Booking a family vacation can be both exciting and stressful at the same time. Ensuring all the details of a trip are taken care of is tough enough for a solo traveler. The particulars multiply exponentially when an entire family is involved. After booking flights, the most important consideration for most travelers is finding a place to sleep. Searching for family friendly Roatan hotels and activities to keep the kids occupied is quite often easier said than done.
Many large hotels and resorts advertise themselves as family friendly, but the fact is most of them cater towards all types of groups. When booking Roatan hotels it’s very possible that you’ll be surrounded by groups celebrating weddings, engagements or spring break. It’s hard to judge the atmosphere of a hotel or resort solely by looking at a brochure or their website.
This is where private vacation homes come in very handy for the traveling family. By booking a private residence you can be assured you’ll have comfortable surroundings without any risk of being disturbed or intimidated by rowdy hotel guests. For those wondering what to do if they want a night out alone, there are a number of reputable babysitting and childcare services on the island. As for worrying if your children will be bored, there are several places on Roatan that cater towards children. Here’s a list of 4 great family friendly activities.
Arch’s Iguana Farm
The iguana farms acts as a shelter for hundreds of iguanas that are indigenous to Roatan. Children can feed the lizards banana leafs allowing them to get up close. Touching the iguanas is allowed and even encouraged. The whole family will be amazed at how quickly they can gobble up a big banana leaf!
Anthony’s Key Dolphin Encounter
Anthony’s Key Resorts offers a dolphin encounter which allows families to have a hands-on encounter with a resident dolphin. Participants are given a brief lesson about dolphins and allowed to play with the marine mammal. More in depth programs are available allowing snorkeling and diving with the dolphins as well as acting as a trainer for a day.
Gumbalimba Park
Gumbalimba Park is a beachfront park that covers 20 acres of land. It features an animal preserve, botanical gardens, a freshwater swimming pool as well as a cafe and beachfront activities. Highlights include monkeys, parrots, a pirate’s cave, ziplines and access to offshore reefs for snorkeling and scuba diving.
Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum
The Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum is a 160 acre “Tropical Eden.” There are fruit orchards, botanical gardens, a butterfly conservatory, a hydroponic farm, hiking trails and a mud run obstacle course. The area is great for bird watching, picnicking and learning about the island’s native plants, flowers and trees.
As this list is only a fraction of the children’s activities available on the island, parents have no need to worry about keeping their kids amused. These attractions ensure that a family can be comfortable in a private residence rather than one of the Roatan hotels and still be entertained.