The following is a review I wrote for TripAdvisor about Sundowners Beach Bar in West End, Roatan: When you think of the idyllic Caribbean beach bar, you’re thinking of Sundowners. There’s nothing quite like Sundowners. THE watering hole for West End, this is where town’s eclectic mix of tourists, dive instructors, locals, expats, and street dogs come together to toast the sunset with a cold beer or a glass of rum and pineapple.’ It’s called Sundowners for a reason: located directly on the white sands of Half Moon Bay, this site is privy to exquisite sunsets for most of the year. The popularity of sunset-watching is only eclipsed by the weekly game of “Chase the Ace,” where every Wednesday each » read more «

While on an island tour doing research for National Geographic Traveler’s Intelligent Travel blog, I stopped by the brand new Roatan MegaPlaza mall in French Harbor and saw this sign plastered outside the new Wendy’s (yes, Roatan now has a Wendy’s): How far will globalization go? Baleadas at Wendy’s? Surely the Apocalypse is upon us……..

I’ve gotta hand it to Frank: he knows customer service. He sits at the corner of his bar, chatting with locals and sipping a glass of red wine. His employees bustle behind him, conjuring hot plates of spring rolls, pad thais, and chow mien for the small crowd accumulating on his deck above West End Divers in the heart of West End, Roatan. Brion strums a few notes on his guitar, flicks back his hair, and launches into a tune by the Eagles— not one of his renowned fret-bashing solos, but appropriate for the casual dining atmosphere of Le Bistro. Frank’s pride in his business clearly shows. Le Bistro started in the little sliver of shopfront between Tyll’s Dive and » read more «

Jenna, I’m going out on the town tonight. Hey, it’s Friday in West End. As as a Coconut Tree Dive Instructor, it’s my professional duty to fraternize with the customers. After all, “I’m only going for one.” Call it Rumdowners, Sunny D’s, whatever… Sundowners Beach Bar is always the first stop along the “West End Drift Dive”.