Tabyana Beach, Roatan

[emosewa]

I have heard from Mahogany Bay to Tabyana that is about 80$ return trip in a taxi (4 people). Do anyone have input on safety, we have two ladies and 2 kids. I was going to book thru Carnival, but paused as it would be about 155$ vs 80$ (almost double):eek:. Has anyone been bothered in their cabs or felt unsafe. With the kids in tow, it gives me reason to pause and ask my cruise critic friends that have been there done that. I always want to give the locals the business.

I would hate to miss the snorkelling I have heard so much about.

Any comments and suggestions?

EMOSEWA:cool:

[k2excursion]

We were out on the west end beach, and the snorkeling out there is spectacular!!! the best right-off-the-beach snorkeling I've ever seen! We felt pretty safe the whole day on the island. But, we didn't take a cab. We did a Victor Bodden tour, which is extremely popular with cruisers. For 3 of us, it was $90 for the whole day. I think it would've been $100 for 4. (We also tipped our driver well.) We added a $15pp glass bottom boat snorkel to our tour, and it was just the 3 of us on the boat that they took out. And that was the best snorkeling that I've ever seen!!! I would recommend that you look into Victor Bodden. You'd get to do more than just going to the beach, plus you'll have a local with you all day, sharing all kinds of information and history. And with Victor Bodden, you can spend as much time at the beach as you want. The driver will wait on you. You can do as much as you want (of the options they have), or as little as you want. No stops that you're not interested in.

 

Our driver shared with us that on the mainland of Honduras, it would not be very safe. But the island of Roatan is much safer. It felt pretty safe to us. I'm sure that crime is comparable to other cruise stops, but it's certainly not one of the bad ones.

[black forest]

We are in the same position and don't know what to do.

 

Here is sth interesting: http://www.roatanisland.net/tourist_tips.htm Does this help? I am not sure if we better take a tour either booked through Carnival or another tour operator, just to feel safe. Not having to discuss prices and currency with a taxi driver.

[emosewa]

Thanks, :o

When I had first started researching things to do in Roatan, I picked Victors tours because of all the great reviews, then fell off of that wagon because we had decided to take the boys to zip and clip in Mahogany Bay. Then my snorkelling senses took over and I wanted to go to Tabyana as well to do a little snorkelling. I revisited the idea when you re- suggested it and I think after our zip and clip we could get a driver from Victor Bodden tours to take us around, stop for a snorkel, and see his monkeys (time permitting) for about the same price as a regular cab would cost. I have e mailed him and await his pricing and reservation. I think it will be about 30 pp. :p Then our driver knows the best picture spots etc. Great, great reviews for Victor Bodden, I am glad to revisit that idea! I hope some more of our group will join us.

Thanks for reminding me, I totally agree. :D Great idea!

EMOSEWA:cool:

[hdavidson]

Here is a second for Victor... he and his staff are great!

[MamaParrotHead]

Must have gone up since last winter, it was only $30 pp then, and included iced tea, water and lemonade for the duration you were at the beach. I went with Carnival only because it's quite a jaunt to Tabayana and, although I'm normally all for private vendor excursions, I thought the conveinence and peace of mind were worth the extra $$.

[firefly333]

We did a taxi twice for a tour and victor the last time .. my favorite island. Never felt unsafe.

[k2excursion]

Thanks, :o

When I had first started researching things to do in Roatan, I picked Victors tours because of all the great reviews, then fell off of that wagon because we had decided to take the boys to zip and clip in Mahogany Bay. Then my snorkelling senses took over and I wanted to go to Tabyana as well to do a little snorkelling. I revisited the idea when you re- suggested it and I think after our zip and clip we could get a driver from Victor Bodden tours to take us around, stop for a snorkel, and see his monkeys (time permitting) for about the same price as a regular cab would cost. I have e mailed him and await his pricing and reservation. I think it will be about 30 pp. :p Then our driver knows the best picture spots etc. Great, great reviews for Victor Bodden, I am glad to revisit that idea! I hope some more of our group will join us.

Thanks for reminding me, I totally agree. :D Great idea!

