OVERALL
After seeing AKR at a travel show over six years ago, I finally got to spend my week at AKR with the dolphins at the end of Feb/beg of Mar, and it did not disappoint. From the moment I got on the property and then seeing my beautiful bungalow 27, I was in paradise. The staff is amazing and I can’t wait to go back. (Reviewing the dolphin activities separately, but absolutely worth the trip!)
SAFETY
As a single woman traveling alone, I had gotten very nervous about the crime in Honduras mentioned on the US State Dept website but AKR is very safe. There is security to get on/off the property, security near the boat to the key, and security combing the premises. I felt very safe. Most of the customer-facing staff also speaks amazing English, to the point that I thought several of them were American.
There is a decent size safe in the bathroom. You just put a 4-digit code in to use. It’s big enough for an ipad and maybe a small laptop.
MONEY
I did not carry any cash with me while at the resort. You can charge everything to your room and they’ll have you sign and print your name. But note that you don’t get any receipts for each purchase. They’ll have all the receipts for you when you check out, but it might be a good idea to just keep track for yourself at the end of each day. This works also at Maya Key (Monday field trip) – you can buy drinks and get things at the gift shop and charge everything to your room.
If you order a drink or soda with a meal, they'll charge your room but just remember to sign for it at the bar before you head back to your room.
When you check out at the end of the week, all the incidentals can be billed to your credit card, but note that specifically for the tips, they use an old-fashioned card machine for the tips, with the card imprinted onto paper. This has something to do with a tax they have to pay the govt. I’m sure it’s fine but if you have any qualms at all about a paper trail, maybe bring a different card.
BUNGALOW
I highly recommend getting a bungalow on the key. The boat that goes back/forth really is not a huge deal at all – it runs 24/7 and takes about a minute. I also was not bothered by the walk from my cabin to get the boat – I’m from NYC and this was nothing. Small price to pay for the comfort and view. I also recommend getting a bungalow with AC. Even in mid-Feb, the afternoons were quite warm. I can only imagine how hot and humid it would get in the summer time. I kept the AC and ceiling fan both running the whole week I was there. I was very very happy with my bungalow – floor to ceiling windows on 3 sides, private deck with a hammock, lounge chair, and wood chair and the bed was surprisingly comfortable!
I had pretty decent wi-fi in my bungalow (although for some reason it seemed to work best in the bathroom). There is also a desktop computer near the main dining area and it was free almost the entire time I was there.
The bungalow also had a small refrigerator with a tiny freezer, and there was also a bedside alarm clock.
CROWD
Guests for the most part were very friendly. I think they tend to cater to people arriving/departing on the weekends, but people seemed to come and go every day I was there. I quickly found people to hang out with at meals, by the pool, etc. A lot of the people came from Canada or the northern US states (Minnesota, Idaho, Colorado). Only met one couple from Europe. Maybe it was just that time of year for snowbirds seeking warm weather.
The week I was there was mostly quiet. There was a whole class of Canadian high schoolers as part of a study program. Apparently this school brings kids to AKR the same time (late Feb) every year. They aren’t on the snorkel trips but you’ll see them during meals, at the pool, and possibly at Bailey’s if they are doing dolphin things, etc.
There weren’t many children which I hear is typical of a dive resort, but it also may have been the time of year since school is in session. My week, there was one 10 year old girl who didn’t really have anyone to play with. Mid week, a family showed up with 3 very little kids (including a toddler and a baby). Not sure this is the best place for a family with kids. It was pretty quiet at meals and at the pool before they showed up and the kids started screaming. Since some of the key bungalows are connected in groups of 2 and 3, I was very grateful to be in a solo cabin because I would not have wanted to share space with a family that had little kids.
FOOD
I was happy with the food. Breakfast is pretty much the same every day (the chocolate muffins especially good), and there are usually a couple of options for lunch and dinner. The kitchen staff can accommodate special needs. Some new friends I made are vegetarian and they always could get something to eat. I’m a picky eater and would get pb & j or grilled cheese if I didn’t like what was being offered. Except for the fiesta and lunch at Maya, the meals are mostly served by waitstaff – only a couple of things at breakfast are self-serve.
HEALTH
I’ve started drinking a lot of Gatorade when I travel overseas. Keeps my tummy happy. Normally I load up at the airport after security and put in my backpack, but they didn’t sell any at LGA or MIA. No worries – 4 or 5 flavors of it at the AKR snack shop at $3 for a tall bottle.
I did get the Typhoid shot and started the anti-malaria drugs. The doctor recommended Malarone since there’s a small % of mosquitoes that are chloroquine resistant, but I still took chlorquine since it addressed 92% of the problem and it’s easier on my stomach.
I had absolutely no problem drinking the water, and neither did anyone else I know.
You may find smokers at the bar. I suggested they set up a separate smoking/non smoking section, especially since you have to go to the bar after a meal if you’ve ordered drinks and you need to sign off on the charge.
