Bumpiing Tours with longer hike

[jaylyn12]

I agree with letmetellya, I also, would feel more safe with some sort of vests or floats, I can swim, but in very cold water and some current from the falls, I would enjoy it more if Levi supplies floats? Does aynone know if he does? Thanks.

[LEESRE]

Just back from Dominica and we had Levi on our tour of Titou Gorge yes he does have floats the ones that fit around the wait and yes they are yellow as the picture shows.

Everyone thought that they we very good.

The water is very cold once you enter but you soon get use to it, after very heavy rain the water fall was pushing the water in the gorge very quickly so we could not get right up to the water fall.

 

Everyone said what a highlight this was to our cruise.

 

Rex

[camarodrivenrs]

Camarodrivenrs, what shoe did you wear, did you wear sandals like Levi suggested, if so, were you comfortable walking in them. You said the water was cold, how cold? We will be with Levi early next year and we can't wait. We've heard so much about him and his tours and looking forward to the adventure :D .

 

I wore the strapped sandals, I was comfortable walking in them but I wear them a lot around home, if you dont they probably will cause blisters or just wear socks with them. Everyone else wore sneakers but had to be careful in the water because there is some rocks you climb on in the water that I was glad I had sandals on. The water was probably in the low 60s F, its cold but its not painfully cold just jump in.

[PaddleAddict]

I just got back from this tour and WOW, I have to say this was one of my very favorite tours EVER.

 

We were with Garry, who was wonderful, and our tour, which was only supposed to be 5.5 to 6.5 hours long, about 7.5 hours long. At the end, we were really wishing we had brought some food with us, we were sooooo hungry!!

 

Anyhow, my perspectives:

 

Shoes: if you can find those water sneakers (the have mesh webbing instead of leather, I think Land's End sells them), in my opinion, those would be the best shoes for traction purposed and also because of the closed toes. It was quite muddy and slippery and my friend and I both stubbed our toes pretty bad.

 

Food: Bring something. Nuts, crackers, anything. You will be hungry and you might not want to stop for food.

 

Middleham hike: Quite challenging, again in my opinion. This was the hardest hike I've ever done, however, I am not a big hiker. I am in excellent physical shape, but I was breathing hard and my legs were burning during and after this hike. It was sooooo worth it though!! The forest is amazing (felt like I was in Jurassic Park) and the tall waterfall at the end was gorgeous.

 

Titou: Yes, the water is cold, but it's worth it to swim in the cave. Really neat!

 

Trafalgar: Amazing. I could have sat there all day it's so beautiful. Garry took us to soak in some secluded hot springs and that was truly the experience of a lifetime. Simply wonderful.

 

In short, this island was so incredibly beautiful. I would love to go back some day for a longer stay. Levi and his tour company are amazing. Garry told us so much about the island and its people.

 

I spoke to some people who stayed on the ship this day and I felt so sorry for them--they really missed out.

[suzski]

PaddleAddict, so glad you had a good time....we felt exactly the same way! We took food with us as well and were glad we did as you do work up a bit of an appetite!

 

For those asking about lifevests, we did not use them so you must have a choice...we're all divers so we were happy not to have them. The fact that Levi gives you a choice is another reason we love booking with him.

[letmetellya]

great ! that makes me feel so much better. going through my snorkle gear and water shoes right now .

would water shoes be fine for the hiking portion of the trip ours have decent bottoms , any opions on that ? we would love to travel light .

thanks

[PaddleAddict]

great ! that makes me feel so much better. going through my snorkle gear and water shoes right now .

would water shoes be fine for the hiking portion of the trip ours have decent bottoms , any opions on that ? we would love to travel light .

thanks

 

The path on the long hike is muddy, slippery and quite steep in many places. There are a lot of man-made stairs and rocks to climb, and most of the rocks have a slippery moss on them due to the wet conditions. Sometimes, we sank down into an inch or two of mud, as well. You also cross a few streams and if you want to swim at the base of the waterfall, you have to climb down some very slippery rocks.

 

I also managed to kick an exposed root and cut up my toe pretty bad, so I would suggest something close-toed, study, comfortable (you've worn them before) with very good tread. If you don't want close-toed, at least wear something study with good tread--Chacos are good.

