Zipline ?

[boaterkeith]

:) Of the three ziplines in Roatan, which one is the best? The level of difficulty does not matter and we are doing nothing else on the island. Thanks for any opinions and Happy Cruising

[jmrfamily]

We just returned from our cruise and we did a zip line in Roatan. I have never done a zip line before, so I am not an expert on the differences from one to the next, but we really had a great time with the South Shore zipline/canopy tour.

 

There were 10 people in our group and we had 4 guides with us at all times to help us attach/detach and provide directions as needed. There were two kids in our group (ages 7 & 8), one was my daughter, and they did a great job with the kids. They had there on guide that zipped with them and gave them the opportunity to go on there own when appropriate.

 

There were 13 lines covering almost 2 miles. The views of the jungle and sea were great. The tour took almost an hour and they kept you moving on with very little wait between lines (sometimes you would come in on one line and be hooked right up to the next!) Also, I understand that some zipline tours include "bridges" which are really rope walks, this one did not have any bridges for which I was very happy.

 

One other issue to consider is whether you are going to book through the cruise line. The one at Gumbalimba Park can only be booked through the cruise line. South Shore does not do the cruise line tour. We were shuttled around Roatan by the Diana and Cynthia tour group which is how we were able to go to South Shore. If you look through the threads on this Roatan board, you will find a lot of information about the D&C tour group (they did a wonderful job for us!)

[Northender]

We used bodden tours and did the zip line through his organization. $45pp for zip lines. This is the first thing they do so you can get a jump on everyone else. The tour itself is $25pp. Iguana Farm $5pp (not worth it in my estimation):( We went to a beach and had lunch, also requeted to go to the orphanage - we went to one that, well, in my opinion, should not even be in business.:o

With bodden tours, just make sure you tell your guide exactly what you want to do. That is very important.....

[cruise-bunny]

Northender

Which orphanage did you go to?

Sandy

[SocrRiss18]

Hello,

Me,21, My Brother, 22, and our parents will be on the Carnival Valor May 13-20th and will be stopping in Roatan. My brother and I are probably going to do the south shore zipline but I think the parents are gonna skip it. Has anyone ever done this before? We'd like to do it but dont know how long it will take and were wondering if there is something near by for the 'rents to do so we can meet back up with them right after. If anyone has done this and could give me more information I'd really appreciate it! Also, if anyone just has any suggestions on things to do in general we would really appreciate. This is the port we're having trouble planning for. Thanks!!!

[rafro]

We were on Grand Princess last week, and our family of four did South Shore ziplining in the early afternoon (no waiting at all). It was A BLAST! I really liked their safety precautions - helmets, two cables ( one for your harness, and one for your safety line), gloves, etc. We ziplined in Puerto Vajarta last year without any of these extras.... But, the best thing about South Shore was that our guides let us do stunts - zipping upside down (spiderman) or flying straight out (superman) - all with their supervision. My 50ish husband and my teen girls did them all (not me:eek: ). We had two guides for our group of four, and the lead guide took my camera for photos the whole trip. Excellent service. Best run was #11. Be sure to have them "bounce" you, too! Have fun in Roatan.

[caribbean dreams]

I loved the Palmetto canopy tour, there were 7 of us an 2 guides, suspended bridges, tight ropes, rock climbing wall ect....

No helmet was required, gloveless wire control, which really helped you have more control over your turns. by the second canopy we were zipping upside down.

[SocrRiss18]

We were on Grand Princess last week, and our family of four did South Shore ziplining in the early afternoon (no waiting at all). It was A BLAST! I really liked their safety precautions - helmets, two cables ( one for your harness, and one for your safety line), gloves, etc. We ziplined in Puerto Vajarta last year without any of these extras.... But, the best thing about South Shore was that our guides let us do stunts - zipping upside down (spiderman) or flying straight out (superman) - all with their supervision. My 50ish husband and my teen girls did them all (not me:eek: ). We had two guides for our group of four, and the lead guide took my camera for photos the whole trip. Excellent service. Best run was #11. Be sure to have them "bounce" you, too! Have fun in Roatan.

 

Thanks for the information. im excited to hear that they'll take some pictures for us. Since you've done it I thought I'd pick your brain a little if you dont mind, since they havent gotten back to me. First off, how much was it? Did they provide transportation to/from the port? How long does the excursion take? And what are the size restrictions? Our parents probably wont be doing it, but we'd like to meet up with them right away and then maybe do some snorkeling or something. Any suggestions on how to do this, or what activities to do afterwards?

