Pico Bonita-Honduras

[omegaet]

Any Member interested in the rain forests and cloud forest of eastern Honduras should be aware of the return of Pico Bonito to theLL list of auctions (this property has been off the list for several months). Pico is one of the top luxury resorts in this part of Central America. This is still a traveler's destination slight ahead of the common tourist!

[bonniejoy03]

Hi Omegaet. Thanks for the information. I looked at the LL offering and it looks great. I also believe it is part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. (great group.) The location makes it nice to join with a trip to the Bay Islands. (especially for snorkelling or scuba.) I think the lodge also just recently added some trips toget to know the local people. Great idea.

[kyshel]

Funny you should post this! I was just rooting yesterday and saw this place. I went straight to their site. yes--it's an SLH (the logo is on the opening page)along with some great ads and editorials. I was disappointed that there was so little about the accomodations. If I missed something, please tell where I can find more info! I eventually found the info on the meal program, which concerned me since the pkg includes only BF. I do like food!
I haven't ck'd out more opinion sites yet. Does anyone have experience staying here? I noticed it's off auction today but I'm sure it will resurface later. I am always looking for a short stay within 4-5 hrs flight time.
Thanks for sharing.

[omegaet]

kyshel....check out my blog on Honduras before you go too far along on this destination!

[Syrene-1]

Omegaet (and other VIP's),



You should be aware that if someone is not a VIP we can not get into the VIP boards (including reading your blogs). Everytime I try my computer crashes!

[kyshel]

I tried to locate the blog mentioned and there was nothing under Central America, so I typed Honduras in the search bar and there it was. I'd go crazy if my computer crashed like that. Maybe the search method will work for you.

[Syrene-1]

I did do a search for Honduras and saw the blog. Before I noticed that it was in the VIP section I clicked and sure enough my computer froze. I have tried to get into the blogs from home and work (different computers, different networks etc.) and same thing happens every time. I though it was intentional so that non-VIP could not access.



Unfortunately I have been wanting to go to Pico Bonito for a while and would have loved to read about it.

[kyshel]

I'm sure O is going to cut and paste it somewhere for you to access. It's really informative. He answered all the questions I had.
PS--I first read your name as styrene and wondered why someone would use that word? Teehee--the Serene One! I can be such a goof!

[omegaet]

date04-02-200710:35 AM author-O- writes:
THIS IS A COPY OF THE BLOG....I WILL LEAVE IT UP FOR A DAY OR TWO, SO YOU CAN READ, IF YOU LIKE, THEN I WILL REMOVEIT FROM THIS THREAD.




Honduras remains one of the least developed and least visited ( only about 800,000 tourists a year, comprised mostly of divers heading for the Bay Islandand Missionaries "helping" the indigenous) countries in Central American If you are up for some adventure travel and exposure to historic butemerging Central American culture, than head to Honduras!

Our flight out of Miami took us directly to San Perdo Sula, the second largest city in the country. San Pedro is not much of a tourist destination, since the principal economy is manufacturing and agricultural production. So most of our fellow air travelers were business men, backpackers or religious zealots on a mission.

San Pedrodoes provide an easy gateway into the county because of themodern airport. We only stayed a couple of nights in San Pedro before joining up with some friends and heading out to the village of Copan Runias http://www.copanhonduras.org/, the closest town to the ruins of Copan. Copan is considered by many to be one of real treasures of excavated (and yet to be excavated)Mayan ruins in Central America. After a full day of explorations with one of the local guides,we headed back to San Pedro to catch an early flight the following morningto La Ceiba.


We had purchased an auction package on LuxuryLink for five nights at The Lodge at Pico Bonito www.picobonito.com. Just as promised, in an earlier email exchanges with the resort, our driver was waiting outside of baggage claim and took us on the half hour drive to Pico. The lodge is situated at the base of a rainforest leading upward to the summit of the mountain peakswhich are in cloud forests [TIP: pack for variable weather conditions ...it gets a little cooler as you climb upward....and expect moisture almost anytime when the clouds roll in over the summits...hint..rain forest & cloud forest]. The accommodationsat the lodge consist ofsingle or duplex cabins (there was a slight premium for the single cabin, which we gladly paid)with A/C, if needed. The cabins are hand crafted by locals anderected in an old cacao plantation, so there is plenty of shade from the mid day sun. The interiors of the cabins are well appointed and furnished with native hardwood beds and chairs and fine linens. The housekeepers must hide behind the trees and watch.....if you are out of your cabin for ten minutes or longer, expect to return and find fresh towels and the wrinkles removed from the bed covers.

As for the resortprices, Pico is rated amongthe top resorts in Central America, offering a premier location, surrounded by fabulous hiking trails in a pristine tropical forestenvironment....wildlife is easily spotted with little or no effort.....and thestaffwill attempt to deliver whatever you request....these servicescome with a price! We have noticed there have been isolated negative comments on www.tripadvisor.com from time to time about Pico....but the comments appear to be from less experienced travelers(less experienced in visitingremote lodges and hotels). Yes, the ala cartemeals are expensive but not unreasonable [our package included breakfast each morning and dinner one evening].....as vegetarians, we found the food to be just fine and the kitchen more than happy to please us (we always toss a couple of boxes of pasta in our luggage right next to the tequilawhen heading into unknown territory).