[sharke]

We have the Roseau Valley Treasures tour booked with Levi in December and I recently tore a meniscus in my knee - it's feeling much better and I am walking my normal daily 1 mile again but I am just wondering how long and ?unsteady the hike is to Titou Gorge. We are not doing the Middleton Hike. I just really need to know details about the other areas in this tour. I really want to make it and swim through the cave to the Titou Gorge but don't relish the thought of screwing up my knee for the rest of the trip. So any of you who have done this please give me any details you remember. Thanks

[suzski]

We have the Roseau Valley Treasures tour booked with Levi in December and I recently tore a meniscus in my knee - it's feeling much better and I am walking my normal daily 1 mile again but I am just wondering how long and ?unsteady the hike is to Titou Gorge. We are not doing the Middleton Hike. I just really need to know details about the other areas in this tour. I really want to make it and swim through the cave to the Titou Gorge but don't relish the thought of screwing up my knee for the rest of the trip. So any of you who have done this please give me any details you remember. Thanks

 

sharke, it is honestly about a 5 minute walk over to Titou Gorge from the parking lot. The only "tricky" part is walking down into the Gorge, but otherwise it is a very easy walk.

[MattnDJsMom]

We did the Roseau Valley Best with Levi back in August. We had 6 people in our group and had a blast. The hike to Middleham Falls was more than mild and definitely a challenge but so worth it. I wore Teva sandals and they worked out great. I would highly recommend wearing a sport sandal for this tour. The water at Middleham Falls is ice cold and I almost couldn't catch my breath when I first jumped in but after a few minutes it felt great. You feel so alive when you get out!!! Titou Gorge was amazing. We had so much fun trying to stay by the falls. Trafalgar Falls were fun too. We were a little delayed by a rain storm but once it stopped we were able to climb down to the falls. Sitting in the Sulphur Baths was so relaxing after hiking to Middleham. We didn't have time for the Champagne Reed or Mr. Nice's Fruit Stand but we will save those for next time. Levi is full of knowledge, very personable and funny. I felt like we had a new best friend when we left. I wouldn't trade our day for the world. You can't go wrong going anywhere with Levi!!! Have fun!!!

[PaddleAddict]

We have the Roseau Valley Treasures tour booked with Levi in December and I recently tore a meniscus in my knee - it's feeling much better and I am walking my normal daily 1 mile again but I am just wondering how long and ?unsteady the hike is to Titou Gorge. We are not doing the Middleton Hike. I just really need to know details about the other areas in this tour. I really want to make it and swim through the cave to the Titou Gorge but don't relish the thought of screwing up my knee for the rest of the trip. So any of you who have done this please give me any details you remember. Thanks

 

You should not have a problem at Titou or even Trafalgar if you take it slow. Middleham was the real challenge.

[sharke]

Thx everyone for the info. You've soothed my concerns and I am ready for Titou!:D

[camarodrivenrs]

Thx everyone for the info. You've soothed my concerns and I am ready for Titou!:D

 

You dont even I have to walk into Titou you can just jump, thats what I did.

[moonwalkmama]

Good Morning.. We just got back from the Victory which had a stop in Dominica. Which was a beautiful Island and my favorite. We had Garry as our tour guide and this was an awesome tour!! We did the Treasures tour and swimming in the cave was an awesome experience. Garry did a great job!! This whole tour was amazing!! I would suggest that you eat a large breakfast and bring some snacks or a sandwich or two from the ship - They make the most of your time and you can get a little hungry. I would also bring a extra tshirt & a towel. Remember it is the rainforest and you will most likely get rained on a little. Which was not a problem.. I think it added tothe experience of the rainforest! Did I mention the cave was Awesome. Also Champagne reef was really nice. It was a rocky beach and the water was great. The Bubbling waters when snorkling were really cool!! If you swim out a ways there is a drop off and if you are into snorkling free dive down about 30 + ft there are a couple of shipwrecks- one of the guys in our group got some really cool video of the bubbles, a sea turtle and a huge flounder. The twin fall & hot springs were also amazing. Then sliding down a shoot grove in the rock from the hot spring was really cool. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone but keep in mind that even though this tour says it is the least of the hiking, there is still a lot of walking and crossing rocks & uneven surfaces. Beleive me we got our workout. Thanks Levi & Garry for an Awesome experience. If we make it back to Dominica we will use you again!!! Please feel free to comtaact me if you have any questions about to tour. I would be glad to help!!