This sort of goes without saying at a dive resort, but AKR is not really accessible for people with handicaps. There is a steep climb to the front desk and dining area, which is high in the trees and has a beautiful view of the whole resort. (Not a big deal for me, since I live at the top of a 5th floor walkup.)
ACTIVITY/SCHEDULE
Here is the planned schedule (subject to change) to help you plan your time there and other activities on the island. Below is focused on snorkeling since that’s what I did but I understand the divers had a second dive mid morning and then more in the afternoon.
Snorkel times: Tue-Sun 8:30 and 2:15 departure for about 90 minutes; Mon starts at 8 to accommodate the bus departure for Maya Key. 2nd snorkel that day is at Maya Key right when you get there (no additional afternoon snorkel when you get back to the resort
While I booked the snorkel package, I was at AKR mostly to see the dolphins (I’ll review that separately). If you do the same, I’d recommend booking the 10:30 dolphin activities since it won’t interfere with your snorkel trips. If you book anything in the afternoon (1:30, 3, etc.) you can’t do the 2:15 snorkel.
Other scheduled activities during the week:
Sun – Fish talk 6-7 pm (quite entertaining, don’t skip it)
Mon – Maya Key (about 10:00 – 3), snorkelers go by van, divers go by boat
Tue – Night (pre-sunsest) snorkel off Bailey’s Key (boat to Bailey’s, walk off key to snorkel)
Wed – Fiesta Night (happy hour & dinner on the key)
Fri – Snorkel at Tabayana beach
Fri/Sat/Sun - Dolphin performance show 11:30 am (could be about 1/2 an hr)
Happy Hours:
M/W/F: 5-7 at Frangipani bar (adjacent to the dining area/sunset viewing spot) although on Wed you may want to do happy hour at the Fiesta
Sat/Sun: At the pool bar on the key
I think the scuba divers could do night dives Tue and/or Thur.
Also, if you are going to do anything full day (trainer for a day, going off the resort for a day trip elsewhere) I wouldn’t book it for Friday. They don’t put it on the site, but the activity board shows Fri as the snorkel trip to Tabayana Beach (at West Bay). I had prebooked my trainer for a day on the Fri of my visit but it worked out ok because we ended up at Tabayana on the Thur.
After dinner, there isn’t much to do and there is no TV in the bungalows. The bar near the dining area usually had ESPN on if you wanted to watch sports. I tended to be in bed between 9 and 10. There are some books to borrow near the front desk.
Worth checking out the small museum near the RIMS desk (where the dolphin performance show is). Doesn't take long to go through and it gives you a history of Roatan, including some about the Garifuna people who perform at Fiesta night
You can arrange for horseback riding, but to be honest, I totally forgot about it until I checked out. They don’t really push it that much, and I don’t know anyone who did it. Might be worth doing since I think it’s only $10.
POSTCARDS
They don't sell stamps at the resort and there isn't a post office nearby. You can give the front desk $2 for each postcard and someone will supposedly go to the post office, buy a stamp, and mail your postcard. I mailed myself one 2 weeks ago to NYC and still haven't gotten it yet. Better to buy the postcards and mail them when you get back to the US. Also, maybe not surprisingly, the postcards at the AKR gift shop were not that great. I found better ones, especially RIMS dolphin ones, at the Maya Key gift shop.
PACKING TIPS:
Cactus juice is a good sunscreen/bug repellant. Hard to find in the US (I think you can order on Amazon) but you can buy at the AKR snack shop.
Bring a USB memory stick. If you do any of the dolphin activities and choose to buy the professional photos, they don’t print them out. You have 2 options – they can save them to a USB stick (which they usually sell for $10 but were completely out of stock) or they will email them to you. However, I had a really hard time with some of the emails because they are huge files in a zip drive.
There’s a clothes line outside your bungalow to dry your swimwear and towels, but I’d rec bringing a few extra clothespins if you have them. Even so, it took forever for my thick beach towel to dry – I’d rec buying one of the new quick dry towels.
The key has unpaved, sandy walkways. They were lit and kept clear, and I never had an issue. Might be a good idea to bring a small flashlight if you have any concerns about walking in the dark. The cabins do have external lights but if you have to turn them on in the afternoon.
The shower has shampoo, conditioner and body wash but I still brought my own to use every couple of days.
If you are leaving on an afternoon flight (I think that’s everyone), you supposedly can squeeze in a morning snorkel, but my rash guards wouldn’t have sufficiently dried in time. Maybe bring a bathing suit you’re willing to throw away and use that for last day swimming/snorkeling.
Many of the guys working there (staff, dive crews) were wearing American sports team gear, and it was pretty funny when I’d ask if they were fans of those teams and most said they just got them from visitors. If you want to pack some items that you plan to leave behind at the end of your trip, seems like pro or college gear is most welcome.