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Sometimes
you want a holiday that is an all round mix of a relaxed,
friendly atmosphere, diving and sun and it is the mix that
is all-important.
The
Inn has been open about 5 years and was designed and built
with 30 bedrooms with the environment in mind. You get the
feeling that it is different as soon as you approach the place;
it is unusual for a hotel drive to be a track that leads through
a field of cows with visiting herons.
Built on a spit of land between a behind-the-reef-lagoon and
a bay, the Inn's four timber buildings surround a lush garden
courtyard. Between dives, quietly idling in a hammock by the
mangrov- fringed lagoon or in the garden becomes an art form,
as there are few disturbances. But you don't have to have
solitude. A friendly chat with one of the staff is always
on tap in the open and breezy bar and restaurant - where you
draw 'five bar gates' in a book to keep your own bar tab.
If the barman isn't about - you just get your own drinks -
it's expected. The food served is fixed menu of very good
standard home cooking of a broadly international style.
The
owners and staff give the place a strong homely feel - but
they are amateurs by contrast with the resident pets. There
is Ditto, the loveable sheepdog who will ask to play chase
and his wonderful mum, Goldie, the very affectionate terrier
who was adopted and given 'back wheels' following a traffic
accident. The regal and slightly snooty Fea, the ex runt of
a litter who had been left to die in a ditch but got rescued
to probably the best dog's life on the island. If the barman
puts on a country cd the dogs sing - highly amusing but it
rapidly becomes painful. There is also 'TR' quite simply the
most affectionate cat I have ever met.
Mornings
are enlivened by the loud chatter of the two pet parrots,
whose party piece is a garbled 'Old Macbonald had a Farm'
- complete with animal noises. But the star attractions are
Poncho and Mingo the spider monkeys. Poncho is a sweetheart,
wants to play especially with anything involving Velcro. She
will sit on your shoulders to give your head a thorough grooming,
or just use you as a leaning post whilst admiring the view
over the bay. Mingo is a different kettle of fish. He is an
adolescent male who hasn't got any manners yet and is best
avoided until he gets older.
We
went in the low season in February when the Inn was not full
so we spent much of our time trying to keep the animals entertained!
In turn we were much entertained by stories from the owners'
interesting and colourful past - but they tell them best,
so I won't try.
The
Inn is on the north side of the island at the west end. The
north reef is a marine reserve and most of the diving operated
from the Inn takes place there. If you want lots of large
pelagics or predators - you will be disappointed. But if you
want a reef that is almost completely recovered from any bleaching
and a good range of coral types this is the place. (Including
a number of very elegant black coral specimens). In the aftermath
of Hurricane Mitch the sea temperature dropped promoting recovery
of the coral. (I was glad of a fulllength 3mm suit with long
sleeves and used gloves to reduce the flush through of the
odd chilly current). Shoals of wrasse, snappers and those
unruly surgeons are frequent and there are a good many caves
and swim-throughs with the usual inhabitants of glassy sweepers
and the like. There are several good drop-off s, walls and
canyons too - all good wide-angle negative space.
I'll
remember Roaton for large and handsome free swimming Groupers
and the most enormous and photogenic crabs (with cartoon-like
'faces') I have ever seen. I am a rank amateur with a camera
- you know the diver with a comera type - so I didn't get
any good shots of said crabs.. However, I think essential
equipment would be a brave buddy with thick gloves so that
you would get a good impression of the scale of the beasts.
I didn't do any macro, but a fellow holiday maker with much
photo experience seemed to be having a satisfying time with
the small things!
The
diving is safe but relaxed, unlike a lot of other parts of
the Caribbean; the max depth is 40m. Experienced divers are
allowed to go their own way at most sites. Although we went
on a normal holiday, the Inn has catered for groups of photographers
in the past and has allowed them to do their own thing, simply
providing boat cover. The boats themselves are spacious with
built in wash tanks to hold cameras. The staff are extremely
accommodating and willing to discuss requirements before and
during the stay. There are no photoprocessing facilities at
the Inn itself (it would undoubtedly detract from the atmosphere)
but they are available not for away. There was such willingness
to drop off and collect almost anything from anywhere on the
island that I am sure it would not be a problem. (But to be
sure, you could ask beforehand).
We
were so hooked on pets and hammocks that we hardly moved from
the Inn, but we had one day of exploring. The island is heavily
forested, very green and is quite sparsely built apart from
two small towns. An hour or so spent in the run-down botanical
garden was worthwhile with a very young guide getting us to
crush and smell the leaves of the likes of cinnamon and allspice.
It is very much the second world and there are stark contrasts
from some spare, tumble down wooden houses in the towns of
Coxen Hole and French Harbour to the well appointed Mediterranean
style homes aimed at US retirees. West End is a small, friendly
bohemian settlement that attracts back-packers. The people
of Roatan that we met were friendly and well disposed and
the island was seemingly a safe place. Currently it is unspoilt
with hardly any tourist trappings, but there is obviously
development taking place.
We
booked direct with the Inn. The journey was via Miami with
BA and then flights with Grupo Taca (who were very good) to
and through Honduras. A tip; (thanks to the BA check in clerk)
if you have a long wait in Miami airport, you can join the
health club of the Miami International Hotel (which is part
of the airport terminal itself) for just $8. So we spent our
long wait swimming, sauna-ing and sunning! I don't think the
Inn has a UK agent at the moment but they are easy enough
to contact direct.
If
you want a holiday to soothe, be relaxed and feel looked after
and have the opportunity to go diving with a camera try the
Inn of Last Resort.
Inn
of Last Resort Tel: 011 - 504 - 445 - 1838 Fax 011 - 504 -
445 - 1848
Email
lastresort@qlobalnet.hn
Grupo
Taca (UK Bookings) 01293 553330 |
