@@PlanFree Yes I am from Roa! I love Belize as well,don't get me wrong,previously known as British Honduras and we also share a lot of history....but yes,Roatan 100%✌️
Nice review! I am actively looking at a place to retire. I am strongly in favor of Roatan. I also looked at Belize and actually visited Amber Gris Caye. Was disappointed in the trash, the roads, the land grab by investors, and it just disappointed me. I have not been to Placencia, which might be very different. We actually planned our honeymoon on Roatan in 1998! On our way from Philly, stopover in New Orleans on our way to Roatan, the flight was cancelled due to Hurricane Mich, which devastated the island. We ended up going to Jamaica. Never got another opportunity to visit, but will do in 2021.
@Victor van Dyke We're happy you enjoyed it, thanks for watching. We have heard positive things about Placencia as well. Until now we have not visited there ourselves. We'd love to though. The one drawback to consider is the 30 day tourist visa. Having to leave Belize every 30 days, or pay for an extension is NOT the most relaxing thing! What do you think?
Originally from South Africa and having lived in quite a few places, I am looking seriously at Roatan, Loreto in Baja California, Mexico, and Todos Santos is a distant third.
We agree that both Roatan and Baja California are worthy for you to look into. We've spent 9 months in Baja and enjoyed our times there a lot. We have a video about that on our channel that you may find interesting. ruclips.net/video/8mNnvuIOXkw/видео.html If you have already subscribed, thank you!
Hi @Enjoying Life with Liza, ah how lovely for you! And every year, wow! For how many years? We thoroughly enjoyed our time on Roatan. For sure! Belize is just a completely different place because it's an entire country at your fingertips, accessible by bus or car. You've got islands, beaches, fertile and lush inland areas.....it's just so diverse and large. We have only explored a tiny bit of Belize. There's so much more to see and do! Hope you clicked the LIKE button on this video (and others of ours if you've watched). 🙏 We very much appreciate you taking the time to write a us a comment. That's great! Maybe for your next birthday you can go to Belize!?
@Enjoying Life with Liza oh that's great and wow, you obviously DO love it! Its beautiful, tranquil and relaxing in some areas that's for sure! Enjoy! Do you stay in the West End? Where is your home?
Have you seen our Roatan video? We travelled west to east and everywhere in between. You might like it! Plus the LIKE button on THIS video is waiting for you. 😉 ruclips.net/video/GriH8ldHLbs/видео.html
Oh good for you for visiting Caue Caulkwr twice l! It's such a great little relaxing island. We enjoyed living there too but found that for 2 months it was a little bit small. You're going to absolutely fall in love with Roatan! ... especially the underwater swimming and diving! Do you have any trips planned for the future? We're glad you found our Channel thanks so much for watching our videos and let us know if you have any other questions! Ayr & Lori, Plan Free Here's a video that we made on our time living in Roatan if you're interested: ruclips.net/video/GriH8ldHLbs/видео.htmlsi=QGy0eUbggzkfb-aH
@@PlanFree I watched the video. Thanks. I am planning on bringing my daughter with me sometime this summer while she is off school. Eventually, we will move there full time. If possible, one day I'd like to marry a local and have a couple more kids before I'm too old. Hopefully a Garifuna woman.
@mrnogood haha! Wow, you've got big plans! From what we saw you shouldn't have any problems finding a nice local lady, haha. Towards the west end of Roatan is a large expat community too...so you can find lots of yummy foods and chat with folks in English and connect that way too. Mid island is a nice mix of expat and locals and then east is rural, much less developed and much more local. We wish all your Roatan dreams and plans the biggest blessing and success! Maybe we'll even come and visit! Cheers!
Roatan is nice, lots to do and see. You would probably love it! It was super easy to pass many months living there quickly we found! And the diving and underwater life is exceptional and we LOVE that. We hope you make it to Roatan one day. 🙏 Thank you, if you have, for subscribing!
@iandi Boats Roatan is nice, lots to do and see. You would probably love it! It was super easy to pass many months living there quickly we found! And the diving and underwater life is exceptional and we LOVE that. Why was it not on your radar? Had you heard of it?
Just found your videos, subbed. I was looking for a place to retire someday, nice location where you can grow food, but cheaper than the USA. I had looked at USVI, Hawaii (big Island is cheap), and was settling on Belize until I saw your Roatan videos. Now I will look into Roatan. It seems like you have been around, any other places to check out? I really don’t want to live in a country where English is not widely used, or foreigners feel unwelcome. Thanks
Thank you for watching, subbing, and adding a comment, we appreciate it! What did you like about the video? With the two factors you have mentioned as being important to you, Belize may still be the better fit for you. English is widely spoken in Belize, and it may have better growing conditions than Roatan? In Roatan, English is spoken some places, but Spanish is predominate. Maybe have peek into the growing conditions in Roatan; soil composition etc. Regarding other places; if you ever become open to learning another language, the world opens up considerably. We have spent time in numerous regions that are fertile, welcoming and inexpensive, but none of them speak English very much.👍👋
Checking a few of your vids today and sub'd! Great Stuff Thank You! Found you as two of my adult girls and a grandson are in Puerto Escondido right now. The youngest of my 8 kids graduates high school in 4 yrs... then, I'll be adopting something like you have done for 10+ yrs... Thanks Again - will look into your finance channel... Lastly, I have great Med coverage in USA and for limited stays abroad (retired military) - but one of the many things I need to research and learn about is primary Medical policy for 4 to 7 months overseas each year... Peace!