[Nebr.cruiser]

Hi, I'm the OP. We're going on the Treasures tour you just decribed on Dec. 4th and can't wait. We decided to skip the longer hike because of foot problems (me). I've been regretting the decision, especially because right now my feet aren't too bad, but your review made me feel much better about the other tour. Thanks so much for your great description.

 

I'm still not sure we want to do the Champagne Beach snorkeling; I've heard mixed reviews, we have snorkeled a lot throughout the Caribbean and are planning Bonaire as a snorkel day. I thought maybe adding that would make for a very long day. We'll decide when we get there, I guess.

 

Do you think a rain poncho is a good idea? I like to take as little as possible on excursions, but I'll stick in a couple of dollar ones if necessary. An extra t-shirt is a great idea.

 

I have regular teva sandals; will those work fine for the walking, climbing portions? I was just going to wear running shorts over my swimsuit, and a tee. I'm going to stick in a couple of energy bars at least.

 

So ready for this trip!

[stunned]

moonwalkmama,

We are booked with Levi for the Roseau Valley Treasures tour with snorkeling at Champagne Reef and I believe this is the tour you took. Your review sounds exactly what I am hoping for. We are docked from 10a to 6p. How long did your entire tour take? Just making sure we have plenty of time to get back to ship in time, maybe do a bit shopping(or not). Did you have to wait on other people very long? Did you just leave your belongings on the van while hiking or take a waterproof backpack with you?

[moonwalkmama]

HI NebrCruiser- We had a really good time at Champagne Reef- we snorkled a little then mostly just floated around & enjoyed the water, relaxing while the others did more intense snorkling. I think we made a good coice. I think the rock beach is Beautiful and wildlife you see on the cliff's was really cool We seen lots of little Lizards thingys, Iquana's in the trees, & birds. It was really nice to float around in the water and look back at the natural setting shore line.

 

I wore a tshirt over my bathing suit with swimming shorts. Your shoes would be fine.. I have keens which is basically the same a teva's. Our Guide Garry was barefoot... We had a couple that brought rain poncho's but choose not to wear them, just a towel & dry shirt for when you get back to the van should be good. It can be a long day, but OoHHH so nice, just have Snacks.... Engery bars, nuts something.. You do have the chance to buy a little something at the Falls & Champagne Reef if you like..(Chips, Candy, etc.). Hope you love this trip as much ad we did!! Relax Enjoy & take it all in!!!

[Nebr.cruiser]

Thanks, Moonwalkmamma, it sounds great. We'll see how the day goes and how much time we have for Champagne Beach, also what others in the group want to do. It's good to know that ponchos probably aren't needed and the shoes and clothes I'm planning on are good to go. It is very helpful to know to bring an extra t-shirt.

 

I've already bought some granola bars and beef/cheese sticks to bring along. I might get some nuts too.

 

Only five days to cruise! We are so in cruise mode already!

[sharke]

