GROUP LEADER: Jill Garrett (303) 748-9817

Package Excludes:

• Beverages not mentioned
• Gratuities
• Nitrox
• Reef tax (Approximately $3 per person, per dive day)
• Personal dive equipment
• Personal snorkeling equipment
• Gratuities
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance

ENTRY AND EXIT REQUIREMENTS

Passport: A passport valid for 6 months after your intended departure date is required for entry into Honduras. 

Visa: A visa is not required for US Nationals visiting for tourism purposes for stays of less than 90 days.

Customs Declaration Form

Please note that all travelers entering and exiting Honduras are required to complete a customs declaration form. Only one form per family is needed. We recommend completing this form digitally and using the dropdown menu to select either English or Spanish to facilitate your process. However, if you are unable to complete the form digitally, please contact your airline, as they may be able to provide you with a paper form. Ensure you have this form ready to avoid any delays during your travel.

Customs Declaration Link: https://sisglobal.aduanas.gob.hn/Pech/#/plataforma/otra_gestiones/formularioDJRV

Vaccinations: Please talk to your health care provider for any recommendations for travel to Roatan

U.S. Customs: United States Customs now allows $800 worth of items to be brought in duty-free.  If you have a brand-new camera, it is a good idea to register it with U.S. Customs before departing.

Known Traveler Number: Your Known Traveler Number is your membership number with a trusted traveler program that allows you to access TSA precheck security lanes at eligible airports and Global Entry Lanes (depending on program). To receive these benefits, your Known Traveler Number must be linked to your airline reservation at check in. Please bring your Trusted Traveler ID card with you on your trip and double check this number has been added to your reservation when checking in.

Expedited Entry Programs: There are options to expedite the immigration process when returning to the United Sates, Mobile Passport, CLEAR and Global Passport are some that we would recommend. Please visit their websites for more information.

ITINERARY

Group Flight Itinerary: International flight itinerary for the group is below.  Each traveler on the group reservation will receive e-tickets via email from Underwater Phantaseas.

    UNITED AIRLINES # 2352  18JAN  DENVER TO ROATAN   8:20A 1:43P

    UNITED AIRLINES # 2351  25JAN  ROATAN TO DENVER   2:45P 6:32P

Saturday January 18, 2025 

TRAVEL DAY:

Upon arrival in Roatan, you will proceed through immigration; you will need to provide your hard copies of the customs declaration form. Once you’ve made it through, collect your bags and head to the arrivals area.

After you gather your luggage and clear customs, a representative holding a Turquoise Bay Resort sign will greet you and direct you to the bus that will transfer you to the hotel. You will check-in with the hotel receptionist who will give you your key to your room - be sure you have a credit card at check-in for incidental purchases at the resort.

There is an optional $3USD pp/day Chamber fee for diving that will be collected upon check-in. We recommend you check in with Subway Sports, the onsite dive operator and organize your dive gear for diving tomorrow morning.

Enjoy dinner at the on-site restaurant adjacent to the hotel lobby. This is where breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served.

Sunday, January 19, 2025

There will be a mandatory orientation at the dive shop at 8am. Bring your dive gear, certification cards, and credit card for incidental purchases. After the orientation, you will have a few minutes to get ready then board the dive boat for your first day of diving! Today you will have a 3-tank boat dive (2 in the morning, then one after lunch)

Sunday, January 19 – Thursday, January 23, 2025

DIVE, DIVE, DIVE! Each day you can explore the magical underwater world of Roatan with 3 boat dives. Check with the dive shop for the boat departure schedule as they stagger them to keep congestion down on the dive deck. Most days, you will go out for 1 dive at a time.  However, for some of the farther away sites you may be out for 2 dives. If the wind is strong, the dive shop may transfer you overland to board the boat on the south side of the island and dive that side. The dive shop will relay this information to you the day prior if they plan to move boats to the south side of the island.

You are welcome to skip a dive whenever you’d like to explore the topside world of Roatan! If you’d like to get off site and do some other non-diving tours, please let the front desk know and they can help arrange these tours through trusted operators. A list of tours available to be booked at the resort has been included at the end of this packet.

