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Dive Review of Ocotal Resort in
Costa Rica

Ocotal Resort, Sep, 2004,

by Diane May, CO, USA . Report 1442.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 3 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments I'll never return to Ocotal, but if you choose to stay there, REVIEW YOUR BILL THOROUGHLY!! The room charge is billed to your card shortly before your arrival date, and the onsite charges are settled at check out. I didn't review my room charge until after I returned home, only to realize that I had been over-charged. I e-mailed the manager (owner?), Barbara, to explain the discrepancy and request that the difference be credited back to my card. I was quoted a total price at the time I made the reservation, have received an e-mail from Barbara confirming the exact amount that I SHOULD HAVE BEEN billed, but have still been refused a refund. I sent her a print-screen of the charge to my VISA to prove to her that I was billed more than the mutually agreed upon amount. She further went on to insult my intelligence to suggest that the difference was a variation in the exchange rate, which is a completely ludicrous argument because a) the room rate (yes, plus taxes) was quoted in US dollars, so any fluctuation in the exchange rate is the hotel's problem, not mine, and b)there was no fluctuation in the exchange rate between the time I made the reservation and the time I was billed. Furthermore, we were in COMPLETE AGREEMENT as to what the bill should have been. Nevertheless, Barbara has still refused to refund the difference. Barbara gets a HUGE THUMBS DOWN!

The dive shop was friendly and acceptably efficient, but the diving was pretty boring. We did dive Bat Island to see bullsharks. I didn't see any, but some others in the group saw one. The dive briefing, I might add, scared the neoprene off me! "If you see a bull shark, don't follow it because it will lure you into its territory and you'll be attacked... People have died at this site..." The land tours, on the other hand were great. Land tour prices are published, but don't hesitate to haggle. I found Costa Rica to be a wonderful, warm, and welcoming destination. I'll definitely return to CR, but not to Ocotal.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving [Unspecified]
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas choppy
Water Temp 80-0°F / 27--18°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 40-60 Ft/ 12-18 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified]
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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