Caribbean Tours and Things to Do
Tours are listed by area and activity and are just a sampling of the many tours available. Tour prices and descriptions, Website URL's, Phone Numbers etc are given by reviewers and may change. Please do not write us to ask for correct information. We do not know!
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Debbie's Caribbean Reviews
Anguilla
Antiqua
Eli’s Ecotour, Treasure Island Catamaran, Stingray City, Jeep Rental
Golf
Mountain to Sea Bike Adventure
Tours
Mountain to Sea Bike Adventure DB Island Traveler
December 2006
We had fun!! We booked a tour with a newly formed tour company, Mountain to Sea Bike Adventure. We took their Shirley Heights Bicycle tour, (Me, my wife and her Sister). We were pickup at our Hotel by their bus and a friendly driver. The drive was about a half hour to the top of Shirley Heights. The bikes were line up and waiting for us. After a brief History of the Area (beautiful view) we slowly descend with both of our guides explaining the use and origin the flora we passed along the ride. The bikes are nice and adjustable. We enjoy the wind blowing in our hair; it is a change from being in a car or van. We like the idea of exploring with bikes; you can relax and not worry about if you are taking to long to take pictures which we did. Bring your camera. We took pictures of a famous singer’s house. It can be view from the Block house of Shirley Heights. After arriving at the Nelson Dockyard we were guided around the yard rich in its historical past.
We were then offered the choice of taking the hike to Fort Berkley or a shuttle ride via their bus to Pigeon Point Beach, we took the latter. We swam, the beach was very clean and we had lunch as part of the tour package at a beach side restaurant. We learn about this company by a friend who rented from them at the St.Johns cruise ship pier. They rode to the beach and back in time to board for about $20.00US. Our full tour was a little more, but we were pickup and returned, lunch, two full historical tours, beach and friendly staff, it was well worth it. We booked on line at their web site: http://mountaintoseabikeadventure.com/. The only complain that we have is that we wish we had more time to swim, the water was refreshing after the ride.
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Eli’s Ecotour, Treasure Island Catamaran, Stingray City, Jeep Rental Brian
February 2005
Off Resort – For US$10, vans run to St Johns leaving at 9 am and returning about noon. Doesn’t sound like much time, but it was long enough for us. We saw the cruise ship docks, the tourist vendors, museum of Antigua and Barbuda, St Johns Cathedral and stopped at a sidewalk café for drinks (one beer and one bottled water for US$4 – not bad). We missed Redcliff Quay; I don’t know how or why, we just did. Prices in St Johns were similar to the beachside vendors at the resort. T shirts around US$10, polo shirts about twice that much. If your going to take rum home make sure you get it here; the resort has nothing and the airport was much more expensive. Cavalier rum was US$4.75, English Harbour was about $7.
Eli’s Ecotour. There is little to say that hasn’t already been said about this tour from the rave reviews that others have already posted. One thing to keep in mind though; guests from Pineapple Beach board the boat at Dickenson Bay, and the taxi fare is not included in the cost of the tour. A taxi from Pineapple Beach to just about anywhere on the Island was typically $30 one way, so this really adds to the cost. True to his word though; our driver came and got us for the return trip, arriving in the parking lot the same minute that we did. We went with another couple, one of our “group of eight”, that managed to get booked at the last minute after someone cancelled. Eli stopped the boat every 5 or 10 minutes to give a description of what we were seeing, be it geography, ecology, or history. His dialogue was a big part of the tour. Juices at Long Island, a hike up to the top of Bird Island, lunch on the boat from an anchor just north of Bird Island where Hawksbill turtles could be seen surfacing, snorkeling at Hells Gate (surf was a bit rough here and my mask fogged up badly), and then snorkeling a few hundred metres north of Bird Island (great coral here especially some of the fan coral). Out came the traditional rum punch (which the girls loved but it hit them hard and heavy), and then a slow boat along the mangrove coast of Guiana Island before heading back to Dickenson Bay at about 4:30.
Treasure Island Catamaran – Again this departed from Dickenson Bay, but the cost of the taxi from Pineapple Beach was included in the price for US$5 extra. All eight of us went on the Treasure Island Cat. The Cat nosed into the beach at Dickenson Bay at the same time as the Wadadli Cat was loading passengers. We were quite happy to be getting on the Treasure Island Cat because the big Wadadli Cat looked very crowded. Our Cat just had a nice sized group. We got on and headed around the point to Blue Waters, although we didn’t load any more passengers there; we just seemed to be killing time for some reason. When we cruised back to Dickenson Bay, a few more passengers boarded via the rubber motorboat that would then be towed along behind us. We then set sail along the scenic west and south side of the island, on the way to Cades Reef. The water was pretty calm at Cades Reef, and although I didn’t see too many fish (should have gone straight out instead of left), most of the people we were with thought it was the best snorkeling of the entire vacation. A school of Spanish Hogfish were firsts for me. However we only got one hour in the water and then it was off to Ffryes beach for lunch. The BBQ lunch was good, as was the Steel band but then most of the guests just hung out while a couple of people played some beach cricket. The advertised limbo dancer was not present. Rum punch was included in the price of the tour, but a bit surprisingly anything else at the bar (at lunch and on the boat) was cash, although I don’t think they were charging very much. Back to the boat for the return trip, stopping in at places like Jolly Beach and Royal Antiguan to drop off passengers. Overall this Cat trip was a bit disappointing, in part because I didn’t get to the best snorkeling, but also because we could easily have doubled our time in the water rather than kill it on the beach waiting for a very few people to get finished with their cricket game. One of our friends that had been on a Circumnavigation Cat a few years earlier, thought that was a much better trip than this Cades Reef day. A video of the tour was also offered (two people had been aboard taping all day) for video US$40 or dvd at US$60 (I think that is correct pricing). Karl bought one and made a copy for us. It’s fun to watch but the quality is really poor.
Stingray City - This attraction is very convenient to Pineapple Beach, in fact you can see it out in the ocean from Mary’s Outhouse. They pick you up right at the watersports center and then it’s a very quick boat trip out to the Rays. You get into the water with the rays and probably spend about half an hour with them, getting photographs and feeding them some squid that they suck out of your hands like a vacuum cleaner. There is also a young hawksbill turtle, conch, and starfish. They take you back to their headquarters on shore to settle accounts and to offer you the option to purchase the pictures that they’ve taken of you holding a stingray US$15 for an electronic copy on CD and a similar price for a glossy print. Overall, a unique excursion but a bit pricey for what you get ($US40 each).
Jeep Rental, Spring Hill Stables, Shirley Heights, Nelsons Dockyard, Fig Tree Drive, OJ’s, Half Moon Bay – do you think we tried to do too much in one day?? Yes, but what a wonderful day it was. Spring Hill wanted us to get there early so we arranged for the jeep to be delivered late in the afternoon, so the four of us were ready to roll first thing the next morning. The five speed left handed stick shift looked intimidating at first, but I really didn’t have much grief on the roads at all. You quickly get quite adept at shifting because you never go much more than a few hundred metres at one time without shifting for one reason or another. Signage on the highways of Antigua in almost non-existent. We knew we had to be close to the turnoff for Spring Hill, and when we pulled over to ask for directions we found we were indeed right where the turnoff was. Karl and Karen hadn’t ridden for many many years. Karl mounted up and was good to go, but Karen only spent a minute in the saddle before she admitted that she couldn’t do it, so off she got. Karl and my wife went for an hour or so, riding through the lush valley and then down to a small beach on the west edge of Falmouth Harbour. The ride was nice and the horses were in reasonably good condition. US$40 each.
Back into the jeep and off to Shirley Heights which was quite close by. Took the pre-requisite photos from the hilltop and then drove back down to Nelsons Dockyard where we enjoyed a cold beer at the Admirals Inn sitting right next to the Boathouse Pillars. We strolled the dockyard for awhile, admiring the boats and doing a little shopping in one of the gift boutiques. We decided to drive Fig Tree and find OJ’s for lunch. Found the east end of Fig Tree drive without much trouble, but the first few miles of that road are in dreadful condition, but the road improves considerably in the more scenic section, which is the southern half of the drive. If I did it again, I would probably approach Fig Tree from the south and then turn around half way rather than drive the north end again. OJ’s was a very nice place for lunch, although at US$23 the lobster salad wasn’t worth the money. Our plan was then to get to Half Moon Bay, which is about as far away from where we were as you can get on Antigua. We needed gas, so instead of going back though Fig Tree, we went north as there was a gas station showing on the map. Shortly after filling up, we made our one bad turn, a right instead of a left, followed shortly by road construction and a detour that left us at a dead end on a dirt road in the center of Antigua. Asked twice for directions, and the second time this young fellow just grinned at us, and told us to follow him to the highway. Once there, we were fine however I would warn you not to take the “highway” past Potworks Dam. That might have been a highway in someone’s lifetime but it isn’t anymore. All the other roads in that end of the island are good, just avoid that one. We found Half Moon Bay, but only had time for about a half hour stroll on this beautiful beach. A few pictures and then back to Pineapple Beach. The rental rep met us there and we finished off the paperwork. They’d run out of forms for Antigua drivers licenses so that $20 was waived, took off a few more dollars because we’d put in $20 for gas, and ended up charging us a total of $60 for the days rental. Not bad but next time I’d rent for two days and spend a bit more time really seeing the island.
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Tours Gary & Norine --- Canada
June 2004
We normally don’t do a lot when we are on vacation, so the highlight of our travels when we were in Antigua was our one day trip to Barbuda. The trip costs $120US per person. The trip to the island is on a very large “power” catamaran. The boat‘s name was “Excellence” and they do the Barbuda trip twice weekly, on Fridays and Sundays. The trip over takes about 75 minutes and if you easily get sea sick, this trip may not be for you. On the way over, we saw a female whale and her calf and on the way back, there were many dolphins that were swimming along side of the boat. The island is incredible, seventeen miles of pure white sand and only three hotels on it. Princess Diana stayed at one of the hotels a few years before her death. The sand in the early summer is actually a pink color but at this time of the year, with the strong winds and wave action, most of pink sand is washed back to sea. On the island, in the mangrove swamps, there is a bird sanctuary where “Frigate” birds come year after year to mate and hatch their newborns.
We also did the shopping thing in St. John’s and we had to have a beer at Hemmingway’s Bar. He must have liked his drinks as there are “his” bars all over the Caribbean. We also rented a car and had one of the Pineapple staff (on his day off) drive us around the island. Had a great authentic Antiguan lunch at Turner’s Beach on the other side of the island and toured the rainforest and English Harbour.
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Tours Rigo and Marie – Ottawa, Ontario
St. John’s Shopping at St. John’s (the capital) is a must if you need to bring back presents. Even if you are not into shopping, it is interesting to see the activity in town and meet the inhabitants. For me, the ride there and back is worth the price of admission ($10 US return). Fairly scenic, lots of wandering goats, cows, donkeys, and the taxi driver’s ability to navigate the potholes, oncoming traffic on narrow roads and ability to avoid the animals creates excitement and laughs for the passengers.
Shirley’s Heights Overrated - Excellent steel band(s), beautiful sunset, very crowded – standing room only and line-ups for drinks and toilets. Not much to do up there except stand in one spot, listen to the music and watch the sunset. Again, the scenic drive there was the highlight for me.
Devil’s Bridge: It is about two miles from PBR. We walked there and back one morning. We are in our 50s (my wife turned 50 while there) and it was a comfortable walk. Wear sunscreen. The location is breathtaking. The Atlantic waves come thundering in along the rocky shore. The bridge itself is interesting and can make for some great wave action and spraying if you get too close. We sat there for a long time taking in the view – beautiful. Saw the Wadadli and Kokomo catamaran excursions go by while we were there. They seemed crowded.
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Golf Rigo and Marie – Ottawa, Ontario
June 2004
I would highly recommend the Jolly Harbour golf course. Great vistas, interesting holes and well maintained fairways and greens. While the course is not long (just under 6000 yards), it is still challenging in that it puts a premium on accuracy.
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Aruba
Golf
Restaurants
Golf Paul
December 2007
-Our group take an Island golf trip every year.
-We played everyday at the Terra De Sole Golf & Country Club.
-It is not included in the hotel package, not sure of the cost per round, we paid $700.00 CDN$ for 7 rounds for the week. Club rentals and a very well stocked pro-shop on site. (See Oliver (local pro) he was very helpful) -While the club is busy, 4-somes appear to be all good golfer's and you can play 18 in about 4 to 4 & 1/2 hours. (normal)
-It is an 18 hole Pete Dye Course. Par 71, Slope 124. Play the white tees, over 6,000 yards good for the mid handicaper. There are blue and championship tees if you are a scratch golfer. Due to the wind holes play much longer and white tees provide a good challange. Most of us are 12 to 18 handicap and found it excellent to play. -Check out the par-5 14th hole.......it is awsome, took a 10 the first day brided it the next 5 days). This is followed by a par-3 all carry over water into the 40km per hour trade winds........use one or two extra clubs. -3 holes on the back nine run along the ocean, with the wind always constant right to left. Hit all you have down the right side and let the wind bring it back, you do get use to the wind. We had some rain the first day, you can see it coming in advance off the ocean. If you see it take cover, it comes in hard and strong, head for a stand of Divi Bushes to break the wind and rain...........however if you get wet, it will be gone in 5 min's and the sun comes out and you are dry within 15 min's.
-Take beer & water from the hotel (free bar) cost is very expensive at the golf course, especially if you play every day. Our gourp even started to pack fruit and sandwitches from the sports bar (see above) for the day. Carts have coolers with ice supplied. Pack a small folding cooler in your golf bag to carry drinks and food from the hotel daily.
-We played the Moon Palace in Cancun last year and this course is almost as good as the 27 holes there. We rate it #1 in the Caribbian for golf. Tera De Sole is #2. (in our humble opinion)
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Restaurants CS ~ USA
January 2007
Texas de Brazil
Service 10/10 - very friendly waiter and staff the night we went
Food 8/10 - best self-serve salad bar we saw, or heard of, on the island. You don't have to order the carved meats (they come by your table and carve it - all you can eat). Bottle of wine around $35
Huge cappacinos!
Atmosphere 7/10 if sitting outside and a bit noisy but it's nice to watch people go by, Inside they had a fabulous guitar player and nice couches to lounge on after a big meal.
Appetizer, bottle of wine, salads (didn't have the carved meat option), 2 deserts, capacino around $145 + tip
Sunset Grille - in the Radisson
Service 9/10
Food was overall an 8/10 but the best lobster bisque on the island 10/10. The bisque had a light crust on top and had just the right amount of salt and had some spice to it - incredible. Next time we go to Aruba we'll go there just for the bisque.
Huge portion of Sea Bass that was also excellent 9/10. The ala carte sides are insanely large. Unfortunately we left allot of food on the table. Ceaser salad was good 8/10. Unique breads are served with dinner and are excellent. The restraunt provided us with a sushi appetizer gratus! The chocolate cocunut suflea was also excellent 8/10.
A 2 1/2- hour bottle of wine, 2 main courses, 2 sides (could have done without) desert and coffee - around $180 + tip
The Restarunt at the California lighthouse
we had lunch only
Atmosphere: 9/10 Only issue was tourist walking by to get pictures of the incredible view from the dining area.
Service 8/10: Not great, not bad...
Food: 7/10 - we split a servig of Rissoto with seafood. We didn't finish - good size portion but the red sauce was too bland for our taste - we added allot of salt and pepper.
Impression: The view itself makes it an incredible place to have dinner
The Flying Fish
Base on other recommendations on the net we rented a car for $78 for the day and did some sight-seeing as well. Driving is painless but the traffic can get ugly.
Atmosphere: 9/10 Wear shoes you can take off. We sat on the table right next to the water (2 feet away). They have a place to rince off your feet before you leave. Many of the tables are on the beach but you can sit inside if you prefer. Make reservations if you want a table on the beach. See the sunset from your table - incredible!
Service 6/10: The waiter wasn't around enough to pour our wine and ensure our water glasses were full. We asked how long the service station down the turnoff was open (we needed gas on the way home and didn't have time to stop prior to our reservation. They stated it was 7pm so I left dinner and went to get gas - it was open until 9pm. It would have been nice if they would have given them a call. Especially when you are going to drop a load on dinner.
Food: Lobster salad 9/10. Brazil fish 9/10. The lobster bisque was a bit flat for our taste 6/10 - we had to add allot of salt and pepper. You can find a nice bottle of wine for around $30.
A 2 1/2- hour dinner with appetizer, bottle of wine, 2 main courses, split desert and coffee - around $125 + tip
Pago Pago - in the Wyndam
Service 10/10
Atmosphere 7/10 - only seating is inside and we prefer to sit outside - especially with the weather and sunsets we had.
Food - good size portions. Ceaser salad made at your table - excellent 9/10. Excellent wine steward who really knew his stuff! Lobster bisque was not very flavorful but had a nice, light crust on top 7/10. Grouper was a 9/10 and my wife had the Sea Bass and claims it was the best she ever tasted 10/10. You can find a nice bottle of wine under $40.
Papiamento
Short taxi ride from the Hyatt/Marriott area
Service 10/10 - exceptional service. The only aggravating thing that happenned was that the waiter interupted us when my wife and I were having a nice/romantic conversation to check on us. A more aware server would have known not to approach us at that time.
Atmosphere 10/10 - can't see the ocean and it doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside it was the most romantic restraunt we've ever been to. Outside seating under a sea of small white lights in the trees, under the stars, and light jazz playing in the background.
Food - We split a fish boulubase that was the best I've had 10/10 - plenty of lobster, fish, and other great stuff!
Stone grilled mahi mahi was a bit too spicy for me but my wife loved it 9/10. Sea bass with shrimp, scallops on top 10/10. Apple Strudal and ice cream 9/10. Wine reasonably priced - bottle of Andretti (chardonay) was $32. Great cappucino - first place on the island that had "Sugar in the Raw" as well!
The best experience I've had at a restaraunt - even better than the elite restraunts in Washington DC. We spent around $170 + tip and stayed there for 3 hours. In my view, the best $170 we spent on the island.
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Restaurants Lori & Keith
June 2004
http://www.weloveourlife.com
El Gaucho - phone: 823677
El Gaucho Home Page
El Gaucho is an Argentinian steakhouse and it was the best dining experience we had on the island. Reservations are a must, and although Aruba is extremely casual, Lori wore a sundress and Keith a pair of khakis. This was probably the most we dressed up on this vacation, but El Gaucho expects a little more and certainly delivers. It is dark and inviting inside. If it is just the two of you, request the dining room upstairs for couples only (accessed by a small elevator). The food was amazing...Keith ordered Churrasco Argentino (Gaucho steak), which was a 16-ounce (plus) filet, and one the finest steaks he has ever had. It was accompanied by 3 sauces: a pesto sauce, a Japanese-infused soy sauce, and tomato and onion. Lori isn't a big fan of steak, but kept stealing bites. The steak was accompanied by a salad and vegetables (broccoli). Lori had some tasty shrimp. The amazing thing was that the prices were reasonable and we highly recommend El Gaucho as an excellent value with great food and service. There is a jointly-owned bar (Garufa) across the street with acoustic music, cigars (Cuban), and a wide selection of single malt scotches. During busy times, diners waiting for tables are asked to visit Garufa to wait until their table is ready.
