TomCar excursion in Aruba any good?

Has anyone tried the TomCar excursion in Aruba with the company called "Aruba Off-Road"? It looks like tons of fun but I can't find any feedback about it from my cruisecritic friends. Their website is: http://www.arubaoffroad.com/about.htm.

I did this excursion last Saturday morning January 17, 2009, with my 19 year old son. It was the best excursion of our cruise.

A taxi was waiting to pick us up at 8:30 as agreed. We arrived at the Ostrich Farm -- they moved their base to the Ostrich Farm recently -- around 9:00 where we were introduced to Camillo, who was our guide. No one else had booked for that morning so we essentially had a private tour. He ran my credit card again -- even though I had provided it on-line when I made the booking and gave me the liability waiver and the list of driving rules to sign. He also asked us to choose our lunch entree -- fish or ribs. He issued us goggles and took us to our vehicle.

We started off on blacktop roads but very quickly moved to the unpaved trails. Our first stop was Jamonata Hill, the highest point on Aruba. He pointed out the various sites and we took the obligatory pictures. We then continued on various trails -- some sandy and some rocky. On a wide spot he began to swerve, fishtailing the car back-and-forth. This was a great surprise -- we followed in his tracks and had a great time with this. We understood why we had the goggles -- he didn't need them upfront but our following vehicle had to deal with his dust. He did this in several spots along the trail. You definitely want a video camera for this part of the trip. We passed cactus and sandy beaches, rocky shores and brush covered hillsides. Every time we had a choice of trail, Camillo led us on the more rugged one. The vehicles never had a problem. Our next stop was the natural bridge -- the "baby" natural bridge at Seroe Colarado that is still standing. Great pictures here. There were many fishing boats off-shore as the seas were relatively calm the day we were there. We continued past the prison and then out of the national park at Baby Beach.

Baby Beach proved the only disappointment of this trip. We had been told that snorkeling equipment would be $3, then we were asked for $10, and then told that this was per person. We paid anyway, but for the 20 minutes or so we were there it was hardly worth the money. There were only a few fish and minimal coral inside the left-side breakwater. Everywhere else it was just sandy bottom and murky water. Camillo told us afterwards that the regular snorkel rental place was closed because it was Saturday, and that this alternative place charged more. Even if the price had been lower and the conditions better, it's still not worth snorkeling here for such a short time -- just go for a swim and cool off.

After Baby Beach we retraced some of our route on the north shore until the Fontein Cave. We were taken inside and had several features poiinted out, including in the Arawak Indian drawings, stalactites and stalagmites, some places where water would drip in, and a small rock that looked like a face. Camillo used his cell-phone as a flashlight to illuminate the Indian drawings. We were taken slightly further than the official path but not too deep into the cave.

After the cave we went to the nearby Boca Prins restaurant for lunch. The food was tasty and the views were amazing. The tour included the entree, fries, and a soft drink. Soft drinks and water were also available during the entire tour in a cooler in the guide's vehicle.

Since my son was having such a good time driving and didn't want to give me a turn, Camillo let me drive his vehicle back to the Ostrich Farm from the restaurant. We mostly retraced the morning's route. We returned around 1:00 and the taxi was waiting to take us back to the cruise ship dock.

During the drive we passed several other tours -- ATV's and SUV's -- neither of which looked like nearly as much fun as we were enjoying. The ATV's didn't go as fast and the SUV's had many people in the back. We also passed people in their own rental vehicles -- some of which were SUV's and some of which were ordinary cars. They were inching along slowly on the unfamiliar terrain. The TomCars, while not necessary for this terrain, are definitely the best choice if you believe that the point of the tour is not just to see the sights at the various stops but to enjoy the whole experience. Driving is fun but having one driver and one camera operator switch off makes sense too.

Camillo told me that he usually does the afternoon tours while his colleague does the mornings. A third guide who has a job as a firefighter fills in when one of the two primary guides is unavailable. He is a friendly 19 year old who was born in Colombia and has lived on Aruba since he was 3. He told me that the local language is Papamiento but all school classes are conducted in Dutch since Aruba is part of the Netherlands. Everyone learns English in school too, and Spanish is also used frequently due to the proximity to Venezuela.

