Levi Baron bumpiing tours reviews? Anyone?

[KeiEdy]

Just booked tour 2 with Levi. I liked the idea he has the tickets for the falls and pool sites pre-purchased to save time in line. Will post review when I return.

[elemai]

We just returned from Dominica and a tour with Levi. What fun. He customized it with my husband and we had an awesome time. He is so knowledgeable and is just about the cutest person on 2 legs. He is adorable. We will use his tour again when we go back to Dominica. It was great to get to do things at the pace of our small group instead of the excursions off of the ship. Had us back in plenty of time. Drove safely and had a new vehicle.

[toothfary7]

We booked with Levi for our upcoming cruise. My husband is not a great swimmer and after I showed him clips on youtube, he's not sure he'll be able to swim it even with a belt on. They showed someone tossing out a life preserver to the swimmers once by the falls. Can anybody who's done comment on how hard the swim is?? Thanks for any input...I'd really like to do this tour!!

[Redroserazelle]

Hi-

I have a question for those of you that have taken Levi's tour....

Is the driving around very scary? I have read posts about the steep and winding mud roads on Dominica. The reason I ask is because I suffer from anxiety attacks which can be triggered by such as above. While I can take medication, since I'm on vacation I'd prefer not to have to be drugged!

Any info as to what kind of road conditions on his tours would be appreciated.

[rudyroo]

Bumpiing Tours is the 'Toast of the Town'

Carnival Victory visitors recently toured the beautiful island of Dominica under the expert care of Levi Baron and his Bumpiing Tours staff.

"We were well-cared for every step of the way," said traveler Mary Merritt of New York. "Levi was looking out for everyone's safety whether it was swimming in a falls or snorkeling on a reef."

"We also learned so much from our guide, Cecile." said traveler Shawn Bird of New York. "He knew everything about the island and answered our questions and even laughed and joked with us."

Merritt says the vans used for transporting the guests in her group were new and clean. "We definitely will recommend Bumpiing Tours to other travelers and we hope to cross paths with Levi and Cecile again!"

[lovetocruise99]

I was on Levi's Roseau Valley Wet tour and can't say enough good things about Levi and the tour. He is a super sweet guy (cute too!) and really tried hard to make sure everyone in the van had a great time. We met at the dock around 7:15 where he split us into groups according to what tour we booked. Some people booked the hiking tour to Middleham Falls so they went with another driver. By 7:45 we were on our way. Please note if you're on Celebrity Summit they will not announce when it's time to get off the ship. If you're supposed to meet Levi at 7:00 just pay attention and notice when guests are leaving the ship.

 

First of all, let me say Levi is a very careful driver and I felt comfortable riding with him around the curvy roads with steep drop offs on the side. Would I have felt comfortable with my DD driving on these roads? No way! The roads are a little scary though not as bad as expected after reading about the accident in Dominica a couple of weeks ago. For those of you that are concerned, the accident did not happen on any of the roads Levi will take you on.

 

Our first stop was Titou Gorge. We all wore safety vests here and the swimming is not hard at all. The water is cold so just jump in and get it over with. The experience is worth the cold water! You swim a little ways into the gorge (cave) and then it's shallow enough in spots to stand up. The waterfall is at the end of the gorge. Only one swimmer on our tour actually made it close up to the waterfall area. The flow from the waterfall pushes you backwards so it's like swimming against a very strong current. It's fun to try and it's not a big deal at all if you can't make it to the waterfall. My DH is a very strong swimmer and he couldn't get past the current. The Titou Gorge stop was very fun and something unique to remember about Dominica. If you're on this tour, just do it. Even if it's chilly at 8:30 am to jump into cold water. In five minutes you're comfortably numb and you won't notice anyway.

 

The next stop was the Trafalgar Waterfalls and the hot springs. It was raining (it's a rainforest after all) so we all walked in our bathing suits to view the falls then down a short ways to the natural hot tubs to soak. The water was about 85 degrees and felt so good after being in the cold water of the gorge. After we left here we did a quick visit to the Sulfur Springs, a drive through the botanical gardens and a quick stop at Morne Bruce for picture taking. We had planned to continue on to Champagne Reef but decided to leave that part for our next visit to Dominica. My DH's snoring kept my daughter and I up all night the previous night so we cut our tour a little short. Levi drops those off not snorkeling at the ship then continues on to Champagne Reef.

 

Levi will take very good care of you so you don't have to worry about the roads or not being a strong swimmer. He will also show you many unique plants and trees that I've never seen anywhere before such as cocoa, nutmeg and cashew trees along with fruit trees of every variety. Out of all the islands in the Caribbean and Hawaii, Dominica was the most beautiful of all to me. You'll have a great time!

[lovetocruise99]

We booked with Levi for our upcoming cruise. My husband is not a great swimmer and after I showed him clips on youtube, he's not sure he'll be able to swim it even with a belt on. They showed someone tossing out a life preserver to the swimmers once by the falls. Can anybody who's done comment on how hard the swim is?? Thanks for any input...I'd really like to do this tour!!