Hey there, and welcome to our channel! Great to get your comment and thank you for the sub! 👍😘 Wow...you've got lots of kiddoes!! And so cool that some of them are checking out Puerto. We have a lot of knowledge on this place now after living here for close to 6 months. Feel free to ask any questions and also share our vids with your kids if they are on to learn about Puerto. Good for you on planning ahead to a location independent lifestyle, its not for everyone but it sure is for US! We love it! Please click LIKE on the vids that you like and ask away, we'll answer anything we can on all locations. 🤙
Thanks for putting these videos together. My wife and I are planning a six month stay somewhere. Fly fishing is my big passion so I am wondering if among all of your stays whether you had a favorite location for DIY fly fishing?
Thank you for watching and adding a comment! A six month stay somewhere!? That's EXCITING. Oh man, good question; I could blab all day about fly-fishing locations........ To make a long story short; Los Barilles, MX for the best combination of DIY beach fishing, and being able to hire an actual fly-fishing guide if desired. Tamarindo area, Costa Rica (playa Langosta)-healthiest option. I lost 30 pounds in 3 months trotting up and down that beach casting into pelagics busting bait balls. Caye Caulker; best stalking "hand-to-hand" location for bones in shallow water-very little fishing pressure. Some of these locations can be seasonal, what months of the year are you planning for? Preferred species?
Thanks for the quick response. It would be October-March. Maybe you should put out a few fly fishing specific location comparisons? That might be a nice niche and a way to expand to different audiences. By the way, I like it when you both get playful with the music and sound effects. Thank you for putting these together.
That's a good time of year to go from a fishing perspective, especially Oct-Dec. Thank you for the video idea suggestions, we'll make a note of that. Also thank you for mentioning attempts at humor, sometimes we think we're the only ones that enjoy our brand of comedy 🤓. Can you believe these videos take us 40+ hours to produce!? We would be interested to know which location you end up in, have a great time!
We have lived in Mexico three times for a total of 9 months and we really enjoyed our time in Baja California Sur. We had a trip planned to Tulum for last Nov. but had to post-pone, so to this point we have yet to gain experience on Tulum or Holbox. I can say in a general sense that Mexico is best enjoyed in areas where there are less tourists/expats and more locals.
It seems to me that you should not be comparing Caye Caulker to Roatan, but rather you should compare it to Utila. I think that may be a better apples to apples comparison. My opinion.
Hi @Norm Pyle, Well you might have a point, and we may agree also! BUT we cannot do a comparison on places that we have not lived. We lived in Roatan and we lived in Caye Caulker. So, we thought people might like to know and see what differs in case THEY have not been to either. Knowledge is king! hahaaa We love that you reached out and took the time to write though, that is super cool! Thank you! What did you like about this vid?
Hi @Katherine, You were born in a gorgeous country for sure! And we hope the USA has treated you and your family well! We also hope you can make it back to Honduras and especially Roatan to experience it's marvelous environment!
Yes, you're right. They are very different. For people who don't know, they don't know. And that is what we try to describe in this video. How they differ, what people can expect from the 2 locations. We made this video comparison because we have actually lived in these 2 locations. We would love to do a comparison of Roatan and Placencia or Harvest Caye if/when we live in P or HC for any length of time. Then it would be an authentic comparison. :) Thanks for your comment, we LOVE that! And thank for subscribing, it's fast, FREE for you and a great way to support the channel! (wink wink)
Yes! That would be a good comparison. For us to make a fair comparison though, we have to have fully lived in an area for a decent length of time. So, in this case, we were living on Caye Caulker and only visited Ambergris Caye for a day or 2 to renew our visas. For us, that was not enough time to really immerse ourselves in the food/people/culture/feel of the Ambergris itself. Make sense? I see a potential trip for the future though....lol Thanks so much @Dana Tomalty for sharing your view and taking a few minutes to leave your comment for us and others. That's awesome! We hope you subscribed and clicked LIKE on this vid to help RUclips promote the area to others! 👍
@@PlanFree Yes I have spent a lot of time on both islands actually own property in south Ambergris but like the more mature nature of Roatan as a permanent home. Ambergris is still very third world but lots of fun!
@Dana Tomalty we cannot argue with your there, on the lushness (is that a word!?) of Roatan. So beautiful. ALL over the island, but the East side is so slow, quiet and peaceful....ahhhhh Sounds like some real estate may be in your future in Roatan then?
Hi! Loved the video. How is it for retirees on Roatan? My parents are planning to buy vacation home there but have never been there before? What is your overall sense. Thanks!
Hi there @Dragon Team, Which of the 2 countries we talk about in our video are you asking about please? Thanks for your question and we're so glad you watched! What was your favorite part of our video?
Hi @nodaysoffrell, so you ARE getting some days off!! Yahoooooo Hahaha! We would say Roatan would have far more to do than you could ever fit into 5 days. You wouldn't be able to cover it all and would want/need to go back! (That's a GOOD thing!) That said, 5 days is pretty short and you'd have a really lovely time on Caye Caulker. 5 days is about the perfect amount of time to spend on that sleepy, beechey Island!! But, there's not much for activities but you can go fishing, snorkeling, diving, have some beach days.... but that's basically all that little island offers. It's very very small: you can walk around the whole thing on foot! ... to give you an idea. So the activities are very limited but again for just 5 days it's the perfect vacation spot. I guess it all depends on how exactly active you want to be? Does that help?
Never considered Roatan because my Spanish sux. How about comparing cost of living, such as food, accommodations and tours? Roatan you need transport to see the entire island. You can walk or bike Caye Caulker.