Don Carlo - phone: 883624
We had a nice dinner at Don Carlo's, on the waterfront right in the heart of Orangestad. It is covered, but an outdoors restaurant. The fare is Italian, and we had some excellent pasta (and Keith had gnocchi). Again, the service was fantastic. We laughingly noted that it seemed every employee short of the kitchen stopped by our table to do or say something (we counted as many as a dozen). The manager stopped by as well. We sure could get used to service like that!
Waterfront Crab House - phone: 835858
Waterfront Crab House Home Page
We had dinner one evening at the Waterfront Crab House in the Seaport Mall (on the water in Orangestad) one evening, and we sat outside. Lori was happy because she could order crab legs. Keith indulged in one of the few seafood items he eats: mahi mahi. On that same evening, we checked out the other restaurants in Seaport Mall, stopping in for a drink at a couple bars. We discovered a German restaurant that night called Villa Germania, and we each had a Duvel at the bar, deciding to stop back for dinner.
Villa Germania - phone: 836161
We did return the next night, and sat outside on the patio. For appetizers, Lori had hummus and Keith had potato pancakes (yummy). Lori ordered cheese schnitzel (excellent!) and Keith had wiener schnitzel (good too, but he kept stealing Lori's). Note that this was special as it was the first time Lori was able to order veal for dinner in about 10 years without getting sick afterwards! The service was good and it was a nice change to eat German food in the Caribbean.
Palms Bar - phone: 861234
After our sunset cruise we stopped in for a very casual dinner at the Palms Bar, an outside bar at the Hyatt. Lori had stayed at the Hyatt on her last trip, and we stopped in just as a bit of nostalgia. Lori had a great hamburger (we figured it must have been more of that Argentinian beef) and Keith had chicken sate, along with a plate of nachos we split.
The Old Mill (The Olde Molen)
The last night we ate at the Old Mill, which is located in the base of a windmill. Lori had eaten there on her previous trip. The food was so-so, the lights were too bright, and the mill smelled a bit musty. However, the waiter had quite a sense of humor
Iguana Joe's - phone: 839373
We ate lunch on one hot day at Iguana Joe's, located on the 2nd floor of the Royal Plaza Mall, just across from the harbor. It is a casual eatery, serving up cold drinks and some spicy fare.
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Bahamas
Exploring on your own
Powerboat Adventure
Powerboat Adventure Pat
December 2007
The Powerboat Adventure was just that- an adventure! A one hour 40 mph boat ride, first visiting an island of all iguanas- then off to 'their island'. Open bar,snacks and an island lunch are all included. We did group snorkeling, hand feeding the sting rays and laying in the water with googles on while they dray the sharks in close! Amazaing!
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Exploring on your own
June 2004
Catching the local buses , etc, was no problem, and only cost $2.00. The bus route was up the coastline (a beautiful drive) to Cable Beach - where we could get off to eat at any of the good restaurants or fast food places. Crystal Casino is also located here, which we preferred over the Atlantis. Then bus also went downtown, and had a stop right at the McDonalds and then terminated at the strawmarket in downtown Nassau. The market is HUGE!!! and it was fun bargaining with the vendors. From the hotel , you can also take a bus which goes directly to Paradise Island for a roundtrip price of $5. We walked thru the Atlantis, and was amazed !!!! We had heard of the famous aquariam, lagoons, water rides, etc...but, it was even more than we had imagined. We played a short while at the casino, and then started looking for dinner. YIKES!!! Meals are so very expensive here!!!! That and the enormous throngs of people was enough to make us decide to never book a room here. We asked the bell captain if there was any "reasonable" restaurants in the near vicinity. He directed us to "Anthony's" , a local favorite. After a pleasant and short walk, we found ourself enjoying a terrific meal, and only $12.00 US! Our conclusion, Paradise Island is a nice place to visit, but we would never want to stay there. I have to agree, that it may be a great family destination. I do not see how a child would ever be bored there, plus the beach look quite nice.
We took the Fast Ferry over to Harbour Island (Eleuthera). This "day away" trip cost $150 per person, which included the two hour ferry ride (a very fast catamaran), a nice historical walking tour by one of the islanders, lunch at one of three very good restaurants (our meal was one of the best we had!), and then use of the facilities at the famous "PINK BEACH". This was really a beautiful spot, and we checked into hotels and dive operators, knowing we would return here someday. After the hustle and bustle of Nassau, the slow rhythm of this island was very much appreciated. Our last day we took a walking tour of Nassau, wanting to see the beautiful historic buildings , and find Fort FinCastle and the Queen's Staircase. DO NOT MISS!!! finding the Queen's Staircase. Take the time to ask one of the vendor's who sometime set up there the history. It is very interesting. We arrived there on a late Saturday afternoon, after all but one vendor had packed up, and we were glad. I am sure that the experience would not have been the same with alot of vendors there.
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Barbados
Bridgetown
Ted's Tours
Tours
Bridgetown Craig and Carolyn ~ Ottawa Canada
February 2008
This year we went into Bridgetown again for shopping and the market, the pelican craft market is also quaint. Oistens on Friday night for local crafts and local food, again dont miss it. Sunday morning we went up to the Crane for brunch and listened to local gospel music, this was great and reservations are a must!
Finally, the Bajan Roots and Rytham show Wed and Fri nights was specatcular and very professional a real sampling of Caribbean music. It costs around $75 US but includes the show, your dinner and all the drinks you can eat. Beulah who works on the DIVI beach during the day doing hair braiding can book the show for you at a discount. She is fantastic and also works during the shows as a server and she will not only get you a better seat she will look after you well during the show ( many many drinks)
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Ted's Tours Susan ~ Tulsa, Oklahoma
April 2007
I was in Barbados for the first time this month. I was told Ted's Tours was a must while I was on the island. SO true! Ted is a native Bajan who does a complete island tour that is rivaled by none. He is extremely informative about the history of the island, but adds his own fun, down-home humor. Everyone is treated to all the Rum Punch you care to drink and a complimentary lunch overlooking the Atlantic Ocean from the East side of the island. If you ever visit Barbados, Ted's Tours (contacted through the Coconut Court website) is an absolute must do!!
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Tours - Various Kate --- Halifax, Canada
June 2004
There were numerous trips offered from the hotel but we wanted to do several things and they weren't all offered as one trip so we rented a cab for 4 hours (at $20 USD/hour) and made up our own itinerary...
Harrison Cave - $13US/ this was a ½ hour tour on a trolly through amazing caves with stalactites and stalagmites. The film was broken down and the trolly also broke down but other than that it was pretty amazing.
Orchid Farm - $7 US. This was very neat - as most of the flowers were growing out of soil and just hanging. There was more than 20,000 orchids on display. Very beautiful but no one around to answer questions. There is a wedding Gazebo on site.
Gun Hill Signal Station- $4US . A restored signal station with a beautiful panoramic view of the island. Check out the giant limestone lion carved by a soldier stationed at Gun Hill.
Baobab Tree- there are two on the island - We saw the one on Warren's road in St. Michael and the other is in Bridgetown. This is the widest trunk of any tree growing in the Caribbean - it takes 15 adults holding their arms outstretched to cover the circumference of the tree!
St. John's Church - free. A classic Gothic church situated on a cliff overlooking the picturesque East Coast . Very reminiscent of old English Churches. Definitely worth a stop.
Bathsheba - West coast of the island - very beautiful and rugged with huge waves - known internationally as a surfer's Haven.
Morgan Lewis Mill - we just drove by but it is one of the only two intact and restored sugar mills in the Caribbean.
Cherry Hill - one of the highest points on the island. Try a chunk of sugar cane as a snack!
Things we probably should have done:
Jolly Roger - cruise on a 'pirate ship' where you can walk the plank, have some lunch and drinks,treasure hunts and go snorkelling too. $50USD
Turtle trip - offered by the hotel - feed and pet the giant turtles. $20USD Submarine trip - not to be taken by a claustrophobic like me!
Famous Jewish Synagogue
Rum factory - we had already seen one in DR...
Catamaran cruise - heard great things but we had fabulous snorkelling where we were!
Sunset Cruise - Sail along the west coast, hors d'oeuvres and drinks. $43USD Jacobean Mansions - 2 of the 3 remaining in the Western Hemisphere reside in Barbados.
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Belize
Bermuda
Exploring on your own
Exploring on your own Reid Smith
May 2004
If you go to Bermuda, I suggest you rent scooters from Eve's, located right next to the Harmony Club. They appear to only rent good ones. Many other tourists we met had crappy scooters, and that made it no fun. You absolutely have to go to all the beaches on the South Shore Road--each one is spectacular. Take your camera. Church Bay is the best place to snorkle. Bring your own snorkle stuff with you-- buy it here in the US. Renting was a pain. You have to snorkle, even if it just means wading out and looking in the water with the mask. There are thousands of fish all around you, and you don't know until you look with the mask. Big fish. Go shopping in Hamilton. Ride your scooter all the way to the Dockyards and do the museum, and see the Swim with the Dolphins thing. Climb the stairs of Gibbs Lighthouse and see the island from way up. If you stay at Harmony Club (I highly suggest it), drink like a fish, because it's all included! I did. Bass Ale on tap, and Foster's by the pool. And of course, all those rum drinks. The bartenders have made their own concoctions, and given them names. I tried them all. My wife actually went with multiple Margaritas (very good!) one evening, and became quite tipsy and amorous.
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Bonaire
Windsurfing
Windsurfing Mike --- USA
May 2004
We went mainly for the windsurfing, so how was it?? In a word, great.... People who had been there for a while said that there had been virtually no wind for the previous two weeks. The week we were there, there was reasonable to good wind every day, for at least part of the day. Lac Bay is on the eastern end of the island and gets the full force of the trade winds with nothing to get in their way. There is a good reef to cut the swells/waves down to ripples. Much of the bay is shallow, ranging from about 1 ft. to 3 ft, depending on the tide. The water was clear and warm with good areas to start from. There are two outfitters and we used Jibe City, but the other facility looked good also. They offer lessons, but really didn't seem to have their heart in that activity. The equipment was good, with excellent sail/mast/boom kits and OK, but not great, boards. (I'm just a beginner/intermediate windsurfer, so take this with a grain of salt.) When the wind got good some of the areas got rather busy, with the more experienced windsurfers tending to (unintentionally, I'm sure) intimidate the less experienced with their speed and maneuvers. My impression was that the bay was slightly better for windsurfing than Aruba. The facilities are not quite as nice, but the natural characteristics are better. The only thing that occasionally stopped us (other than lack of wind) was low tide: when the tide was low, some of the bay was just too shallow to sail across without dragging your fin. 90% of the time, though, it was great.
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British Virgin Islands
the Baths
the Baths Peter --- USA
May 2004
We took a day sail to the Baths at Virgin Gorda. We booked it through a gentleman on the beach. Though not recommended by the hotel, his was less expensive and offered the same. Our skipper was Captain Stanley, a pleasant young man who has sailed extensively throughout the world, and he fixes a great lunch. The Baths were amazing and on the way back we stopped at Cooper Island to swim at a neat little resort.
And don't miss Bomba's Shack. This driftwood bar with no roof and the beach for the floor is just around the hill from Long Bay. Bomba is an institution on Tortola. His place is a big party every night. Try his special drink. And if you are there for the full moon...have someone else drive.
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Cayman Islands
Exploring on your own
Stingray City
Exploring on your own
May 2004
what an awesome place grand cayman is. we have been all over the caribbean, nothing even comes close to this island. we stayed at the villas of the galleon. our condo was 13 steps from the beach and 30 yards to the waters edge. i am a level 3 scuba diver and the snorkeling here was better than a lot of dives i have been on. 2 hundred yards out is a reef that keeps the waves very small. we saw turtles, rays, parrot fish........just by walking in the water from our condo,s beach. sting ray city is worth the trip here alone...words cannot describe the beauty here, a must. blow holes were all right, turtle farm was worth the trip, however, smiths cove, is probably the prettiest cove in the caribbean, this is a must for photos and snorkeling. we took a family portrait here. rent a car, and stay out of town when the cruise ships arrive, only bad thing to say is to many people when the ships are in, however very photogenic town with the massive ships in the back ground. villas of the galleon rates a 10. ps thanks for your page it has been very helpful on all of our vacations.
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Exploring on your own Boscov's Travelcenter
May 2004
Another day trip I enjoyed was the day we rented a jeep and went all over the island. The roads are pretty empty and we drove past some beautiful beaches and homes. We stopped at the Blow holes, went to Hell ( pretty boring, just dead coral that is black) and we went to the Turtle farm. This was pretty neat, they had turtles that were the size of your pinkie, and some bigger then an adult person! The restaurants in Grand Cayman are wonderful! The ones I would recommend are the Grand Old House, Hooks (at the Treasure Island Resort), Almond Tree and my favorite .
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Stingray City Boscov's Travelcenter
June 2004
If I could recommend one thing to do, please visit Stingray City. The tour left right from our hotel. We took a boat out to a sandbar in the middle of the ocean, and the water was as clear as a pool bottom. Their are stingrays all around and the instructors feed them so they come very close to you. Infact they rub up against you, they are so tame and friendly. Definitley take an underwater camera, I got some awesome pictures of the stingrays, and framed quite a few! As a certified diver, my boyfriend & I also dove at Stingray City and really got to interact with the rays. I even got a sucker bite from one-ouch! Their was even a videographer down with us, who videotaped everything. We bought the video, and were pleasantly surprised that we were on most of it!
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Colombia
Costa Rica
Alex on the Beach - Paradisus Playa Conchal
Arenal Volcano Tour, Congo Canopy Tour, The Golden Shrimp Restaurant
Arenal Volcano - Jaco Beach
Avispa’s Tours
Canopy Tour - Guanacaste
Costa Rica Eco Tours Reviews
Horse ride and sunset on the mountain
Manuel Antonio National Park
Monkey Park - Guanacaste
Palo Verde River Boat Tour
Nicaragua Tour, Canopy Tour, Liberia Tour, CoCo beach by rented van
Rincon National Park & Palo Verde - Gulf of Papagayo
Michael Mills/Vargas/Allegro Tours
Tempisque River
Alex on the Beach - Paradisus Playa Conchal Michael
October 2008
ALEX ON THE BEACH:
Give "Hightide" a pass -- they are the resort's in-house or contracted tour guides. Mark-up is high.
Instead go and talk to Alex Rabbit (yep, that's his name) on the beach. He has a baseball cap and a black ponytail and is a great guy.
He set us and many people that we met on the trip up for sea-dooing, sport fishing and ATV/Canopy Tour and it was all incredible.
Here's what we got:
ATV/Canopy Tour ($110.00/pp): We were picked up from the main lobby by a local from Brazilito (the neighbouring town) and driven about 5 minutes from the resort. There waiting for us were 6 ATVS (there were six of us) and our guide. All the ATVs were new. The guide even had a cooler to put cold drinks in (raid your bar fridge in the a.m. so you don't have to buy anything). Then from that point you ATV about 1.5 hours up into the mountains/countryside all the way to the canopy tour. This is where you get suited up and go ziplining... awesome... what an experience and the guys who run the ziplining company (Congo Trail) are awesome. Lots of fun. Then after a couple hours ziplining, you get back on your ATVs, go all the way down the mountain again and they cruise you along the beach back to Alex. It was terrific. GO!!
Sea-Dooing ($80-$100pp): Sea-doo was nice and new, worked like a breeze and was TOTALLY worth it.
Sport Fishing ($350 per boat which holds 5): We didn't do it but another couple and some friends of theirs did... they loved it... mahi-mahi jumping, tuna... they even had fresh sushi on the boat.
Alex Rabbit is amazing and will swing you a good deal. Do yourself the favor, get to know him and his team... he's a good guy and just wants to make an honest living.
SEABIRD SAILING ($85pp):
This had to be one of my most favorite things to do. Go to the Royal Service lounge and ask to book a catamaran day-trip with Seabird Sailing. You will not regret it.
You are picked up and driven to Flamingo Beach where you are picked up by a little motorboat and taken to a beautiful catamaran.
On-board: open-bar and beautiful food. And, it is exclusive versus some massive party boat.
They take you to a deserted island and cove where you can go snorkelling and lay on the beach... it is honestly like something out of Survivor. Just amazing.
On our way to the island, they served us fresh pineapple and watermelon. When we were done snorkelling, they had a lunch of fresh guacomole, meat, cheese, fresh banana bread and vegetables for us to eat. It was delicious.
If you do nothing else, do this.
TRIP TO TAMARINDO ($50 roundtrip):
Go to the main lobby (or if you are Royal Service, have them book for you) and book a cab to take you into Tamarindo. The cab will take you there and then they give you a voucher to give to any shop or restaurant there and they will call and then come back to get you.
Lots of shopping... bit overpriced... beach at sunset is beautiful... surfing is apparently amazing... but I liked staying closer to the resort... Tamarindo was a bit sketchy.
BRAZILITO (about 15 min walk from the resort): Rough-looking little town with a good restaurant. "The Happy Snapper". Go.
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Michael Mills/Vargas/Allegro Tours Melissa
January 2009
Booked tours outside of the resort with Papagayo/Vargas Tours which was the best thing we ever did. Great people who run the tour who have really investigated how to make peoples trips ones to remember. The three owners Ricardo, Micheal and Josta met us at the resort the day following our check in, to go over the 3 tours we booked (Arenal Volcanoe, deep sea fishing, and Palo Verde Tour) The Arenal Volcanoe tour we had our guide Manny, who you could not say enough good things about and driver John who was again just amazing. Did a great job in breaking the 3 1/2 trip to the Volcanoe up. We went to a wildlife sanctuary, had the best lunch ever overlooking the arenal lake, continued to ziplining over the rainforest and overlooking both the arenal volcanoe and lake. From there went to a very secluded hot springs, which our guide Manny explained the big tours companies take you too an amusement type one across the road (which we did end up hearing from other people at our resort and they didn't like it) Had supper on the other side of the volcanoe and returned to see a bit of lava flowing down the volcanoe in the evening. Our trip back was very long, but the whole day made it well worth it. The 5 guys travelling with us did deep sea fishing for the smaller fish, they had fun and caught 4 black fined tuna, which we had the chef at the resort make us for dinner, which was excellent. We ended with our final tour of the Palo Verde Tour, and we had our two favourite men, John and Manny again. We saw birds, bats, monkeys and crocodiles very upclose on our own privated guided boat (other boats we full of about 20 people and we had 9 on ours) We had lunch at a local family run restaurant which was once again great and then headed to shopping in CoCo. I would reccomend booking with Vargas Tours and you will be blown again by their services. We were able to make stops when our driver John would see a sloth up in the tree, or kimates (look like racoons) on the side of the road, or to cut us some sugar cane. Or when Manny wanted to show us the different fruits growing or when they were kind enough to pull over when i was car sick. We had a 15 passenger van to our group of 9 which had water and juice supplied. To sum it up, this tours company made our trip and memorable as it was
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Michael Mills/Vargas/Allegro Tours Shelbie
March 2008
As a group we did quite a few tours which included a river tour, the mega combo tour whic was ziplines, atving along side the volcano, a visit to a volcanic spring and volcanic spa, and horseback riding. We also did deep sea fishing and seadooning,
we booked our tours outside the resort, using Vargas tours, they were awesome, i wanted to give our business to a smaller company that focused on customer service rather then money money money which results in overcrowding. ANyway Vargas tours like i said was fabulous, we went on tours that were just my group of guest so like a private tour,our tour guide carlos was great. he was very friendly, funny and willing to accmadate us in anyway he could. If we wanted to stop somewhere that we had jsut driven by then we could. he did not rush us or pressure us and was very knowledgeable about costa rica and answered all our questions.
i contacted vargas tours via email after reading a positive review and to my surprise i got a phone call at work within a few days. They even made several attempts leaving me voicce mail which i thought was very customer service driven considering they were calling from costa rica. After the initial contact most correspondance was via email. they set up an itenary based on the tours that i wanted that were scheduled of course around my wedding!!! Book with Vargas Tours, you will not be dissappointed.
