ROATAN, HONDURAS
Welcome to our 67th country, where we arrived in Honduras as we cruised through Central America northbound for Miami with Oceania Cruises on our 110-day voyage.
This time, we researched and found the perfect restaurant to capture the true soul of the country, the people, the food, the pristine views, the way we know best, and we are guaranteed a magical day.
Roatan is one of the unspoiled Bay Islands with crystal clear waters located a few miles north of the Honduras mainland. It is also home to the second-largest barrier reef in the world, the jewel of the Caribbean Sea; it can be seen from space. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is 600 miles long, decorating the coast of Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. We know the largest is back in Oz, so this was snorkelling and scuba diving heaven.
We disembarked around lunch once the ship was deserted, and everyone was busy on their excursions, experiencing the beautiful island in their preferred way.
After a short ten-minute tender to the port, we were in the company of another two giant ships docked today. Roatan was receiving its daily dose of cruisers, about 7000 extra feet running around, so finding our way to a more remote location was essential.
The taxi was first up, but unfortunately, there were no Ubers; therefore, we had to go down the old-fashioned route and barter with the taxis (who are also trying to sign you up for an island tour and the like). We skipped the first one at $30 for a 16-minute drive to the other side of the island and found another for $15. We could even save the $3 pp exit port charge if we walked the one minute out the gates; yes, no problems, we said!
We popped through the gates, and he met us; we just had to follow him to where the car was parked, then a little further up the road, and there was too much traffic; the driver was coming just a little further, about 15 mins later we are sure we are being taken for a leisurely (scorching hot) stroll to the actual restaurant 8kms away. Still, he assures us it is the grey van up ahead, no the green one, no the grey one; by this time, we realised this wasn’t going to end well. There were three of us, so we popped our thumbs out and jumped in the first vehicle that stopped for us, a tiny little school bus (with air-con) that kindly took us to the restaurant for $20!
Ok, we are back on our way; we arrive at our restaurant; fortunately, we have our trusty Airalo app, so we have internet via esim. We arrive in paradise after a few steep, questionable roads on our little school bus. We thank our legend of a driver and head towards the first cocktail of the day, which I am sure you can guess!
Upon entering the hotel, we congratulate ourselves as it is stunning, the staff are gorgeous, and the setting and the views are picturesque and pure perfection!
We settled in for an afternoon of sampling cocktails; their menu was divine, and the team was full of fun and laughter. We were joined by our lovely Milan, a crew member from the ship from Montenegro, a place we hold very close to our hearts, and we all had a relaxing and delightful afternoon in this hidden gem!
Luna Muna Restaurant is part of the Ibagari Hotel, where you want to settle in for a week or two and relish the beautiful surroundings. It indeed would be a perfect island getaway.
Escaping to the West Bay honestly presented us with the raw and untouched nature of the island, the distinct differences from the port city, which is over-developed, loud and hectic, and not genuinely authentic. Most ports in this region give you this vibe; you could be anywhere in the Caribbean.
West Bay scenery was pristine, with white beaches, turquoise waters, and no pollution. The hotel was fully integrated with its natural surroundings, the design of the sculptures and decor nicely complemented this and the great chill-out tunes over lunch reward and enhance your experience of being in Honduras.
It was time to make our way back to the ship. The hotel kindly organised their driver to return us, and we enjoyed our final cocktail, letting the hoards return to the other ship and enjoying the local buzz of island life here in Roatan.
Spending USD60 on taxis to go 15 km daily makes you question where this money goes. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about paying for service where the value is, but these were no BMW 7-series. One reason we are fans of Uber is that it’s designed for everyone to travel and get to where they need to, with fixed costs, quality cars and drivers, pay by credit cards and without the massive inflation for tourists.
Honduras, you might have started rocky, but you exceeded expectations once we unwrapped you and discovered your true heart. A place to return and enjoy!
Our next adventure is coming soon as we continue our 110-day journey with Oceania Cruises, the circumnavigation of South America.