Cab cost vs. taking a tour - Safest and best price?

[anne13]

Cruise Critic readers, I need your help.

 

I'm planning an excursion for 3 adults in our family the first week of Jan.

 

I called the Dominica tourism office in the US and was told it would cost $30 per person by local taxi and take 45 min. to get to the Emerald Pool. That doesn't include the Trafalgar Falls. So, we're looking at $90 for 3 people and I don't know if it's round trip or one way.

 

We would like to go to Trafalgar Falls, Emerald Pool, Mr. Nice's Fruit Stand, and whatever else we can do in about 4 hours.

 

Would you recommend a cab, or should we book at tour with a guide. We would prefer to go privately as a family or perhaps in a very small group.

 

Is it safe to go by cab? Which is more economical?

 

Thank you in advance.

[nightworker]

We used a taxi to take us to the Twin Falls and had no problem. The only thing we didn't like was went we got to the falls the taxi driver had a friend that just happend to be there to show us around. We then felt that we had to trip his friend. He was very helpful and told us alot of interesting things but I guess we didn't like the fact we really were roped into it. We asked the local police if it was safe to take a random taxi at the pier and they told us to stick to the taxi's with a license. I hope this helps. We both loved Dominicia and can't wait to go again!! Have a great time!!

[anne13]

Thank you for answering my questions. Please keep your answers coming!

 

 

Nightworker:

How much did you pay to go to Trafalgar Falls? You called it Twin Falls - is that the same falls?

 

Did you pay per person?

 

Did you pay on the return after the driver brought you back so that you wouldn't get stranded there?

 

Did the driver wait for you to hike down to the base? Did you swim there?

 

Did you go to Emerald Falls as well? How much?

 

Thank you.

[138east]

Take a look at Antours - http://www.antours.dm/shoreexcursion.htm - they have tours in your price range.

 

Book our 4-hour excursion which goes to Morne Bruce View Point, Botanical Gardens, Wotton Wavon Sulphur Springs, Trafalgar Twin Waterfalls.

Shared Coach Price

Adult - US$30.00.

Under 12 yrs pay $10.00. Under 3 yrs - no charge.

We provide the Park ticket.

 

I went to the Emerald Pool, tubing, and the beach with them - it was more money but more tour for less money than booking through the cruise ship. The roads in Dominica are narrow and windy, so typically they use vans rather than tour buses, which means your group will be small.

 

You probably would want to do either the falls or the Emerald Pool, but not both. Some hiking is involved and it gets really hot and humid in the "rain forest".

 

You can also tell Antours what you want to do and see if they can accommodate you. We only had 6 people for the tubing. If the tour is not full, they may hang around the dock for a few minutes to see if they can get extra customers.

[cruise crazy64]

I was there with a large family group in 2007 while taking a Princess Sun 10 day. One of the guys in our group had found a private tour person that took us to all the places you listed and a couple places that are not on your typical "touristy" spots. We had a blast and before tip I want to say it was only $40.00 per person. Now we did have a big goup, we used two vans so I'm not sure if it would be more or not for just 3 but I can find out today from a girl at work who they were. Again it was an excellant tour! They were very knowledgeable about their island and didn't take us to any "tourist traps" when it came to the local sovenier(spelling) sellers.

Karen, FL

[anne13]

Thank you cruise critic responders.

 

Also heard good things about Bumpiing tours but can't seem to log on to their website for prices and descriptions of tours. Any ideas?

 

How is Antours different from Bumpiing Tours?

[Marabella2004]

I tried to find bumpiing tours on the web also, and could not. We will be in Dominica in December, and need to make some decisions. thanks

[cruise crazy64]

The name of the company we used was "Reno Tours" although I can't seem to google them either. Maybe you can check with the dept of tourism about them? They were super great!

Karen, FL

:o

[jku2]

Here is some info I have found out.

I am also looking to book a tour in Dominica for Jan 12th.