Just recently returned from cruise and spent an exceptionally fun day with Levi Baron of Bumpiing Tours. We scheduled the Roseau Valley Treasures tour. Levi is a great guide, making sure you are comfortable and providing loads of local flavorful information about the island. We did have to wait a little collecting several others even though he told everyone to get off the boat as soon as possible. The early start time is worth it to get to the sites before the big crowds. We started by touring a little and making several photo stops. Oh yeah, you are driving on the opposite side of the narrow, curvy roads so don't sit up front unless you love amusement park type rides. Unfortunately, it had rained most of the day before we arrived and was still raining when we arrived at Titou Gorge - therefore we were unable to swim into the gorge. Levi made the swim and allowed only two others from our tour to follow (they were strong swimmers). He said it just wasn't safe for us to make the swim and we appreciated his candor. He does provide swim belts and they are new and of good quality. The walk to the gorge area is about 10minutes and pretty rocky so be sure to have good water shoes. Our Keens worked great and I would recommend them for all the hikes. Remember to bring snacks but Levi provides good local beer and soft drinks. Wear your swimsuits and bring towels, along with water cameras. I'm not sure what some were thinking wearing flip flops - this is not the place to be losing one's shoes. You need a pretty good footing. There's no bathroom facilities until you get to Trafalgar Falls except the woods, of course. Trafalgar Falls trek was challenging in the pouring rain but well worth it. Don't stop at the viewing site, be sure to keep walking to the warm springs. Also made a stop at the Sulpur Springs. We were scheduled to snorkel at Champagne Reef but all were so cold and tired the whole group decided to postpone and return to the ship. We thought the rain might make the snorkeling a little rough but later I heard from others who had done the snorkel that it was well worth it - so we'll have to make it back. So I'd definitely recommend Levi and his group - sign up with them if you get the chance. PS One of the other guides, Martin, met our group and the two groups trekked together which made me feel quite looked after. Having just torn a meniscus in my knee the month before, I was lagging behind the group and it was Martin who kept his eye out for me always lending me his hand when I needed it - asking where his 'friend' was. Dominica was one of the most beautful stops on our cruise - very poor but very beautiful.

[joycefnp]

Thanks for your post. We are still debating between Bumpiing tours and Pepper. Pepper would give us a private tour and skip some of the smaller sites so that we would have more snorkeling time. We wanted to try a second site, such as the marine preserve. We REALLY need to decide since we leave in less than 2 weeks.

[sixpackeddie]

We just completed a treasures tour with Levi, and will definately recommend him to our fellow cruise critic members. He was very professional, caring and very imformative. If you book with Levi you will not be dissapointed. He actually discovered a waterfall on the island and they are going to name it after him.

 

We had a blast.

 

Craig

[cemor66]

Some great info on this thread. But just to clear things up. Here is a tour Levi e-mailed me called Roreau Valley Treasures-----

 

Roseau Valley Treasures (wet tour)

 

Morne Bruce: (an area where you can see the entire city of Roseau from the top of a hill) 7 minutes drive from the ship. (Great for taking photos)

 

Botanical Gardens: (There you will see different plants trees and flowers grown on the Island) 5 minutes from Morne Bruce. (drive through)

 

Wotten Waven Sulphur Springs: (small boiling pools) 2 minutes walk one way up a few steps.

 

*Trafalgar Falls: (two waterfalls in the same area) 10 minutes walk one way up a few steps. The walk is not too difficult and it is the second most visited site on the Island. There you could also soak in the hot sulphuric water.Can be a bit challenging if one has any difficulty with their backs, legs, hips or if one is short in breath due to lungs or heart condition.

Titou Gorge: One of the most unique areas on the Island and it's also a spot where part of Pirates Of The Caribbean 2 was filmed. One can get to bathe in hot and cold water at Titou Gorge. To enjoy the gorge you would have to take the short swim (about 2 minutes) up a cave like area (you do not swim under water). The swim is about 100 feet and the water is about 10 feet deep at it's deepest point, but it's only about waist high when you get to the middle of the cave-Like area. There is a small waterfall one can swim to, if the water is not flowing too heavy (must do). (there is an easy 5-7 minutes walk to Titou Gorge). We provide swim belts to all our guests.

 

The estimated duration of the tour is about 3.5 to 4.5 hours and has about 1.5 to 2 hours driving and about 30 minutes walking, total. The tour cost $40.00us per person (4 to 10 people adults).

 

A few post's mentioned this tour but also said it was a long day (I guess the Emerald pool was included, no?). I'm looking for a tour that will take in some of the island's sites, yet leave me some free time back at the pier area to explore. Will this particular tour take care of that? This is the only island I'm going to do an organized tour on, as we prefer to just hit the beach.

 

Thanks in advance for any help and I'll be sure to post my report after returning.

