Any reviews of Levi's ( Bumpiing ) newest hike?

[erniesband]

Any reviews of Levi's ( Bumpiing ) newest hike? I believe it's called the Pedu Temps Trail. Looks like something I'd be interested in. I've done some of the other hikes with him.

Thanks.

[DaveandDiane]

I am very interested in this hike also. We went with Levi on the Middleham falls like last year and loved it. Next Jan we will be back in Dominica and would like to do this with Levi. Has anyone out there done this??

[Miss Vickie]

My husband and I, along with 2 other couples, were the first to do Levi's new Pedu Temps Trail hike this January. We've done excursions with Levi twice before, and in 2011 we asked him about something for this year that didn't involve 2000 of our closest friends. He told us he was planning this hike, and we told him immediately that we'd be interested. We eagerly awaited this excursion, and it was one of the highlights of our cruise. We did a back to back this year, and it was certainly my favorite adventure for the first week!

 

Serenade docked in the industrial port this year, and after a little confusion finding our way out of the dock area and meeting Levi we were off. It's a very intimate excursion. On the way to the trailhead Levi about the island and growing up on Dominica. We went through the village where lives and where he grew up. His mom was on her porch and we waved at her.

 

The trailhead is actually right near property Levi owns and where he is building a home. The hike up to his uncle's farm is about and hour and a half. The hike is easy to moderate. Much of it is along fairly flat or gently sloping ground. There are cows tethered, or standing here and there along the trail, and you do have to watch for cow patties. There are 6 or 7 river crossings. Dominican rivers are not big, closer, probably, to streams here in the states, but they can be very rapidly flowing, and the rocks can be quite slippery. They are all shallow and cool. They are an excellent opportunity to wash your feet off, and to cool off, if needed. Levi makes sure everyone makes it across each one safely (I preferred to actually wade through them, rarely using the rocks). There are 25-30 minutes of more strenuous walking, uphill, and over tree roots and involving slippery stones. There were some places where the footing was precarious and you really have to watch where you're putting your feet. Keens or other decent hiking sandals/shoes are necessary, and a walking stick is a great idea. You do take your time, and stop for breaks, as necessary. Hiking back took about an hour and 45 minutes, because you had to be very careful in sections with where you were putting your feet, and not slipping. My husband found a stick he used as a walking stick, and left it at the trailhead for others.

 

Pump (Levi's uncle) has created a veritable Garden of Eden. He is a subsistence farmer, and has flowers, fruits and vegetables galore, including specimens from all over the world - among the things we saw were kiwi fruit and star fruit. Grapefruit were in season, ripe on the tree, and lunch started with fresh grapefruit right from the tree. There is a main house and several outbuildings, including a cooking facility and a laundry facility. In addition to the cows, he has at least one horse and some sheep (he uses the manure as fertilizer, he's vegetarian), and, according to Levi some rabbits and other animals we never saw. There is a covered, outside area with a large table, which is where we had lunch. We sat and talked with Levi and Pump for a while, and had a wonderful home made lunch consisting of a vegetarian stew with pumpkin dumplings, and a ginger orange juice, all products of Pump's farms. He gave us a tour of the farm. It was really quite amazing. And then it was time to hike back out. There is no road to Pump's residence, and what took us 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours to hike takes Pump about 45 minutes. On the hike we saw hummingbirds and Levi found a small land crab to show us.

 

After the hike we made a short stop by a small beach, from which you could see the island of Martinique.

 

We were back to the ship with time to spare, having had a wonderful day! It's a very unique opportunity. You're hiking rainforest trails very few other cruise ship passengers or visitors will see. You're having a small group experience with one of Dominica's finest guides. We think Levi is a great guy, and the island is the prettiest one we've visited. I'd love to do this again! I do have pictures, and will post some as soon as I've got my editing and uploading done.

[DaveandDiane]

Thank you for the reply. We will probably book our cruise on the Summit for Jan 2013 this weekend....just need to iron out a few details. If we do end up booking, I definately want to do this hike with Levi. Our tour to Middleham falls with him last year was the highlight of our cruise...he is a wonderful guide!

