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"It is a happy talent to know how to play."

I Stayed at THE MOST AMAZING AirBnb In Roatan, and You Should, Too!

11/10/2018

3 Comments

 
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In Roatan’s Best Dive Shop For Experienced Scuba Divers, I discussed the realization that Roatan is NOT Bonaire. Though the shore diving is much more limited than I'd expected, I still had an time in Roatan.

When planning the trip, I first considered some of the all-inclusive (AI) options -- I thought it might be the easiest option, logistically. Next, I looked at several hotels. All were reasonably priced… but, once I arrived in West End, I was so, so glad I booked one of the most gorgeous and affordable AirBnb’s I’ve ever stayed in.

First of all, at the time of writing, AirBnb wasn't charging the 19% Tourism Tax that the hotels do. Which, yeah, is kind of unfair, and will probably change soon. But as a self-centered and possibly budget-conscious traveler, this could really make a difference for you.

Second… LOOK WHERE I STAYED FOR ONLY $56 A NIGHT:
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Ada’s Garden was SO, SO amazing. Many West End hotels and dive shops are located on, or just behind, a narrow street. Ada’s isn’t just RIGHT on the water… it’s also on the tip of its own peninsula, where I did some of the best snorkeling of my whole trip. Seriously — the snorkeling there rivaled the diving I did. It was totally free, and I got to see some serious cephalopod action every night. 
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​Air conditioning was included in the price I paid, which I appreciated. Before Ada’s, I'd stayed at a hotel called CocoLobo. It was also super pretty:
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But the walk to town was slightly further (maybe 5-10 minutes instead of, like, 2 — which can feel like a huge difference the heat and humidity!)… and it was SO FREAKING HOT.

I’m tough. Although there is a lot I miss about America when I travel, I’m no stranger to cockroaches, stenches, and no-AC rooms. Although AC is preferable, I generally have no problem sleeping in front of a rotating fan, and have done so all over the equator.

At CocoLobo, for whatever reason, though, it was way too hot for that. Spending more than a few minutes in the room totally zapped my energy. Even at night, it was hard to sleep, even with the windows open and the fan on. 

Despite it being more expensive than many of the hotels in the area (about $90 a night), the AC was $10 extra per night.

Eventually, we caved and turned it on...

But, here’s the other weird thing about how hot it was:

You know how, in a lot of places, they don’t let you run the AC when you’re not in the room? You have to put your room key in the wall to make it run? But it’s no big deal, because within a few minutes of turning on the AC, the room cools off majorly?

That wasn't the case with CocoLobo. 

It took hours for the room to feel comfortable after we turned the AC on. 

Which is why we only stayed there two nights before relocating to Ada’s. ​
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​Ada was awesome, and arranged for her nephew to pick us up and drive us and our luggage to her place. Which, by the way, we'd actually first noticed while on a dive boat! As we passed by her corner of paradise and saw how beautiful it was, we said, “I wish we could stay there!”

Then! As we were sweating balls at CocoLobo that night, looking for a new place to stay, we stumbled upon her listing. It was like it was meant to be. 

The major potential drawback to staying here is that you have to walk about two minutes along cobblestone. But Ada plans to buy a golf cart soon, so even this small inconvenience will soon be a thing of the past. 

The only other thing is that the bed is… a double, I think. So if you want a queen or king and that’s more important to you than staying in the most beautiful location on the island, that’s something to consider.

Obviously, if you book, you should use my referral link so we both save money — and tell Ada I said hi!

(Also, if you want to travel more but aren't sure how to afford it, consider becoming a host for AirBnb. Depending on where you live, listing your place could make it hard to justify not traveling.)
3 Comments
Luc
11/14/2019 10:35:27 am

Great Blog !

I will be staying at the very same airbnb in February. Being an avid diver and snorkeler, I was delighted to read your comments. Does the boat traffic in front cause any problem with the snorkeling or do they have a very defined channel of circulation ? Super octopus picture !! What it very easy to snorkel at night ? A funny fact is that before booking Ada's garden, I was looking at Cocolobo…...glad I didnt book that instead ! The high ceilings must have been the reason why it took so long to get cool.

Salutations,

Luc from Montréal, Canada

Reply
Eva Glasrud link
11/14/2019 06:51:07 pm

The boat traffic didn't bother me at all -- it bothered my snorkel buddy a LITTLE. At the AirBnb, they have a little buoy you can take out with you for visibility, and at night, it will be super easy to see you because of your dive light. You will be a giant, glowing, green ball in the water.

Entry and exit were super easy -- there were never really big waves, and the stairs go right into the water. We didn't have to do any long walks across walks or worry about timing entry/exit with waves or anything. Just watch for urchins. I don't remember there being a ton, but it's always good to be careful :)

Have an amazing trip!

Reply
Luc
2/26/2020 08:30:23 pm

Hello Eva,
Just wanted to give you a feedback from my trip. Ada had messed up her calendar and was overbooked....so, she moved out and let me stay upstairs. King bed, pool, jacuzzi and all. She is so nice and that turned up great. Just loved the snorkeling in front. The night snorkeling was even better. Lots of octopus, lobsters everywhere and a huge green moray eel. That thing was like 4-5 feet long. Barry the barracuda was also there every day as you entered the water. Chose ecodivers for my dives and they were fabulous. I was alone with the divemaster for half my dives.
Thank you much for the information you gave me. I will be back to Roatan for sure.

Happy trails to you !

Luc from Montreal




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    Eva is a content specialist with a passion for play, travel... and a little bit of girl power.  Read more >


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