EMOSEWA:cool:

 

You're welcome!:) I hope you have a great time there. I loved that island! Our Victor Bodden tour definitely allowed us to make the most out of that stop, and we didn't have to do anything we weren't really interested in. We got to see so much of the island, even an interesting spot with dead coral above the shoreline. I did include some pics in my Dream review in the link in my signature.

 

MamaParrotHead, I think the prices have gone up on many shore excursions. We were waiting to book an excursion for Cozumel, and right when Carnival put in their terrible new search engine, they also raised many cruise fares, and they raised the shore excursions we were trying to decide between. It sounds like the one you did, that the OP was thinking about, is now going for around $36-$39pp.

[purplethorn]

We just came back from W.Carib Cruise on Celebrity Solstice. My fave port being Roatan :)

 

We booked Tabyana beach through the cruise - $54pp , transportation, use of facilities , grilled lunch and non alcoholic beverages included. We had our own snorkeling gear so we didn't rent that ..it was awesome

 

I guess because Carnival ships dock father away from West End transportation is more expensive?

[tyrannosaur]

Purplethorn, is there a rental facility for snorkle floating device at Tabyana beach? I plan to snorkle and would feel safer with a floating device or life vest.

thanks,

chuck

[vski21]

Must have gone up since last winter, it was only $30 pp then, and included iced tea, water and lemonade for the duration you were at the beach. I went with Carnival only because it's quite a jaunt to Tabayana and, although I'm normally all for private vendor excursions, I thought the conveinence and peace of mind were worth the extra $$.

 

The Carinival Excursion says that it is 3 1/2 hours. Do you know if that is just a general time frame? Can we stay longer? Do they have different times that they take people back to the ship? I am just trying to decide if I want to do this through Carnival or just jump in a cab and head to Bananorama. Thank you for any information that you can give me on this. :-)

[salboz]

You can get a bus out to the West End or West Bay area for about $3.00, Roatan cab tours will also do a round trip to the West End for $15.00 per person if you have 4 people and to West Bay $20. each, round trip..

[mhat44]

I am sailing on the Carnival Legend in November. I am having trouble deciding whether to go to Mahogany Beach or Tabyana Beach. Can anybody give me any insights to the advantages of one beach over the other?

[MamaParrotHead]

The Carinival Excursion says that it is 3 1/2 hours. Do you know if that is just a general time frame? Can we stay longer? Do they have different times that they take people back to the ship? I am just trying to decide if I want to do this through Carnival or just jump in a cab and head to Bananorama. Thank you for any information that you can give me on this. :-)

 

It may depend on how long you have in port. I know we took one of the first shuttles there and one of the last shuttles out, seems to me it was probably right around there.

[MamaParrotHead]

I am sailing on the Carnival Legend in November. I am having trouble deciding whether to go to Mahogany Beach or Tabyana Beach. Can anybody give me any insights to the advantages of one beach over the other?

 

Mahogany looks super fake. It's all made-made, and surrounded by brightly colored shopping kiosks and chain stores, like a beach in Disney World or something, complete with ski-lift trams overhead. Tabayana was a beautiful beach, the facilities were SPOTLESS and the service excellent. WELL well worth the trip to get to Tabayana if you ask me, one of our fave excursions to date.

[luvtravel38]

Hope this helps.Went on a cruise in 2009 with a stop in Roatan and took the ship excursion to Tabyana and enjoyed it so much that this past May 2010 went to the island for 5 days. The beach is absolutely wonderful and the water is calm. THe snorkeling right off the beach is some of the best I seen. Whatever you decide have a great trip

[vski21]

It may depend on how long you have in port. I know we took one of the first shuttles there and one of the last shuttles out, seems to me it was probably right around there.

 

We are in port from 7:00 A.M til 3:00 P.M. I think the Carnival Excursion is from like 10:00 til 1:30 are something like that. Since it is quite a drive, it would be nice if they started the exursion at like 8:30 A.M....that way you could have from like 9:00 til 1:30. That was why I was wondering if it would be easier to just take a cab. Although with Carnival I would have peace of mind. Decisions..decisions. :-)

[Cruzinbabe06]

MamaParrotHead, since you took one of the first shuttles, can you tell us what time did they start leaving?