Yes you're absolutely right about being able to walk or bike Caye Caulker vs needing transport to see the whole island is Roatan. That is an obvious huge difference between the 2. As well as the Spanish, as you again mentioned. The food and accommodations were more expensive on Caye Caulker because it is so much smaller. There is less available to rent there and so they go quickly or need to be booked well in advance and then the really expensive places are all that is left. Food has to get ferried over to both islands for sure but the population is so much bigger in Roatan that we found far more variety in food as well as more local people selling local wares from their farms and much of it was cheaper than in Caye Caulker. Tours were less on Caye Caulker but there are far less of them to do. Tours were priced higher on Roatan but there is more to do, the larger island has more to keep the interest for longer as well as it is far more developed and has WAY more Expats.....that always equals higher prices! Does that answer things a bit more for you? We thank you for watching our comparison vid on these 2 places! We thoroughly enjoyed living in both islands for extended times and hope you get the chance to see them both also! Please click the LIKE button, it takes just a second and it helps us our! Have you seen the dedicated videos that we did on each of these locations?
Hey Forrest, First, thanks so much for watching! What was your favorite part? Second, we would say that both are equally safe during the day. At night, if we had to pick, we'd say Caye Caulker is safer. We say this for 2 main reasons: 1. is that CC is so small that there are simply less people there, less going on, less trouble (generally speaking) to get into/find. 2. the authorities would hear about something going on faster on CC and be able to respond to it faster than in Roatan. Again though, during the day, both are fine. :)
Hi @veritas2022, we found the sand flies and other biting insects the WORST s far in Caye Caulker...at least for us and at the time of the year that we lived there: Nov and Dec. Wow...the bugs.... we think it was because of the rainy season having just ended or in the process of ending.....wow there were a lot of bugs. We got the most biten in Caye Caulker than anywhere. But yes, we did also remember the biting bugs in Roatan, but we were IN the water and free diving, swimming and snorkelling so much that we honestly don't remember the sand fleas to be that bad there. Roatan was one of our most memorable times living in a country in the last 12 years. One of our favorite places so far, for a long term visit, perhaps not to live permanently. Caye Caulker would be a great place to spend a month or so also, but not long term, at least for us. It is so small and we like to explore our surroundings a little more. Are you planning a trip to either Roatan or Caye Caulker for yourself?
Right! And sounds like you need to find out if they can run away from those dreaded sand fleas hey!?!? ...poor guys When sand fleas are present, NO one is safe! Very cool of you to help plan a trip for a couple. Way to go. We heard that baby oil on the ankles and legs can help protect from sand fleas. We'd be interested to hear what location you end up choosing for the senior couple. Good luck! Hope we helped!
@Plan Free - On some of your other videos you mention use of the English language. My wife and I know English is the official language of Belize. But, are there pockets (or areas) where English is not spoken? (English is my wife's 3rd language, she is not interested in learning Spanish as a 4th.) Also how would you compare "friendliness"? Thanks!
Hi @Sholti, thanks so much for watching and sending your questions. That's great! Sounds like you've watched several of our videos, yes? Awesome!! For your question about if there are pockets in Belize where English is not spoken: we cant answer that accurately for you now because we chose one small Caye in Belize to live on for 2 months (Caye Caulker). (And we might have stayed longer and explored more areas in Belize but they only allow a 30 day tourist visa for Canadians....boooo! So we got tired of paying and renewing it just to stay longer). So, we have not (yet) explored the rest of Belize, Belize's mainland. So on the small Caye it was all English that we heard around us. But we seems to remember that the locals did have a dialect of some kind. Perhaps a mix of Spanish and English...? They did not speak it around us if they did use another language. We think you and your wife would be quite fine speaking English in Belize most anywhere. 😁 We found the friendliness from the 2 places we compare in this video (Roatan, Honduras & Caye Cauker, Belize) almost the same. It depends on who you end up meeting. We met all kinds in both places. In Roatan, there is the west end of the island that has a mix of locals and expats but the Expats kind of "rule" there....there are many and they are welcoming. And the locals whi work in the tourism industry on Roatan are also friendly. One never REALLY knows if that's just part of the job or not, truly. If you live there or have a longer trip there you could meet their families, take meals together and really get to know them. That's all up to you. We found that when we went to the east side of Roatan we were met with a bit more sideways looks from local people. We were more on guard. You can definitely find friendlies everywhere but we likely wouldn't go out after dark, say, on the east side or into the main town or the party areas in Roatan. Caye Caulker was the same but it's so much smaller you meet everyone! Caye Caulker is really the size you want to visit and not likely live permanently. Though many do! For us it was a tad small. So we met friendlies and also people who were not so friendly. Gosh. That's a tricky question after all! So in a general sense we'd have to say Roatan was slightly more friendly. And again, generally, there would be more English spoken in Belize then in Honduas and even the small island of Roatan, Honduras. What are your plans regarding both locations?
Hi Nicki, Ahhh good 'ol internet connections! Good thinking to ask in our comments section here if we miss addressing something in a video, we're glad you asked. So, for both geographical locations we established good communication with our potential landlords and asked very early on in the booking process and we also asked VERY clearly for them to describe the internet connectivity and speed etc. It is something that a traveler just kind of has to do with each new location (area of the world as well as specific property that you intend to stay in). So, that's what we did. We would say, then, that what you ask about is a 2 part question and answer. The first part being "Is the internet good and fast IN those 2 parts of the world?" Yes, we found internet to be fine and more than adequate in both of these locations (Caye Caulker and Roatan). The second part would be property specific, and both of our properties had fine internet because we booked them only after the owner assured us that the internet was great. :) Does that help Nicki? Also, these two destinations were several years ago for us and we found the internet to be fine then...we would imagine internet to only get better?? Best to check with your accommodation host. :) Perhaps other visitors to these locations can add their more recent internet experiences here for you too!
@@tcthirdeye I am a psychotherapist that would be using FaceTime or other apps like zoom or WhatsApp. I don’t need to run anything fancy but just need to be able to do video sessions daily. How would it be for that if I made sure the location I am at has internet?