[Miss Vickie]

Thank you for the reply. We will probably book our cruise on the Summit for Jan 2013 this weekend....just need to iron out a few details. If we do end up booking, I definately want to do this hike with Levi. Our tour to Middleham falls with him last year was the highlight of our cruise...he is a wonderful guide!

 

Glad you enjoyed it - it really was a great day, and you get a much different view than the average cruise visitor. I obviously didn't proof well before I submitted - a little embarrassing. We did the Middleham Falls hike a few years ago (the year we were on Summit). It was a harder hike than this one is. I think you'll enjoy it.

[Miss Vickie]

Oh, one of the things I forgot. One of the things Pump is growing is stevia, which is what one of the new sugar substitutes is made of. He gave us some to taste - and it tastes just like sugar!

[mailbroad]

Hmmm... I booked Roseau Treasures but this hike sounds great. My husband and I are vegetarians so that is a plus!

How difficult was it to cross the streams? I am not much of a rock jumper. When you waded across how deep was it and did you wear your swim suit?

Thanks!

[Miss Vickie]

Hmmm... I booked Roseau Treasures but this hike sounds great. My husband and I are vegetarians so that is a plus!

How difficult was it to cross the streams? I am not much of a rock jumper. When you waded across how deep was it and did you wear your swim suit?

Thanks!

 

We've done the Roseau Treasures, too. This is much different - you won't be going to any of the "touristy" spots, which, in my mind, is a huge plus. However, if you haven't seen them, you may want to. It is a more strenuous hike than anything you'd be doing on the Roseau Treasures excursion. You don't need to be a rock jumper - the streams are not difficult to cross, you just need to watch where you're putting your feet and take your time. Most of the time I don't use the rocks, I just wade through the water. The water is not deep - I'm short and it didn't go much above my ankles, certainly didn't come near my knees. No need to wear a swimsuit. Even when I said we stopped near a little beach, it was not a "sit on the beach" stop - it was an area where we could look across the water at Martinique, take a few pictures, and then hop back in the car.

[mailbroad]

We've done the Roseau Treasures, too. This is much different - you won't be going to any of the "touristy" spots, which, in my mind, is a huge plus. However, if you haven't seen them, you may want to. It is a more strenuous hike than anything you'd be doing on the Roseau Treasures excursion. You don't need to be a rock jumper - the streams are not difficult to cross, you just need to watch where you're putting your feet and take your time. Most of the time I don't use the rocks, I just wade through the water. The water is not deep - I'm short and it didn't go much above my ankles, certainly didn't come near my knees. No need to wear a swimsuit. Even when I said we stopped near a little beach, it was not a "sit on the beach" stop - it was an area where we could look across the water at Martinique, take a few pictures, and then hop back in the car.

 

Thanks. The Treasures Tour sounds great but this one is different and that is what we like!

I envisioned you with the water up to your waist! ha ha Strenuous is ok.

Thanks for your reply.

[Miss Vickie]

Thanks. The Treasures Tour sounds great but this one is different and that is what we like!

I envisioned you with the water up to your waist! ha ha Strenuous is ok.

Thanks for your reply.

 

No where near up to my waist :D. I'm in good shape and found this hike moderate, I only meant it's more strenuous than the Treasures tour, but that one doesn't really involve much hiking at all. With the new tour you're definitely taking a long walk in the woods :). I love different experiences, stuff that most people don't do, seeing places most tourists don't see, and this hike definitely achieved that!

[DaveandDiane]

Just booked our cruise last night. Now the waiting and planning begins again. 334 days until we cruise! I definately want to do this new tour with Levi....when do you think that I should contact him? It seems like it is still so far away, yet I don't want the word to get out about this tour and have it fill up on us before I book it.

[Miss Vickie]

Just booked our cruise last night. Now the waiting and planning begins again. 334 days until we cruise! I definately want to do this new tour with Levi....when do you think that I should contact him? It seems like it is still so far away, yet I don't want the word to get out about this tour and have it fill up on us before I book it.

 

Given that he takes 8 max on this hike, i'd contact him. We're 328 days from our next cruise and I booked our Barbados excursion last week, since I know it's a very popular limited-capacity excursion. Frankly, with Levi and Eli Fuller (on Antigua), I arrange my plans just as soon as I have my dates.