 

Reyno does not have a web site ...his email address is

reynotours@hotmail.com but I emailed him 3 days ago and have not eard back.

 

I heard back from antours right away and for a whole day tour (which sounded great) I found we really could not go because you need a group.

 

Public Tour Notes

12-seater minibus departs with minimum 10 persons.

16-seater departs with minimum with 12 persons

24-seater coach departs with minimum 14 persons.

All tour vehicles are air-conditioned.

Current Prices are:

Adult - US$40.00

Under 12 yrs - $15.00

Under 2 yrs – Free of charge

Entry Tickets are included in price.

Payment

We require pre-payment in order to confirm your reservation.

Tour Payments are accepted via PayPal. Invoice to be forwarded on request.

We look forward to your booking.

With kind regards

http://www.antours.dm

:http://www.dominicacruisesite.com

 

 

Bumpiingtours

 

levibaron@bumpiingtours.com

http://www.bumpiingtours.com

 

Rouseau valley tour 4 and a half hours $40 which includes all entrance fees and beer and water

 

Pool falls and more 5 hours $50.

There are lots more info about the tours,,,just send him a email

You only need at least 4 to run the tour.

 

We hope to book with him as right now there are 2 of us and we think we can find another 2

 

hope this helps

[jku2]

I should have also added that I contacted Beno also.

He also replied quickly and has sinced written a follow up.

His price was $40 plus admissions and he has beer and water and you see the emerald pool, mr nice, rain forest etc. Problem is you also need a minimum of 4 or a private tour is $160 for 2.

 

You might want to check him also

[dacade]

We have been to Dominica 2 times and have not been disappointed either time. The first time we were in a van with about 6 to 8 others. The last time we shared a cab with another couple. We saw more of the island, was less crowded, and paid less by taking a cab. We are planning on taking a cab again when we sail on the 30th of this month. Not sure if we will be able to get the same rate of $20 pp that we got a couple of years ago, but looking to go into the Carib Territory again.

[timetraveler9]

Hi,

 

I just joined this board tonight because I read recommendations for Pepper of Peppers Tours here before I left for our trip. I searched Google and it brought me to this board when doing research for my trip and searching for references from past customers of Pepper before I booked with him.

 

I love to travel and have been posting on Trip Advisor for more than a year (under 8Chocolate). By the way, I love to cruise too. I have been on Norwegian, Celebrity, Princess and (the now defunct) Dolphin and Seawind cruise lines.

 

I'm posting back here to let people on this forum know what I experienced on Dominica. We didn't take a cruise there, we were there for nine nights. But since I obtained information from this board I felt I should post here.

 

I don't recommend renting a car for a day while in port. I have done this when I visited ports in Alaska as driving was easy there. When visiting Caribbean ports I normally just hire someone for a flat rate for a full day's tour. I always do research before my trip and have a list of things I want to see and I work out what is possible with the driver and then we set off. I just walk off the gangplank and find someone. So far, knock on wood, we have had good experiences. I have done this twice in Grenada, twice in Barbados, twice in Jamaica, twice in St. Lucia, in St. Thomas, in Antigua, and I'm sure other places I have forgotten. :-) However, I would be wary of that in Dominica. I tried that method at the airport when I arrived in Dominica two weeks ago and it was a disaster. I had typed the names of the two attractions I wanted to see on the way to my hotel and the name and location of the hotel and was quoted a price *in front of a uniformed official* by the taxi driver. The price changed several times before we even left the aiport parking lot. The official even walked over to see what the delay in leaving was and was absolutely no help. Taxis are very expensive on Dominica and perhaps there isn't as much regulation compared to other islands. Whatever the cause I don't recommend relying on luck to get a driver who will be honest and not rush you or tell you there isn't time to see certain things, etc.