Thank you for watching and commenting! What did you like best about the video? If you would like to help promote these islands through this video, press the like button on the video and RUclips will share it with more people!🙏👋
Hi @Dariusz Kielbasa just like ANY where in the world, you can always find trouble! If you stay home after dark and don't frequent downtown areas alone, you should mostly always be safe. Like anywhere really. When we travel (and even when we don't! Haha) we try to treat people with respect and honor for them, their home and their places and we generally get that in return. 🙏 Most people are good at heart, we feel, and so you will 99% of the time be safe, happy and meet great and interesting people: locals and expats alike. Are you planning a trip to Roatan soon?
@@PlanFree Thank You for the response. We want to do few countries in central america, probably at the end of january. We've been thinking of panama, costa rica and nicaragua or honduras, belize and mexico (yucatan). We've been to many countries in Asia with kids but never to central or South america. We love snorkling, naturę and all these countries seem very attractive ..., safety is my main CONCERN.
@Darius Kielbasa well if you and the kids are already quite well travelled then we think you really already know what are safe things to do and not to do. You sound like you already have a good basis. We have travelled only a little in Asia and the bulk of our 10 years full time in Central America. :) We feel confident when we tell you that you would be fine 99% of the time. There is always going to be that small section of the population that gets robbed or something but truly for the most part people are great. We have videos on places we've lived: Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama so far and we have felt safe in all the location we've chosen. There is crime everywhere. Even in our own cities in Canada and the USA, right? Let us know which countries you ultimately choose! That's great! And perhaps you gain some more info from our other travel vids 🙏 Ayr & Lori
Most unfair to compare a 5 mile long to one that is 48 miles in length, especially for a 2-3 month visit as u put it. Not even the locals who live on Caye Caulker do shopping on the island.
Hey @Charsprt, thank you for watching and commenting. You make a fair point on the size difference. We were simply comparing the 2 locations based on our actual experiences in each. 👍 Appreciate your feedback and input!
Hi @Ena Haylock, hey first thanks for watching and leaving a comment! We love that. We lived in both countries years ago now so a lot has probably changed. We wouldn't want to comment on this topic now without physically being there. Perhaps there is someone else out there that can write a few things for comparison for us all. Also, your question is a little vague ....WHICH country? If you are asking about both then that is a lot of work and something we would have needed to do WHILE living in those countries. Sorry we couldn't help more on this right now. But we really hope you liked our video! What was your favorite part?
@@PlanFree Hi, I'm not from Roatan (Born in Honduras, raised in Miami) I have been to Roatan a few times and I love it! It has an international airport, good food, great community, everything one needs to live a healthy and active lifestyle, I will move there in the near future.
Ahhh we understand. Lucky you! And GREAT choice for a location to move to! Good for you. If you want to help promote Roatan please click the LIKE button on this video and share this video on your personal Facebook feed so others can see it. We thank you!
@heather feather thank you so much for the comment! Yes, it was pretty wonderful in Roatan we have to admit. What were the deciding factors for you to choose Roatan that you took out of the video? If you don't mind please click the LIKE button on the vids you like, that helps RUclips show it to more people. 🙏👍
Yes, you're right. They are very different. For people who don't know, they don't know. And that is what we try to describe in this video. How they differ, what people can expect from the 2 locations. We made this video comparison because we have actually lived in these 2 locations. We would love to do a comparison of Roatan and Placencia or Harvest Caye if/when we live in P or HC for any length of time. Then it would be an authentic comparison. :) Thanks for your comment, we LOVE that! And thank for subscribing, it's fast, FREE for you and a great way to support the channel! (wink wink)
@@PlanFree You Both Are Awesome ! Really love what you are doing here to help others for FREE. As you said it takes you'all 40+ hrs to make a video so sometimes When someone post you should do this or that, Possibly reply with , How About you do it and post it , Thanks
@Iris Baths well we thank you so much for the comment, the understanding and the support! Sometimes those are our thoughts on the matter for sure but we can't exactly SAY that. Haha We appreciate that someone else out there can see our perspective and offer a little encouragement. You're pretty awesome yourself! We are SO glad also that you are finding value in our videos and in our channel content! Feel free to share our videos with anyone you know who might be interested, and click the like button. Thank you so much!
Very nice 😍💋 💝💖♥️❤️
Thanks!
Roatan 100% baby!!!
We enjoyed Roatan too!
If you're already subscribed, thank you!
@glennsteven 0917 What are your reasons? Are you from Roatan?
We are all ears!
@@PlanFree Yes I am from Roa!
I love Belize as well,don't get me wrong,previously known as British Honduras and we also share a lot of history....but yes,Roatan 100%✌️
Nice review! I am actively looking at a place to retire. I am strongly in favor of Roatan. I also looked at Belize and actually visited Amber Gris Caye. Was disappointed in the trash, the roads, the land grab by investors, and it just disappointed me. I have not been to Placencia, which might be very different.
We actually planned our honeymoon on Roatan in 1998! On our way from Philly, stopover in New Orleans on our way to Roatan, the flight was cancelled due to Hurricane Mich, which devastated the island. We ended up going to Jamaica.
Never got another opportunity to visit, but will do in 2021.
@Victor van Dyke We're happy you enjoyed it, thanks for watching. We have heard positive things about Placencia as well. Until now we have not visited there ourselves. We'd love to though.
The one drawback to consider is the 30 day tourist visa. Having to leave Belize every 30 days, or pay for an extension is NOT the most relaxing thing! What do you think?
Originally from South Africa and having lived in quite a few places, I am looking seriously at Roatan, Loreto in Baja California, Mexico, and Todos Santos is a distant third.