 

The life preserver is for fun, not to save anyone if this instance. You swim against the current and he throws the preserver to you, so you float for a moment in the bubbles from the waterfall before the current pushes you back. Do the tour!!! It's tons of fun.

[ms.sunburn]

We just got back from our cruise yesterday. We took Levi's Pools, Falls & More tour which includes the Emerald Pool and Trafalgar Falls. While I'm not sure I would pick that particular tour again (it was a bit long for me), I can highly recommend Bumpiing Tours. We had 22 people in our group and he had a van that could accommodate us all. Our tour guide Linda was excellent as was our driver, Philmon. Be sure to bring plenty of $1 bills though. The bathrooms all cost a buck to use. We drank a lot of beer on this excursion so we went through a lot of $1s:)

[gin2009]

It costs $1 here every time you need to go to the restroom...whats up with that?? Have not heard about this yet...im guessing i need to bring some $1 bills..especially if i will be drinking!!!:p

[lovetocruise99]

It costs $1 here every time you need to go to the restroom...whats up with that?? Have not heard about this yet...im guessing i need to bring some $1 bills..especially if i will be drinking!!!:p

 

The good thing is at least they're clean! I will gladly pay $1 for a clean restroom with paper towels. For some reason at the falls a woman sits outside the restrooms and hands out the paper towels.

[numbersix]

We did Levi's "Pools, Falls & More" tour (with Snorkeling) on Mar 5th...just the two of us, with Levi...Great guy, great tour, great value! Definitely one of the best one-day tours I've ever taken...as a result, Domenica was one of my best port days ever!

 

Thumbs Up for Levi and Bumpiing Tours!!

 

Kevin

[Senga]

We're booked with Levi for March 23rd and I'm wondering about the safety of our cameras. I was planning on bringing my "good" camera for land shots and a disposable for water shots. Any suggestions?

[138east]

Shouldn't be a problem. You will either be in remote places like Titou Gorge or Champagne Reef or a busy parking lot where you can lock your stuff in the van. Somebody always seems to be around. Levi knows everyone in the remote places - they depend on the tourist business and cannot afford to have their tour guests ripped off.

[Changes_In_Lattitudes]

Anybody know how to contact them for prices/reservations? Their "contact us" link on their website doesn't seem to be functional.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Here is Levi's e-mail. He was very prompt replying to my multiple e-mails!

 

levibaron@bumpiingtours.com

[Changes_In_Lattitudes]

Here is Levi's e-mail. He was very prompt replying to my multiple e-mails!

 

levibaron@bumpiingtours.com

 

 

thank you!

[geduffer]

thank you!

 

I can vouch for that as well. This was the easiest time I could have booking a tour. I explained my limitations, he proposed something that I should be able to handle, I said ok and we're booked, no deposit or anything, just pay when the tour is complete. Simple and he responded to the e-mail that I sent last night before 2:30 AM.

 

Thanks to everyone for their feedback because it was very valuable to me in deciding to go with Bumpiing Tours.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I can vouch for that as well. This was the easiest time I could have booking a tour. I explained my limitations, he proposed something that I should be able to handle, I said ok and we're booked, no deposit or anything, just pay when the tour is complete. Simple and he responded to the e-mail that I sent last night before 2:30 AM.

 

Thanks to everyone for their feedback because it was very valuable to me in deciding to go with Bumpiing Tours.

Have Fun! You will enjoy the tour, I am sure.:)

[irmanumber1]

Hi everyone,

 

I just have to let everyone know another thumbs up for Levi Tours. He answered my emails right away and I told him we wanted to do a private tour. I also let him know that my knee was gone and I had a hard time walking, so he suggested we do the Indian River tour. Our tour Guide was Garry and he was just amazing. We had a total blast, I would do it again in a heart beat. We actually took a video of the Indian river tour and you can see it on Youtube. Just search Indian River, Dominica and it will pop up. (on you tube). It was just amazing and it is a life time memory. I will never forget the day I spent in Dominca.

 

Garry you were just the best. I know you dont read the boards but I just have to let you know how grateful I was for our amazing day in Dominica. Cant wait to go back.

 

If you stop in Dominica make sure you get off the ship and book a tour, I would definitely use Levi Tours, and see this beautiful island. One of my favorites for sure.

 

Happy cruising.

[CruisinCoach]

I did the Roseau Valley Wet tour last Tuesday and had a blast. It was just pouring rain, so we couldn't swim into Titou Gorge, but had a good time none the less. I can't say enough good things about this tour. Levi is a great guy, but his father wasn't doing well, he was on the phone a few times, so I hope all is well.

[geduffer]

I actually went on the tour with Levi on July 3rd and the four of us enjoyed it so much, that I've booked again with Levi for our January trip on the Summit and will use him any time we get to Dominica.

