Forty miles off of the coast of Honduras lies Roatan, a beautiful island,known to have some of the clearest water in the world. Since traveling to Belize back in 2018, I had always wanted to explore more Central American countries. I wanted to travel somewhere with gorgeous beaches and unique things to do. I did a bit of research and concluded that Roatan, Honduras was going to give me exactly what I was looking for. After about a month of planning, I booked my flight through American airlines, for 4 days and 3 nights. Everyone recommended going in May for the best weather and I am happy to say my entire stay was beautiful and sunny.
Note: There’s different ways to get to Roatan - you can fly into the capital city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras and take a boat or a flight to the island from there, or you can fly directly into the local airport of Roatan. I decided to book a flight from Philadelphia to Roatan with a short layover in Miami. Though pricier, this was the easier route with fewer stops. If you choose to fly into another city in Honduras instead of directly to Roatan you may save money.
Arrival: Fantasy Island Resort
I haven’t had the best experiences staying at all-inclusive accommodations internationally, but I figured I would give it another try. I chose to stay at Fantasy Island Beach Resort. I read great reviews about this resort and the TikTok vlogs helped secure my decision. This resort can go for an average of $200 a night depending on the season. The shuttle from the resort picked me up straight from the airport. Solo travel tip #1, always have a pre-booked ride from the airport so it's one less thing to worry about.
The resort was absolutely breathtaking and my room, coincidentally, was right on the beach. The resort served traditional food, which was a huge plus for me. I enjoyed watching the chefs prepare homemade tortillas and the roasted pig was probably my most favorite food item during my time there. As much as I love finding restaurants to try, it was nice to walk out to a beach front room and go straight to my resort for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There were also activities like kayaking and traditional shows right at the resort. The unlimited pina coladas and margaritas definitely made my stay even better.
One of my favorite shows at the resort was a performance from the Afro-Hondurans from the village of Punta Gorda. I love learning about different cultures of the African diaspora and was excited to not only see them perform but learn about their history.
Activities:
Some of the activities I enjoyed at the resort were capturing scenic photos, swimming, and kayaking. Not sure how I forgot my tripod but it was a struggle at times trying to get good content as a solo traveler. I was happy to meet some amazing locals staying at the resort who offered to take photos and videos of me. Google translate quickly became my best friend that weekend as the majority of the resort guests didn't speak English.
Because of my accommodations, I had to book my off-site excursions through the resort, which was unlike how I typically create my itineraries. I am used to pre-booking and paying for everything before I arrive but it was nice to have a resort to take care of all that. My excursions included a boat ride through the Mangroove's Tunnel, horseback riding and hanging out with some exotic animals.
Mangrooves Tunnel Tour
The Mangrooves Tunnel was a unique experience that was about 45 minutes away from my resort. My total cost for this excursion was $90 including my ride to and from the resort. I found this experience on TikTok and was pleasantly surprised that my resort offered this.The Mangrooves Tunnel is a small scenic boat ride that takes you through the French Harbour City and Coxen Hole area of the island. The Mangrooves trees hover over you, forming a cool tunnel effect as you sail through. The tour guide let me step off the boat and get in the water where I could see small fish swimming around.
Daniel Johnson Sloth & Monkey Hangout
No island vacation is complete without getting to hold some tropical animals. Daniel Johnson Sloth & Monkey hangout was very close to my resort. I took a little detour here right after the Mangrooves Tunnel tour and had an incredible experience. I love animals and surprisingly did well with holding multiple parrots at once. This tourist stop is only $12 and a must-do when visiting Roatan.
El Rancho Barrio Dorchas Horseback Riding
Though I have traveled to many islands I had never gone horseback riding on a beach. This was the one excursion I did plan on my own and let’s just say the resort wasn't too happy about this one. Many resorts prefer you book through them over using third party websites to book excursions. I however, booked a cab on my own and found a ranch that told me the trail consisted of going on the water. This excursion also cost me $90 including the cab fee to and from my resort. I got a 1:1 personal tour and had an amazing tour guide that didn't mind snapping some photos of me.
If you love animals, clear water beaches, and delicious ethnic foods I would definitely add Roatan ,Honduras to your travel bucket list. In a short weekend, I was able to try new foods, learn about a unique culture, and explore the island with some pretty cool animals. I felt completely safe at all times and hope to visit again soon.