We agree that both Roatan and Baja California are worthy for you to look into. We've spent 9 months in Baja and enjoyed our times there a lot. We have a video about that on our channel that you may find interesting.
ruclips.net/video/8mNnvuIOXkw/видео.html
If you have already subscribed, thank you!
Baja California is so overrated
Never been in Belize, but Roatan is my favorite spot to celebrate my Birthday every year.
Hi @Enjoying Life with Liza, ah how lovely for you! And every year, wow! For how many years?
We thoroughly enjoyed our time on Roatan. For sure!
Belize is just a completely different place because it's an entire country at your fingertips, accessible by bus or car. You've got islands, beaches, fertile and lush inland areas.....it's just so diverse and large. We have only explored a tiny bit of Belize. There's so much more to see and do!
Hope you clicked the LIKE button on this video (and others of ours if you've watched). 🙏
We very much appreciate you taking the time to write a us a comment.
That's great!
Maybe for your next birthday you can go to Belize!?
@@PlanFree Im going back on December
@Enjoying Life with Liza oh that's great and wow, you obviously DO love it! Its beautiful, tranquil and relaxing in some areas that's for sure!
Enjoy!
Do you stay in the West End?
Where is your home?
@@PlanFree 🇺🇲 I stay at West Bay
Have you seen our Roatan video?
We travelled west to east and everywhere in between. You might like it! Plus the LIKE button on THIS video is waiting for you. 😉
ruclips.net/video/GriH8ldHLbs/видео.html
I've been to caye caulker twice. I love it. And I know that I will love Roatan also. Thanks for the video.
Oh good for you for visiting Caue Caulkwr twice l! It's such a great little relaxing island. We enjoyed living there too but found that for 2 months it was a little bit small.
You're going to absolutely fall in love with Roatan! ... especially the underwater swimming and diving!
Do you have any trips planned for the future?
We're glad you found our Channel thanks so much for watching our videos and let us know if you have any other questions!
Ayr & Lori, Plan Free
Here's a video that we made on our time living in Roatan if you're interested:
ruclips.net/video/GriH8ldHLbs/видео.htmlsi=QGy0eUbggzkfb-aH
@@PlanFree I watched the video. Thanks. I am planning on bringing my daughter with me sometime this summer while she is off school. Eventually, we will move there full time. If possible, one day I'd like to marry a local and have a couple more kids before I'm too old. Hopefully a Garifuna woman.
@mrnogood haha! Wow, you've got big plans! From what we saw you shouldn't have any problems finding a nice local lady, haha.
Towards the west end of Roatan is a large expat community too...so you can find lots of yummy foods and chat with folks in English and connect that way too.
Mid island is a nice mix of expat and locals and then east is rural, much less developed and much more local.
We wish all your Roatan dreams and plans the biggest blessing and success!
Maybe we'll even come and visit!
Cheers!
Roatan sounds nice. It was never on my radar. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like Ambergrist Caye is closer to being like Roatan.
Roatan is nice, lots to do and see. You would probably love it!
It was super easy to pass many months living there quickly we found!
And the diving and underwater life is exceptional and we LOVE that.
We hope you make it to Roatan one day. 🙏
Thank you, if you have, for subscribing!
@iandi Boats Roatan is nice, lots to do and see. You would probably love it!
It was super easy to pass many months living there quickly we found!
And the diving and underwater life is exceptional and we LOVE that.
Why was it not on your radar? Had you heard of it?
@@PlanFree how is it for solo travellers? I’m going for 1 month later this year. Thanks
Hi @A N,
Thanks for your question!
Which location are you asking about, Caye Caulker or Roatan?
@@PlanFree i bought land in Belize, Cayo disttrict
Just found your videos, subbed. I was looking for a place to retire someday, nice location where you can grow food, but cheaper than the USA. I had looked at USVI, Hawaii (big Island is cheap), and was settling on Belize until I saw your Roatan videos. Now I will look into Roatan. It seems like you have been around, any other places to check out? I really don’t want to live in a country where English is not widely used, or foreigners feel unwelcome. Thanks
Thank you for watching, subbing, and adding a comment, we appreciate it!
What did you like about the video?
With the two factors you have mentioned as being important to you, Belize may still be the better fit for you. English is widely spoken in Belize, and it may have better growing conditions than Roatan? In Roatan, English is spoken some places, but Spanish is predominate. Maybe have peek into the growing conditions in Roatan; soil composition etc.
Regarding other places; if you ever become open to learning another language, the world opens up considerably. We have spent time in numerous regions that are fertile, welcoming and inexpensive, but none of them speak English very much.👍👋
Checking a few of your vids today and sub'd! Great Stuff Thank You! Found you as two of my adult girls and a grandson are in Puerto Escondido right now. The youngest of my 8 kids graduates high school in 4 yrs... then, I'll be adopting something like you have done for 10+ yrs... Thanks Again - will look into your finance channel... Lastly, I have great Med coverage in USA and for limited stays abroad (retired military) - but one of the many things I need to research and learn about is primary Medical policy for 4 to 7 months overseas each year... Peace!
Hey there, and welcome to our channel! Great to get your comment and thank you for the sub! 👍😘
Wow...you've got lots of kiddoes!! And so cool that some of them are checking out Puerto. We have a lot of knowledge on this place now after living here for close to 6 months. Feel free to ask any questions and also share our vids with your kids if they are on to learn about Puerto.
Good for you on planning ahead to a location independent lifestyle, its not for everyone but it sure is for US! We love it!
Please click LIKE on the vids that you like and ask away, we'll answer anything we can on all locations. 🤙
I've been to both and agree with you.
Thank you for watching and adding a comment!
And if you have already, thank you for subscribing, it helps!
