I know,I know...this is BONAIRE talk,but my wife and I are thinking about UTILA.Just one small stray and then back to Bonaire in April.Anyone got any input on Utila.Done much research,but no first hand info.E-mails would be fine,so I don't get in trouble here. Thanks for any info.

Marty Roddy

I too would be interested in info on Utila - it is on my islands to visit list.

Thanks

Belinda

Loved Utila..the diving was excellent ..different of course from beautiful Bonaire.as each place is different...mostly all boat dives but saw 3 whalesharks..almost jumped ontop of one !!! that was an experience..stayed at Laguna Beach Dive Resort..very nice and good food. affordable..best dive boat set-up we've seen...the airport landing strip is also a unique part of the trip..check out the website for Laguna Beach..thats our plastic octypus in the photos.."Ollie" is our dive mascot who has been around the world...

Having been to Utila for every year, five times in four years, I can say there is probably nothing quite like it anywhere around. The streets are paved but there are only two main streets. They do have a new international airport now instead of the one at the end of the island. They are now in the process of obtaining electrical power 24/7 and should be in operation by september. There are no cars on the island, only small foreign pickups and atv's. Some bikes and allot of walking. The island is known for the cheapest diving around the world, many people travel there just to get scuba certified. Rooms range in price from $3@night to $50+ for a really nice room. There are some apartments for rent by the week or month. Lack of money is everywhere, its no Cayman or Bonaire, but the people are better off on the island than the mainland. Most islanders are fishermen who travel to Honduras or even USA with travel visas to fish the gulf/oceans for three to four months, than come home to their families. The island is flat except for "Pumpkin Hill" which sticks up about 150-200ft. There's diving all around the island with the best on the north side, which is also the deep and blue. That's where most of the whalesharks and tuna will be seen. That are many reefs and mounts that are also around Utila. The "Black Hills" is among my favorites along with the deeper sites of "Duppy Waters". The living is cheap and the drinks are always just steps away from anywhere. Diving is the name of the game with deep sea fishing second. All around Utila is a marine park, much like Bonaire, and marine park tags are usually not included with the dive packages but cost somewhere around $3US each day. Vis. is usually 100-150+ every day and the island is out of the hurricane belt for the most part. Except for "Mitch" which did very little damage on the island. Aquadreams specializes in travel to Utila and all the Bay Islands and I use them totally, never had a problem with them or the tickets. I highly recommend them for dive travel...

Safe Diving,
jiminiŽ