I'm on the Glory. In Roatan from 7am to 3pm also. I just can't see them starting shuttle buses at 10am knowing we have to be back at least by 2:30pm.:eek:

Thanks in advance

[MamaParrotHead]

MamaParrotHead, since you took one of the first shuttles, can you tell us what time did they start leaving?

 

I'm on the Glory. In Roatan from 7am to 3pm also. I just can't see them starting shuttle buses at 10am knowing we have to be back at least by 2:30pm.:eek:

 

Thanks in advance

 

It said 10 a.m. on our excursion tickets we had gotten, but I remembering seeing people taking off in them probably about 9 or so. It's just that with having 2 kids in tow, there is a process to getting up, cleaned, dressed and fed that I started to shoot for a 10 a.m. departure, lol. One of the ONLY bad things about that excursion is that we sat and waited in the dinky shuttle buses for some unknown reason (our shuttle was full) and were sucking some SERIOUS exhaust fumes and it was UNGODLY hot. I had to start coughing and gagging to get the driver to notice and get him to get clearance for us to get moving, lol. ;)

[mm2raleigh]

I think I'm hijacking a thread but I want to say thanks for the information here. We just booked a tour with Bodden and are very excited :)

[etz]

Let me beat the dead horse.

 

Cheapest/safest way to get 4 adults and 3 kids people to West End -Tabayana? Too expensive to use the ship's excursion. Thanks

[swanny727]

From reading posts by the local Roatan folks, it seems the best snorkeling is at Tabyana beach (towards the left by the rocks, correct?). My question is - should we tell the taxi driver Tabyana Beach? OR, What is the closest hotel/resort to that particular snorkel spot? Wondering if we should tell the taxi to drop us at a resort instead? I don't need to pay for a day pass, I am fine with having my towel on the beach. Just want to be able to get food/drink somewhere fun. Thanks for all the great info.

DIane

[watchdiva]

Tell your driver to drop you at Infinity Bay Beach Resort (closest to the prime snorkeling on West Bay). You don't need to pay the $15 fee for a chair/umbrella (unless you choose to do so) - just plop your towel down on the sand and go into the water. If it's a really sunny day, drop your things under one of the large trees right near the Palapa Bar so that you'll have shade. If you have a private driver for the day, he will stay with your things the entire time you're in the water.....

 

You can get food/drinks for anywhere - Infinity's Palapa Bar, Bananarama, Mayan Princess, Bite on the Beach, San Simone Beach Club.....numerous choices all of which have great food.

[swanny727]

Tell your driver to drop you at Infinity Bay Beach Resort (closest to the prime snorkeling on West Bay). You don't need to pay the $15 fee for a chair/umbrella (unless you choose to do so) - just plop your towel down on the sand and go into the water. If it's a really sunny day, drop your things under one of the large trees right near the Palapa Bar so that you'll have shade. If you have a private driver for the day, he will stay with your things the entire time you're in the water.....

 

You can get food/drinks for anywhere - Infinity's Palapa Bar, Bananarama, Mayan Princess, Bite on the Beach, San Simone Beach Club.....numerous choices all of which have great food.

 

Thanks so much for the info on where to stop. I really appreciate that you keep tabs on this site and let everyone know Roatan is great.:)

[swanny727]

Let me beat the dead horse.

 

Cheapest/safest way to get 4 adults and 3 kids people to West End -Tabayana? Too expensive to use the ship's excursion. Thanks

 

I understand - our family of 6 rarely used the ship excursions due to cost. We have great stories from taking the public bus, to the ruins, in Mexico. Used a taxi in Tunisia, where the cruise director says to me "Nobody ever does that - what are your cabin numbers?". Most ports we use a taxi but sometimes arrange for a private driver. I am all about seeing the "real" places and we like to frequent the non-tourist places. This info refers to Coxen Hole - if you are docking at Mahogany then prices will be increased. So to answer your question....

 

Cheapest would be the public bus. A thread on here had good directions for finding it and which bus # to take. I believe it was $2 -$3 per person. This would be the best cultural experience for the kids and an adventure in itself.

Safest, depending on what your worries are, probably a pre-arranged, private driver. This may be the most expensive option though.

Easiest - take one of the taxis which will be outside the dock area. You could take a taxi (or bus) to West End and then a water taxi to West Bay. Specifics on this are also somewhere on the Roatan Board.