Thanks for putting these videos together. My wife and I are planning a six month stay somewhere. Fly fishing is my big passion so I am wondering if among all of your stays whether you had a favorite location for DIY fly fishing?
Thank you for watching and adding a comment!
A six month stay somewhere!? That's EXCITING.
Oh man, good question; I could blab all day about fly-fishing locations........
To make a long story short;
Los Barilles, MX for the best combination of DIY beach fishing, and being able to hire an actual fly-fishing guide if desired.
Tamarindo area, Costa Rica (playa Langosta)-healthiest option. I lost 30 pounds in 3 months trotting up and down that beach casting into pelagics busting bait balls.
Caye Caulker; best stalking "hand-to-hand" location for bones in shallow water-very little fishing pressure.
Some of these locations can be seasonal, what months of the year are you planning for? Preferred species?
Thanks for the quick response. It would be October-March. Maybe you should put out a few fly fishing specific location comparisons? That might be a nice niche and a way to expand to different audiences. By the way, I like it when you both get playful with the music and sound effects. Thank you for putting these together.
One more question, have you thought of living down near Holbox or Tulum?
That's a good time of year to go from a fishing perspective, especially Oct-Dec. Thank you for the video idea suggestions, we'll make a note of that. Also thank you for mentioning attempts at humor, sometimes we think we're the only ones that enjoy our brand of comedy 🤓. Can you believe these videos take us 40+ hours to produce!?
We would be interested to know which location you end up in, have a great time!
We have lived in Mexico three times for a total of 9 months and we really enjoyed our time in Baja California Sur. We had a trip planned to Tulum for last Nov. but had to post-pone, so to this point we have yet to gain experience on Tulum or Holbox. I can say in a general sense that Mexico is best enjoyed in areas where there are less tourists/expats and more locals.
It seems to me that you should not be comparing Caye Caulker to Roatan, but rather you should compare it to Utila. I think that may be a better apples to apples comparison. My opinion.
Hi @Norm Pyle, Well you might have a point, and we may agree also! BUT we cannot do a comparison on places that we have not lived. We lived in Roatan and we lived in Caye Caulker. So, we thought people might like to know and see what differs in case THEY have not been to either.
Knowledge is king! hahaaa We love that you reached out and took the time to write though, that is super cool! Thank you!
What did you like about this vid?
Im from Honduras I came here when I was little. I have never been in Roatan.
Hi @Katherine, You were born in a gorgeous country for sure! And we hope the USA has treated you and your family well!
We also hope you can make it back to Honduras and especially Roatan to experience it's marvelous environment!
Roatan to Caye Cauker is apples to oranges. Roatan to Ambergris Caye is a better comparison. Cmon...???
Thank you for watching and for suggesting a possible video idea in the future.🥂
Do a fair comparison, caye caulker is a village that later turned to a tourist location.. campare roatan to harvest caye or placencia
Yes, you're right. They are very different. For people who don't know, they don't know. And that is what we try to describe in this video. How they differ, what people can expect from the 2 locations.
We made this video comparison because we have actually lived in these 2 locations. We would love to do a comparison of Roatan and Placencia or Harvest Caye if/when we live in P or HC for any length of time. Then it would be an authentic comparison. :)
Thanks for your comment, we LOVE that! And thank for subscribing, it's fast, FREE for you and a great way to support the channel! (wink wink)
Really needed to compare Ambergris and Roatan
Yes! That would be a good comparison.
For us to make a fair comparison though, we have to have fully lived in an area for a decent length of time. So, in this case, we were living on Caye Caulker and only visited Ambergris Caye for a day or 2 to renew our visas. For us, that was not enough time to really immerse ourselves in the food/people/culture/feel of the Ambergris itself. Make sense?
I see a potential trip for the future though....lol
Thanks so much @Dana Tomalty for sharing your view and taking a few minutes to leave your comment for us and others. That's awesome!
We hope you subscribed and clicked LIKE on this vid to help RUclips promote the area to others! 👍
@@PlanFree Yes I have spent a lot of time on both islands actually own property in south Ambergris but like the more mature nature of Roatan as a permanent home. Ambergris is still very third world but lots of fun!
@Dana Tomalty we cannot argue with your there, on the lushness (is that a word!?) of Roatan. So beautiful. ALL over the island, but the East side is so slow, quiet and peaceful....ahhhhh
Sounds like some real estate may be in your future in Roatan then?
Hi! Loved the video. How is it for retirees on Roatan? My parents are planning to buy vacation home there but have never been there before? What is your overall sense. Thanks!
Hi there @Dragon Team,
Which of the 2 countries we talk about in our video are you asking about please?
Thanks for your question and we're so glad you watched!
What was your favorite part of our video?
Which place would have more activities to do for 5 days
Hi @nodaysoffrell, so you ARE getting some days off!! Yahoooooo
Hahaha!
We would say Roatan would have far more to do than you could ever fit into 5 days. You wouldn't be able to cover it all and would want/need to go back! (That's a GOOD thing!)
That said, 5 days is pretty short and you'd have a really lovely time on Caye Caulker. 5 days is about the perfect amount of time to spend on that sleepy, beechey Island!! But, there's not much for activities but you can go fishing, snorkeling, diving, have some beach days.... but that's basically all that little island offers. It's very very small: you can walk around the whole thing on foot! ... to give you an idea. So the activities are very limited but again for just 5 days it's the perfect vacation spot.
I guess it all depends on how exactly active you want to be?
Does that help?
Never considered Roatan because my Spanish sux. How about comparing cost of living, such as food, accommodations and tours? Roatan you need transport to see the entire island. You can walk or bike Caye Caulker.