Friday, January 24, 2025

Today you will do your last boat dives. Please be mindful the 24-hour rule on your last day of diving. Please bring the gratuities you wish to give to the dive staff with you to breakfast this morning. We suggest anywhere from $7 – 12 per dive, per traveler. Your group leader will collect these from you and distribute them after your last dive today.

After the last dive, it is a good time rinse your equipment and hang it out to dry; you may also want to take care of your checkout procedures, pay bar bills, incidental charges, etc. to avoid “the crowd” on checkout day.

This is also a good day to fill out your Customs Declaration Form for Departure of Honduras which needs to be done within 5 days of departure. https://sisglobal.aduanas.gob.hn/Pech/#/plataforma/otra_gestiones/formularioDJRV

Saturday, January 25, 2025

DEPARTURE DAY – After you checkout, Turquoise Bay Resort will transfer you to the Roatan airport in time for your flight home. Be sure you check your bags to your destination. Remember that at your first point of entry into the United States, you will have to collect your bags and clear customs and immigration then recheck your bags to your destination. Safe travels home!

Welcome to Roatan, the largest of the Bay Islands in Honduras. Discover an island with authentic Caribbean and Latin American lifestyles and warm, friendly islanders greeting you wherever you go. Located on Roatan's Northeast shore, Turquoise Bay is the only dive resort in this lush and remote area of the island providing you with the opportunity to dive uncrowded, pristine dive sites.

The resort is set on a hillside with spectacular ocean views and a protected bay which makes the water calm and perfect for swimming and kayaking. Beach lovers will enjoy their private, tranquil, 500 ft white-sand beach.

At Turquoise Bay Dive & Beach Resort you will enjoy the very individual and personal service that only a small dive resort can offer. The friendly local staff takes pride in getting to know the guests and making them feel at home.

Room Features:  Free WiFi, air conditioning, in-room telephone, coffee machine, hair dryer, private balcony, cable TV, desk and chair, filtered water.

Resort restaurants: Turquoise Bay offers one onsite restaurant that serves breakfast lunch and dinner daily.

• Breakfast: Start your day with a “typical” Honduran breakfast of eggs of your choice, rice, refried beans, fried plantains and a grilled pork or steak. Add a cup of full-bodied Honduran-grown coffee and a fresh squeezed juice, and your day is set.
• Lunch: Let them serve you some fresh fish, pork or steak tacos made with handmade tortillas, grilled chicken and rice with a side of coleslaw, or maybe some steamed enchiladas with a cilantro and lime tomatillo salsa.
• Dinner: For dinner the head chef prepares delicious local and international creations for you, and experience the best of authentic Caribbean and Latin American favorites.

Resort Amenities:  Private beach, pool, beach bar, beach exercise equipment, lounge chairs, beach hammocks, volleyball court, paddle boards & kayaks, onsite dive shop, gift shop.

Around the Island:
Canopy Tours: Looking for a little excitement? How about soaring above the tree tops discovering the natural wonders of Roatan. This fascinating trip on the canopy rainforest offers the opportunity to see the natural flora and wildlife that exist on the island. You’ll have the opportunity to ride above the trees experiencing a unique ecological adventure.

Little French Key: A private Island Resort with various fun activities for day visitors only, and includes horseback swimming (yes, swimming), several white sand beaches, numerous bars (including a swim-up bar in the clear Caribbean Sea), three restaurants (two on the water and one on the white sand beach) two Jump platform for your enjoyment; all created with utmost respect for the environment and the wildlife that is part of this amazing place.

Golfing: Created by world famous golf course architect Pete Dye, Roatan’s Black Pearl is an 18-hole, par 72, 72,000-yard championship golf course, and 14 of the 18 holes offer spectacular views of both the Caribbean and the world’s second largest barrier reef.

Gumbalimba Park: Located in West Bay, this beachfront park offers not only the water activities and leisure of the beach and ocean, but also diverse attractions in over 20 lush acres. There’s an animal preserve with jump-on-your-shoulders monkeys, free-flying exotic birds and other native animals, as well as botanical gardens with over 200 colorful plant and tree species, numerous waterfalls and fountains, a picturesque hanging bridge over the fishing pond and a zip line tour.

Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum: Roatan’s working “Tropical Eden” covering over 160 eco-friendly acres. Here you will find unique and spectacular tropical gardens, seasonal fruit and nut orchards, and the only tropical botanical “Conservatory” on Roatan as well as a 12 ft. waterfall into the Caribbean. This is also a working farm where you’ll see over 70,000 heads of lettuce and assorted herbs being grown using modern hydroponics.

 
Carambola Botanical Gardens: The 100 per cent natural 40 acres of these gardens and their many jungle trails offer a perfect place for hiking, wildlife and scenic photography, eco tours, bird watching, nature studies, and of course, relaxation. So “take a walk on the wild side” and watch playful Monkey La Las as you enjoy flowering plants, orchids, medicinal plants, exotic species, fruit and nut trees, including the popular “Chocolate Tree” and the world-famous Honduras mahogany tree.

Shopping Tour: Visit to West End and Coxen Hole souvenir shops and during cruise ship season visit the terminals’ plazas, where you’ll also find local artisans and duty-free stores.

West Side Tour: Visit the island’s tourist area and wander through the well-known West Bay Beach or just go bar hopping through the island’s iconic West End village. West Bay Beach has been named one of the Best Beaches of the World, and this is where all-inclusive resorts, rental condos and beach bars line a stunning white sand beach. Great snorkeling or just enjoy the beach.

Drinking water:  Tap water is not recommended to drink in Honduras. All good restaurants and hotels will provide purified water or use purified water in food preparation. Purified water can be bought easily throughout the country. Turquoise Bay has water jugs throughout the resort to fill you own water bottle from- bring a reusable water bottle with you!  

Getting Around: Taxis are affordable and an easy way to get around, there are also several bus routes that are available as well as water taxis that connect the West End with West Bay Beach.

Electricity: In Honduras the power plugs and sockets are of type A and B. The standard voltage is 110 V and the standard frequency is 60 Hz.

Currency: Honduran lempiras are the official currency, but US dollars are widely accepted on the island. While cash is the preferred method of payment, credit cards can be used in most established businesses.

Gratuities:

• Dive master and boat crew: $7 - 12 per dive/person
• Hotel Staff: 10% of your total trip cost ($150 per traveler), paid at the end of your stay. You may put cash in the resort’s tip box or put it on your final room bill using your credit card. You may also personally tip any staff member that has provided you with excellent service during your stay (we recommend using cash in this instance).

Weather: Average Land Temperatures:

Average Sea Temperatures:

Sunscreen: Choose reef safe sunscreen on your vacation.  We suggest the brand Stream2Sea.

These are mineral sunscreens with “non-nanotized” zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. “Non-nanotized” means the ingredients are 100 nanometers in diameter or more. These types of sunscreens appear to be safer for coral reefs than chemical ones. We also recommend the brands So Good, Thinksport and Badger.

Local Language: Spanish is the official language of Honduras that’s most commonly spoken in the area, but English is also widely spoken.

Immunizations: The CDC and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for Honduras: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza.

Bugs:  Bugs (like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas) can spread a number of diseases. Many of these diseases cannot be prevented with a vaccine or medicine. You can reduce your risk by taking steps to prevent bug bites.

• Cover exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants and hats.
• Use an appropriate insect repellent.

• Stay and sleep in an air conditioned and screened in room or use a bed net if room is open to the outside air.

PROTECTING OUR OCEANS

It can be overwhelming to think about how we can protect our oceans, however there are simple things anyone can do to make a big difference. Whether you’re at home or on a dive vacation, here are 5 things you can do for the ocean that help to promote healthy marine ecosystems:

• Practice Low-impact Diving – Don’t touch marine life and practice good buoyancy
• Decrease Plastic Pollution – Bring a reusable water bottle and bag on vacation and make cleaning up plastic trash a part of your day
• Protect Local Waters – Wear reef safe sunscreen and reuse your towels and linens at the resort
• When Abroad, Go Local – eat local and sustainable seafood and purchase souvenirs that are made locally and sustainably
• Be an Active Part of the Solution – Learn about Marine Protected areas in your destination and support these projects through donations or volunteering while on vacation