[rafro]

SocrRiss18,

We made arrangements online with Victor Bodden Tours (boddentours.com) for a private driver and taxi (air-conditioned van) for the day, at $25.00 per person. Our driver Shelly actually worked for another tour group as well, one that her sister Cinthia owns (roatancabtours.com). They meet you right outside the gates to the pier, and take you around to do whatever you like for the whole day.

 

I don't know if South Shore provides any transportation. It's about twenty to thirty minutes from the pier.They have a van to pick you up at the last line and take you back to their office. Our cost to zipline was $45.00/person, although there is a coupon in one of their flyers for $3.00 off...which we found later. It took us about an hour to zipline. Your parents ought to try it!!!! I think the weight limit is 250 lbs. But if your parents REALLY don't want to do it, your driver could drop them at West End or West Bay to shop/relax/snorkel while you guys zipline. I don't remember seeing anything close to South Shore that they could visit while you zipline. They have a small waiting area...no one was trying to sell us anything while we were there, but they did offer us fresh watermelon!

 

I was glad we had a private driver. Shelly is a Roatan native, and took us to some really scenic places in the morning, when the ziplines were most crowded. We went to Parrot Bay for coffees (great resort - maybe go there next year instead of a cruise!), had lunch at West End, and then ziplined. Finished the afternoon lounging/snorkeling at West Bay near Bananarama Resort. Both West End and West Bay have snorkeling, kayaking, beach chairs, and lots of beachside restaraunts. More shopping (such as it is) at West End, but beach is better IMHO at West Bay. We also saw the Iguana Farm ($5.00/person), and Shelly got long leaves out so we could feed them, and got Sherman (the owner) to help my girls hold one. Don't try that without his help, tho! At $5.00 a person, Sherman's probably one of the richest guys on the island!

 

We had perfect weather, so it made our day on Roatan the best day of our cruise. Bad weather could ruin your day...although sitting at a thatch-roofed oceanside bar and eating lobster and shrimp all day might not be so bad! We really didn't notice any museums, galleries, theaters, etc..but that's part of the island's charm. There are definitely areas on the island to avoid - just like anywhere you can find drugs, crime, etc...another reason to hire a driver. Also, Shelly told us about some the "tours" they have arranged for other tourists - to jails(!), orphanages, schools, markets, gardens, etc. Your interests and imagination can guide your day.

 

Have fun!

[Northender]

We used bodden tours and did the zip line through his organization. $45pp for zip lines. This is the first thing they do so you can get a jump on everyone else. The tour itself is $25pp. Iguana Farm $5pp (not worth it in my estimation):( We went to a beach and had lunch, also requeted to go to the orphanage - we went to one that, well, in my opinion, should not even be in business.:o

With bodden tours, just make sure you tell your guide exactly what you want to do. That is very important.....

 

Well, Northender seems as ifyou didn't enjoy your tour but Victor bodden tours are fine and he does more than one zip-line. He uses South SHore which was packed over Spring BReak time and he also uses Jungle Canopy.

 

Please note that I did say to make sure that your agenda is set before you board your bus. I know bodden is a great tour group, we (or at least I) found our driver and guide not to be the best. They did take us to the zip lines right away and we were one of the first groups. (What WAS I thinking:eek: ) Anyway, I would never say bodden is not a good tour outfit, what we got (there were 17 of us) was very disheveled. We kept criss crossing the Island and where ever it was we had lunch, well, just say I would not go there again.

 

Sandy, I wish I could remember which one it was, it is not the one that everyone seems to go to from this forum. The place was so run down, if we tried to see an area, the woman running the orphanage would follow quickly behind us. We saw where the children slept - no windows and there were slots that would hold a hasp type lock with twist ties in each. She quickly opened and closed the doors. We certainly did not get to see much and the place was very run down. All of us felt bad for the kids, but just wanted to get out of there. The only clue I can remember is that I think a radio station was set up somewhere on the property.

There was no electricity that day and I don't believe there was any water.

God love the little ones.

 

Once again, please, I am not saying anything against Victor Bodden. I know by reading these boards that everyone is pleased with him. Our guide told us she drove 1 and 1/2 hours to do this job.