Yes you're absolutely right about being able to walk or bike Caye Caulker vs needing transport to see the whole island is Roatan. That is an obvious huge difference between the 2. As well as the Spanish, as you again mentioned.
The food and accommodations were more expensive on Caye Caulker because it is so much smaller. There is less available to rent there and so they go quickly or need to be booked well in advance and then the really expensive places are all that is left. Food has to get ferried over to both islands for sure but the population is so much bigger in Roatan that we found far more variety in food as well as more local people selling local wares from their farms and much of it was cheaper than in Caye Caulker.
Tours were less on Caye Caulker but there are far less of them to do. Tours were priced higher on Roatan but there is more to do, the larger island has more to keep the interest for longer as well as it is far more developed and has WAY more Expats.....that always equals higher prices!
Does that answer things a bit more for you?
We thank you for watching our comparison vid on these 2 places! We thoroughly enjoyed living in both islands for extended times and hope you get the chance to see them both also!
Please click the LIKE button, it takes just a second and it helps us our!
Have you seen the dedicated videos that we did on each of these locations?
Would love to know which location you found safer
Hey Forrest,
First, thanks so much for watching! What was your favorite part?
Second, we would say that both are equally safe during the day. At night, if we had to pick, we'd say Caye Caulker is safer. We say this for 2 main reasons: 1. is that CC is so small that there are simply less people there, less going on, less trouble (generally speaking) to get into/find. 2. the authorities would hear about something going on faster on CC and be able to respond to it faster than in Roatan.
Again though, during the day, both are fine. :)
I heard that the sand fleas in Roatan are terrible. Is this true?
Hi @veritas2022, we found the sand flies and other biting insects the WORST s far in Caye Caulker...at least for us and at the time of the year that we lived there: Nov and Dec. Wow...the bugs.... we think it was because of the rainy season having just ended or in the process of ending.....wow there were a lot of bugs. We got the most biten in Caye Caulker than anywhere.
But yes, we did also remember the biting bugs in Roatan, but we were IN the water and free diving, swimming and snorkelling so much that we honestly don't remember the sand fleas to be that bad there.
Roatan was one of our most memorable times living in a country in the last 12 years. One of our favorite places so far, for a long term visit, perhaps not to live permanently.
Caye Caulker would be a great place to spend a month or so also, but not long term, at least for us. It is so small and we like to explore our surroundings a little more.
Are you planning a trip to either Roatan or Caye Caulker for yourself?
@@PlanFree I am planning a trip for a couple of seniors, one who can walk but has limited mobility.
Right! And sounds like you need to find out if they can run away from those dreaded sand fleas hey!?!? ...poor guys
When sand fleas are present, NO one is safe!
Very cool of you to help plan a trip for a couple. Way to go.
We heard that baby oil on the ankles and legs can help protect from sand fleas.
We'd be interested to hear what location you end up choosing for the senior couple.
Good luck! Hope we helped!
@Plan Free - On some of your other videos you mention use of the English language. My wife and I know English is the official language of Belize. But, are there pockets (or areas) where English is not spoken? (English is my wife's 3rd language, she is not interested in learning Spanish as a 4th.) Also how would you compare "friendliness"?
Thanks!
Hi @Sholti, thanks so much for watching and sending your questions. That's great!
Sounds like you've watched several of our videos, yes?
Awesome!!
For your question about if there are pockets in Belize where English is not spoken: we cant answer that accurately for you now because we chose one small Caye in Belize to live on for 2 months (Caye Caulker). (And we might have stayed longer and explored more areas in Belize but they only allow a 30 day tourist visa for Canadians....boooo! So we got tired of paying and renewing it just to stay longer). So, we have not (yet) explored the rest of Belize, Belize's mainland. So on the small Caye it was all English that we heard around us. But we seems to remember that the locals did have a dialect of some kind. Perhaps a mix of Spanish and English...? They did not speak it around us if they did use another language. We think you and your wife would be quite fine speaking English in Belize most anywhere. 😁
We found the friendliness from the 2 places we compare in this video (Roatan, Honduras & Caye Cauker, Belize) almost the same. It depends on who you end up meeting. We met all kinds in both places. In Roatan, there is the west end of the island that has a mix of locals and expats but the Expats kind of "rule" there....there are many and they are welcoming. And the locals whi work in the tourism industry on Roatan are also friendly. One never REALLY knows if that's just part of the job or not, truly. If you live there or have a longer trip there you could meet their families, take meals together and really get to know them. That's all up to you. We found that when we went to the east side of Roatan we were met with a bit more sideways looks from local people. We were more on guard. You can definitely find friendlies everywhere but we likely wouldn't go out after dark, say, on the east side or into the main town or the party areas in Roatan.
Caye Caulker was the same but it's so much smaller you meet everyone! Caye Caulker is really the size you want to visit and not likely live permanently. Though many do! For us it was a tad small. So we met friendlies and also people who were not so friendly.
Gosh. That's a tricky question after all!
So in a general sense we'd have to say Roatan was slightly more friendly.
And again, generally, there would be more English spoken in Belize then in Honduas and even the small island of Roatan, Honduras.
What are your plans regarding both locations?
I'm having a hard time finding videos that describe the internet situation. Most people mention it and then pass it over. I must be missing something
Hi Nicki, Ahhh good 'ol internet connections!
Good thinking to ask in our comments section here if we miss addressing something in a video, we're glad you asked.
So, for both geographical locations we established good communication with our potential landlords and asked very early on in the booking process and we also asked VERY clearly for them to describe the internet connectivity and speed etc. It is something that a traveler just kind of has to do with each new location (area of the world as well as specific property that you intend to stay in). So, that's what we did.
