Top 5 Tips for Visiting Roatan with Babies

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.

Bonus tip: Have fun and enjoy the moments with your little one. They're only this little once, so take advantage of the island of life and savor your time together.

5 Survival Tips You Need for Layovers

With the advancement of technology, the world has gotten smaller. You can connect with people of different cultures and languages all over the world, the smart phone has taken the place of books and pay phones, and you can travel to places you can't even pronounce!

And since we're on the subject of travel...layovers suck. Short or long, it doesn't matter, layovers are not fun. And even if you think that a layover will be short, there's a good chance that your transport will be delayed or cancelled, so it's important to be prepared for any transportation crisis.

Some context: I was catching a flight from Los Angeles down to Roatan, with an intended 90 minute layover in San Salvador. I've been on trips where the layovers have been really long before, and I've been prepared for them, but this was the first time that my layover was delayed to pretty cataclysmic proportions (cataclysmic, I tell you!). We spent about ten hours each day for two days at the airport (7AM to 5PM the first day, 6AM to 3:30PM the second) with a night in an airport hotel in between. There was a lot of going back and forth with the airline staff, a re-routed flight, and a lot of people panicking (justifiably) and getting quite angry before we could find a resolution. It was kind of a mess, and exhausting. I think I fared better because I was going home, not going on a precious one week holiday that was just slashed by a few days. I wasn't panicking, but I certainly wasn't happy with being stuck at the airport, away from my husband and work, without any substantial updates or information.

So whether you're taking plane, bus or boat, layovers are something you are going to suffer many times in your life if you want to travel and see the world. So let's discuss our Top Five Tips for surviving layovers!

Tip 1. Keep an extra set of clothes in your carry-on

If you're not planning on checking any bags in, you're good to go. Next!

If you are checking a bag in, make sure to keep an extra change of clothing in your carry-on, just in case you're stuck at the airport or need to be transported to a hotel without getting access to your check-in luggage. To keep your carry-on light and your packing efficient, just focus on clean underwear and a shirt made of light, thin material, that can be easily rolled up and stuffed away somewhere. Delays are more mentally tiring than physically tiring, and having a fresh set of clothing to change into can give you a bit of a boost, even if only for a second.

Tip 2. Layer, layer, layer

Airports, buses and airplanes are horrifically cold. I die every.single.time. I've learned over the years that instead of carrying a thick sweatshirt or hoodie, I should focus on thinner layers so that it takes up less room in my bag and I can adjust my layering as the temperature changes. It's not abnormal for the temperature to rise and fall in increments, and you don't want to have your only two options to be hotter than Hades or Arctic freeze. I always keep a thin cardigan and a scarf on me at all times, as well as a pair of socks. I have a gorgeous scarf that my friend got me in Saudi Arabia 10 years ago, and it's big enough to double as a pillow or a blanket, and just seems to match with everything I own. That scarf has been all over the world with me, and I will travel with it until the day it disintegrates.

Tip 3. Books are sexy

I didn't bring a book with me for this trip (because "the layover is so short, I won't have time read") and I deeply regretted it. I was smart enough to fully charge my computer and phone before I got on my first flight, but after 10 hours stuck at the airport, I eventually needed to recharge. I ate up my batteries faster than normal because I was contacting home a lot in the chaos and also trying to get some work done since I was stuck anyways, and while I was fortunate to be able to find an outlet nearby, when a flight's delayed and there's 100 passengers needing juice and only two outlets, blood will be spilled. Having a book would have helped pass the time faster and given me something other than work to distract me from the never-ending delays. 

If you don't want to haul around a heavy book, a reading tablet, like the Kindle, is a great way to carry multiple books in a slim package. The battery life on those things are normally very good so they'll cover you for a long time, and their screens are designed so your eyes don't get tired! A fellow passenger also very kindly lent me his portable charger when I couldn't find an outlet, and that really helped me out as well. I think for my next trip, I'll invest in a portable charger as well so that I don't start to panic when I see my battery level falling.

Tip 4. Keep a universal adapter on you

And in the spirit of charging things, keep a universal adapter in your carry-on when you travel. You never know what kind of outlets places will have, and you don't want to be low on battery, find an outlet and find out you can't plug into it! Universal adapters are pretty inexpensive, are small, and can save you a little heartache.