 

I do not think it is wise to try and rent a car for your one day here. I think that is a huge mistake. We were on the island for nine nights and chose not to do so for safety and to avoid stress. The island is very mountainous and road signage isn't very good and there are lots of blind curves and you will be driving on the left side of the road. By the time you pick up your car and pay for your temporary driver's permit and make your way out of congested Roseau you will have eaten up lots of valuable time.

 

The day we did the Morne Trois Pitons National Park attractions there were two cruise ships in port at 1950 passenger capacity each (I'm not sure if they were at full capacity or not) yet we had each attraction to ourselves. Just to let you know this area is where *lots* of cruise passengers spend their time yet we didn't see one group. Somehow our guide knew where the cruise excursions were at a given time so we visited attractions at a schedule counter to theirs. This was fabulous. The day before I had mentioned that perhaps we should postpone touring that area till two days later when there wouldn't be large ships in port. Pepper said not to worry we could avoid the crowds and he was right. It worked beautifully. That is another argument for hiring a guide. He will take you where your fellow passengers are not. You may enjoy the company of your fellow passengers- just not while you are trying to experience nature in the rainforest!

 

Frankly, we never book organized excursions. You can tour the same sights privately and pay about the same amount or usually much less for even two people.

 

We didn't want to entrust our vacation to someone without getting some feedback. That is how I found this place and got feedback other posters had so kindly taken the time to put out there. That along with information on TA helped us feel comfortable booking Pepper. We were very happy with him and after our fiasco at the airport I was relieved I hadn't decided to rely on luck for our tour days and had arranged something ahead of time. Pepper was excellent. He will make sure you see as much as possible in your limited time on the island because 1) he is honest, it isn't all about the money with him 2) he really cares a lot about his reputation and was really proud of his sterling reviews on TA (under his two accomodations he owns)

 

His contact information is: ph 767-616-4321 or 767-245-1234 (if calling from the U.S. you do not need to dial a country code or 011 when calling, just dial 1 and then the phone number, just like in the U.S.)

email is askpepper@pepperscottage.com

pepperscottage.com

 

He charges $140-160 USD for 1-4 people *for an entire day*. That is a flat rate, it isn't per person.

 

If Pepper is booked you can go to visit-dominica.com and click "tourism" and then "tour operators" to find a guide. I really do recommend doing this if you don't want the stress of dealing with the shenannigans I dealt with at the airport. Find a reputable guide! Hopefully you will go with Pepper- he was the best tour guide we have ever encountered anywhere. Period.

[gullcruiser]

Timetraveler, thanks for your post. It really helped me and I will be checking Pepper out. Which tour did you take w/him?

[timetraveler9]

As we were staying on the island for nine nights we did several days with him. On the day we checked out of our hotel in Castle Bruce (in the east coast of the island)he picked us up there and took us to Morgan River Falls (an uncut trail to a lesser known waterfall. it was wild!), Twa Basens (means three basins. a lesser known place where you walk five minutes from the road up to a swimming hole with a little waterfall) and Sari Sari Falls (Every one says and writes thirty minutes each way though it took me almost an hour due to taking photos and going very sloooowly during certain portions of the trail that I found a little intimidating just because I'm not the most adventurous person out there. On the way back it took me about 45 minutes). Being on the island for just one day I wouldn't do Morgan River Falls. It was a cool experience but there are other more impressive falls to see. I had requested to see it because I had read about it in my guidebook. Pepper obligingly took me there but he had told me it wasn't that spectacular and he was right. Unless you really want to do something just for the experience of doing a "bush trail" I would skip it. For me it was a really nice impressive waterfall but relative to others on the island it isn't as spectacular.

 

The next day we did snorkeling at Scott's Head and Champagne Reef, Soufriere Hot Springs and of course the scenic drive around the south coast where we stopped for lots of photo opportunities.

 

The next day we did the rainforest attractions of Morne Trois Pitons National Park: Screw's Sulphur Spa, Trafalgar Falls, Titou Gorge and Middleham Falls.

