GC just doesn't look that exciting to me....

[amandaepperson21]

DH and I have been to Grand Cayman once before. We looked over the ships excursions as well as independent excursions. Everything except the stingray tour seems so typical and common... like the same stuff that's available in every other port of call. Each port has it's unique little gym... cave tubing in Belize, Dunns River Falls in Jamaica, and in GC it's the stingrays.... but we have absolutely no interest in doing this. Everything I've seen- hell, turtle farm, all of the usual activities available thru the ship like snorkeling, etc- just seem so BLAH! Grand Cayman, to us, just seems like Miami or some other tropical city. Everything is so commercial and Americanized. It's not our kind of port. But our next cruise stops there. Last time we just found a bar on the beach and lounged all day... stopping off to snorkel but ultimately it was the most boring port we visited. We just couldn't find the excitement and adventure. We don't typically do the usual ship excursions.... we're the type that'd rather lace up and go hiking independently or walk 5 miles down the shoreline until we find the most deserted place and snorkel solo. We like to experience the nature and culture, but GC just seems so much like America... it's like visiting the Keys...

 

Can someone recommend something we might find entertaining? I think we're going diving but we'll have time for more afterwards. That's one thing GC is good for- diving!

[MamaParrotHead]

Not a huge fan of GC either, but Rum Point beach is gorgeous. We're hiring a private charter and hitting the stingrays for a short stop and then just heading over to Rum Point. The other way to get there is to rent a car.

 

That's really the only suggestion I have. I look at it like anything is better than being at work and staring at the same 4 walls of the office all day long. :)

[bookbabe]

Have you been to the Botanical Gardens? If you like nature and culture it might be of interest...

http://www.botanic-park.ky/

 

You could always rent a car and head there on your own if you don't want to do an excursion, and then you could drive around to East End, visit the blowholes, stop at some secluded beaches, etc.

 

The diving and snorkelling is great, so if you're interested in that, going with one of the private operators rather than with a ship excursion might give you more flexibility about the destination and length of time spent on the water.

 

If you stay relatively near the port area (Georgetown, Seven Mile Beach and to some extent the closer parts of West Bay) then, yes, it's going to be fairly commercialized. That's the main tourist zone, after all. There's very little that you could easily walk to that's going to be at all "deserted" or very secluded or rustic. You have to venture outside of that tourist area to find the type of stuff you sound like you're looking for...

[ricskill]

DH and I have been to Grand Cayman once before. We looked over the ships excursions as well as independent excursions. Everything except the stingray tour seems so typical and common... like the same stuff that's available in every other port of call. Each port has it's unique little gym... cave tubing in Belize, Dunns River Falls in Jamaica, and in GC it's the stingrays.... but we have absolutely no interest in doing this. Everything I've seen- hell, turtle farm, all of the usual activities available thru the ship like snorkeling, etc- just seem so BLAH! Grand Cayman, to us, just seems like Miami or some other tropical city. Everything is so commercial and Americanized. It's not our kind of port. But our next cruise stops there. Last time we just found a bar on the beach and lounged all day... stopping off to snorkel but ultimately it was the most boring port we visited. We just couldn't find the excitement and adventure. We don't typically do the usual ship excursions.... we're the type that'd rather lace up and go hiking independently or walk 5 miles down the shoreline until we find the most deserted place and snorkel solo. We like to experience the nature and culture, but GC just seems so much like America... it's like visiting the Keys...

 

Can someone recommend something we might find entertaining? I think we're going diving but we'll have time for more afterwards. That's one thing GC is good for- diving!

Rent a car and head to Rum Point

[Utexas2000]

The Majestic Trail sounds like fun. I haven't been there yet, but it is a three mile hiking trail.

[Utexas2000]

oops, I meant mastic trail. Do a google search for it.

[amandaepperson21]

I read a bit about the trail yesterday. It looks fun but my only concern is hiking it alone (just DH and I). I read one review where the writer said he/she saw three snakes in just the short 3 mile hike. I'm adventurous but things like that freak me out. I'm going to see if any tour operators have a group hike available, though.... one that carries things like antivenom and other first aids.

[Capt_BJ]

walk a mile south of town and do a shore dive(s) off Sunset House then enjoy a wonderful lunch water side at My Bar ... play Dominos with the locals if you dare (and/or they let you in the game)

[drew sailbum]

I read a bit about the trail yesterday. It looks fun but my only concern is hiking it alone (just DH and I). I read one review where the writer said he/she saw three snakes in just the short 3 mile hike. I'm adventurous but things like that freak me out. I'm going to see if any tour operators have a group hike available, though.... one that carries things like antivenom and other first aids.

 

Antivenom? There are no poisonous snakes in Cayman. No need for antivenom.

 

The National Trust for the Cayman Islands does operate occasional guided hikes on the Mastic Trail. In the wetter times of the year a portion of the trail can be very muddy.

[tip]

Have you been to the Botanical Gardens? If you like nature and culture it might be of interest...

http://www.botanic-park.ky/...

 

 

We are going to the Cayman Islands in February. We did take a cab out to the Botanical Gardens five or six years ago and it was certainly worthwhile. I know that in the past few years, they have been ravaged by hurricanes. Does anyone know if the Botanical Gardens have been somewhat restored from the damage yet?

[PinkJellyFish06]

Rum Point Beach is beautiful and there is quite a few good snorkeling places to be seen. I went there for the first time just two weeks ago & I loved it. We did the Rays, Reef, & Rumpoint through Nativeway. If you ever get the urge to go see the stingrays, you should def. do this excursion. We got to swim with them, then they took us to a reef to snorkle, then to Rum Point beach for lunch. I hope you find something to do there that you like!

[bookbabe]

We are going to the Cayman Islands in February. We did take a cab out to the Botanical Gardens five or six years ago and it was certainly worthwhile. I know that in the past few years, they have been ravaged by hurricanes. Does anyone know if the Botanical Gardens have been somewhat restored from the damage yet?

 

While I haven't specifically been to the botanical gardens, the rest of the vegetation on the island has recovered from Ivan quite nicely, so I'd assume that the gardens would be the same if not better.