My son pronounced this excursion the best one of our cruise. We recommend it highly. Follow their advice and bring (or wear) a swimsuit, towel, and camera. Flip-flops aren't the best for the short walks near the natural bridge but they will suffice in a pinch; I'd recommend sneakers or Tevas. Plan on you and your clothes getting dusty during this excursion. Other than the overpriced and disappointing snorkeing at Baby Beach, everything about this tour was excellent. While I would have liked to go to the Natural Pool too -- and I can't imagine why these vehicles wouldn't be able to do it while SUV's can -- the tour was more than enough to see the wild side of Aruba, and it returns with more than enough time to go to the more developed beaches on the western shore and/or to explore Oranjestad.

Thank you "sailandcruise" for giving me such thorough feedback regarding the TomCars excursion in Aruba. MUCH APPRECIATED!!

You mentioned using your credit card to book in advance... what was their booking procedure? I wouldn't want my credit card to get charged if (for whatever reason) our ship didn't stop at Aruba like it's supposed to.

They have a secure web form (https) to book. After I filled it out I got an automatically generated email reply thanking me for the booking and promising that I would receive a confirmation number in the next 24 to 48 hours. The next business day I did get a confirmation email from their Operations Manager with the details of where and when I would be picked up. Unfortunately, that email contained a forwarded message to her from their CRM system with all the detailed information from my booking, including my credit card number, expiration date, and security code. I'll be watching my statements carefully for any improper charges that may have resulted, and I have let them know by email that this is not an acceptable procedure. (I also provided feedback about the disappointing snorkeing at baby beach, and asked why it is not safe for the TomCars to go to the Natural Pool while many regular SUV's and even regular rental cars do go there.)

I did this excursion last Saturday morning January 17, 2009, with my 19 year old son. It was the best excursion of our cruise.

 

A taxi was waiting to pick us up at 8:30 as agreed. We arrived at the Ostrich Farm -- they moved their base to the Ostrich Farm recently -- around 9:00 where we were introduced to Camillo, who was our guide. No one else had booked for that morning so we essentially had a private tour. He ran my credit card again -- even though I had provided it on-line when I made the booking and gave me the liability waiver and the list of driving rules to sign. He also asked us to choose our lunch entree -- fish or ribs. He issued us goggles and took us to our vehicle.

 

We started off on blacktop roads but very quickly moved to the unpaved trails. Our first stop was Jamonata Hill, the highest point on Aruba. He pointed out the various sites and we took the obligatory pictures. We then continued on various trails -- some sandy and some rocky. On a wide spot he began to swerve, fishtailing the car back-and-forth. This was a great surprise -- we followed in his tracks and had a great time with this. We understood why we had the goggles -- he didn't need them upfront but our following vehicle had to deal with his dust. He did this in several spots along the trail. You definitely want a video camera for this part of the trip. We passed cactus and sandy beaches, rocky shores and brush covered hillsides. Every time we had a choice of trail, Camillo led us on the more rugged one. The vehicles never had a problem. Our next stop was the natural bridge -- the "baby" natural bridge at Seroe Colarado that is still standing. Great pictures here. There were many fishing boats off-shore as the seas were relatively calm the day we were there. We continued past the prison and then out of the national park at Baby Beach.

 

Baby Beach proved the only disappointment of this trip. We had been told that snorkeling equipment would be $3, then we were asked for $10, and then told that this was per person. We paid anyway, but for the 20 minutes or so we were there it was hardly worth the money. There were only a few fish and minimal coral inside the left-side breakwater. Everywhere else it was just sandy bottom and murky water. Camillo told us afterwards that the regular snorkel rental place was closed because it was Saturday, and that this alternative place charged more. Even if the price had been lower and the conditions better, it's still not worth snorkeling here for such a short time -- just go for a swim and cool off.