We would say, then, that what you ask about is a 2 part question and answer. The first part being "Is the internet good and fast IN those 2 parts of the world?" Yes, we found internet to be fine and more than adequate in both of these locations (Caye Caulker and Roatan). The second part would be property specific, and both of our properties had fine internet because we booked them only after the owner assured us that the internet was great. :)
Does that help Nicki?
Also, these two destinations were several years ago for us and we found the internet to be fine then...we would imagine internet to only get better?? Best to check with your accommodation host. :)
Perhaps other visitors to these locations can add their more recent internet experiences here for you too!
I'm from Roatan....internet connection is a hit or miss...not terrible but not great.
@@tcthirdeye I am a psychotherapist that would be using FaceTime or other apps like zoom or WhatsApp. I don’t need to run anything fancy but just need to be able to do video sessions daily. How would it be for that if I made sure the location I am at has internet?
@@nickistarling4056 you should be okay.
@@tcthirdeye :) thanks
🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️
Hey @Griselia Tennant,
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Sending you love fire right back!
Niceee
Thanks 🤗
@@PlanFree plz help me
Roatan
Thank you for watching and commenting! What did you like best about the video? If you would like to help promote these islands through this video, press the like button on the video and RUclips will share it with more people!🙏👋
@Edwin Betancourth Are you from one of these locations?
Is it safe to go to Roatan with kids? I'v red about crimes which hapend over the last few years.
Hi @Dariusz Kielbasa just like ANY where in the world, you can always find trouble! If you stay home after dark and don't frequent downtown areas alone, you should mostly always be safe. Like anywhere really.
When we travel (and even when we don't! Haha) we try to treat people with respect and honor for them, their home and their places and we generally get that in return. 🙏
Most people are good at heart, we feel, and so you will 99% of the time be safe, happy and meet great and interesting people: locals and expats alike.
Are you planning a trip to Roatan soon?
@@PlanFree Thank You for the response. We want to do few countries in central america, probably at the end of january. We've been thinking of panama, costa rica and nicaragua or honduras, belize and mexico (yucatan). We've been to many countries in Asia with kids but never to central or South america. We love snorkling, naturę and all these countries seem very attractive
..., safety is my main CONCERN.
@Darius Kielbasa well if you and the kids are already quite well travelled then we think you really already know what are safe things to do and not to do. You sound like you already have a good basis. We have travelled only a little in Asia and the bulk of our 10 years full time in Central America. :)
We feel confident when we tell you that you would be fine 99% of the time. There is always going to be that small section of the population that gets robbed or something but truly for the most part people are great.
We have videos on places we've lived: Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama so far and we have felt safe in all the location we've chosen. There is crime everywhere. Even in our own cities in Canada and the USA, right?
Let us know which countries you ultimately choose! That's great!
And perhaps you gain some more info from our other travel vids 🙏
Ayr & Lori
Most unfair to compare a 5 mile long to one that is 48 miles in length, especially for a 2-3 month visit as u put it. Not even the locals who live on Caye Caulker do shopping on the island.
Hey @Charsprt, thank you for watching and commenting.
You make a fair point on the size difference.
We were simply comparing the 2 locations based on our actual experiences in each.
👍
Appreciate your feedback and input!
How's the cost of living?
Hi @Ena Haylock, hey first thanks for watching and leaving a comment! We love that.
We lived in both countries years ago now so a lot has probably changed. We wouldn't want to comment on this topic now without physically being there. Perhaps there is someone else out there that can write a few things for comparison for us all.
Also, your question is a little vague ....WHICH country?
If you are asking about both then that is a lot of work and something we would have needed to do WHILE living in those countries.
Sorry we couldn't help more on this right now.
But we really hope you liked our video!
What was your favorite part?
Roatan!
Hi @Ernesto Vasquez! It's a great choice!
Are you from Roatan?
@@PlanFree Hi, I'm not from Roatan (Born in Honduras, raised in Miami) I have been to Roatan a few times and I love it! It has an international airport, good food, great community, everything one needs to live a healthy and active lifestyle, I will move there in the near future.
Ahhh we understand. Lucky you!
And GREAT choice for a location to move to!
Good for you.
If you want to help promote Roatan please click the LIKE button on this video and share this video on your personal Facebook feed so others can see it. We thank you!
I think Roatan is my choice.
@heather feather thank you so much for the comment!
Yes, it was pretty wonderful in Roatan we have to admit.
What were the deciding factors for you to choose Roatan that you took out of the video?
If you don't mind please click the LIKE button on the vids you like, that helps RUclips show it to more people. 🙏👍
Do a fair comparison, caye caulker is a village that later turned to a tourist location.. campare roatan to harvest caye or placencia
Yes, you're right. They are very different. For people who don't know, they don't know. And that is what we try to describe in this video. How they differ, what people can expect from the 2 locations.
We made this video comparison because we have actually lived in these 2 locations. We would love to do a comparison of Roatan and Placencia or Harvest Caye if/when we live in P or HC for any length of time. Then it would be an authentic comparison. :)
Thanks for your comment, we LOVE that! And thank for subscribing, it's fast, FREE for you and a great way to support the channel! (wink wink)
@@PlanFree You Both Are Awesome ! Really love what you are doing here to help others for FREE. As you said it takes you'all 40+ hrs to make a video so sometimes When someone post you should do this or that, Possibly reply with , How About you do it and post it , Thanks
@Iris Baths well we thank you so much for the comment, the understanding and the support!
Sometimes those are our thoughts on the matter for sure but we can't exactly SAY that. Haha
We appreciate that someone else out there can see our perspective and offer a little encouragement. You're pretty awesome yourself!
We are SO glad also that you are finding value in our videos and in our channel content!
Feel free to share our videos with anyone you know who might be interested, and click the like button. Thank you so much!