If eating at the lodge gets too expensive, the closest town is La Ceiba and offers a variety of local restaurants, some of which are directly on the beach.One of the morerustic and interesting littleplaces is named Sambo Creek in a GarifunaVillage (the Garifunaare descendants of African slaves who were abandoned by slave traders centuries ago along the outer islands of Honduras). You can sit at covered tables right on the beach and admire the beautiful views of Cayos Cochinos. Sambo Creek a great place to go for sunset drinks, simple local cuisine and live music, most evenings......also, it's a great place to meet other adventure travelers from all over the world.
At Pico Bonito, try to take all the hikes your legs can stand...the pay off is solitude, tranquility, great waterfalls and clear pools for swimming and wading (a little cool at times, but totally refreshing and worth the initial shock). If you are an early riser, you will certainly have an opportunity to see birds, birds, and more birds....weso enjoyed watchingthe colorful Toucans flit about the trees!There are several elevated viewing platforms built at the starting points for each marked trail, so, if you are quiet and patient, you can focus your binoculars on the upper canapoy wildlife.

You can hike with or without a guide (it's probably worth the extra money to employ a guide initially, until you learn the trails (which are well marked, if you decide to go solo)...the guidescarry radios and can contact the lodge should you need assistance. The Rio Zacata trail (which requires transportation from the lodge to the trail head) is more rustic and pirmativethan the trails leading directly out of Pico and is undergoing substantial rehabilitation and the construction of several new bridges. This is a great trek, but shouldn't be confused with the ease and simplicityof the two well maintainedtrails leading directly out of Pico...no technical climbing required, just a little more time and care needed to reach the waterfalls and pools at the top. None of these trails should be undertaken in simple atheletic shoes

Splurge a little and have Maria give you a massage on the front deck of your cabin one evening after a day of hiking! James and Gustavo are two of the managers at Pico who will respond quickly and efficiently to your requests. Juan is a steady worked around the bar and wants very much to please, should you become thirsty. Almost all of the waiters and dining staff are veterans of multiple years aboard cruise ships...they certainly provide a higher level of customer service than might be anticipated in such a remote destination.

I have friends in Honduras, so that was one of the initial attractions to visiting.

As far as I can determine, most of the upscale tourism to country is drawn to Roatan and the other Bay Island which still offer some wonderful scuba diving in the Caribbean at favorable prices and generally less crowded conditions. Since I gave up scuba a few years back, I had no reason to venture out to Roatan or the other Bay Islands (we live in Florida, so we see plenty of sand and water and the Florida Keys to enjoy).

There are very, very, few "luxury" resorts in Honduras [Pico Bonito is considered one of the best]. Most tourism tends to be fueled by young adventurers and traditional backpackers. It is this lack of "tour bus" groups that hold some appeal to us for explorations.

The trip to Copan would require an overnight stay, if departing from Pico Bonito. If you are considering a visit to Copan, you are better off arriving in San Pedro Sula and making the three to four hour drive west (you can hire a decent guide and car in San Pedro for a reasonable fee). Then return to San Pedro and catch a local flight to La Ceiba, if you want to visit Pico.

Tikal and Copan are similar, since they represent the same cultures. Tikal is still the finest example of Mayan ruins in Guatemala. The temples and pyramids at Tikal are taller than those in Copan. However, Copan is equally beautiful and has a much larger collection of sculptures and other artistic artifacts and is especially known for the long staircase covered in hieroglyphics. There are several groups active in raising money to move some of the statures and other pieces of art inside a covered area to protect them from further deterioration. Archeologists suspect Copan was a much larger city than Tikal, however only a small portion of the ruins have been excavated. When standing atop the tallest pyramid, you can look our over the extensive valley and see a substantial number of unexcavated mounds (possibly other temples or pyramids), causing this speculation as to the size of the original city. Also, a great deal of mapping has been done of the area by satellite, which also gives additional reason to believe the original city was much larger. One interesting aspect about Copan is the ability to actually enter two of the pyramids through underground tunnels. I am unaware of other Mayan ruins which allow entrance by anyone other than scientists.

In time, the coasts of Honduras will be filled with huge resorts, similar to those rising along the coast of Costa Rica....but for now. it is still a country to explore and be an adventurer (at least at heart)!

When traveling in and around the larger cities in Honduras, good sense dictates being on the look out for petty pick pockets and the like. Also, once the sun goes down, it is wise to be back at your hotel or in the company of a local who knows their way around. Husta Luego!




Message Edited by omegaet on 04-10-200701:32 PM

Message Edited by omegaet on 04-10-200701:32 PM

[Syrene-1]

Thanks Omegaet! What a detailed and informative blog. You obviously spent quite a bit of time on it and it is appreciated.



By the way, Syrene is my Mom's name - it's a great screen name as it is rarely taken. My name is Lynne.