 

After Baby Beach we retraced some of our route on the north shore until the Fontein Cave. We were taken inside and had several features poiinted out, including in the Arawak Indian drawings, stalactites and stalagmites, some places where water would drip in, and a small rock that looked like a face. Camillo used his cell-phone as a flashlight to illuminate the Indian drawings. We were taken slightly further than the official path but not too deep into the cave.

 

After the cave we went to the nearby Boca Prins restaurant for lunch. The food was tasty and the views were amazing. The tour included the entree, fries, and a soft drink. Soft drinks and water were also available during the entire tour in a cooler in the guide's vehicle.

 

Since my son was having such a good time driving and didn't want to give me a turn, Camillo let me drive his vehicle back to the Ostrich Farm from the restaurant. We mostly retraced the morning's route. We returned around 1:00 and the taxi was waiting to take us back to the cruise ship dock.

 

During the drive we passed several other tours -- ATV's and SUV's -- neither of which looked like nearly as much fun as we were enjoying. The ATV's didn't go as fast and the SUV's had many people in the back. We also passed people in their own rental vehicles -- some of which were SUV's and some of which were ordinary cars. They were inching along slowly on the unfamiliar terrain. The TomCars, while not necessary for this terrain, are definitely the best choice if you believe that the point of the tour is not just to see the sights at the various stops but to enjoy the whole experience. Driving is fun but having one driver and one camera operator switch off makes sense too.

 

Camillo told me that he usually does the afternoon tours while his colleague does the mornings. A third guide who has a job as a firefighter fills in when one of the two primary guides is unavailable. He is a friendly 19 year old who was born in Colombia and has lived on Aruba since he was 3. He told me that the local language is Papamiento but all school classes are conducted in Dutch since Aruba is part of the Netherlands. Everyone learns English in school too, and Spanish is also used frequently due to the proximity to Venezuela.

 

My son pronounced this excursion the best one of our cruise. We recommend it highly. Follow their advice and bring (or wear) a swimsuit, towel, and camera. Flip-flops aren't the best for the short walks near the natural bridge but they will suffice in a pinch; I'd recommend sneakers or Tevas. Plan on you and your clothes getting dusty during this excursion. Other than the overpriced and disappointing snorkeing at Baby Beach, everything about this tour was excellent. While I would have liked to go to the Natural Pool too -- and I can't imagine why these vehicles wouldn't be able to do it while SUV's can -- the tour was more than enough to see the wild side of Aruba, and it returns with more than enough time to go to the more developed beaches on the western shore and/or to explore Oranjestad.

Is the tomcar automatic or standard? It is just my daughter and myself and neither of us drives a standard!

This seems like a great trip!

Is the tomcar automatic or standard? It is just my daughter and myself and neither of us drives a standard!

 

This seems like a great trip!

Automatic. There is foward, neurtal, and reverse, but you only use forward. You turn off the engine when you stop rather than going into neutral.

Since my son was having such a good time driving and didn't want to give me a turn, Camillo let me drive his vehicle back to the Ostrich Farm from the restaurant. We mostly retraced the morning's route. We returned around 1:00 and the taxi was waiting to take us back to the cruise ship dock.

 

 

I noticed on an ATV rental site that the driving age for them was 21. I am sure my daughter would prefer to be the driver and she is 20. Did your son need to show a license? She looks very young for her age and i probably wouldn;t book this if she couldn't drive.

Thanks in advance!

Since my son was having such a good time driving and didn't want to give me a turn, Camillo let me drive his vehicle back to the Ostrich Farm from the restaurant. We mostly retraced the morning's route. We returned around 1:00 and the taxi was waiting to take us back to the cruise ship dock.

 

 

I noticed on an ATV rental site that the driving age for them was 21. I am sure my daughter would prefer to be the driver and she is 20. Did your son need to show a license? She looks very young for her age and i probably wouldn;t book this if she couldn't drive.

Thanks in advance!

 

The minimum driving age for this tour was 18. He had to show his license.

This tour sounds like a lot of fun and we're interested in reserving it, but I checked the website and it says the Baby Beach Tour (which is about 4 hours) starts at 9am. Our cruise doesn't arrive until 12pm and leaves 10pm...does anyone know if we'd still be able to book this and leave at a later time?