Tip 5. Keep a snack on hand

Airports can be super expensive, and sometimes they don't have any food options other than beer, burgers and pretzels. To make sure you don't get so hungry that you buy all of Burger King, keep some portable snacks, like chocolate, trail mix or nuts in your bag. Even sandwiches will do! Just be kind to the people around you and avoid particularly pungent food, like Indian lamb curry. Or deviled eggs. Or garlic toast.

Bonus tip. Be kind

This is one that I had to remind myself of constantly during my two 10-hours days at the airport. It's not the staff's fault that the flight is grounded or delayed. They are in the line of fire and take everyone's anger and blame, but nobody reacts very well to getting yelled at, and taking your frustration out on them will only make them not want to help you.

And don't just be kind to the staff. Be kind to your fellow passengers. Be friendly. If someone needs help, help them. No matter how bad your day is, someone else probably has it much, much worse, and showing even a sliver of kindness may be the only bright spot of that person's day. It doesn't cost you anything to be kind, but it may mean the world to someone else.

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Being stuck at the airport doesn't have to be an isolating event, or one that divides people. The people stuck on our flight actually bonded together very well, and though I wish I hadn't been stuck for so long, I am also grateful that I had the opportunity to meet some fantastic people and be in the position, for once, to assist others.

I learned a lot about myself on this very long layover, mostly learning that I'm actually capable of not stressing so much and of seeing the bigger picture, and that if something's outside of my control, then that's just the way it is. I saw people being kind to each other and taking care of each other, and it was a good reminder of humanity's ability to see beyond themselves and focus on others. It was a reminder that I was grateful to have, and I hope I don't forget those lessons learned any time soon.

5 Things to Know about Currency on Roatan

We all know that traveling to foreign countries inevitably brings out the hassle of currency. How much should things cost? What currency do countries use? What denominations are best? Knowing a few simple tips about the currency and policies of the country you're visiting can save you a lot of hassle, so let's go through our Top Five Tips for currency on Roatan!

Tip 1. Cash is king on Roatan

I know that North America and Europe are all about the card, but here, cash reigns supreme. A lot of places can't or won't take credit card, and the places that do take it may have a pretty hefty fee attached, up to 22%. I know it's unnerving carrying so much cash around, but life will be much more convenient and cheaper for you if you plan your budget with the intention of only spending cash on the island.

There are several ATMs to use around the island, and some of them are good to use and some aren't. The ATM at the airport is the most convenient as you can just take out money right when you land, and it's the only place that has a US dollar ATM (most of the time. Sometimes they run out of cash. Because Roatan!). Other ATMs are normally maximum 5,000 lempira withdrawals (around $220). You can also do cash advances at Banco Atlantida in Coxen Hole or French Harbor, where you give your card and ID to a bank teller and can take out up to 20,000 lempiras without any fees from this end.

Tip 2. If you choose to use ATMs, still keep some reserve cash anyways

In keeping in line with the previous tip, you can take money out throughout your trip if you don't want to bring down loads of cash with you. However, the ATMs aren't always working, or might not have enough money in them, so you shouldn't wait until you absolutely need the cash to take it out. Keep a few days of reserve cash on you so that you're not stuck in a bind when the ATM decides to shut down.

Tip 3. Have US dollars, will travel

Exchanging money at airports sucks, because the exchange rate is normally terrible and there's a hefty fee attached as well. Luckily for you, Roatan has you covered!

Roatan accepts both Honduran lempiras and US dollars. The exchange rate varies from business to business, with some strictly adhering to the exchange rate for the day and some rounding up or down to make it a cleaner number (so if the exchange rate is 22.3, then they'll just exchange at 22). Whatever currency you pay in doesn't guarantee that you'll get the change in the same currency, either. You could pay a $10 tab with a $20 bill, and get $5 in US and 112 lempiras in change. You can also pay in mixed currency, which is a bonus.

Tip 4. Small bills, por favor

If you're spending money early in the morning, a lot of business won't have change for you. This applies especially to taxi and water taxi drivers. If you try to pay a $3 water taxi ride with a $20 bill at 7AM, you're most likely out of luck. Keep a good amount of $1 and $5 bills with you to avoid the complications of having to run around different businesses trying to get them to break your $20 bill for you.  Furthermore, please keep in the mind that whatever time of day, most local business won't have change for $100 bills, so try to keep your denominations to $20 or less unless you're paying for things like hotels, or activities like scuba diving or zip lining.