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Michael Mills/Vargas/Allegro Tours Ken and Cathy
March 2007
I met with Ricardo Vargas (from Vargas Tours at the lobby to figure out what tours we were interested in doing that week.
After being to Costa Rica several times, we knew that the tour company that the resort offers is not the only choice that you have when planning a day trip. Five or six years ago, Ricardo Vargas and Michael Mills decided that people needed more personalized smaller tours. They now jointly own Vargas Tours and this is the only tour company we use for our day trips. When you go on a tour, you are able to stop to take pictures when you want to and you can also customize your trip to what you want to do.
The tours that the resort offers with Swiss Travel are large buses with 30-50 people on them. They also make stops at other resorts to pick up people. You cannot customize these trips and stop to take pictures whenever anybody wants to stop. With such a large crowd, it is noisier and more likely to scare the wildlife away. You are also on a tighter time schedule and they tend to push things through to keep them on schedule.
The Mega tour includes the canopy tour, horseback ride, hot springs, water slide and lunch. A group came back from the Mega tour that they took with Swiss Travel. A honeymoon couple that I was talking to were very upset because a couple of girls had fallen off their horses. They had never ridden before and their horses had fallen to the back of the line. One of the guides rode up behind them and whipped the horses and the horses reared up and the girls fell off. One girl had head and arm injuries and the other had a shoulder injury.
If you have 4 to 20 people in a group, call Vargas Tours. The price for this trip was $116 with Swiss Travel and $125 with Vargas Tours, but I can guarantee that you won’t regret the $10 or so extra per person it costs for the personal service and safety that you receive.
The trip that we did with Vargas Tours this trip was the Extreme Mega Tour. It is along the same principle as the Mega Tour, but you go to different places. The ranch that you go to is not governed to the large crowds. There is no water slide, but it is a much nicer ranch and the lunch is a lot better quality. Horses are ridden up to the canopy tour. The canopy ride zip lines are much higher and longer. The hot springs is where you can see the mud bubbling out of the ground. You do not get to see the volcanic mud bubbling out of the ground with the Swiss Travel Tour as they go to a different place. You get into a sauna for about 5 minutes to open your pores. There are pots that contain the volcanic mud that you smear all over your body. You let the mud dry, shower off the mud and enter the 3 thermal pools from hottest to the coolest. They vary in temperature, approximately 42 celsius, 36 celsius and then 13 celsius. On the way back to the resort, we stopped off at a very nice place to buy souvenirs,
Our second tour was the Palo Verde River Tour. This is the tour to take if you want to see wildlife. As before, I have been on this tour with both Swiss Travel and Vargas Tours, and there is no comparison.
A few years ago, we went with Swiss Travel. When we arrived at the river, there were half a dozen boats ahead of us. Wildlife was scarce because of all the noise as there are numerous boats and many people. We saw some birds, one crocodile and some howler monkeys. When we stopped to take pictures of the howlers, there were 4 boats all together on the river bank.
The next time we came to Costa Rica in 2004, we met Michael and Ricardo. We took 3 day trips that week all with the same guide and all of the trips exceeded our expectations.
We took the Palo Verde trip. They take you to a different part of the river than Swiss Travel. You are in a tributary of the main river and it is much narrower, so you are closer to the riverbank and likely to see more wildlife. You are the first to arrive because the van does not stop at any other resorts and you get there before all the big tour buses arrive.
Up until December 2005, you were allowed to feed the white-face monkeys and the crocodiles. This is not permitted now. There are game wardens that check your boat to make sure that you have no food for the wildlife. We saw many varieties of birds, small tree bats that look like bark, huge iguanas, crocodiles. A white-faced monkey jumped on the roof of our boat. Afterwards, we stopped and had a typical Costa Rican lunch, rice & beans, chicken, ribs, veggies and salad. We then went shopping in Playa del Coco.
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Michael Mills/Vargas/Allegro Tours Dave and Suzanne ~ USA
December 2006
We took two tours booked through Michael Mills. Our guide Roberto was the guide for both our tours. The first tour was the Barinquen tour. My wife and I were the only two people escorted and guided by Robeto. Roberto was outstanding. He had a tremendous enthusiasm for Costa Rico, the wild life and the environment. He actually got excited when we saw wild life or something unusual that we needed to see. Spending two days with Roberto was an education in Costa Rican history, geography and culture. We were really fortunate to have him as our guide. After the second tour "the river tour" we felt we really knew him and his family. I don't know if you can pick your guide but ask Michael Mills if you can have Roberto Mora as a guide for your choices in tours.Roberto also has his own tour company called Geckotico Tours. Web: www.geckotico.com email ........ reservations@geckotico.com
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Michael Mills/Vargas/Allegro Tours Gary ~ UK
January 2006
We did a little research beforehand and reserved our tours with Michael and Ricardo at Vargas Tours – so glad we did!
Not only were they and their guides phenomenal, the trips gave us several unforgettable experiences that the teenagers in our party will remember for the rest of their lives! I really cannot stress how important it is to do this.
The tours we attended were:
The Buena Vista Mega Combo. Despite the hype-ridden title, it certainly lives up to the description. If you only have time for the one tour, it should be this one! I won’t go into a description of these as they can be seen on the above site, but needless to say it fulfils (and probably exceeds) any expectation you may have… and mine were pretty high to begin with!
The Beach-hopping tour. We combined this with a Quad-Bike tour and some of the group opted for horseback-riding. We followed this with surfing lessons for the ‘younger generation’, which was one of the highlights of the vacation for them!
The Palo Verde River Tour. Monkeys, Crocs, Birds and a real flavour of the wildlife generally.
The Sunset Sail. What a way to end the vacation! Not only viewing the most spectacular sunset ever, but also having schools (shoals?) of dolphins swimming by our boat and then the actual sunset framing the silhouette of 3 whales jumping and diving into the Pacific! Unbelievable. One final point to make about the tours is that the Costa Rican roads are not the best (understatement), so be prepared for some bumpy rides!
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Vargas/Allegro Tourse John & Kathy ~ Toledo, Ohio
June 2005
My biggest disappointment was the tours we scheduled with Mike Mills of Vargas/Allegro tours. I read nothing but great reviews on how good his tours were.
We scheduled 3 expensive tours with him. All were very disappointing. We did not get what we were told to expect. The Arenal volcano tour included a 1 hr. trek through the hot, humid rain forest. It actually took over 2 hours and they did not provide any water or other liquids during the trek. The terrain was very rough and we saw no wildlife - bummer. We rode in a small van and the 3 1/2 hr ride back from the volcano at night was long and cramped with no leg room. Next, we took a back -to-back sailing tour all day then sunset evening sailing tour all in one trip. The so-called fabulous lunch was chips, pop and a couple of wrapped sandwiches - Big Deal!! We were told we would be sailing on a very nice sleek 50 ft. sail boat with room down below to stay in if it rained. What we got was a 50 ft trimerand catamaran which had only 4 flimsy chairs on deck. The area below was very filthy and the stench from the bathroom was awful. we were in the sun for over 8 hours with little or no shade. I called Mike to advise him of our disappointment, but all I got was the runaround. Be careful who you book your tours through. You might be better off dealing with the tour operators on the property.
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Rincon National Park & Palo Verde Tanya
January 2005
We booked our tours through Michael Mills. They were great. We went to Rincon National park and had Manuel take us on a hike through the forest and the hot bubbling mud pits. We saw spider monkeys swinging from the trees as well as toucans. There were also many strange bugs and lizards. Then we made our way through the forest to a waterfall. It was breathtaking. We ended our hike and Manuel had fresh cut up Cantaloupe and pineapple. Then he took us on another 20 minute hike to another waterfall that we could swim. The water was extremely cold and we just had a nice time looking at all of the butterflies and watching this other couple ! swimming in the icy water. Then after we hiked back to the van we were taken to Liberia for lunch. We were given a typical Costa Rican meal of rice, beans, salad and fish. It was great!!! Then we made our way to a souvenir shop then headed back to the hotel.
Our second tour was to Palo Verde. David was our guide. He was also very knowledgeable. When we got to Palo Verde we were paired up with a boat driver they call Hawk Eye because he can spot things a mile away. We were informed that there was a group of white faced monkeys so we set off to find them. When we got there we were greeted by the cutest little faces looking out at us. Right away the monkeys were excited that we were there and started jumping all over the boat, coming with in arms length of us. Talk about a rush. I had never been so close to a monkey in my life. So after a while we set down river to find some birds and we came across herons and a bunch of other birds I can’t remember the names of. Then we headed back the other way and found tones of crocodiles. Apparently th! ere are 200 crocks per mile. The place was crawling with them. Another group of people that were on our boat was feeding them chicken pieces. They were like 3 feet from the boat. Another amazing rush! The cruise a little over 2 hours and then we were taken to this little tiny restaurant where everything is cooked on a wood stove. That’s were we learned of a condiment they call Salsa. Its not they everyday chopped up tomatoes and onions it’s almost like a ketchup but much tastier. Needles to say we came home with some.
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Avispa’s Tours Wisconsin Group
September 2008
Six of us from the USA and none of us fluent in Spanish - we were a little apprehensive about getting around in Costa Rica. Online, we read testimonials about Avispa’s Adventures and we were impressed; the tours were just what we wanted – small groups with personal attention. The owner, Amy, is from the U.S. but has lived in Costa Rica for many years, so language was no problem.
We set up our first tour with Amy while we were still in the states. We were happy to learn that they would pick us up from the airport at Liberia and take us to our condo at Sol Villas. This was a great decision; on the way to our condo, driver Jose pointed out places of interest; he also stopped so we could exchange our money and buy some essentials.
Our first tour was the Miravalles Volcano Adventure; Gustavo was our driver and our guide, and he answered so many questions about Costa Rica. The zip line was excellent and the tour operators were very helpful and patient with us. That tour included an excellent Tica lunch at a new open-air restaurant, and then a horseback ride up to several waterfalls with a knowledgeable guide, Joel, and then down to a crater where we explored and enjoyed a hot mud bath! The evening darkened, the moon came up while we sat in the hot pools and toasted our day with Costa Rican wine. A perfect cap to our perfect day!
Our next trip was to the Palo Verde River Adventure; Amy went with us on this one, and she was a fountain of information and knew what people from the U.S. would want to know. When Amy discovered that many in our group were teachers, she made an unscheduled stop at Corralillos School, and our hearts were touched as the children came to shyly greet us and try out their English. The staff took us on a tour of their school and we learned how Costa Rican schools operate. Read about it on Avispa’s Adventures Web site, www.avispasadventures.com, under “Community Involvement.” Without a doubt, this was one of the highlights of our trip.
We got in the narrow covered boats for our water trip in the Palo Verde National Park, up and down the flat, muddy spread of Tempisque River bordered by trees, howler monkeys, whiteface monkeys, iguanas, herons and cattle. Crocodiles and fish were plentiful and we were lucky to see a Jesus Christ lizard. For lunch we ate at a quaint restaurant with excellent food, and the day was topped off with ice cream at a local shop.
Amy connected us with a woman who cooks genuine Costa Rican dinners, served at our vacation condo at a very reasonable cost; we chose that for one of our evening meals, and we were not disappointed. It was another memorable evening.
We would highly recommend Avispa’s Adventures; and, as they advertised, it is true: if you want to do something that is not listed as a tour, talk to Amy and she can do it. Her knowledge of Costa Rica is vast and she genuinely wants to introduce people to the REAL Costa Rica. You can contact her by email at info@avispasadventures.com and she will answer right away. If you want to contact by phone, the number to use from the U.S. is 011-506-8-372-3094.
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Avispa’s Tours Kathie
July 2008
This was our first visit to Costa Rica, and we were lucky enough to connect with Avispa Adventures right from the start. My family and I just clicked immediately with Amy - she is co-owner of the tour organization, and is from the States - so obviously, no language issues! We took 3 tours through Avispa - a riverboat ride complete with Tico wildlife, an all day adventure - canopy tour, hiking in the rain forest, visit to Rincon de la Piedra volcano, and horseback riding, and an all day beach tour - surfing and an ATV tour. On the first 2 tours we were accompanied by Amy and our driver, Carlos, and on the beach tour, Carlos guided us as I have enough Spanish to communicate. We were more than satisfied with all our adventures. The van was very comfortable and roomy, as well as air-conditioned. There were snacks and cold drinks of all varieties available - and lots of little touches like hand-wipes, towels, and garbage bags. We ate in several restaurants and the food in all was delicious and authentic, and the service and ambience were wonderful. The guides at the canopy tour, horseback ride, etc were just as helpful as Amy and her group are - friendly and accommodating in every way. You can basically tailor an “adventure” to whatever your group will enjoy most. The prices for the tours were quite reasonable and would include pick up and return wherever you are staying - virtually a must in Costa Rica where road conditions are poor and signs and maps are virtually non-existent. Avispa is very helpful and sensitive to any kind of special needs - I walk with crutches, and I was able to participate in all the activities thanks to Amy and her guides. While in Costa Rica, we did 2 activities that were not through Avispa - snorkeling and river rafting. Neither lived up to the standards we had come to expect from our tours with Avispa. I would whole-heartedly recommend this group for any and all needs in Costa Rica - I have traveled extensively and have to say that this was the most personalized, friendly, and accommodating group that I have ever encountered - they made our trip very special. Their web site is www.avispasadventures.com. and they are located in the area of Guanacaste - northwest Pacific coast.
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Avispa’s Tours Tracy
November 2007
Avispa’s Tours - www.avispasadventures.com we read about Amy before we left Canada and booked the Miravalles Volcano Adventure and Arenal Volcano Adventure and had a FANSATIC TIME! I would highly recommend booking with them– you won’t be disappointed!!! Her tours are smaller groups (2-4ppl) so this way you get a more laid-back adventure as it’s up to you how long you want to stay at each site. Miravalles is a must do tour which includes zip-lining, horseback riding (or tracker ride), nature hike with water falls, sulfur springs, hot springs, and mud baths. Arenal includes a nature hike, the volcano, hot springs and we added ATV’ing. We did not see the volcano the day we went it because it was cloudy – still worth the trip! This tour is a long day 13+ hours so if you want something closer to the resort go with Miravalles, its only 1 hour away. All food, snacks, beverages are included in the price (which is comparative to what the hotel is going to try and sell you). The van is safe and secure so don’t worry you wont lose your personal belongings. I recommend you bring rain gear and a change of clothing just in case. I won’t go into much more detail but if you want more info check out her website or email me! TOUR WITH AMY – AVISPA’S IS THE BEST!
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Avispa’s Adventures - Guanacaste Steve and Georgia ~ Midland, TX
July 2007
My friends and I made a trip to Costa Rica the first of July there were 10 of us in our party. My husband had read about the Avispas's adventures so we called Amy and she came to our hotel and visited with us. She explained all about the tours. Since Amy is from the US there was no problem with the language barrier. She took 8 of us on a white water rafting trip the first day and 2 others went with her husband Jose to Cocoa Beach for a shopping trip. Our white water rafting was fun, a little scary since the river had come up on account of the rain, but the guides were very cautious and took very good care of us. The next day we did the Zip line, volcano and waterfall trip. It was an all day trip but worth it. Even though I do not like heights, I was never nervous or scared. George and his guys are very experienced and careful. The waterfall trip was wonderful as was the volcano. Especially enjoyed sitting in the mud at the volcano. Amy arranged lunch at the zip line and it was wonderful.
The next trip we took with Amy was the river trip and we got to see lots of wildlife. It was very relaxing but enjoyable. We would recommend Amy and Avispas's to everyone that goes to Costa Rica and is in her vicinity. We stayed at the Premier Fiesta Resort and Spa and enjoyed ourselves very much.
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Avispa’s Adventures - Guanacaste Celina
May 2007
First I would like to say my husband and I and our 8 friends we travelled with loved Costa Rica - it's adventures and the people. The country is beautiful. The Fiesta Premier was wonderful and I would recommend it without hesitation.
My main reason for writing this review is to tell you about Avispas Adventures, this small company literally made our vacation the huge success it was. I found out about Amy and Avispas from Trip Advisor and emailed her before our trip. Amy is an American who is now married to a Costa Rican man, Avispas. They run Avispas Adventures which specializes in tours for small groups and you can customize any aspect of your trip that you would like to.
Amy came to our hotel the first day we arrived at Fiesta and ran over all our choices. We ended up doing all of our tours with Avispas and were 100% thrilled. We did the Miravalles Adventure, the Bar Hopping Tour, Full Day Sailing Trip and Gourmet Dinner and Cocoa Beach.
MIRAVALLES ADVENTURE:
This is Avispas signature trip so we decided to try it as Amy told us on this particular tour they do not go the "main" busy tourist sights. We started our day with a ziplining adventure (we were the only group there) which was exciting and so much fun. I can't remember exactly how many zip lines we did but it was over a dozen. This is a must try. We were then served a delicious homemade lunch by the family who runs the zip line.
After lunch we drove to Miravalles and had a horse ride partially up the volcano to the rain forest. (They have one speed horses or a tractor ride if preferred). We did a hike through the rain forest, crossed a swing bridge and saw four beautiful waterfalls, the last one you can get into the pool below it. The scenery was stunning. (again we were the only group there) Then we drove to the volcano and walked around inside the crator (the very top of miravalles volcano has closed over and is now rainforest but the activitiy has opened up in another spot lower). Then we had natural volcanic mud baths (this was a riot) and a sauna and hot tub and ended the day drinking champagne at sunset. I must add that during the day Amy stopped and bought us local snacks/drinks to try. Your group may stop any time you wish for photos, bank, souvenir shopping, toilet.....this is not the case with a big bus tour.
