Will I need to make reservations?
Replies: 13 - Last Post: Dec 15, 2012 6:50 AM Last Post By: lapastelita
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Will I need to make reservations?
Hello fellow travelers!My sister, girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Honduras for around two weeks in late February 2013, spending about half of our time on the mainland and the other half on Roatan to do some diving.
My girlfriend and I have some experience traveling overseas, mostly through SE Asia, and are hoping to keep this trip as open and spontaneous as possible. Throughout Asia we never had any problems finding a place to stay. We would show up in a town bus or train station, take a peek at our guidebook, fight through the crowds of touts, and scope out 2 or three spots before finding the one that fit us the best.
My Sister, on the other hand, hasn't traveled out of the country before and seems to be getting a little anxious about planning out the trip. I have gotten a few texts from her in the past few days saying that she has been researching places to stay and is getting a bit worried because accommodations, especially on Roatan, seem to be booking up.
I am hoping that we can get some feedback from people who have recently spent some time in Honduras and can give us an idea of how difficult or easy it will be to find places to stay. Will we be alright keeping things loose and finding spots once we get there, or is my sister right in thinking that reservations would be a good idea?
Thanks in advance all you world travelers! See you on the road,
Chris
1
Hi, Just tell her that most places aren't even on the internet. Many prefer walkups. You will have no problems finding places to stay. Just be a little flexible and if your first choice isn't available, I would just find a place for the night and walk around the next morning when people are checking out. It works everytime.2
If you don't have your heart set on a specific place or 2 and don't mind shopping from place to place, I agree with Greg; you'll have more flexibility and likely find cheaper rates. I'm usually in the "have my heart set on a specific place and don't care to go shopping from place to place" group so book ahead. I enjoy researching ahead, in some areas the very best value places do fill up, and I have loved everyplace I've stayed in dozens of trips so haven't been sorry.3
I have never made reservations for Honduras and never had a problem.The advantages to just showing up are many, including no pressure to arrive in a certain town if there are transportation delays.
Having said that, I would suggest a reservation if someone travels during a big holiday, plans to arrive in the middle of the night or has a special need such as to require a fridge in the room for insulin or other medication. Also if you have your heart set on a certain small guesthouse.
So when people ask "Do I need a reservation?". The answer is that I do not. And if you are like me, no. Others might not like to travel that way.
Your sister sounds like she is going to ruin your trip. I would lay down the law with her and let her kill someone else's joy. I have two friends who like escorted tours and travel in groups of tourists where everything is arranged for them. These friends are always suggesting we take vacations together but I always decline. I would not travel the way they do and they would be unhappy doing it my way, so we can't travel together.
Enjoy and relax!
4
I also think that most popular places that do fill up could be reserved as your schedule becomes clear. Yuma's on Caye Caulker and Mario's Rooms in Panajachel are awesome budget places that do fill up but could likely be booked just a day or 2 in advance.5
Concerning annoying relatives:I remember an episode of the old sit com "Maude" in which Maude's husband Walter is going to pick up Maude's pain-in-the-neck Aunt from the airport.
Walter asks how he will know the aunt as he never met her.
"Look for a person who has the expression that life is not worth living even for one more moment"
"And that will be her?" Walter asks
"No" says Maude. "That would be the person who sat next to her on the plane!"
8
You can wing it, tell the novice to shut up and take the backpacker moto, no plan, is a good plan...and as far as safety, my motto, no news, is good news.Have fun. Look at West End, I stayed near SeaGrape, at Blenny's...