[Staycescraps]

we did one of Levi's tours this week and i have to say he is just amazing. I'm so glad i found him. we emailed him, told him what we wanted to do and he recommended 2 tours. He picked us up, was GREAT and it was the best stop of our trip

[cruisermom3]

Our favorite tour! Levi is great. We were there 8/4. Do the champagne snorkel as well. You will love your day .

[Jagger11379]

We did the "Falls, pools and more" with Levi (not to much adventurous types in our group) on 8/4 and had a great time. Garry was our driver and guide.

[Turtle Lover]

I had the pleasure of taking a tour with Levi on July 14, 2009. I had read all of the raving reviews about this man, but once I began to email him with questions, I knew that he would ensure that our trip would be everything we wanted it to be. I was traveling with my family and friends that we had met on a previous cruise. Since we were traveling with children, I had many questions about Titou Gorge and the safety of swimming through there with children. Levi always responded quickly to my emails. Sometimes he'd respond the same day, other times I'd hear from him the following day. He later told me that when he's home, he checks his emails every 15 minutes.

Upon arriving at the dock in Rousseau (we didn't have to be tendered), Levi was waiting right where he said he would be with a big sign that said Bumpiing Tours. We waited a short time for other members of the tour to arrive. Levi was fascinating to talk to and was very knowledgeable about his island. He offered us drinks that he supplied in a cooler (water, beer, and a sweet soda). The scenery was breathtaking, lush and tropical looking. The roads were definitely scary! They were very narrow and windy, and there were no guardrails. Levi is an excellent driver, and once I talked to him a little bit, I realized we had nothing to worry about. He is a capable driver, very cautious and experienced. I would have much rather had him driving than to be driving those roads myself!

On the way to our first stop, Titou Gorge, Levi pointed out interesting plants along the way. We saw a cocoa plant, cinnamon, breadfruits, pineapple and mangos. At Titou Gorge, we walked up to the gorge and just outside the gorge there were some island women selling candy, bananas, and some delicious homemade candies. One of these was a coconut candy that was out of this world. I would recommend bringing along a few extra dollars in case you decide to try some of these delicious treats. We brought along our towels and left our clothes and towels at the mouth of the gorge. It's best to have your swimsuit on already, but there was a makeshift changing room with a curtain. Levi gave us life preservers that strapped across our stomachs. This would allow us to float a little bit as we swam through the gorge. My younger daughter (12 years) was given a full life vest. It was a little small on her, but I was glad that she had a little more protection. Nothing can prepare you for how COLD the water is. I had read about it on CC, and Levi had warned us, but it is so cold that it takes your breath away at first. I am not a cold water person, but I decided that I had to get past that to enjoy the experience that I was about to have. At first you can stand outside the gorge, but as you swim a little deeper into the gorge you can no longer stand. The current moves you along through these giant boulders that actually make it look like you're inside of a cave. We doggie-paddled our way through the gorge (I did this while trying to keep my water camera from getting wet. It's not easy to doggie paddle with one hand). At times, light would filter through the rocks, and when you'd look up, you'd see trees and sunlight. It was spectacular! Levi grouped us all together inside the gorge in a place that we could stand on some rocks. He explained that we were going to swim up to the waterfall, but we had to make sure that we followed his directions. If you swim too close to the waterfall you can be sucked under the water. The water did get rougher as we got closer to the waterfall, but we were all fine (even my children).

I'm glad that I didn't chicken out because the water was too cold.

Our next stop was Trafalger Falls. There was a restroom there, but be sure that you bring dollar bills with you since they charge you to use the restroom. It was a short hike up to the falls. We got some beautiful pictures of the falls, and then we descended down to the hot springs. I couldn't believe how warm the water was in those springs. Actually Levi said the water was much colder than usual because it had rained the night before and the overflow was flowing into the hot spring. It felt like a hot tub. There was one woman in our group that needed extra assistance. She was having difficulty with the climbing and needed to take frequent rests. Levi was very sensitive to her needs, and made an extra effort to assist her as she climbed over rocks and down through the trail.

Our last stop was Champagne Reef, a snorkeling area. For an extra charge (I believe it was $7), you could snorkel at the reef. It's called Champagne Reef because little bubbles rise to the surface in the water. My daughter and I didn't want to snorkel, so we hung out on the rocky beach while the rest of our group went snorkeling. You could walk right out from the beach to snorkel. The only problem is if you choose not to snorkel, there's really no place to sit and wait. The rocks were very uncomfortable to sit on. If I were to do it again, I would pay the extra money to snorkel, and at least go in the water.

Levi got us back to the ship with time to spare. He is a great person, and runs a very professional business. If you decide to book a tour with Levi, you might want to bring along some vanilla coffee (or flavored coffee). We had read that he likes vanilla coffee, so we brought some along for him.

You won't be disappointed if you book with Levi. I would definitely book with him again on our next trip to Dominica.