BAR HOPPING TOUR:
This was SO much fun. You can choose whatever type of bars you want but we wanted to go where Costa Ricans do. We started off with a karoeke bar (couple of our guys tried a local drink with raw turtle eggs in it - I know, why would you want to???). They did have English songs to choose from. Next we went to a pub like bar. Each bar has a list of bocas (appetisers) that you can buy very cheaply and this is what we had for dinner that night (Amy helped us out with ordering and translations). We ended up our evening at a disco. They were so friendly there, they welcomed us on the microphone and came over with a piece of paper and pen and wanted us to write down our song choices.....and they had everything we requested! We danced until late in the evening.
COCOA BEACH:
When Amy heard that we were going to taxi to Cocoa Beach she offered to take us so that we could be guaranteed a ride there and back when we wanted. Amy also recommended a couple of restaurants, we chose the beach front one and the food and atmosphere was wonderful.
SAILING TRIP AND GOURMET MEAL:
Our last day we did an all day sailing adventure. Amy arranged for our own sail boat to pick us up at Fiesta beach. I think the boat was 50-55' long. We sailed, stopped at a couple of beaches, looked at some caves, snorkelled and ended up cruising back to Fiesta, drinking wine, watching a glorious sunset. Another fabulous day.
That night we went into Liberia to a private home (a retired French-Canadian couple) and enjoyed a truly unbelievable 7 course meal.
Avispas Adventures is insured, bonded, reliable and safe. Their prices are all comparable to the large tour groups. Because Amy speaks fluent Spanish and English it helped us out wherever we went (especially the bar hopping).
If you hate to be travel like cattle on large bus tours with no flexibility then I absolutely recommend you give Amy and Avispas a call, or email them before you go. I just can't say enough about this couple, you won't be dissapointed, they go out of their way to make you happy.
You can find Avispas Adventures on the internet or go directly to this link:
http://papagayotourscostarica.typepad.com/avispas_adventures/home/index.htm
Avispas direct email address is info@avispasadventures.com Amy's cell phone number once in Costa Rica is 372-3094. Hope you give them a try. Celina
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Avispa’s Adventures - Guanacaste John and Mary ~ Ontario Canada
September 2006
Tour Company – Avispa’s Adventures – they are amazing!
Date of stay Sept 9, 2006 through to Sept 17, 2006
Tours – This definitely ended up being one of the best things about our trip more than we had anticipated. I did some investigating prior to our departure to Costa Rica. Our only hesitation about booking prior to going was that we were going during rainy season. We quickly learned rainy season was no issue it all. We had three rainfalls during the day and it resulted of them blowing in and out within one hour. Rain did not put a damper on our vacation at all. The Costa Ricans explained that the rainy season in this part of the country is not an issue.We ended up finding a small tour company (a husband and wife duo) that own and operate their own business. Avispa’s Adventures – they are out of the Guanacaste area and only 5 minutes from the hotel. Amy is originally from the USA and speaks fluent English and Avispa is Costa Rican and speaks/understands English relatively well. The tour prices are the same as the big tours and the major difference is that you get a personal one on one experience. If you go with the big tour company you go with upwards of 15 to 20 people and all different people. With this company you may go by yourselves or they will match you with another couple and you can save approx $20 per person depending on the tour. Avispa’s Adventures offer the same tours as the big guys and will customize a trip if you so choose. They also offer taxi service or pick up to/from the airport. Visa and Amy are truly a hospitable duo. You may visit their website at www.avispasadventures.com to read all of the different tours that are offered. You may email Amy/Visas at info@avispasadventures.com and they usually emailed me back within 24 hours of receiving my email. While at your resort you dial *(star symbol) 372-3094 which is their cell # and you may speak to Amy. When you arrive at the hotel they insist you sit the next morning at 9am for an hour to discuss the hotel and the area. What they are really trying to do is to commit you to tours by the big company. Not necessary to go to that meeting just get a hold of this tour company and you are all set. They are a licensed and insured company.
Since their website offers a myriad of tours I had requested of Amy to tell me which are the best of the best tours to save me time. Amy responded with her #1 choice of “Visa’s Miravalle’s Volcano Adventure” and second the “Visa’s Palo Verde Adventure."
When we arrived in Costa Rica I immediately called Amy and arranged to do the Miravalle’s Volcano Adventure. The trip consists of canopy Tour, horseback/tractor ride to waterfalls, mud baths, hot springs bath, and an authentic Costa Rican lunch and the trip is an 8-9 hour day. Amy informed me the price per person was $145/person but she had another couple going and if we wanted to join them the price would drop to $120/person. We were fine with this as it still was a very small group and avoided the crowds, wait time, and the chance of annoying tourist of the big tour companies. I had previously asked if we could stop at a souvenir shop just to take a look if we had time. Amy said no problem and this little excursion was added at no additional charge. (Again the big tour companies would not do this.)
8am was our pick up time and we asked what time we would be home from our trip. Amy said the whole tour is approx 8 hours but it can be as long or as short as we want it to be. She explained that it is all up to us and we can take things slow if we so choose. Our first stop was the souvenir shop which they allowed us at least 30 minutes to visit. They did not hurry us at all. Costa Rica has absolutely beautiful pottery. We were then on our way to the Canopy Tour destination. Along the way Amy and Avispa stopped at a store and got us some fresh cooked pork rinds for us to eat. They were delicious and again this showed us the point of difference of the big tour operators compared to the little guys. Beer, Water, and other snacks were also supplied to us at no charge on our tour. (Again the big tour operators do not do this)
The Canopy Tour was amazing. And again I can not stress how peaceful and personal this tour was. George was our main guide on the canopy (an assistant also came along) and Amy came along to translate as George only speaks Spanish.
We took our time making the climb up to the first platform while plant life and animals were pointed out to us. What was so nice if you were nervous to do the zip line, your fears were calmed as you weren’t rushed by 20 other tourists to keep moving. Only 1 other couple besides ourselves so we were able to travel at our own speed and leisure.The canopy was amazing and nothing to be fearful of at all. This trip ended after approx 2 to 2.5 hours and we were greeted at the end with an authentic Costa Rican lunch which again was included into our package. We had leisurely lunch and then off we went to see the waterfalls. Avispa and Amy stopped frequently on our trip to point out plant life, sites, and animals. Again it was very relaxing. We all chose to do the horseback ride up to the waterfalls. We were paired up with another guide as this was a private property and exclusive to Avispa’s Adventures. We climbed up the mountain to view the waterfalls, cross a suspended bride, and took many photos of the absolutely breathtaking sites. Then it was back on the horses to meet up with Amy and Visa for the next part of the tour.We traveled now to the Miravalles Volcano area where we indulged in warm mud baths and a hot spring soak. Amazing to see the sulfuric hot springs and to understand the energy is used for power throughout Costa Rica. While we soaked in the hot springs Amy served us wine to finish off this exciting tour. Again this part of the tour is a private location where only a handful of tours are allowed to go. Johnny the Volcano man is your guide on this part of the trip. We headed for home at approx 6pm. As the Costa Rican Independence Day torch Run was taking place this day we were able to see the Torch run and Amy/Avispa stopped so we could watch. We felt the trip was worth far more than the $120 each that we paid.
The other couple on our trip said they were doing the Avispa’s Palo Verde Adventure in a couple of days and said we could join if we wanted to. Since we had so much fun on this tour we decided to do it. The cost is $95 per person but since we had 4 or more on the trip it only cost $75/person. Amy said we could depart at anytime we wanted but recommended we get their early as Animal life feeds early in the morning. We left at 7am and began the journey. Avispa stopped on our way along a river point so we could watch the men getting natural materials out of the river for construction. The interesting point of this was that we got to see how they bring this out of the river. 2 big oxen pull a cart out of the river once their cart is full of these fine materials. It was like out of the movies. Next stop was a local bakery where we got ourselves a treat. The pastries were delicious and inexpensive.We arrived at the Tempisque River and were the first on the river. Again a big boat and only 2 couples, Amy, Avispa, and the tour guide. Birds, crocodiles, and monkeys were all pointed out for us to view. They even let us fish on board. Crocodiles we were able to feed. Saw howler monkeys and listened to them howl. Following this tour we stopped for a Costa Rican lunch which again was delicious. Amy and Avispa then said since we didn’t see the White Face monkey, we are willing to take you to Guantil where you can see a pottery making demonstration. We all decided we would go and this was added on to our trip at no charge. Wow!!! We were back at the resort by 2:30pm. I can’t say enough about happy we were about the tours. Personal attention, superior customer satisfaction and unique adventures for an unforgettable experience is their tagline and believe it! Overall wonderful experience with the hotel and the tours!!! We will go back to Costa Rica!
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Avispa’s Adventures - Playa Hermosa Guanacaste Mike ~ Florida
May 2006
We just returned from a week’s visit 4/22 – 4/29/06 to this area. Although I am usually the type on my trips that does my own research, rents a car, and does self tours (I hate large group / cookie cutter tours), before my visit to costa rica this time (we were also in costa rica in December 2004), and especially because I was familiar with the road conditions, I decided I would try a tour company on this trip. I ran across a gem of a tour company - Avispa’s Adventures. They are a small company - husband and wife. Avispa is Costa Rican and has lived in the area all his life; Amy is American (from the Baltimore area) so there never was a language problem. They try to take only one group (they will even take 2 people at a slight increase in price), but if you don’t mind meeting another couple, they will arrange for 4 people to get the standard price. Their tours will go where the big guys go if you wish, but they also have set up some similar tours that go to uncrowded places. Their prices are in line with the big guys, but you get a much more personalized tour. We took the Miravalles volcano tour (it is similar to the Mega Tour and Borinquen combo tour, but to a much less crowded area). Everything on the tour was perfect. Amy also arranged a fishing boat charter for me, and it was perfect. The couple that we took the Miravalles tour with had taken 4 different tours with Avispa’s Adventures, and they also had nothing but praise for every one of their tours. Amy made a comment during our tour that I thought was appropriate – most people start as our customers and end up being our friends. I fully agree. You can contact Avispa’s Adventures at www.avispasadventures.com, or call them in costa rica at 372-3094. Also, at my resort, regardsless of the tour company, I heard mostly favorable comments about the volcano, rain forest and palo verde river tours, and mostly negative comments about the Liberia and Nicaragua tours.
We also rented a car from Tricolor Car Rental in Liberia. They provided excellent service – delivered the car on time to our hotel for no additional fee. They also seem to have good rates, especially if you book ahead of time via the internet. They are a small company, but seemed real eager to please. One day we drove south to the Tamarindo area, and the other day we drove about 2 hrs to Rincon de la Vieja to the national park, which is in a rain forrest area. We took a 2 hr hike and saw lots of wildlife. I think it is becoming well known that the roads are terrible – even the road to Tamarindo was mostly unpaved and not maintained. We laughed that the long road to the high priced Four Seasons resort is the best public road in the area, even though it has little traffic.
Overall, I highly recommend Costa Rica. There is a lot to do there. The only thing I will do differently is not visit during the hottest month of the year – April. I live in Florida, and the heat was even too much for me during this visit. There is always a breeze – sometimes even a high wind, but the hot, dry air was often uncomfortable.
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Nicaragua Tour, Canopy Tour, Liberia Tour, CoCo beach by rented van Small town Ontario, Canada
March 2006
We just got back from a wonderful vacation in Costa Rica! We stayed at the Allegro Papagayo. Great place! Very hilly-but there are shuttles if you are patient and wait. Usually come every 10-15 min. Room ok-great view. Coffee maker there but no coffee or cups so we got our own. Air conditioner was "tempremental" but they came failry quickly to fix it.
Tours: We booked our tours through Swiss Tours at our resort. Nicaragua Tour was EXCELLENT. Very, very long day and bumpy roads but we thoroughly enjoyed every minute!! We left at 06:00 and home @ 21:30. We learned a lot of history on the way and Henri was TERRIFIC. Henri was the Nicaraguian guide and Andre was the guide from the hotel-he was very good as well-seemed a little shy or not confident but I really liked him!
We had a tour of Granda and museum around the church and were able to shop at the market-that was fun, but we only had an hour. Henri told us at the very beginning DO NOT give the children $ especially if they did not do anything for you. If you can-give them food-ESCPECIALLY apples-they can't get them in Nicuragua.
Some of the boys helped the tourists in the market and a lot of the tourists said they were very helpful and bargained for them and did get a better price. If you didn't want them with you just say no thank you. We also saw an active volcano and were able to get some awesome pictures. If you wanted you could walk up even further to another volcano but most of us stayed at the first site as the climb was very steep. We had a wonderful lunch-most of us had steak and it was very delicious. They had a green sauce of some sort that they put on the steak (it was on the side if you wanted to try it) The guide told us it was chopped parsley, garlic and oil. I didn't find it had much taste but others liked it. I believe this tour was $122.00 USA. The next tour we did was the Canopy Tour which was another fun filled day!
The zip line had 11 cables and once you did the first couple of lines you knew what you were doing. I myself had to get off at the 5th cable and walk the rest of the way on the suspension bridge. It was because my arms were very weak and I was afraid I would let go of the cable at an inappropriate time and not be able to stop before the next platform. I might have been hyperventilating as well as my hand were tingling and my mouth was very dry. I think a lot if it was "nerves" and I'm scared of heights but I wasn't going to Costa Rica and NOT do the zip line. The rest of the group did all 11 and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Some of the younger members wanted to go again and even a longer more challenging zip line. More power to them!! If you are fit and enjoy adventure this is a DEFINITE "to do". I am not very fit and I am very glad I did it!! Next was the water slide-I thought this may be detremental to my health so I did not join in. A lot of people once they came down it said they wouldn't do it again. A couple of people felt like they were either going to come off the slide or turn upside down in it. No one got hurt but there is potential there. One of the people we met did hurt his elbow trying to straighten himself around so he didn't end up face down.
After the waterslide we had a wonderful buffet lunch with lots of Costa Rican food and it was very good. There food is very bland but good. If you're use to spicy food you find it here. Then off to the horse back riding-again some of us did not do that and decided to ride in the tractor pulled wagon (which was very bumpy). Those who rode the horses did enjoy it. Due to arthritis in my hip I chose not to. The horses looked very docial and you really didn't have to do much as it looked like they knew exactly where they were going! I got a picture when we arrived at the "spa" of the horses heading back to the stables with NO riders on them-what a hoot!
The spa was fun but not quite what I expected. I can see it getting very "touristy" and not the "natural" feeling to it. We started out in a stone hut steam bath and proceeded to an area with hot mud in stone containers of some sort that were manned by a worker and he kept stirring the mud-not sure where he was getting it from. It was fun, people were laughing and having a great time. Then we walked over a few feet to the "shower" which in itself was pretty funny. It was hooked up to a pole in the middle of the woods.
It just looked quite funny with all the mud covered people around it trying to was the mud off. There were a couple of garden hoses too that you could use. The water was a little chilly to say the least! Then after we were cleaned off we proceeded to the "spa" I think the wateres were suppose to have natural minerals in them. The first one was like a hot tub and the temperature was quite hot then you went along to 2 other square pools of cooler water. At the end there were a couple of square pools that you could relax in. None of the pools are very deep you can just walk around in them and cool off. We saw the most beautiful butterflies while we were enjoying the water. The one in partiuclar had brown on the outside of the wings and inside as a sparkling bluey-purple colour-absolutely gorgeous!! We also saw a spider monkey while we were sitting in the woods at "the bar" waiting for everyone to finish before we headed back. I was a little disappointed we didn 't see more flowers in the woods but maybe it wasn't the right time of year for that. We did see some day lilies.
The "free" trip to Liberia was a bit of a disappointment to us as we wanted to spend more time in the city and see "the sights". They took us to 3 souvenier shops first but we didn't buy much there. We waiting until we got to Liberia and bought rum, coffee and wine at the "supermarket". The coffee ranged from $2.00 (for the chocolate cafe) to about $5.00 for the Brit ground coffee. Rum was $2.00 as well as the pineapple wine we bought.
On the Saturday 6 of us rented one of the vans from the resort and went to CoCo Beach. It was great! We finished up our shopping there-the farther away from the beach you go-the cheaper the merchandise! We are having a rocking chair shipped to Canada from Blue Marlin Service. He gave us his card and e-mail, etc, I don't antcipate any problems. The ship by UPS. We should have stayed longer than the 2 hrs. but most of us were done and decided to go back. The beach area is very rustic right now but I'm sure in a few years it will be very built up! Hope it doesn't destroy the "Costa Rica feeling". I'm sure it is a very "young peoples" place at night-lots of loud music coming from the many bars on the beach. We got some wonderful pictures!
The wood you see everywhere is absolutely gorgeous-bowls, little boxes of all sorts, jewellery. They are known for their rosewood and mahogany. They also have a tree indidugous to Costa Rica-the guarnarcasta tree-(not sure if I spelled it right) same name as the province-really unique looking and you will see them throughout Costa Rica. The guides have a story for you about these special trees-I won't spoil it for you. We would go back to Costa Rica in a heartbeat. It was one of our most memorable trips!! I just wish we had stayed 2 wks so we could see more! Next time maybe closer to the rainforest!! We were out in the middle of no where at a beautiful resort but it was quite far from everywhere so it did take a long time to get to where you were going. Great fun and wonderful memories!!
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Tempisque River Penny and Michael ~ Ontario
January 2006
We booked a tour, a trip on the Tempisque River, through Guest Services for our group of 13. The hotel called a freelance guide, Felipe Blanco B. (506 303-0289), who came the next day in his 20 some passenger bus with driver. A lively sort, Felipe kept us entertained throughout the 5 hour trip with his wide knowledge of plants and animals, his views on life in Costa Rica and life in general, and his active sense of humour - the best guide we've ever had in 4 Central American countries. On the the river trip we saw (and heard) howler monkeys, fed whitefaced monkeys, got within 4 feet of crocodiles and spotted several species of birds and many iguanas. This was an excellent trip in terms of plentiful wildlife, good transportation, and a top-notch guide.
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Arenal Volcano Tour, ATV Tour, Congo Canopy Tour, The Golden Shrimp Restaurant, The Liberia Shopping Tour Steve and LeighAnn ~ Toledo, Ohio
June 2005
June 2005-honeymoon
We enjoyed this trip very much. I will warn anyone that the car ride is very long and the roads are terrible. I am a person who gets car sick and it did not make me get sick, but I was a little nauseated afterwards. It was very worth it though. You first go to the rainforest- bring water!. We saw more wildlife on the way there than we did when we went on the hike. We saw toucans, monkeys, horses, and cattle and the driver stopped so we could get out and take pictures. The view on the way is awesome and your guide informs you of information as you go. After you do the rainforest hike you eat lunch at a local restaurant. Be prepared to pay for anything other than coffee, water, or some sort of carrot juice. The food here is decent and the view is neat because there are birds feeding right outside from where you are eating and the flowers are beautiful. Also, don’t forget film when you go because the cameras everywhere are anywhere from $17 to $25 dollars. After the hike we had to drive about 50 more minutes to the Hot Springs. This was fantastic. It was very relaxing and the scenery was awesome! We ate dinner there as a part of our package and it was delicious. Also, be prepared to pay for drinks here. After dinner we rushed off to a location about 5 minutes away to see the active volcano. This was incredible. Be aware that your pictures will not turn out because you have to have a special lense/camera. We recommend getting a picture during the day time and then buying a postcard so you can show people what it looked like at night. The view is breathtaking, but be aware that you don’t get close to the volcano whatsoever.
