3 Cool Facts about the History of Roatan

Roatan is a cool island, there's no denying it. We have an amazing, well-protected reef, an interesting collection of cultures and a lush, hilly landscape that's unusual for the Caribbean. What else makes Roatan unique? Here are 3 cool historical facts that you may not have known about Roatan!

Fact 1. Columbus "discovered" the Bay Islands

Roatan, Utila and Guanaja were well-populated by the time Columbus came across them in 1502, but it was his "discovery" that first brought in Western influences to the islands. The Spanish and British started mining for silver and gold on the mainland, so the Bay Islands were raided for slaves to work the mines. The original inhabitants of the Bay Islands were probably the Paya people, and those that weren't taken as slaves succumbed to diseases born by the Spanish, like measles and smallpox.

Honduras itself means "depths", from the deep waters that plunge off its coasts. Christopher Columbus is said to have exclaimed, "Gracias a Dios que hemos salido de esas Honduras! (Thanks God we have departed these depths!)," when he entered the to-be-named Cabo Gracias a Dios in Trujillo, which provided calm shelter in the midst of a storm.

Fact 2. Roatan was a pirate hangout

Pirates were certainly not the first Western inhabitants of Roatan, but they were probably the most interesting. French and Dutch pirates used to lie in wait on the Bay Islands for passing Spanish galleon ships so they could take their treasure. Henry Morgan and Blackbeard were among the 5,000 pirates that called the Bay Islands home in the 17th century. Coxen Hole? Named after another famous pirate, John Coxen.

Fact 3. The Garifuna were "deported" to Roatan

The Garifuna are mixed descendants of Arawakan Indians, Island Carib and African people. The British colonialists also referred to them as "Black Caribs".

The Garifuna first started in the late 1700's, when about 2500 slaves were left on the island by the British (the journey started with 5000 people, but half of them didn't survive the journey). Those that didn't move to the mainland started a settlement called Punta Gorda, which is now the Garifuna cultural center of Roatan. As cultures go, they're relatively new, only going back around 200 years on this island, but their mix of British, Spanish and Black Carib culture makes them an interesting and integral part of Roatan and Central American history.

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Did you already know these cool facts about Roatan, or did they surprise you? Let us know what other “3 Cool Facts” you’d be interested in learning, whether it be about scuba diving or Honduras, and let’s get our learning on!

5 Delicious Ways to Eat Lionfish

With the 2019 Roatan International Lionfish Tournament and Cook-off around the corner there is no better time than the present to brush up on your knowledge about these super destructive yet alluring and tasty creatures.

The lionfish is such beautiful, magnificent animal that, sadly, has been invading the Caribbean and the Americas for a few decades now. For those of us that started diving in Australia and Southeast Asia, lionfish are a welcome sight that we delight in showing our divers. Unfortunately, human influence has released them into our American waters and we are now tasked with keeping their numbers in check for the sake of our reefs' safety.

In some places, like Roatan, we have quelled the invasion to a certain extent, at least within the Roatan Marine Park, but some places that were hit first and reacted more slowly have had invasions of apocalyptic proportions.

After a successful lionfish hunting trip!

Fortunately for us, and unfortunately for them, lionfish are delicious eating, so one of the things that Roatan is doing is offering lionfish on the menu in lieu of other more "traditional" fish, like snapper, to increase the demand and make it financially smart for the local community to provide a supply. Lionfish is a dense, white fish that's not very oily or fishy tasting, so it can be prepared in a ton of delicious ways.

Whether you get your lionfish from restaurants like Blue Marlin and Cannibal Cafe in West End or prepare it yourself, here are 5 delicious ways to eat lionfish!

Recipe 1. Lionfish ceviche

Ceviche is a cornerstone of Caribbean cuisine, and there's a good reason why. It's delicious, easy to prepare, and there's no cooking involved!

Cure the lionfish in lime juice, letting it sit for a while as you prepare your other ingredients. Cut up onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos (or any other chili pepper) and garlic and mix it together. Add the lionfish and another healthy dose of lime juice. Voila! Use as a dip for chips or as a side.

Feeling fancy? Throw in some mango or passionfruit and make it a truly tropical ceviche!

Recipe 2. Lionfish wrapped in bacon

Everything tastes better with bacon, right? This age old theory rings true with lionfish as well. Cut the lionfish into small cutlets, wrap them in bacon and oven bake them at 350 degrees until cooked through. These make an excellent appetizer or side. If you're feeling fancy, use the lionfish spines as your skewer to hold it all together. The heat will neutralize the toxins in the spines and it's a cool conversation piece as well. Just be careful when you're handing them, the spines are as sharp as needles!

Recipe 3. Coconut lionfish curry

Since lionfish is a wonderfully dense, white fish that isn't oily or "fishy", it's a fantastic fish to use in curries. Try pairing it with a light curry, like green curry or red curry, instead of a heavy, thick curry, to get the most out of the light flavor of the fish.

If you're not so into curries, you can also cook up some coconut milk with fish sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, red chili and black pepper, then throw in some lionfish cutlets at the end to cook for a few minutes. This goes amazing with white rice or rice noodles with a dash of lime juice and cilantro.