 

Two days later we did Morne Diablotin National Park: Syndicate Nature Trial (an easy and level trail that was an hour loop where we saw lots of interesting trees like ones with roots that look like stilts nicknamed "the rasta man of the forest" and other ones with huge roots that looked like snakes). I saw two parrots when I was there! I had wanted to do Syndicate Falls so we then did the trail to Syndicate Falls (also called Milton Falls. The trail was about 20 minutes each way and wasn't too hard. However a fence has been erected around the pool at the base because a nearby village gets its water from here and people kept swimming in the falls even when signs were posted asking them not to so they had to put up the fence to protect their water source. We still got nice photos and I'm glad we went but the fence kind of mars it), Cabrits National Park, also lots of stops for photos along the west coast, and fabulously beautiful Batibou Beach.

 

Our first day in Dominica we toured with a man who worked for our hotel as a guide. The man was Haitian and very good- he showed us lots of different plants and fruits etc. (as did Pepper!) but we had a hard time understanding him and he had a bit of a hard time understanding us. And I had told the hotel if our time *went over* the half day tour (four hours) we had booked he could drop us at Barana Aute and we would catch a taxi back. The owner of the hotel said fine. So he dropped us at Barana Aute for the hour we were there (45 min tour, plus film, plus shopping) even though at that point the tour had gone on for about 3hrs 40 minutes. Well, upon talking to the people at Barana Aute we discovered that taxis didn't come down there (well I supppose we could have gotten one to drive over from the airport if we really wanted to but this obviously wasn't normally done so imagine the cost and also waiting for one to show up after being called) and the last bus heading south (where we were headed) had left at 1pm. We ended up walking the incredibly steep hill back toward town and **hitching** a ride in the back of a pick-up truck. I had known from reading ahead of time that this was accepted practice on the island and actually quite safe and we were told to do this by the people at Barana Aute. They said everyone was very friendly and we would be fine. We were fine, someone did kindly give us a ride. It was a little scary going around mountain curves on steep roads sitting on the little seats over the wheel beds so after a minute or two of that I didn't care if my pants got stained and sat flat on the truck's bed and spent the rest of the time hoping my husband's grip was good so he didn't go flying off! It made a great story for us to laugh about later but it was a little stressful. Lol! That day we had done Jacko Falls and Spanny Falls in the morning. I must say that I felt like the hotel owner should have looked out for us a little more and that the tour guide, though just doing what he was told by the hotel owner, probably should have taken some initiative and offered to extend the tour another 45 minutes. Surely he knew the transportation situation?? That is another reason I am so enthusiastic in my recommendations of Pepper. That **never** would have happened with him. He picked us up the next day as arranged and from then on we toured with him. I hadn't hired him for that first day in Dominica because we figured we would just use the hotel's guide that first day... of course in hindsight I wish I had just used Pepper the entire time. Oh well, like I said- it makes a good story! :D

 

You could go with one of his set tours which means a tour of certain attractions like the ones he lists on his website or you could pick out places that you want to see and ask him if it is realistic and he will take you wherever you want to go. He is very honest so he would tell you if it is unrealistic or not. That is what I did- I had a list of places I wanted to see on certain days. He did those and added more. We were pretty tired at the end of the day but we know we had seen a lot. You also don't worry about him saying there isn't time if there really is or trying to rush you through to hurry through the tour or to try and drag it out so things take longer. To me that is the most important thing- to find someone who has my best interests at heart and is concentrated on giving me a good experience.

[krislee]

We booked our tour with Levi of Bumpiing Tours. His website is http://www.bumpiingtours.com/. You can go under "Cruise Ship Tours" to see what is available. The prices are not listed but if you email Levi and let you know what tours you are interested in, he is usually very quick to respond.

 

We had a group of 8 that did the Roseau Valley Best tour to Middleham Falls, Trafalgar Falls and Titou Gorge. It was a wonderful experience. Levi was our tour guide and he was perfect. I would highly recommend his tour company....