ATV Tour
We used a guy named Nitcho right outside the resort. It was $45/per person for 2 hours. Inside the resort it was $55/per person for 2 hours. This was one of our favorite tours. The view is incredible and you can stop and take some amazing pictures. We actually got to see some pigs, dogs, a python, cattle, and horses. You get to ride up mountains and fly through back roads. Make sure your guide takes you the full 2 hours…our guide tried to stop after an hour and 15 minutes. Be prepared to get muddy and wear sunglasses so dirt and debris don’t get in your eyes.
Congo Canopy Tour
This tour was recommended to us because it has higher platforms, you get to ride in a safari like truck, and there are more howling monkeys to see than the regular canopy tour through the resort. Ask for information at the TAM desk by the bikes. This was one of our favorites as well. The people working there are extremely fun and they help you get adventurous. We got to see butterflies, iguanas, howling monkeys, and their version of the raccoon. Well worth the $45 a person and only a half day. Also, they provide you with water along the way.
The Golden Shrimp Restaurant
This was the best food for your money and the best view. It is about 2 minutes from Paradisus Playa Conchal and a van picks you up and takes you there. The service is excellent. The food is amazing and the view is breath taking. Try to go at night so you can see the sunset and the waves crashing in. After it gets dark you get a candlelight dinner and music provided by them. I would recommend getting the grilled lobster and the shrimp alfredo. My husband and I went there got both of those dishes and a margarita each and only spent $40. It is well worth it!!!!
The Liberia Shopping Tour
Go on this trip. If you like to shop and you need gifts to bring back it is well worth it. Make sure to stop in the supermercado (supermarket) they have everything you might need and it is cheap to get liquor and coffee here. We came home with about 10 bags of goodies. We heard that this was far better than the Tabacon shopping trip. It was only $23/per person and you stop at about 5 or more big souvenir shops. The prices are excellent! FYI…shipping big items back home costs a lot!
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Manuel Antonio National Park Vic --- Canada
October 2004
A great place to admire the amazing ecological variety of Costa Rica. Beware of the monkeys, they like to steal things, especially cameras and whatever shines. It’s also forbidden to feed the monkeys, and it’s for their own good, so please respect that regulation. There is also a nice beach of soft white sand, and the ocean here is perfect for snorkeling (fish are used to tourists and I saw a few from up close). Don’t forget your camera for you’ll take memorable pictures here, provided you keep it safe from the monkeys that is ;-)
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Horse ride & sunset on the mountain Vic --- Canada
October 2004
There are two different groups of people who offer this activity. They’ll ask for $40 for starters, but if you talk first to the people at the Grayline Tours counter, and hire the guy they recommend, you’ll end up paying $20 to $25. We organized a small group of 6 people (us included) and paid $20 each. The horse guy drove us to the nearby mountain and we were introduced to the horses there, then the horseback ride starts to the top. On the way there are many beautiful views of the beach and the town of Jaco, but the ‘pièce de resistance’ is when you reach the top, where the view is well worth it. The sunset is pure beauty, and we took many wonderful pictures while the sun slowly plunges in the ocean, setting on the distant horizon. The return was somewhat less pleasant, as there is little to see in the fading daylight, but riding along the beach in the quiet of the evening makes up for it. Our advice: the return trip can be tiring if you’re not familiar with horse riding, and we wouldn’t recommend it to someone with chronic back pains, but the sunset and the view from the top make for an amazing spectacle that we are glad to have experienced.
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Monkey Park
May 2004
We were not able to get one the resort tour to the Monkey Park but we rented a car and went on our own. This is really a neat place. It is run on donations and it is a animal rescue center. It would be great for kids or for adults who love animals. They have birds, crocodiles, deer, coyotes, and of course monkeys. They have several orphaned baby Howler monkeys and they let you hold them!!! It was great. There are also two Macaws they hang around near the front entrance. It was very interesting and informative and not far at all from the resort.
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Palo Verde River Boat Tour Stacey ~ Canada
January 2009
Go on day trips... the best one by far for us was the Palo Verde River tour. It was a day that we will never forget. And, if you are fortunate enough to get Sergio as a guide, it will also be a day that you will never forget. He is a wealth of knowledge about his country and will show you things that other guides would never even think of. He goes the extra mile for his tours. For instance, he showed us some termite nests and how they grow on the trunks of trees and then he ate some of them right off of a stick. He was also able to get a troop of White faced Capuchian monkeys to come on the boat and we fed them bananas. That is just a small glimpse into the day that we will always remember. Sergio rocks!Overall, we had a fantastic vacation in Costa Rica and are hoping to get back there again. One week just isn't enough time to see such beauty. For a small country, there is alot to see. 2 weeks would be nice. PURA VIDA!!
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Palo Verde River Boat Tour
July 2004
We also did the Palo Verde river cruise. This was through Swiss Travel Serv. and cost about $75 per person including lunch. It took about an hour and a half by bus to get to the river. Our guide was great. His name was Geovanni and he was very informative and very funny. He was with us on the bus as well as the river. It is about a 2 or 2 1/2 hour boat ride and the time flies by. We saw monkeys, Howlers and White Faced, Crocodiles, Cranes, Storks...you name it we probably saw it. Giovanni knew about all the animals and we learned alot about the flora and fauna as well as the animals. When we got back to the dock they had lunch ready and it was very good homemade Costa Rican food. Chicken with vegetables rice and beans and rice pudding. It was all delicious. Everyone fell asleep on the way back to the resort. A SECRET- Bring a jacket or towel to wrap up in on the bus. It was freezing!!! I had to buy a t-shirt at our bathroom stop. Also, try to sit on the left hand side of the boat (if you are standing on the front facing the boat the left side) behind the captains chair. It doesn't matter which seat but it seemed like most the activity is on that side of the river.
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Canopy Tour - Guanacaste Dave & Sue --- Ontario
June 2004
We took the Mega Canopy tour. $105/person (this was the discounted price thru the rep on the first day). Great adventure. 10 canopy zip lines (2 hours Long waterslide down the rainforest (1 hour long). Lunch - included smorgasbord - good - cheap beer ($1.35/beer, pop $1.50). 1 hour of horseback riding. Walk to the waterfalls. Finish off with a sauna, mud bath, and soak in the hot spring tubs. Bring good walking/trekking shoes for the canopy, horseback riding, waterfall walk. Bring sandals/bathing suit for your walk up the hill to waterslide. They supply the towels needed and all the equipment. Bring your cameras - make sure you have a good strap for it. The only negative to this trip - about a 3 hour bus ride each way. But you do get to see country side. We left at 7:30 am and returned to the resort around 8:00 pm. So it is long day. You should be in relatively decent physical shape to do. Bring bottled water. They also will take your picture - $15 for and individual shot or $20 for the couple
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Arenal Volcano - Jaco Beach Vic - Canada
October 2004
The tour guides will tell you that from Jaco to the Arenal Volcano it’s a 2-hour ride or so, BUT that’s only to get to the area of San-José. In fact you’ll be in for a 6-hour ride, which means that you’ll spend most of the day in a bus, a fact tour guides don’t advertise so they won’t lose sales. Due the winding roads, getting from one place to the other is always time-consuming. If you don’t mind the 12-hour commuting, then the Hot Springs are a great experience. Don’t expect to see the volcano, as most of the time it’s hidden by clouds, another fact that the tour’s salespeople don’t warn you about. If you are in San-José, then it’s a 3~4-hour ride, and well worth it, but we found the trip from Jaco to be tiring and unpleasant. We heard that it’s possible to stay overnight near the volcano, but it costs extra.
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Arenal Volcano - Jaco Beach Debbie and Steve - Ontario
May 2004
We visited the Arenal Volcano and saw lots of Blue Morpheus butterflies and various wildlife species on our way to Punta Leona to pick up passengers (it seems Punta Leona was an everyday part of our lives down there!) Be warned, the trip to Arenal Volcano can be long, but Arturro and our driver used every opportunity to point out new and interesting things. We stopped at La Fortuna to have a very nice lunch – we had a choice of about 15 entrees so variety was good. Arturro pointed out that some of the “puffs” of dust on the side of Arenal Mountain were actually rocks being thrown down the mountain from the volcanic cone so anyone with binoculars could see them clearly. We also stopped at the hot springs and had a lovely relaxing swim before we headed back to the mountain for dinner. Once nightfall arrived, however, the cone of the volcano was complete fogged in, and we didn’t get to see the lava flow. This condition, apparently, happens 60% of the time, so if you are absolutely determined to see the lava flow, you may have to camp out in La Fortuna and wait for a clear night! Since the mountain was fogged in, that meant that the road back to Amapola was also fogged in… this meant we were on a narrow, winding mountain road, and it was foggy! These mountain roads have no more than a two-foot shoulder between you and a 2,000-foot drop to the bottom of the valley! Needless to say, our bus driver had been through this more than once, and handled it expertly. However, we did not arrive back at Amapola until 1:00 a.m., so we were all extremely glad to be back “home”! This is where I have to congratulate Arturro, because we found out he had taken another group on a different tour the very next day, and was alive and well at 7:00 a.m.! How many of us can survive on less than 6 hours sleep and keep on going??? These guys work 7 days a week!!
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Cuba
Cayo Coco
Catamaran, Speedboats, Scooters, Havana
City of Moron and Pilar Beach
Speed Boats, Pilar Beach, Dolphin Deluxe
Cayo Ensenachos
SeaDoos from Cayo Las Brujas
Cayo Largo
Horseback Riding
Cayo Guillermo
Tours
Havana Tours
Cayo Santa Maria
Catamaran, Guanayara Park
Tours from Melia Las Dunas
Holguin
Catamaran/Swim with the Dolphins
Jibicoa
Jeep Tour & snorkelling
Havana Colonial, Rio Canjimar & Catamaran
Varadero
Bike Ride from Barcelo Solymar
Catamaran Tour
Crucero del Sol - Swimming with Dolphins
Golf - Melia Las Americas
Havana Tour from Varadero
Jeep Safari
Rio Canimar with Cubanscan tours
Tropicana Show Varadero
Trinidad
Iguana Island
Holguin
Catamaran/Swim with the Dolphins Leah
December 2008
We took the Catamaran/Swim with the Dolphins tour and had a wonderful afternoon. We were picked up at 8:30am and didn't get back until 5:30pm. That's because there were 76 people on our boat and the dolphin part of the trip only allowed groups of 15 at a time. There was a lot of waiting involved here. We thought we would actually swim with the dolphins and see a sea lion show but that didn't happen. We were in the pen with the dolphins and the trainer and got to touch the dolphins and get kissed by them which was fun. However, there was no swimming included except for the last child in the last group.
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Cayo Ensenachos
SeaDoos from Cayo Las Brujas Chad
July 2008
Excursions - did the SeaDoos from Cayo Las Brujas - if you like adventure - do this!!!!!!! Our entire group of 6 booked together, so we took up all the seats for our session. We were told that the guides will adjust the pace to your preference - and we went full throttle! We heard other groups took it quite a bit slower - so maybe do some chatting on the forum meeting place before your trip and find some like-minded people, and try to book together. Book this your first day - as it fills up fast! We seriously considered booking a second round on this trip - but decided to use this money to tip instead...at this point in the week, we had found a few employees that were going above and beyond, and felt that we would rather pass our appreciation along to them.
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Cayo Coco
City of Moron and Pilar Beach Amy
February 2008
We did 2 excursions - the first was a full day outing to the city of Moron, to a local farm, etc. We went into the city of Moron which my husband enjoyed, but I didn't. On our previous trip to the Dominican, we had also travelled into the towns and I was prepared for people asking me to buys things, etc. However, I was not at all prepared for how aggressive they would be in Cuba. We also went to a local farm, to an alligator conservation farm and took a boat out through the mangroves - all which were fun.
The second excursion we did and the one I enjoyed the most was our trip to Pilar Beach - they say it is the nicest beach in Cuba and I believe them - it's amazing. We drive about 60 minutes to the beach and then were taken by speedboat out to Half-Moon Island, just off shore, we we snorkeled on a coral reef and on a wreck of an old steamboat. We had lunch on the island (grilled shrimp and lobster which was delicious) and then we headed back to the beach and back to the hotel. This was by far the funnest day of our vacation.
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Speed Boats, Pilar Beach, Dolphin Deluxe Emma
October 2006
Speedboats –Via Thomas Cook Fabulous trip, only half a day. Situated just at the edge of Guillermo, we boarded the boats and went for a leisurely ride through the mangroves and then onto the location of the snorkelling. Here we saw many species of tropical fish, and spent about ½ hour feeding them. Then on the way back we let the boys drive, and thing got a little more speedy. Great Fun and good value for money. Just don’t drink too much the night before!!!
Pilar Beach – (On our own) We caught the local bus to Cayo Guillermo (5 pesos each return) and spent the morning at Melia Cayo Guillermo. We also popped up the beach to look at the Sol and then went back to MCG to have lunch in the beach grill. We had a lovely meal overlooking the beach. We then went back to reception and asked for a taxi to Pilar Beach (again 5 pesos each return). The driver took us the 10 minute ride to Pilar Beach and agreed a time to collect us. We walked over the sand dunes and through the little bar onto the breathtaking beach. WOW, what a gorgeous place this is. We went 100yards to the right and the beach was deserted apart from us. It was so idyllic, we spent a couple of hours on the beach and swimming in the crystal clear sea. The beach is true powder white sand, just like a picture postcard, unspoilt perfection. We had a drink in the bar before returning to meet the taxi who was already waiting for us 5 mins early.
So we then just spent ½ hour in the pool at MCG until the last bus arrived to take us back to Cayo Coco. It was a perfect day for very little cost. The Catamaran trip goes to Pilar Beach, but costs 89 pesos, and since my husband gets seasick doing it this way was ideal for us.
Dolphin Deluxe – We were picked up at 7.40am by great air conditioned coach. We travelled across the Causeway to Moron/Ciego De Avila where we stopped for breakfast (included). Then we travelled across country to Sancti Spiritus (hope that is spelt right) where we got 15 mins to have a look around the town and see the Colonial Buildings in the square, and have a quick look on the market. Then we went onto Trinidad, where we stopped to look at a local pottery then onto a restaurant for lunch (included). After this we travelled about 1 hour to Cienfuego where we went for a sail around the bay before going to the Hotel for the night. The Hotel is a 3 star, not the luxury of the Melia but clean and comfortable for one night.
The next day we were up for 7am to have breakfast and get to the Dolphinarium which is literally next door. Swimming with the Dolphins was an amazing experience that we will never forget. It made the long journey worthwhile. They are such gentle, intelligent creatures that clearly love the attention. We have some excellent pictures of us with the Dolphins, and they also did a show with 2 of them aswell as two sealions. It was very entertaining and we had a great time.
After a short return to the Hotel for lunch and shower, we were back on the coach to visit the Ernesto Che Guevara memorial and Musuem in Santa Clara. This was very interesting, and our guide taught us an awful lot about the history of cuba, the revolution, and the way of life for cubans living on the main island. We got back to the hotel at about 7pm, it was a long two days but well worth it.
Train Excursion – This is organised by the animation team at the hotel. It is 10 pesos each and the train takes you to the Wild Boar Caves, which is also a nightclub one night a week. Then we went to see the sand dunes over looking the “Forbidden Beach”, then we walked across the bay of “Flamenco Beach” to the bar at the other side. Here we had a drink and a sandwich (included) and the animation team sang us songs. Unfortunately by the time we got to the bar there was a big Storm so we didn’t get chance to spend time on the beach. We then got back on the train and back to the hotel for lunchtime. It is a nice little trip to spend half a day seeing the immediate surroundings of Cayo Coco.
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Catamaran, Speedboats, Scooters etc Shelley
January 2008
Catamaran - DO NOT GO. it was terrible, guides didn't give a shit whether you were there or not, they get paid by the gov't so they didn't even laugh or make jokes or care about you. they just sat there the whole time it was not fun. snorkeling was a joke too at the spot where they went.
Speedboats - was a blast. you drive your own two seated speedboat. guides were fun and the snorkeling a little hard because of a current flowing but fish were there, but water was a little murky. all in all a good and fun trip to go on
Scooters - they are fun to take around the area. not much to see or do but just nice to drive them and see a little of the other resorts around
Havana city trip - is the best to go on to see the culture and history, it is amazing and an overnight trip 200 cuc to go and a plane ride from airport people said it was great
Town of Moron trip - they said was good, nice to see where the people live
Jeef Safari - people had a good time on that, alligator farms and bull riding and they had a good time
there are a lot of others, but ask around to see if people had fun and it was actually worth the $$.
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Varadero
Jeep Safari Ms. Imelyn ~ Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
July 2008
We booked Jeep Safari thru Sunwing. Adult for 71 Pesos and child for 54 Pesos. Party of five (2 kids 3 adults). Left at 8:20 am for pick up (paid receipt upon boarding the trans tour bus). Dropped at rental office for jeeps (drivers license needed if your driving, please). Oops! This is only available for standard transmission (so much for the automatic). Our party in one jeep together following our tour guides/mechanic in one long line, altogether 9 jeeps cruising along the country side of Varadero, Cuba. With an open mind you will experience the local lifestyle and make the best out of it. We brought some candies to share to some children waving along the way (buy it from dollar store). We stopped 5 times during the excursions. Some went snorkeling. Swim at the cave sweet water to cool down. Visit a local farmers house. Lunch at the ranch. Did horse back riding, photo shooting with the bull, hammock relaxation, sight seeing etc. A boat ride along the river. It was a wonderful experience for us. I shall recommend this to whom who is interested in this sort of activity.
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Tropicana Show Varadero Feni
December 2007
The Tropicana show Varadero is a huge disappointment. There are 3 options in the Havana trip, one is seeing the Tropicana Havana show after the historic trip, but it’s pretty pricy. So we chose to go for the Tropicana Varadero Show since the tour representative said it was almost the same thing. Tropicana Havana is famous internationally and Tropicana Varadero is famous nationally. Well the Tropicana Varadero turned out to be a big disappointment, the show was held in an open area, mind you, it was still chilly at night (like around 18-20 degree) and especially when you are wearing a dress, it is cold… When the show started, this mid-aged bald guy was on the stage singing in Spanish for 15min.. he disappeared, the stage was empty and silent for 10min and then finally it was the show… I think they had technical difficulty that night but they never communicated this message to the viewers… and they were talking in Spanish all the time… WE all think the show we had in the resort (they have shows in the resort every night starting at 10pm, dancing, singing, acting, very professional and entertaining) is a lot better in terms of quality… this whatsoever Tropicana show is famous just because they have more people and their clothes look better and all you can see is a whole bunch of people dressing nicely walking around the stage and these two old couples singing in the background…. For 49 peso per person, this show is a rip off…Oh you have to pay to go to the washroom too..
