the most adorable baby in the history of histories, and you also can’t randomly approach people and ask to take photos of their babies to put on a website.
And on that note, Top Five Tips: The Baby Edition!
Tip #1: You don't have to bring everything and the kitchen sink
Roatan is quite a developed island. We have big supermarkets, Carrion, Ace Hardware, Bojangles, Pizza Inn, the works. You don’t have to bring every.single.thing that your child could possibly need during your time here.
Case in point: the airline lost our family’s bag filled with everything for their 15 month old (we managed to get it the next day). Formula, baby food, diapers, all of it. While it was an inconvenience, and not a great way to start a vacation (of all bags to lose, they chose THAT one?), we were able to pick up everything we needed at Eldon’s Supermarket. The only thing not available at Eldon’s was a stroller. You still won’t find one as high tech as what you can get back home, but you can find used strollers for cheap at some stores around the island if you’re in a pinch.
You can also buy water floaties (Spiderman keeps our nephew afloat), sand toys and all kinds of kids things here, so save your overweight baggage fees for all the rum you’re going to take home with you!
Tip #2: Bring your own sun wear
Yes, I know I just said you could buy pretty much everything you need for your kids on Roatan. The one thing the island is missing, though, is quality sun wear. Especially for toddlers, full body SPF rashguards just aren’t available, and if you manage to get your hands on one, they won’t be the quality you’re looking for. Sunscreen alone won’t protect your baby’s sensitive skin, and kids are shockingly resistant to being slathered up in sunscreen, so make sure to bring a hat and different sun wear options for them. If you can also accessorize your stroller with a sun canopy, do it.
Tip #3: Have a portable booster seat
A lot of restaurants won’t have booster seats or high chairs, so make sure your stroller can double as a chair, or bring a portable seat with you. Restaurants will try to be as accommodating as possible, but a lot of times they just don’t have the facilities.
Whether you’re staying in a hotel or renting a condo, it’s also highly likely that you’ll be feeding your baby at home, so you’ll want something that can keep your kid in place so that they don’t fall over while eating. I had never seen this before, but this In The Pocket Baby Seat may be the most useful, travel-friendly tool ever.
Tip #4: Netting is your friend
Nets are the best friend you will have as a parent of a toddler. Use mosquito netting over your baby’s stroller to make sure they don’t get bitten by mosquitoes and sand flies when you’re out having dinner. If you’re staying somewhere with open windows, cover your baby’s sleeping area with netting at night.
Use a netted bag to hold your baby’s belongings, like their diapers, formula and toys. Netted bags are great because they won’t collect the sand if you go to the beach, and you can see everything in the bag so you know if you’re missing something.
Tip #5: Car seats are hard to find on the island
Based on what we’ve experienced so far, a lot of car rental companies on Roatan do not have car seats available. The bigger companies, like Avis, might have car seats, but the smaller companies probably won’t. If you have a stroller that can double as a car seat and a booster chair, that’s the best kind to bring to the island.