Recipe 4. Breaded and fried lionfish

I am of the firm belief that life is better when it's breaded and deep fried. It genuinely makes the world go round. You can either marinade the lionfish before breading it or just go with some salt and pepper, then bread with panko or coconut flakes, and deep fry it. Garnish with lemon or tar tar sauce. Buen provecho!

Recipe 5. Lionfish stir fry

Take your veggie stir fry to the next level with some lionfish. You don't want to overcook the lionfish, so start frying up your vegetables first before throwing the lionfish in towards the end. Try adding some dark green vegetables, like kale, bok choy and chives to really bring out the beautiful white flakes of the lionfish. Your belly will thank you.

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And there you have it, 5 delicious ways to save the reef and eat a lionfish!

Our favorite source for all of our lionfish recipes comes from REEF's Lionfish Cookbook. When we're looking for new culinary inspiration, that's always our go-to source, so do yourself a favor and purchase the book today!

If you're interested in learning how to hunt lionfish while you're on Roatan, the Roatan Marine Park offers lionfish licenses. All spearfishing is illegal on Roatan except for lionfish hunting, but you need to have a license and designated spear to do so. Talk to your dive center or visit the Roatan Marine Park Eco Store in Half Moon Bay to sign up for the lionfish license course and get hunting!

5 Important Packing Tips for Roatan

Ever gotten back from a trip and felt like you’ve only used 10% of what you brought? Overpacking is easy to do, especially when you’re going to hot, tropical climates. Roatan has a very laidback vibe and casual clothing requirements, so to help you out before your trip we’ve put together our 5 most important packing trips for Roatan. Some of these tips will apply to packing in general and some apply to Roatan specifically, so check out our Top Five Tips and get packing!

Tip 1. Lay everything out

Before you start throwing things indiscriminately into your bag, lay everything out so you can see exactly what you're bringing. Making a checklist, preferably in writing, so you can note exactly what you will need for your trip. Packing 20 shirts, a pair of heels and just one pair of shorts may not be ideal for a 7 day trip to a beachy island, but you may not even know that you've packed all that if you're not keeping track.

Once you've laid everything out and made a plan, roll everything up and put it in your bag. Low on space? Head to Tip 2 for what to do next!

Tip 2. Need vs Want

There's a lot of stuff that we want to take on vacation, but how much of that do we really need? If you're visiting Roatan, you don't really need a pair of heels or hiking boots, just a pair of flip flops and maybe sneakers if you like to work out will do. Do you really need a fancy dress if you're staying in a hostel, or four pairs of long pants when the humidity is 90%? If you really want to bring those heels or those fancy dresses, go for it, but make sure that you've taken care of all your needs and that you have adequate space before you start packing your wants.

Tip 3. No shoes, still service!

On Roatan, shoes are a recommendation, not a requirement. Even at the fancier restaurants, like Roatan Oasis or Ibagari, you'll see at least one local sitting there barefoot. Now, your visiting city feet are probably not strong enough for you to wander around barefoot all the time here, but you also don't need to adhere to any strict dress codes here, either.

While this tip applies to everyone visiting Roatan for an extended period of time, it doesn't apply to people traveling on cruise ships. Most cruise ships have a fancy dress night, and we’re pretty sure you can't walk into the cruise ship restaurants without at least a pair of flip flops on, so make sure you pack at least one pair of nice shoes if you're cruise shipping.

Tip 4. Laundry is cheap on Roatan

If you're coming to Roatan for two weeks, you don't have to pack two weeks' worth of clothing. We have laundry shops all over the island, where you drop your clothes off and they'll have them washed, dried and folded by the next day. And we promise, no one around here will notice that you've worn the same shirt twice in *gasp* the same week, so save yourself the heavy lifting and pack light.

As a word of warning, your laundry is charged per pound. It normally runs about 45 lempiras, or $2.00-2.50 per pound, so make sure that you don't bring in sopping wet clothing or else the bill will be way higher. Also, dry cleaning is not an option here, so don't bother bringing down fancy silks. Cotton is the fabric of our lives.

Tip 5. Leave room for souvenirs

Anywhere you go, you're going to want to bring home souvenirs, either as a memento for yourself or as presents for family and friends.

To get some special, not run of the mill souvenirs, you can check out Rusty Fish, where they train locals to take locally sourced materials from the dump, like Texaco oil drums, and turn them into cool wall ornaments and magnets. The Roatan Marine Park stores sell Roatan Marine Park branded t-shirts and sweatshirts and locally made honey, jewelry, vinegars and jams, all benefiting the marine park and local communities. Rusty Fish and the Roatan Marine Park have stores in West End and both cruise ships ports, so whether you're visiting for a day or a week, you'll find an awesome memento of Roatan without being kitschy.

And if you want your friends to really love you, pick up some good ol' Caribbean rum!

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So there you have it, our Top Five Tips for packing for Roatan! Happy packing and we'll see you all soon!

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 in Honduras when you’re planning your Roatan dive trip 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 businesses 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 mind that whatever time of day, most local businesses 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 businesses still will accept it as legal tender. Not so on Roatan. Most businesses 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! We aim to make your dive trip as easy and fun as possible, which is why we offer a full range of recreational and professional PADI scuba courses and 3 outings a day for fundives. Haven’t tried scuba yet? Don’t worry! We offer Discover SCUBA Diving, a fun and quick way to try out diving before committing to a certification course.

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!