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Havana Tour from Varadero Carrie
July 2008
We took the Havana/Tropicana day trip. The bus picks you up at 7 am and then you arrive back at your hotel roughly around 3 am. You travel into Matanzas and they stop at this huge bridge for pictures, drinks,shopping etc...oh and by the way the toilets are disgusting so be sure to bring hand sanitizer and your own toilet paper as you will have to pay the person at the door for it. Make sure you have change when you travel so that you can not only tip the washroom attendant but others as well. From there you will travel to old Havana and to a museum where you learn about their rum making and then to new Havana for shopping etc. All the while you are permitted to go off and take pictures. The Tropicana show is outdoors and is fantastic. Overall the sights, shopping,people and the show was well worth the trip.
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Havana Tour from Varadero Feni
December 2007
The day trip to Havana is good too, the tour bus that took us there has a lot of leg room compare to the room in Skyservice (that is my only other complaint for the trip, the leg room is very small in the Skyservice plane, consider the fact that I am an Asian girl but I still think the room is very cramped and small, we can not move basically, so I don’t know how the big guys can handle it, the service is pretty bad too, they occupy the place where it was intended for passengers to put their carry on luggage with their own boxes of towels and put the passengers luggage 4 blocks away from their seats , usually it should be the block right on top of your seat). We had a tour guy that speaks very good English. The bus stopped half way to pick up passengers from another Breeze resort (Jacobe ) that is stand alone and isolated from the rest of the resorts. We spent the morning touring around old Havana, there are quite a number of beggars that asked us for money but if you ignored them, they will not bother you again. We had lunch in a restaurant, the food is pretty good and they have a live band that play music for you, but they limit you one drink per person, if you exceed that, you have to pay for it yourself. We were given 1 hour to shop in the flee market in Havana… we went to the Varadero market and Plaza America mall to check out the gifts before so after comparison, we found out that the gifts in the Havana flee market are the best bargain. We bought a lot of gifts in the market, again 1 hour is way too little time to shop, and we were running and rushing back to the tour bus at the end… When we got back to the resort, it was like 7pm already… It took 2.5 hours one way to get to Havana.
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Iguana Island Jay
September 2007
The second tour we did was a three and a half hour sail boat ride to go snorkeling on Iguana's island in the south Atlantic. This was very cool, but no one on our tour spoke English. We stopped the boat in the middle of the Atlantic and the boat captain and his mates just jumped off the boat leaving us there afloat. They were fishing for fresh lobster for our meal on the island. But we didn't know this. The island was very interesting as Iguana's just run wild here. They are like dogs as they rush up to meet your when you get off the boat. I kid you not they will let you pet them and they will jump into your lap.
These are probably semi tame due to tours, but they have not been put on the island. They actually reside there. I would strongly suggest this trip. Prepare to wear lots of sun screen as you get lots of sun.
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Tours from Melia Las Dunas Martine & Keith ~ UK
June 2007
Remedios by Night
Cost: 43CUC per person.
This excursion usually takes place on a Sunday evening. Depart hotel approx. 6.30 pm, Melia Las Dunas are usually last pick-up place, and first drop off. Coach took us to Caibarien, the first small (fishing) town you come to after the 50 km causeway. There we were taken to a local restaurant to enjoy a lobster dinner which was very enjoyable. A soft drink or beer is included. If you drink wine you have to buy a bottle, as they don’t serve wine by the glass. At approx. 9 pm coach took us to Remedios to an outdoor disco, where you are offered a welcome cocktail, followed by a show approx. 1 hour, which was very good. Locals are standing outside at the gate to watch the show, lots of little children, so this is a good occasion to take some little gifts & sweets for the kids with you (which the TC reps unfortunately don’t tell you). The approx. 1 hour show is followed by a disco, it’s a lovely opportunity to watch the Cuban people dance so beautifully, they play different types of music, not just Salsa, so we could all get up for a dance.
A lot of Cuban people were outside in the streets watching the show & disco through the gates, little kids were dancing along, they are so cute. I was under the impression the Cubans were not allowed in, that it was a ‘tourist-only’ venue, but this is not the case. The reason they don’t come in is that they have to pay 3 CUC, so if you want to have a good time, invite a couple of locals to your table, buy them a drink, and you’ll certainly have a great evening & make some friends for life!
The only negative of this trip was the return journey on the coach. The evening goes on till approx 1.30 am and by that time a lot of the Brits were drunk as usual, and were extremely irritating on the journey back, and we suddenly didn’t feel this trip was a Cuban experience so much, but felt on an 18-30 holiday in Ibiza. So not proud to be British at times !
Apart from that, it was a lovely evening, good value for money, and a nice evening away from the hotel as Cayo Santa Maria is quite isolated and far from anywhere, this trip is only approx 40 minutes by coach which is not far.
Havana – 3day trip by coach (2 nights in Occidental Miramar 4*)
During our stay the only trip to Havana by plane from a local small airport Las Brujas (10 km away) was a one day trip, which in our opinion was not going to offer us enough time in Havana.
The 2 other trips (2 days & 3 days) were both by coach which is a 5 hour journey. We again thought the 1 night in Havana was going to be short considering 10 hours on the bus, so we ended up doing the 3-day trip – cost was 599 CUC for 2 people, this includes all your meals & a soft drink or beer with each meal.
We set off with 5 couples and a Cuban tour guide.
To divide the journey a little a stop is made at a Crocodile farm & an Indian village where you also have lunch. Although it was impressive to see the crocodiles, the entire visit there took up approx 2 hours, which personally we would have preferred to go straight to Havana. Arrival in Havana approx 4 pm, straight to hotel Occidental Miramar in the Miramar district of Havana (western part of Havana, the more modern part). The hotel was very impressive, a lovely lobby area, the room was great as well. Meals (buffet style) are included in the cost, we found the buffet here not so good as at the Melia Las Dunas, so we skipped the buffet meals, and paid extra to eat in the ALC restaurant which was excellent. In the evening we did the Canon shot trip, and into Old Havana to enjoy a Mojito at the rooftop terrace of the Ambos Mundos (hotel where Ernest Hemingway used to stay). Great atmosphere here with Salsa & other Latin dancing. The next morning after a not so good buffet breakfast in the hotel (it made us realise how spoilt we were in the Las Dunas) we were taken to a park where there is a statue of John Lennon sitting on a bench. The driver of the minibus could not find the park! So a little time wasted. None of us British people were too interested at seeing a John Lennon statue in Havana – we’d rather see Cuban things! Into Old Havana after this, where the guide took us round to see all the beautiful squares – there are 4 – Plaza de la Catedral being the nicest where we sat and enjoyed a drink and watched the (Cuban) world go by. You get hassled rather a lot in Old Havana for ‘tips’ by musicians, caricature drawers, flower girls & Santeria ladies with big Cuban cigars – all hassling you to have your photo taken with them which will cost you 1 CUC each time.
We also visited a Rum museum where they show you how the Havana Club rum is produced, they kept the tour quite short & interesting, and finish it off with a ‘tasting’ session, and an opportunity to buy rum of course.
In the evening of day 2 we went to see the Tropicana show which is amazing, the show is very good, and you can really imagine the atmosphere of the 1940’s & ‘50’s when the Americans were ‘enjoying’ themselves there! The ticket price includes a bottle of Rum per table of 4, a can of Coke and a glass of Champagne, as well as some nibbles (you will have dinner in the hotel first). After the show there is opportunity to dance.
On day 3 after breakfast and checking out of the hotel, a visit to a cigar factory, followed by a further visit of Old Havana, mainly the Capitol, which is a must to visit, the art inside is quite amazing.
A visit to La Floridita – the bar E Hemingway used to frequent, and where they serve an excellent Daiquiri, although at ‘tourist’ prices!
We were then given some free time to mainly spend on a huge craft market where we bought some pictures (there were hundreds to choose from, and they all look very colourful & a lovely souvenir to take home).
After lunch in Havana, we left for our journey back at approx. 1 pm, we only made 1 ‘toilet’ stop and a 10 minute stop in Santa Clara to see the Che Guevara statue. I would like to return there one day and spend more time in Santa Clara and the Che museum. We got back to the hotel at approx. 6 or 6.30 pm.
I would recommend this trip to people who have never been to Havana before, it gives you a good taster of what Havana is all about, the guide gives you very valuable information, We would have preferred to have some more ‘free’ time to spend on our own exploring more of Havana.
We can’t wait to go back to Havana and maybe stay there for approx. 4 or 5 nights, you will never get bored, there is so much to see and do.
The trip was good value, Thomas Cook have no control over the excursions or its itinerary, they are all organised by Transgaviota, the official Cuban tour group.
The bus journey was maybe long, but we seemed to all be able to sleep a few hours, so that passed the time. Furthermore it gives you an opportunity to observe Cuban life away from the tourist areas, and there are never any traffic jams on the Cuban motorways, that’s for sure!
Havana is a unique place, they continue to do a lot of restoration work in Old Havana, and I can only imagine it will get even more beautiful & interesting – a must on your trip to Cuba!
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Catamaran, Guanayara National Park & Cuban Noche Vern
May 2007
Catamaran: leaves at 8:30 AM and returns 4:30 PM. Catamaran stops at two different locations for snorkeling. First location had quite a few nice species of corals, everything extremely healthy. There was a good selection of fish species, water was nice and clear. Second location was at the site of a sunken ship. There wasn't much left of the ship except for a lot of the cement ribs and some metal. Very good selection of fish species and in fair size numbers, Queen Angelfish, Parrotfish (all types), Barracuda, Damselfish, Butterfly fish, etc. After the two snorkeling spots, the catamaran goes to a small island surrounded by very shallow water where we ate lobster or chicken which was served on board the boat. We spent about an hour afterwards walking around the beach and wading offshore. There were two types of starfish, sea slugs, and different types of live mollusks (Tulip shells) to be found during that time. Later on we passed a cargo ship loaded with sugar that had gone aground several years ago. The history of the ship and the accident was explained to us. The ship is still full of sugar that has now turned into molasses and must be pumped out soon before it turns into an ecological disaster. Beer and Rum is served on the ship. Our ship's crew were extremely friendly and knowledgeable.
Guanayara National Park: 7:30 am to 6:30pm. Leave by bus for a three hour drive south through the country side and several towns and cities climbing up into the mountains to Guanayara national park. You are not far from the southern coast of Cuba at this point. Upon arrival small snack and drink is served, there is an incredible view of a valley and the mountains from this spot. Afterwards, you hop onto a "Russian taxi", which is an old Russian military truck with some seats and a canopy welded onto the back. Taxi drives another 30 to 45 minutes along a bumpy dirt road even higher into the upper portions of the mountain. Beautiful vistas await you at every turn. Taxi arrives at destination, we meet up with the local biologist and start a three hour hike through forest and hills. The area is extremely lush and tropical. The biologist points out many species of trees, shrubs and flowers and gives a bit of background on each one (medicinal purposes, edible or not, economic use, etc.). The trail is described as moderately difficult. There many times when you need two hands to negotiate going up and down the hillsides. We saw quite a variety of lizards, birds, and butterflies. At one point the trail splits into two and joins up later on. There is a magnificent waterfalls at the beginning of the two trails. One path is wet and the other is dry. On the wet trail, you will walk in a mountain stream and occasionally will be submerged. You need shoes to do the wet trail, Rocks are very slippery. The dry trail has lots of ups and downs. If you intend to take the wet trail you will need someone to carry whatever you brought with you as whatever you have will get soaked. If you don't have someone to carry your stuff, leave it in the bus. I've been to rain forests in Costa Rica and this area looks and feels identical. Eventually, around 2:30, you end up at an outdoor restaurant to eat and drink cervezas, which are really appreciated at this point. The meal and one drink are included in price Restaurant is surrounded by horses, chickens, goats, and other animals and of course, another beautiful view. On the drive back to the hotel, you will witness the Cuban rush hour, where people hop onto every type of vehicle imaginable in order to get home from work. Did I like this excursion? Yes!! This trip is well worth every peso. If you only do one excursion while at the resort, consider this one. You will get a real taste of what Cuba looks like aside from the beautiful beaches.
Cuban Noche: Leave the resort at 6:30 pm to drive ( 45 minutes) for a lobster dinner at Remedios. Afterwards, the bus takes you to a Cuban nightclub. The night club doesn't have a roof and the outer walls have metal grills on the windows. There is show presented to the tourists with a lot of dancing and singing. After the show the audience gets up and dances with the entertainers. While the show was entertaining, I had mixed feelings about the whole evening. The only people in the audience were the people from the resort. There were a couple of Cubans in the audience but really, not many. All the residents of the town were gathered outside the bar and watched the show through the barred windows. I felt really weird about this. I would have rather gone to a place that is frequented by the Cuban people themselves and not exclusively by tourists. If they wanted to give us a taste of a real Cuban cabaret, perhaps it should be with one where normal people can also enter.
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Golf - Melia Las Americas Kathryn
April 2007
This was one our main reasons for staying at this resort and it definitely exceeded our expectations. The golf course is absolutely gorgeous right beside the ocean with fantastic views. It is very well kept and the staff are friendly and easy going.
You can book your tee times but many just show up and they try to accommodate everyone. I do recommend booking to be fair to other golfers if you want to golf in the morning as it is busiest at 8am. In the afternoon it is not busy and you can just show up. You do have to rent a cart ($33 CUC per cart) and you can rent clubs or bring your own. We brought our own and they stored them for us for the week – no charge. To get your golf voucher you need to go to the PR desk at Melia Las Americas and they will fill it out for you to take over to the golf course. The PR desk is open from 7am-7pm so easily accessible. Bring lots of balls as the course has many water holes and while not really narrow – it is easy to lose them and the clubhouse charges over $14CUC per sleeve. There is a beer/drinks cart on the course and the beer is cheaper than water. They have a few snacks but not much.
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Rio Canimar with Cubanscan tours Raeanne and Mark
April 2006
We also did take a day trip off the resort which we would highly reccommend. It was called Rio Canimar with Cubanscan tours. It cost us 51 convertible pesos each, about $75 CDN each. We left the resort about 8:30 am and returned at 5pm. It first took us to an underground natural cave with crystal clear water that we got to snorkel in that also had 3 natural springs underneath. It was amazing! After you got out your skin was totally refreshed and you felt so nice. Then we went for a tour of Varadero city and got to see how the people live and the places that they go. We walked a few city blocks and ended up at a local fresh fruit market where we could purchase fruit and see how the locals interacted. We got some fresh oranges and they were delicious! Then we rode the bus to the marina where we boarded a double decker speed boat and cruised up the Rio Canimar for about 45 minutes until we arrived at a Ranch in the middle of nowhere. It was beautiful! We had lunch ranch style which was delicious and then had the chance to ride a bull, hold baby crocodiles and snakes and ride horses through the trees. It was probably the highlight of our trip and the guide that took us the whole day was fabulous and very good at his job! We would rate this tour 10/10.
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Bike Ride from Barcelo Solymar Gord
February 2006
We took the free bicycles one day and tried to ride to the end of the island, away from Varadero. You can also rent motorized scooters from the resort for $10.00 pesos per hour. Well, we got about 15 minutes from the resort and the chain broke on one of the bikes. I tried fixing it but didn’t have enough resources to piece it back together. We ended up walking back to the resort and getting another bike. We continued on again. It was a great ride while we were on the side streets, away from the main highway, but when we came to the end of the road, at the golf course, we had to double back and go on to the main highway. The highway is four lanes and it is not too bad for bicycling. It does get a little scary when the trucks get too close to you, but generally there is not a lot of traffic to worry about. The drivers are fairly courteous, but they definitely make it known that they have the right of way. We rode for an hour and came to the switch back to a two lane highway. This makes the ride a little more adventurous. We rode for another 15 minutes and decided to turn back. It was more dangerous than we anticipated. We talked to other people that made the ride without incident, so it is possible. You can also take a bus (double decker, open roof) for $5.00 pesos that lets you use the bus system all day for the one price. This is a better option if you want to go to the end of the island. There is a nice park/garden at the end as well as a dolphin swimming area. Swimming with dolphins cost $$$. We did not do this, but we talked to people that said it was a great experience. From the resort you can also walk into the town of Varadero. Walking all around Varadero is very safe. Do not hesitate to be adventurous. Varadero has markets, stores for cigars, rum, crafts, art and restaurants. We particularly enjoyed the Mojitos (rum, mint, sparking water, sugar) at a outdoor café called Calle 62, across from the Quatro Palms Hotel. These are the best Mojitos in Varadero that we found. There are also some nice restaurants in this area. We heard from people that did eat at the Fondue and said it was great. We stuck to the hotel for meals.
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Iberostar Daiquiri - Tours Andre & Wendy ~Canada
January 2006
Jungle Tour :
My husband, sister, her 9 year old and I did the Jungle Tour. This was a lot of fun and the snorkeling was good, kind of like cenote snorkeling if you’ve done that before, it’s not in open water in the ocean. You can try to tilt the boat sideways as much as you like, they say you can’t tip it. They tell you that you can switch drivers on the way back so you both get a turn driving, drive on the way out, you get a much longer drive. One bonus for this trip is it is only about a 5-minute drive from the hotel to where the tour starts, so you don’t waste much time getting to the start of the excursion.
Pilar Beach:
We actually did this twice. The first day we all went by taxi in a van to Pilar, it is $5 pesos per person to go. It is about a 15-minute drive from the hotel. The day we went it was not an excursion day so we pretty much had the beach to ourselves. There is a little snack bar where you can get drinks, and some fish to eat. The kids got juices for about $1 peso each, and a rum and coke was $1 peso for 3 rum and coke, only in Cuba I guess. We had arranged for the taxi to pick us up 4 hours after our drop off and it went fine. You pay the taxi when they! bring you back to the hotel. You can also take the train which leaves from the hotel at 9AM to get to Pilar, it is also $5 pesos. This is not well advertised, at least we didn’t see any advertising for it, they actually leave twice a day, I think the second time is noon, they can tell you at the hotel if you’re interested. Our second day at Pilar my husband, the 9 year old and I took a taxi again to Pilar and then took the speed boat over to Media Luna. It cost us $15 pesos each for the adults, they didn’t charge us for the 9 year old. On the island there was a guide that took us out snorkeling, glad he was there because we wouldn’t have known where to go. The snorkeling was pretty! good, some nice coral and quite a few fish. I liked the snorkeling better here than at the Jungle Tour, but I heard others say the opposite.
Snorkeling :
4 of us went snorkeling and left from the beach at the Daiquiri. Check with the guys at the water sports sign up and they can arrange it for you. There were quite a few different fish here, saw a couple of barracuda, well worth the trip.
Moron:
For this trip off the resort we rented ! a van and hired a driver for the day. What an amazing day. We had a knapsack full of things for a school and the driver took us to meet the principal of a school that does not get many donations to give the supplies to him. We actually met up with the principal in Pina, which is just outside Moron and spent quite a bit of time talking to him about the education system in Cuba. We did this on a Saturday, which is market day we were told, and we drove through one of the markets, fun to see the difference from the farmers markets here. We then went back to Moron for a little tour, then on to Laguna de la Leche for lunch. After lunch we went to visit the crocodile farm, then bac! k to the resort in time for supper. For us this has always been the best way to see part of the country outside the resorts, we much prefer this to organized tours. We knew some of the things we wanted to see and our driver was very good and entertaining. We were fortunate enough to have him take us to his home so we could see a Cuban home, great experience for all of us, especially the children.