Tip 5. Keep bills clean

In the United States, you can use a bill that's almost completely ripped in half, and business still will accept it as legal tender. Not so on Roatan. Most business cannot accept ripped or damaged US dollar bills because the banks won't take them. I won't get into the complicated reasons why because it's a lengthy foray into bureaucracy and international politics, but please understand that businesses are not being difficult when they won't take your half ripped $20 bill. Before you come down, check and make sure all your bills are clean - no rips, no tape, and no mustaches on Jackson's face.

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So there are our Top Five Tips for using currency on Roatan! If you have any Top Five Tips that you'd like us to cover, let us know on our Facebook page or shoot us an e-mail, we'd love to help make your trip to Roatan the best it can possibly be!

5 Important Things to Remember When You're Cruise Shipping to Roatan

You've booked a cruise to the Caribbean and Roatan is one of your ports. Yay! Cruise ships are a great way to see multiple countries and cultures in a short period of time with the convenience of not having to pack up and change accommodation constantly. A lot of people use cruise ships to scope out future travel sites, so that they get a feeling for a place before booking a longer trip there.

Roatan is an awesome port of call, with a variety of activities to keep you busy. Scuba diving is Roatan's claim to fame, but we have zip lining, island tours, Blue Harbor Arboretum, the Iguana Farm - the list goes on.

So what should you keep in mind when you're planning a visit to Roatan by cruise ship? Here are our 5 important things to remember to give you the best experience possible!

Tip 1. Local time vs ship time

Many ships will stick to ship time on their itinerary, which is the time zone that the ship originally departs from. So if your ship departs from Ft. Lauderdale on Eastern time, they'll give you all your itinerary times in Eastern time, not in the local time zone. The itinerary will state that you're docking from 8AM to 4PM, which will actually be 7AM to 3PM in some ports and 6AM to 2PM in others. This will affect your activity schedule at port, so keep this in mind when you're contacting companies. Most places with cruise ship activity will have a designated agent that will announce the true docking times, so when the excursion company you are planning your day through tells you the local docking times, trust them to know what they're talking about.

As an important note as well: Honduras does not do Daylight Savings. I don't believe anywhere in Central America does. So remember, after March 13th, if we were on Central time before, we are on Mountain time now. Confusing? Yes, for all of us!

Tip 2. Times change. All the time.

Your ship could be docking at a certain time up to 12 hours before arrival, and then it may change at the last minute. We've even had ships dock hours late without any notification. Please don't get mad at your excursion company if they can't fit in all the activities you wanted because your docking time changed to not allow it. Most companies will accommodate as best they can, but it's not their fault that the ship changed its docking times. Please be flexible and be kind.

Tip 3. Cruise excursions vs private activities

When you dock somewhere, you get the choice between a cruise ship excursions and planning and booking activities yourself. It's up to you how you'd like to do it. Some people like going cruise endorsed because everything is taken cared of, from transportation to the activity itself, while some people like branching out and finding their own companies to work with because the groups tend to be smaller and priced lower if you're not cruise endorsed. Also, if a company is endorsed by the cruise ship, then if customers are running late, the cruise ship is more likely to wait for them than if they are late from a non-cruise excursion.

Whatever you choose, you'll have a great time! It's just about finding an option that fits you best.

Tip 4. Flexibility is key

The perils of going on a ship and only getting a day at a time in each place is that you will not always have all the time you want. And sometimes, just sometimes, the weather will make it impossible for the ship to dock, or the cruise ship will make the decision to bypass a port altogether. This is for safety reasons, so don't get mad at the cruise ship for doing this. And don't get mad at the excursions for not being able to accommodate.

If your ship doesn't dock, most activities will not offer a refund on the deposit because while it's not your fault that your ship didn't dock, it's not their fault that it didn't, either.

Tip 5. Please read your e-mails

Whether you are booking through the cruise ship or privately, please, please, PLEASE read all communication thoroughly. Companies that consistently work with cruise ship have learned to place certain words into their correspondence, like "local time", and will be very explicit in their instructions to meet transportation or payment methods. It's frustrating for you if you can't find your taxi because you didn't read the directions, and it's really frustrating for the company because they're trying to find you and you're not where you're supposed to be.

It only takes a few minutes to read an e-mail, and that will determine how smoothly your day goes, so it's worth it to take two minutes to read to avoid 20 minutes of frantically trying to find your transport. Better yet, take the e-mail and print it so that you have a physical copy to access.

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So there are our Top Five Tips for traveling on a cruise ship! We hope you have a great week and love every port that you visit.

As always, thank you for visiting us and we hope to see you again soon!