[sharke]

We did this same tour. It did not include Emerald pool. The tour actually lasted around 6 hours but was the same price. I think the rain slowed us down with the driving and the hikes. I think his timing really depends on how the group is feeling, doing, requesting etc. If you really want some down time you might be better finding a private tour guide so you're not held up by the group. It worked great for us but the tour was all we had planned for the day and didn't care when we got back to the ship as long as it was before sailaway;).

[RoeC528]

This all sounds great! Do you have a link to this tour??? If I wanted to book it, how would I???

 

Appreciate the help;)

 

I just got back from this tour and WOW, I have to say this was one of my very favorite tours EVER.

 

We were with Garry, who was wonderful, and our tour, which was only supposed to be 5.5 to 6.5 hours long, about 7.5 hours long. At the end, we were really wishing we had brought some food with us, we were sooooo hungry!!

 

Anyhow, my perspectives:

 

Shoes: if you can find those water sneakers (the have mesh webbing instead of leather, I think Land's End sells them), in my opinion, those would be the best shoes for traction purposed and also because of the closed toes. It was quite muddy and slippery and my friend and I both stubbed our toes pretty bad.

 

Food: Bring something. Nuts, crackers, anything. You will be hungry and you might not want to stop for food.

 

Middleham hike: Quite challenging, again in my opinion. This was the hardest hike I've ever done, however, I am not a big hiker. I am in excellent physical shape, but I was breathing hard and my legs were burning during and after this hike. It was sooooo worth it though!! The forest is amazing (felt like I was in Jurassic Park) and the tall waterfall at the end was gorgeous.

 

Titou: Yes, the water is cold, but it's worth it to swim in the cave. Really neat!

 

Trafalgar: Amazing. I could have sat there all day it's so beautiful. Garry took us to soak in some secluded hot springs and that was truly the experience of a lifetime. Simply wonderful.

 

In short, this island was so incredibly beautiful. I would love to go back some day for a longer stay. Levi and his tour company are amazing. Garry told us so much about the island and its people.

 

I spoke to some people who stayed on the ship this day and I felt so sorry for them--they really missed out.

[RoeC528]

Thanks so much for sharing this information. I don't see this excursion on Royal Caribbean's list. Do you have a link I can go on to???

 

Thanks

 

 

Some great info on this thread. But just to clear things up. Here is a tour Levi e-mailed me called Roreau Valley Treasures-----

 

Roseau Valley Treasures (wet tour)

 

Morne Bruce: (an area where you can see the entire city of Roseau from the top of a hill) 7 minutes drive from the ship. (Great for taking photos)

 

Botanical Gardens: (There you will see different plants trees and flowers grown on the Island) 5 minutes from Morne Bruce. (drive through)

 

Wotten Waven Sulphur Springs: (small boiling pools) 2 minutes walk one way up a few steps.

 

*Trafalgar Falls: (two waterfalls in the same area) 10 minutes walk one way up a few steps. The walk is not too difficult and it is the second most visited site on the Island. There you could also soak in the hot sulphuric water.Can be a bit challenging if one has any difficulty with their backs, legs, hips or if one is short in breath due to lungs or heart condition.

Titou Gorge: One of the most unique areas on the Island and it's also a spot where part of Pirates Of The Caribbean 2 was filmed. One can get to bathe in hot and cold water at Titou Gorge. To enjoy the gorge you would have to take the short swim (about 2 minutes) up a cave like area (you do not swim under water). The swim is about 100 feet and the water is about 10 feet deep at it's deepest point, but it's only about waist high when you get to the middle of the cave-Like area. There is a small waterfall one can swim to, if the water is not flowing too heavy (must do). (there is an easy 5-7 minutes walk to Titou Gorge). We provide swim belts to all our guests.

 

The estimated duration of the tour is about 3.5 to 4.5 hours and has about 1.5 to 2 hours driving and about 30 minutes walking, total. The tour cost $40.00us per person (4 to 10 people adults).

 

A few post's mentioned this tour but also said it was a long day (I guess the Emerald pool was included, no?). I'm looking for a tour that will take in some of the island's sites, yet leave me some free time back at the pier area to explore. Will this particular tour take care of that? This is the only island I'm going to do an organized tour on, as we prefer to just hit the beach.

 

Thanks in advance for any help and I'll be sure to post my report after returning.