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Havana Colonial, Rio Canjimar & Catamaran fishfanatic 123 ~ Quebec
October 2007
Excursions: Havana Colonial cost: 52 CUC. One hour drive in air conditioned coach To Havana. The tour guide leads you around Old Havana. It really is a feast for the senses. Amazing old Spanish architecture and full of history. There are a lot of people doing what they can to get a dollar out of you. They will draw a caricature of you, women dressed in bright costumes will pose with you, lots of street performers. All interesting and part of the experience. Also included is a walk through the older, but not fixed up areas of Havana. An eye opener if you want to see how people really live. We are far too spoiled in Canada. We had lunch across from the Malecon near an old Spanish fortress on the water with a great view of Havana. In the afternoon we drove around and saw some sites such as Revolution Square, etc. A really great trip. There are several other excursions to Havana available with different itineraries, some include an evening at the Tropicana.
Rio Canjimar: around 54 CUC Includes snorkelling of a beach (not very good, too many waves, zero visibility) Snorkelling or swimming in a cave. (great experience). A boat ride down the river, stopping for swimming and then to a beautiful area where we ate and spent the afternnoon, swimming, riding horses, playing with reptiles, rowing boats, and lazing about. A great day and my fellow guests from the hotel were a pleasure to be with.
Catamaran: around 102 CUC. Very large catamaran, about 80 people on board, We stopped for swimming with the dolphins, A bit short I thought, then snorkelling for an hour at a coral reef, but it was more like forty minutes. Nice reef though A few species of fish that I had never seen before (Black Durgeons, what a fish!) They didn't have enough snorkelling equipment for everybody so people had to go in shifts. They only had small Styrofoam belts as floatation devices. Inadequate in my opinion. Nothing is as good as a real safety vest. Because of the poor flotation devices some people wouldn't snorkel, a real shame. Dinner and drinks on an island with lots and lots of other people and way too much time spent there waiting to get back on the boat. Most of my previous experiences with catamaran tours have been more intimate with a smaller group and boat. It felt more like cattle being processed this time. Most cat tours are 72 CUC.
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Jeep Tour & snorkelling - Jibicoa Carl ~ Canada
November 2005
We went of the jeep tour, and I wasn't sold on going, but the other's wanted to, so I didn't care. I am ever happy they decided on it - I would do it again. We went to the highest bridge for a short stop. Then we went to a cave with fresh water in it. Then you snorkel in it! I was wondering "what the hell is this" - are you nuts? Once your eyes adjust, it was fine, as the cave is partially open. It is quite amazing. There is a platform about 20 - 30 ft above the water and the water only looks a few feet deep - 10 ft. It is actually between 16 and 20 meters deep! You go down the stairs to the water and jump in. It is a must do. A couple of us are strong - confident swimmers, and free dove to the bottom of the 16 meter spot. The water is crystal clear. From there, we went to a marine reserve - protected area for ocean snorkelling. Again, I was thinking what the hell is this, as it was limestone right up to the water and you had to go down about 4 steps - a ladder - into the water and then it was sandy/coral. There was also a bunch of seaweed in the way, which the guides cleared up. Once again, were we in for a treat! The amazing snorkelling at the resort, believe it or not, was completely out done by this reserve. It too is indescribable! We went out to about 30 ft of water and us adventuresome ones would dive down to the bottom and look amongst the coral/reef. The staff and I think he was a park guy, stayed with the group in case of any problems, two went back, and one of the tour staff took them back in to ensure they were safe. From the reserve, we went to place by a river in order to shower off and have a mojito - very good there. We also grabbed a beer for the road. We then went to a farm/old coffee plantation, where we learned about the process used in Cuba and the history of slave use. It is quite humbling, when you see the old, falling down building and shackles and other items. This is where you have lunch - and a beer. We then went on a short horse ride and off we went through the country side. We made several stops in the country, to give out candies, pencils and toothbrushes. The last major stop was the biggest cave in Cuba, some 23 kms long. As I understand it, we went in about 1700 metres. It is quite amazing as well and a must see. Stalactites, stalagmites, crystals of various colours. I would have loved to have gone further, but time didn't allow. We then drove through the country side and worked our way back to the resort. A very full and fun day.
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Catamaran Tour - Varadero Morris ~ Canada
February 2006
As a Family Vacation we wanted to get the most activities in, without costing alot of extra money. We found the "Cayo Blanco" Catamaran at $75pecos should have been the 'day trip' for us. My daughter really wanted to swim with the dolphins and son really loves snorkelling. This day trip was to include snorkelling at a coral reef to see tropical fish, a stop in an area in the ocean to have a short swim, (2min) with the dolphins, which covered both activities for us. Enough of a swim to get a few good photos as we were told. A stop at 'Cayo Blanco Island' where you would be fed a typical cuban lunch with lobster. While at the island and on the catamaran, drinks would be included. On Friday, free of charge, there would be a sunset cruise for those who went on the Catamaran day trip.
Now what actually happened!!!!
Got up in the morning and seen the trees blowing but sun shining bright. Met the bus for pick-up at 8:45 and continued on to the Marina to get on the catamaran. Everyone picks a seat and tries to bundle up from the ocean breeze. We are now about 15min out in the ocean and the tour guide proceeds to explain the activities of the day. Informs us that all drinks on board are free including just pop if you wish. Next was the disappointing news that, because it is windy it is unsafe to go snorkelling on the reef, but we could snorkel when we got to the island but there would be no fish there to see. We will be takin to a small mangrove where we could swim and also not see fish there but see the roots of the trees. This was where we could buy lobster, at $10 pecos more, and eat right on the catamaran. Also because of the weather we would not be going to swim with the dolphins in the middle of the ocean but we would be going to the Delphinario to see a show. We proceded on to the mangove where 5 people out of 2 large catamarans chose to go swimming in the clear but smoggy lookin water.
We left here and went to the 'Cayo Blanco Island' at 11:30. We were told that lunch was at 1:30 and would be picked up at 2:45. Drinks of course are included. Walked to the bar and surprise, doesn't open til 12:00. By 12:00 there are many other boats here and everyone all waiting for a drink. Oh yeah, went to the toilet for a pee as soon as we got there and it was already out of toilet paper! The water was rough and wavey so swimming there wasn't the best and being able to see sting rays, as someone mentioned, was not going to happen either. SO, we are left on this island at $75pecos to sun bathe and wait for the bar to open. Ah its opened at 12 but with quite the line up. Got to the front and ordered a pina colada and guess what, costs more for those. Just beer on tap and rum with coke is included.
It's now 1:30 and time for lunch. Of course everyone is starving and all rush to the Rancho for food. I was lucky enough to be about the 10th in line and got mine without too much waiting. Pitty those that had to wait about another 45min.
On a more positive note the meal was good and I was able to sneak up for seconds.
When we were picked up at 2:45 we then went back to the Marina. But not before alot of the quiet shivering vacationers had somehow livened up and danced most of the way back. *Must have been all the free alcohol!
We got off the Catamaran and on a bus and drove a couple minutes to the Delphinario. Here we seen the dolphins do their thing as well where we had paid 5pecos more for my daughter to get close to the dolphins, touch them, hug them, and even get a kiss. This was only about a 2min activity and the trainer was sure not to let you over your time slot. It was awesome though and I got many photos. She got what we aimed for. Now for my son and the snorkelling. The next day we hired one of the resort catamarans to take us out, and this trip was exactly what he was looking for. At $15pecos more each, a total of $60pecos because there is 4 of us, we had much more fun and seen what we aimed to see. AWESOME. There was an extra person that had went snorkelling with us that had also went on a catamaran for the island trip, and said the snorkelling here was way better than the large catamaran!!!
So to sum it up, we paid $75x4, plus $5x2, plus$15x4 for a total of $370pecos to see fish, coral, and get close to dolphins for some great photos.
This amount is $478.00 Canadian. My suggestion to anyone else is to, make sure the weather is calm enough before you leave the resort so you can get everything you are paying for. You can always go the next day or even get your money back, thats if you don't go on the trip, not if you don't get what you are expecting from it if you do go.
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Horseback Riding - Cayo Largo Tetiana --- Canada
May 2004
I was delighted to hear from the tour agent at the briefing session the first evening, that horseback riding is available on the island, offered by a nearby hotel, Isla del Sur. We were told by reception at the Barcelo that the Isla del Sur was only a short "half kilometer" walk away. Well, it's closer to a full mile, maybe a little more (a good 15-20 minutes of solid walking) and there's absolutely no shade on the road, so put on lots of sunblock before setting out. There are four horses available in all (well probably three, because the guide has to go with you), western saddle. My daughter was concerned that the horses stood saddled all day and didn't appear to be brushed. But they seemed in ok condition. We booked our session (costs $6 per hour) and returned the following day, having scrounged some carrots from the kitchen at out hotel (spanish: "zanahoria"). While my daughter is a good rider, I'm definitely not. I was given the slow gentle horse, my daughter a feistier one. We walked/trotted through the brush (the guide called it "forest") then down to the beach and walked along the shore. At one point I was left to take pictures and the guide took my daughter down a ways so she could gallop back along the water's edge. The beach closer to Isla del Sur was somewhat wider that the one at the Barcelo, but even there, the guide remarked on how narrow the beach had become. This was not good for the horses (not to mention that my horse had this habit, according to the guide, of getting into his head to take a bath now and then, with riders and all), so we left the beach and returned to the "forest". The guide (named Ramon), a lovely person, explained about the flora and fauna of the island (apparently, aside from bird life, alligators, turtles and iguanas, there are feral cats and dogs - descendants of household pets left long ago), a bit about his life, also talked about day-long excursions he's done - riding 2 hours east, picnicking, swimming, riding back - sounds terrific (for good riders) - but for that you need rideable beach. Ramon mentioned that a hurricane blew down the stables at the hotel but they're under reconstruction - that the plan is to actually increase the complement of horses on Cayo Largo and that twenty new horses are expected to be brought in. If I come back to Cayo Largo, this will play a large role in my decision. The horses and Ramon get an A.
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Havana Tour Vivian
February 2007
If you want to see a variety of things I would sugest you take the Havana tour. We booked through the signature rep. at our hotel but I do beleive the company was Cubatours. The tour guide we had really made the entire trip. His name was Lionel and was chock full of imformation about the country, the fauna and the people. If I was to go back on this trip I would call just to see if he was giving the tour!!! The bus ride is about 2 hours from our hotel . Lots to see on the way there. Once in Havana you will see amazing buildings and a very clean city. One man on our tour said he had been to Havana 10 years earlier and that he did not recognize the city..it has improved 10 fold. You will see places where Hemmingway frequented, go to the cemetary (it is 1 CUC to take pictures but well worth it) where the marble work is breathtaking. A nice lunch is included in the tour (live band was playing). Near the end of the day your taken to the market where you have about 1.5 hours of shopping (we prefered shopping in Varadero..less people and venders are not pushy) was a great day. Cheers to Lionel the best guide I have had on a tour yet!!
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Havana Tour Mandy
November 2005
We took advantage of the free trip on Wednesdays to Havana. It was the highlight of our trip. Havana is beautiful and ugly all at the same time. There will be a breathtaking building with monuments on it beside a blown out building that looks like it went through a bombing. Look out for beggars wanting money. A small child even tried to take money out of my curled hand while waiting in a line up at the bank. People will constantly ask if you want to buy cigars or CD’s or drugs. If you don’t mind being firm and telling people no, then go to Havana because the architecture makes up for everything else.
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Havana Tour Canada
May 2004
We booked a tour to Havana at the front desk with Transtur ($65.00 adults, and I think $57.00 under 13 yrs). There was eleven of us, plus tour guide, plus driver, in an air-conditioned van. It was nice that it wasn't on a big tour bus. Our tour guide spoke various different languages, and shared his knowledge of Cuban life with us during the 2 hour drive there, and back. Very informative. Havana was fascinating. Lots of history, amazing architecture, and all the old cars from the fifties in mint condition really made it seem surreal. There is so much to see. I'd love to go back and spend several days there. The tour included a nice lunch at a restaurant in a hotel that Hemingway used to stay in. Incredible views of the city from up there (it was on the 5th floor). While doing the walking parts of the tour - beware - lots of people trying to sell you stuff, and lots of beggars. We did give to a few, but if you show interest in one, they seem to come out of nowhere. It's really quite overwhelming, and I did not like that part at all. They were very persistent. Some just wouldn't take "no gracias" for an answer, and unfortunately you had to become quite rude in order to make them leave you alone. (Guess I was the mean one in our group.)
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Havana Tours Claudia & Mark --- Toronto
May 2004
Do take advantage of the FREE weekly shuttle (sign-up in the lobby) to Havana. The drive is about two hours and you have over 4 hours in Havana. Havana is Very Beautiful, but in a tragic state of almost Constant Ruin. Do make it a point to walk the side streets – you'll come across some very interesting architecture and we even found ourselves in the midst of the rush and excitement of a local street festival and market. Go to Hemingway's old haunt, La Floridita and enjoy a divine (this is the real thing) if expensive daiquiri. If you're looking for a restroom, try any of the fancier hotels, where you can usually find the restrooms just off the main lobby. We felt completely safe at all times and had no need for a guide. We were approached on more than one occasion by someone selling cigars or the like and a firm but kind No Thank You was enough to send them on their way. There is a heavy police presence in Havana, especially in the tourist areas, and although this probably guarantees tourists a high degree of safety and convenience, the level of control exerted over the local population is definitely not a good thing.
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Crucero del Sol dolphin excursion - Varadero Linda - Welland, Ontario
May 2004
Take the Crucero del Sol dolphin excursion. It is $75.00 US and worth every penny. You can book it through the hotel. You get a catamaran ride out into the ocean, swim with the dolphins, snorkel in the ocean, stop at Cayo Blanco (the whitest sand beach you will ever see) for lobster/chicken lunch and then sail back to the marina. This is a whole day package and even includes a snack on the catamaran , all your drinks, music and dancing and just plain a whole lot of fun.
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Curacao
Animal Encounters Program
Exploring on your own
Restaurants
Seaquarium & Island Tour
Exploring on oyur own Laura ~ Canada
November 2007
Six of us rented a van and did the island tour ourselves. It was great!! We saw 4 or 5 beaches (Grand Knip, Playa Abou, Playa Forti), snorkeled at 2 of them, went and saw the caves (fyi bring a hat - very hot)and had a fabulous lunch at the Playa Forti restaurant on the cliff overlooking a quaint harbour. Then the boys jumped off the cliff to a 30' or so drop into the ocean. Very cool.
We also went into town for a half day to shop. The swinging bridge is an experience when they close it off and no one has warned you that you are now stuck as they swing it open for a boat to pass. There are tons of great photo opportunities and many deals to be had.
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Animal Encounters Program Brenda ~ Canada
September 2005
Two of us did the Animal Encounters Program at the Aquarium at Jan Thiel. It was $34 which included the $15 aquarium entry (tell them right at the gate you are doing the Animal Encounters). You can snorkel or scuba. Gear is included if you do not bring your own (Scuba was $54 I think). The extra $19 gets you a largish bucket of bait fish and an hour swimming in the enclosure with the fish. One one end, the enclosure butts up against the shark pen and on the other end, the turtle pen. You can feed the sharks (nurse and lemon) and the turtles through holes in a plexiglass inert in the chain link fence. In the enclosure itself is Herbie the giant grouper, who ignored us the day we were there, several tarpon, sting rays, puffers, jacks and several other fish. Feeding the sharks and turtles was interesting - watching their instincts and how they feed. But save a few fish for the puffers as they'll eat out of your hand too. Stingrays were just out of our ability on the bottom at 12 feet. Didn't have quite enough breath to get down to feed them and then ang around long enough for them to come to us. Scuba divers wouldn't have this problem. Beware the pelicans that will congregate as soon as they see people in the enclosure. Keep your fish hidden from them or you might be surprised by a very large beak stabbing in from the surface at your hand.
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Seaquarium & Island Tour Brenda
April 2005
Seaquarium – for the most part our group enjoyed attending this. Two of us did the animal encounter snorkel and it was most definitely worth it. The fee was $34 US which included the $15 entry fee to the aquarium. For the extra $19 we were able to snorkel inside an enclosure with many very large fish (puffers, tarpon, jacks, stingrays, giant grouper named Herbie) and were able to feed sharks (nurse and lemon) and turtles through a plexiglass fence. We were given a bucket of bait fish to feed to whatever fishes we wanted. Snorkel gear is included if you don’t bring your own. The aquarium itself was a little disappointing and could use some upgrades. The dolphin program (dolphin swims are in the neighbourhood of $170) has won awards for being the second best in the Caribbean. I highly recommend the animal encounters program.
Island tour – we took the East/West Island tour. Can’t remember the name of the company, but Ronnie runs most of the tours. It is a full day tour at a cost of $40 + $5 for hotel pick-up (otherwise you have to make your way into Otrabanda). We were picked up at our hotel at 7:30am and returned about 4pm. The tour includes a lunch stop at the well-known Jaanchie’s (YAN-chees). You can either purchase your lunch there, with a few choices of entrees at $13-16 or what we would recommend would be to bring a box lunch (Sunset Waters made up box lunches upon request). The meals were good, but we didn’t think they were worth the price of $15-18 not including drinks, after tax. The tour was worthwhile as you learn more about the history of the island and why things are the way they are. Our favourite stops were Boca Tabla and Groot Knip. Tour guides speak Dutch, English and Spanish.
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Restaurants Erin --- USA
May 2004
Here is a list of the restaurants we visited and our rating from 1-5 stars.
La Bahia - Nice area in Otrabanda, great view, horrible food *
Portofino - at the Marriott, excellent food, service, desserts *****
Blues - Punda at the Avila Beach Hotel. Awesome. We went on Friday night and they had a buffet of the best seafood around. Pan-seared tuna, raw salmon, shrimp, butterfish. Scenery is beautiful and nightlife is great too. Right on the beach on a pier end. *****
Hook's Hut - Piscadera Bay. Loved the atmosphere. Fish was wonderful. You eat outside, on the beach in candlelight. Very romantic. Service extra-friendly. *****
Fort Nassau - Pricey, sophisticated. Very good food. A bit hard to find, but its like eating in a castle atop a bluff. Beautiful view of Willemstad. *****
House of Ribs - Very casual. In Punda. We ate on the front "porch." Food was good, more like the US, Well priced. ***
Iguana Cafe - Punda. Next to the bridge. Great place to have happy hour. Cool to sit on the water and have an Amstel Bright. Food was not good, but it was cheaper. ***
Waterfort Arches/Scampis - Punda on the water. Watched the waves crash into the rocks as we ate. Very nice. Friendly staff. Food pretty good. ****
Kura Hulanda courtyard - Otrabanda. Were here for happy hour and found the BEST prices for getting a buzz on. $8 for 4 beers and 4 sodas. Free wings. *****
Governeur's - Otrabanda, right in front of Kura Hulanda. Food was the absolute worst anywhere, but if you sat in the front windows/arches, you'd have a great view. We did not. *
Be sure to get Pistachio Ponche green cream liquor at the grocery store (SO GOOD!!!) and of course Gouda for souvenirs for the office, etc...
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Dominica
Dominican Republic
Read many Tour Reviews and Golf Reviews on Debbie's Dominican Travel Page
El Salvador
Tours offered at Royal Decameron Salinitas
Tours offered at Royal Decameron Salinitas Karine and Patrice ~ Mascouche, Québec
April 2008
Culture and Craft (Route of Flowers) - This route is for those interested in crafts. You will be visiting the towns of Nahuizalco famous for it's wicker, the town of Juayua known for it's Black Christ, week-end food fair. This is a great place for souvenir shopping and meeting locals. A quick stop for a great view of the mountains and volcanos in Apaneca. You will also see Ataco. Here you will find a food market, church and a few stores to buy crafts, souvenirs and coffee. Santa Leticia and Ataco coffee is available. It's a beautiful town with painted sceanery walls, ceramic inlaids in the sidewalks. This town is known for colorful weavings and musical instruments. If time permits, a stop in Salcoatitan to see a huge 250 year old tree. Each town is beween 10-20 minutes apart. This tour starts at 8 am till 2 pm and costs 40$/ adult, 28$/child and offered on Sat & Sun. Very worth while. (Jan 2008)
Gourmet Coffee- Santa Leticia - This beautiful tour takes you in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. You will have the chance to visit the coffee plantation of Santa Leticia, known for it's gourmet coffee. You will enjoy a walk through the trails where where different stages of growth and variety of coffee plants can be appreciated. You wil see a natural greenhouse filled with new cofee plants. In these mountains, you will visit the only archaeological private site of El Salvador, sacred ceremonial spot where the Mayans worshipped their gods. This spot accounts for now two Mayan monuments that date 600 years before Christ, know as Gordinflones (the fat ones). Take the time to buy Santa Leticia Gourmet coffee for 3$/pound. You will also have the chance to visit a processing plant in Apaneca and discover the time it takes to transform the beans and it's drying method. Here you will have the chance to buy Apaneca Gourmet coffee for 3.50$/pound. The lunch offered is at the Santa Leticia plantation with, of course, a cup of coffee. The tour is one hour by bus from the decameron Salinitas Resort. This tour starts at 9 am till 4 pm and costs 65$/adult, 45$/child and offered on Thurs. and Sat. (Jan 2008)
Climbing the Izalco Volcano - This is a crator located at about 1900 meters above sea level. This is a beautiful volcano, with a perfect dark cone shape. This tour is perfect for those who enjoy sport activities and contact with nature. It is a difficult tour. At the skirts of the volcano, after at least 45 minutes of walking, you will start the ascent of about 2 hours. Once you get to the top, you will encounter a crator of 275 meters in diameter and 27 meters in depth. You can observe the Santa Anna Volcano, the Pacific Ocean ,cultivated land, and the country of Guatemala. During your tour you will encounter a trail with approximately 1500 steps and resting sites. During this route, you will enjoy natures of beauty, and the chirping of birds such as the Torogoz (Nation Bird). This tours starts at 8 am till 5 pm, costs 75$ and offered on Fridays. (Jan 2008)
La Antigua, Guatemala - This is a fascinating tour, rich in history, to be enjoyed in all its splendor. You will go back 300 years in time walking the cobble streets. You will start the tour through the Plaza Mayor where you will find the only mermaid fountain (Las Sirenas) constructed in the XVII century. On this route, you will appreciate the colonial architecture from the Central Park, La Vieja Plaza Real where bullfights and merchants gathered nearby the cathedral. La Antigua has numerous ruins and restored colonial architecture. You will visit the cathedral and the San Francisco el Grande Convent. You will approach the Cloister Institution and Temple of our Lady of Pilar of Zaragoza, better known as the Capuchinas. It was the last woman's monastery instituted in the city. Next you will visit the church and convent of La Merced. You will also have the chance to visit the jade factory and arts/craft stores, where you will find a variety of Guatemalan popular arts such as rock, gold, wood, wax, glass, silver,and textiles. Many hours are spent on a bus. This tour starts at 6 am till 7 pm, costs 100$/adult, 80$ per child and is offered on Wed. (Jan 2008)
Copan Ruins, Honduras - The city of Copan Ruins is a beautiful small town with cobblestone streets and adobe houses whitened with lime stone and red tilled roofs. It is just on the outskirts of Santa Rosa de Copan, close to the limits with Guatemala. The Ruins of Copan were declared by UNESCO as patrimony of humanity in 1980. These ruins are a quiet antique culture oasis, with sublime nature located in the eastern part of Honduras. You will escalate and descend staircases to be able to see the principal parts of the center of the ruins. You will see The Great Plaza where you will find the steles, the ball court and the staircases with the hieroglyphics.Many hours are spent on a bus and it may be without a bathroom. Many stops will be made in that case. This tour starts at 6 am till 8 pm, costs 105$/adult, 80$/child and is offered on fridays. (Jan 2008)
Golfing - Golfing is available daily at the Las Veraneras golf club, only 10 minutes from the Decameron Salinitas, at the cost of 52$/person. You will find 18 holes - pair 72 of 7000 yards, a golf simulator, a putting greem, a driving range, club house and golf lessons. They offer golf clubs and golf cars for rent. Some have said the site is a work in progress, but the greens are very nice. Website of golf club: http://www.veranerasresort.com/
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Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Henry Morgan Resort Tours
Palma Real in La Ceiba Tours
Tours
Henry Morgan Resort Tours Freedom Ryder & Wossa
March 2008
We basically found our way around ourselves, which is half the fun. We visited the West End, best way is to hail a water taxi that patrols the beach ($3 per person) which is a 10 minute boat ride. The West End is basically a beach front strip filled with shop ands bars, which was fun to look around. There are many new developments being built (mainly bars) which may take away its character in a year or so.
From here we also took a taxi cab to Coxen Hole. Coxen Hole is the capitol of Roatan and is the main place on the Island, and is well worth a visit to the shops here, also to get a feel of the town. Lots of places to explore here, and you will need to ensure you arrive when the cruise ships are in town as many of the stores do not bother to open up.
We paid $2 each for the cab ride from the West End to Coxen Hole which is a 15 to 20 minute ride. The cab drivers will tell you anywhere from $10 to $20 per person as they know you are a tourist, so make them aware that you know what price it should be.
We also completed the Zip line / Canopy Tour which was a real blast. If you book it at the Henry Morgan resort they will drive you to the place free of charge, and it will also cost you $35 a person, rather then the normal $45 you would pay if you was to go there yourself.
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Palma Real in La Ceiba Tours Melanie ~ Edmonton
January 2009
I would give a high rating to the off resort excursions. I would recommend the city tour for $10.00. It's the same cost as taking the hotel bus into town and back. That one drops you off at Appleby's and you are on your own. The city tour gives a drive around the city to the more famous landmarks and then to a artisans souvenir shop and then to the mall. Lot's of security!! We did the whitewater rafting trip which was excellent - very professional, very safety oriented. You had to do a water rescue practice before you even go in the raft. Excellent guides with an excellent sense of fun and skill. We also did the Canopy Tour with the hot springs. Again, skilled guides, professional, and safety conscious. It was a lot of fun to be in the tops of trees and to experience the natural hot springs pools. The other excursion we did was to Pico Bonito Lodge hiking tour. We were able to see lots of flora and some fauna in the hike to Mermaid Falls. Our guide was very exp!
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Palma Real in La Ceiba Tours Luke
March 2008
DAY TRIPS:
We did three trips and enjoyed all of them.
Zip Line/Canopy Tour (can be booked any day of the week):
This tour is a short bus ride from the resort & is well worth it. We were a large group of 6 & soon found out they had overbooked this tour. Being one of the largest groups – we were nominated without our consent to be the ones who waited over 4 hours for us to get our turn on the Zip lines. Knowing this ahead of time – I mentioned to the tour guide I would have re-scheduled for another day. Their capacity is 14 and there were 34 people that day. We were the last group of 6 to go on the zip lines and they were accommodating by providing us our own little coach to take us back to the resort in speedy time. Recommend booking the morning tour as the mountain gets very smoggy in the afternoon and the scenic views are not as visible.
Cayo Cochinos Snorkelling (can be booked any day of the week):
This trip got delayed two days due to bad weather conditions & turbulent seas. The boat ride was a lot of fun to the island, normally takes about 40 minutes but due to large waves it took us over an hour to reach the island. We did three stops, got to learn about the island and its animals. The only downside to this trip was the area that had the best snorkeling was infested with jelly fish. Out of our group of 7 that day – only two including myself – made it to the reef. We both got stung however. I asked the tour guide what they were & he stated they are in the family of Jelly Fish, but don’t sting, they give an electrical shock. It’s uncomfortable as you don’t know what is stinging but the discomfort goes away very quickly. They mostly stayed near the shore & the reef was a far enough swim. Our tour guide Melvin spoke very good English and was full of great info.
City Guided Tour (Tuesdays only):
This was a great trip, our tour guide knew a lot about his country & was a wealth of knowledge. The coach took us thru La Ceiba to visit certain neighborhoods including the main Centre Square of La Ceiba. We stopped at a massive La Ceiba tree and were able to take pictures. We also stopped at a park in the centre of the city and were able to walk around and take photos. Then we went to a souvenir store and the selection of souvenirs was really good. Other than the Resort and the Airport, this is the only other place to buy souvenirs. The trip ended with an hour of shopping at their modern mall which had many great stores. Be sure to carry with you some Lempiras here, as some stores will not accept US currency (especially if you are making a small purchase). Line ups at the banks are long and they are strict, you cannot bring in your cell phone with you.
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Tours Mia
March 2008
A tour of the island is a must. This a very beautiful island. We went to Punta Gorda for lunch. 2 lobster tails fish of the day and garlic shrimp with fries and salad 20us. You can whatch the fisherman right off the beach.This restaurant is called Socroficio. There are 2 canopy tours ,the iquana farm,parrot and monkey farm and abotanical and butterfly garden.The Marine institute offers a dolphin shows and encounter with snorlelling or diving. At half moon beach just past West End there is a submersible which goes down approx 2000ftIt was booked up this time so we are booking ahead for next year It costs $200 and we were told by others that it is exceptional.West End is a funky little town withshops dive shops and bars and restaurants .$2 by water taxi,which you hail on the beach.
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Tours Phil and Sharon
January 2007
Instead of booking the Turaser tour, we got the book 'Honduras Tips' and found Wilfred's
#,504-373-8620( www.dive-in-caribik.com). We booked a snorkeling trip($50) and a dive($85) for my son. He came and picked us up on the beach, I let him pick which day, to get a smooth crossing.The trip to the Cayos Cochinos takes 45 minutes and if it's too rough in the afternoon(safety)you get to stay there the night free. Wilfred rents rooms with food for $80 a night on this beautiful 3 or 4 acre island's lodge. As we ate a delicious german dish his wife had prepared for us(included); we all agreed, life doesn't get any better than this. This tour made the trip a memorable experience. I rate this tour a 10.
La Cieba city tours are okay($10) with shopping at a mall or downtown.
Taking the tour to the hot springs($25) just down the road, we found ourselves in pools of warm water between waterfalls.Words can't describe what a beautiful spot this is. Beats the long drive to the hotspings in Costa Rica.Tour a 9 1/2. Anyone who took the canopy tour here loved it also.
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Tours Marlene & Phil ~ Canada
January 2006
Car rental is available on-site for $55 including insurance for a day. Scooters are $30/day. It is safe to drive around Roatan. There is only one main road to the east and one to the west. The little villages are interesting and all the people are friendly and speak English. The local bus runs by the resort every hour or thereabouts and for a dollar, you can get from Fantasy Island to Punta Gorda (the Garafund village), 30 minutes away or Oakridge (mangrove tours) in the east and for five dollars, you can head west to the capital of Coxen Hole where the cruise ships dock Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week. West End is a popular destination on the island with its sand-packed main street and fascinating shops that sell Honduran-made cottage craft and very reasonable prices. The resort offers many organized tours as well ranging in price from $5.00 to visit the iguana farm next door (5 minute paddle by kayak from the beach) to $15 per person for a shopping or bar hopping tour to $100 for a plane ride over Roatan, or excursion to mainland Honduras and several others in between – many related to “diving with the sharks” or “whale sharks” excursions or a boat tour through the mangrove canals. Horseback riding is also popular with many guests.
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Tours Carla ~ Canada
January 2005
Tours, 4/10
§ The resort has an onsite tour company that is decent but overpriced and not very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend contacting Tourist Options: http://www.hondurastouristoptions.com/main_english.htm. They are a small family run operation and very helpful and accomodating. You can contact them before you go and they can call you when you get there.
§ Due to the weather, we didn't get to do alot of tours. Here's the ones we did
§ Kayak tour, Cacao Lagoon - very good. You kayak in some mangroves, see some cool birds and butterflies as well as monkeys.
§ Roatan Island - excellent! We rented scooters and had a great time. West end is the big tourist spot. Coxen Hole was pretty cool to see. The water here is excellent, warm, calm. If you're looking for a good beach this is the spot, definitely not La Ceiba.
§ Cayos Cochinos - excellent! The Garifuna village on one of the keys really blew me away!
§ La Ceiba - nothing great. It's not catered to tourism whatsoever and cabbies don't seem to know where to take tourists. We asked to see some of the city and go shopping. We took two cabs and neither one had any clue where to take us. There's apparently a nice tourist shop called Rainforest but we never actually made it there.
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Jamaica
Catamaran - Negril
Dunns River Falls
Golf - Sandals Ocho Rios
Wild Thing Sunset Cruise - Negril
Wild Thing Sunset Cruise - Negril Dave --- Ottawa, Canada
May 2004
Everyone says to go to Rick's for the sunset. Well in Negril the sunsets are beautiful wherever you are. We took the "Wild Thing" sunset cruise instead. The Wild Thing is a big catamaran that takes you out along the shore so you can see everything along the beach and the cliffs. The boat anchors by Rick's and if you want you can take a shuttle boat to Rick's and jump off the cliffs or buy something. If you stay on the boat you can swim, snorkel, use the waterslide or just relax with a drink. Just before sunset you leave and head out to watch the sun slowly sink below the waves before you continue partying onboard. Eventually you are dropped off on the beach where a van takes you back to the hotel. We saw some imitators of the Wild Thing but their boats always came back to the beach before sunset. The Office of Nature is just north of the resort on the beach. Here you can meet locals, buy souvenirs, arrange a private tour on land or water. They also serve an excellent jerk lobster and cold Red Stripe. It is an excellent way to interact with the locals. We also went into town and took a taxi below the hotel's driveway. We negotiated a price which was much less than the one posted at the taxi stand. A friend went to Mayfield falls and really enjoyed it. The trip is shorter than to Dunn's River which can take eight hours. What ever you do get off the resort at least for a little.
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Wild Thing Sunset Cruise - Negril Scott --- Illinois
May 2004
While there, we took the Wild Thing Sunset Cruise. It went to Rikk’s Café, where we got to see some Cliff Diving (very entertaining). We didn’t get a sunset because of heavy cloud cover and a MONSTER storm that blew through (off shore, thankfully). We also tried Ray’s Water Sports Negril Parasailing. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law got to parasail by the resort (because Ray was driving the boat), but my wife and I had to stay by Beaches and the Hedonism II resorts. It was still a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone. Two of the guys went on a fishing trip (vendors bring their boats and Jet Skis for rent up to the ropes on the beach). They both caught some Tuna, and had it grilled on the beach.
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Golf - Sandals Ocho Rios Paul --- Canada
May 2004
The golf course was nice but is only average condition depending on what you are used to playing on at home. The bonus about this course was that the green fee was included with the package and the the pace of play was very quick. I would leave the resort at 7:00 am by bus and would play 18 holes and be back by 11:30. Still plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the day. Sometimes you needed to wait for the bus which adds time but if you hit the timing you could be back to the resort by 10:30! You need to take a caddy and this is the only place I had to reach into my wallet this week. I tipped him $10-15 US each day plus bought him 1 or 2 Gatorades each day. It is very hot on the course and the caddies sometimes carry two bags during the round so they earn their money! I played three times and had the same caddy each time. His name was Gifford, or Giffy for short and after we got to know each other I could tell he was a good player in his own right. The final round I played I invited him to play as well as he took me up on the offer. He provided a gas cart instead of carrying my clubs and we had a great day on the coarse. If you are good player and want a knowledgeable caddy, ask for Giffy.
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Catamaran - Negril Scott --- Minneapolis
May 2004
We also went on an excursion (not with the resort) on a catamaran that was to be snorkeling on the reef, sail to the cliff area near the Pickled Parrot, snorkeling in the caves and cliff diving if you wished, and then dinner on the boat while you watch the sun set off the cliffs. My wife was thinking this would be very romantic. Actually we were the only family on the boat. Everyone else there was a senior in college on spring break. Apparently they had been told that if they could drink all the beer on the boat they would get a refund of their purchase price. At first we were a little horrified, because it simply hadn't occurred to us that there were any spring breakers around, as there were none at the Beaches resorts. It turned out to be a good trip, however. Everybody was friendly and just having a good time. We looked the other way when a few "Jamaican cigarettes" were lit, but our youngest asked what it was anyway. Oh well, live and learn. The cliff diving was fun, and the whole boat cheered when the 12 year old jumped off the cliff which was reportedly 37 feet high. The dinner on the boat was simple but very good, so we had a good experience. The sunset at that location was fantastic. And we were useful--the spring breakers relied on us for sunscreen.
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Dunns River Falls Dawn ~ Toronto
February 2009
We took a cab there and back. The park and Falls were very pretty, and though we didn't climb the Falls, we were able to walk along them on a boardwalk (all the way from the top of the Falls to the beach) as well as being able to walk into a section of the Falls for some photos (just be careful because the rocks are slippery). If you go on your own, guys outside the park with try to get you to purchase their services as guides. I would suggest that you wait till you get into the park and get an "authorized" Dunn's River Falls guide (they have shirts that identify them).
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Dunns River Falls Mike & Mary - Toronto, ON
March 2008
Something that you must do when in Ocho Rios, is go to the Dunn’s River Falls. We went on the Cool Runnings tour and highly recommend it. It was a bus trip to the dock where we boarded the catamaran “Cool Runnings”, a short sail to the Crystal Reef for about a ½ hour of snorkelling. Then a quick sail to Dunn’s River for the exhilarating climb up the casacading waterfalls. Then back on the catamaran and at that point they opened the bar and headed out to sea. The rum and beer were flowing.
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Dunns River Falls Stephanie ~ Toronto
October 2007
Very beautiful but could also be dangerous if you're not careful! Bring water shoes or buy them there. The gift shop in the hotel has them and I think it was the same cost as the rental. Water shoes are also necessary for the rocky beach at the hotel, so they are not wasted. Also, if you want to avoid most of the vendors (who are really pushy) exit the same way you enter and don't go to the right. Bring a disposible water-proof camera unless you don't mind the guides holding your camera for you.
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