Bumpiing Tours or Reyno Tours

[NCTribeFan]

I just did my 2nd tour with Levi (May 2009 and last Monday, 11/18).

 

Was lucky enough to have him as our guide both times. He's wonderful.

[carolslc]

We are booked with Levi/Bumpiing Tours on our January cruise, for the Rosseau Valley Treasures (wet) tour - can't wait.

 

Two questions:

 

1. I have hypoglycemia and can't make it 6 hours without food, even with a good breakfast on the ship. I will bring a prepackaged protein bar and prepackaged nuts. But does anyone know if there's a place to get food at the port to take with us on the tour, like a sandwich maybe?

2. Do you keep what you take with you locked in the van at each stop? Or do you need to carry all of your stuff with you at all times? I'm wondering if I need to have a backpack with a waterproof wallet since we'll be in the water a lot.

 

thanks!

[erniesband]

We are booked with Levi/Bumpiing Tours on our January cruise, for the Rosseau Valley Treasures (wet) tour - can't wait.

 

Two questions:

 

1. I have hypoglycemia and can't make it 6 hours without food, even with a good breakfast on the ship. I will bring a prepackaged protein bar and prepackaged nuts. But does anyone know if there's a place to get food at the port to take with us on the tour, like a sandwich maybe?

2. Do you keep what you take with you locked in the van at each stop? Or do you need to carry all of your stuff with you at all times? I'm wondering if I need to have a backpack with a waterproof wallet since we'll be in the water a lot.

 

thanks!

 

No place convenient to pick up food. Either bring some energy bars from home like we do or grab something prepackaged, like cereal, on the ship.

Levi locks up what you don't want to carry in the van. We carry cameras and our own snorkel gear and felt very safe leaving stuff in his van.

[carolslc]

No place convenient to pick up food. Either bring some energy bars from home like we do or grab something prepackaged, like cereal, on the ship.

Levi locks up what you don't want to carry in the van. We carry cameras and our own snorkel gear and felt very safe leaving stuff in his van.

 

Thanks so much!

[Ron_L]

We just got back from a Southern Caribbean cruise aboard the Jewel. Based on the CC reviews, we booked the Roseau Valley Treasures tour with Levi Baron. During our initial inquiries, we received very prompt and detailed responses.

 

Bumpiing actually had 4 varying tours going the day were in Dominica. We did end up with Levi as our tour guide. I can't say enough good things about our tour. We first did snorkeling at the Champagne Reef. Levi snorkeled with us and pointed out all kinds of coral, fish and even a ship's cannon that we would have never seen on our own. Snorkeling gear is provided if you wish along with buoyancy vests for those that wanted them. We next went to the Titou Gorge and swam to the waterfall. He swam with us and assisted those who wanted to climb and jump or dive from the fall.

 

The next stop was Trafalgar Falls and the mineral hot springs. We spent a good amount of time soaking in the springs. Levi made sure everyone in our group found a good less crowded spot to soak and personally assisted people as necessary. We did a few sightseeing stops on the way back to the ship.

 

Ample alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were provided as part of the tour package. Everyone in our group of 6 agreed that this was the best day of our cruise. Levi provided for an excellent, unhurried day. Our tour lasted 6+ hours and it was worth every penny.

 

We're doing this tour in a couple of weeks. Thanks for the info!

 

Our water shoes are the soft soled type. We were thinking of wearing our Crocs (the kind with the holes in to left ware drain out). Do you think those would be OK?

[burm]

We're doing this tour in a couple of weeks. Thanks for the info!

 

Our water shoes are the soft soled type. We were thinking of wearing our Crocs (the kind with the holes in to left ware drain out). Do you think those would be OK?

 

 

Crocs are fine for poolside, but a poor choice for doing a lot of walking on rough terrain or going in and out of water. If you have to climb a hill you will be gripping with your toes. If you walk along the water your shoes can get sucked in and tossed around by waves (been there, done that).

 

Something like Keen's water shoes are great for water related excursions. They give you good support for climbing hills or rocks (they have toe caps which give excellent protection). They are light, comfortable, they stay on and you can wear them around water or not.

 

http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/wall/shoes/men/waterfront

[carolslc]

I gotta say - I love my Keen's. I bought some this past spring with our upcoming cruise in mind. I bought my husband a pair this summer too. I thought I was just buying water shoes, but they became my go-to shoe this summer. They are so comfortable. They might be hard to find in stores right now, but you should be able to find them online. If you don't have time to order online, you could check REI, Scheels... Mine are the Clearwater CNX:

http://www.keenfootwear.com/us/en/product/shoes/women/waterfront/clearwater%20cnx

[burm]

And Keens come in cool colours. I wear a womens' 7 so can buy a Youth size 5 and save $$$.

 

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Forums mobile app

[Ron_L]

Thanks for the info. I have wide feet and Keens don't come in wide sizes, so they may not be a good option for me. We have a couple of local retailers so I'll take a look, but probably not until tomorrow :)

 

Any other options besides Keens that anyone can recommend?

[rjscott]

Thanks for the info. I have wide feet and Keens don't come in wide sizes, so they may not be a good option for me. We have a couple of local retailers so I'll take a look, but probably not until tomorrow :)

 

Any other options besides Keens that anyone can recommend?

 

Check Land's End. They have a water shoe oxford in their catalog that comes in wide. My husband could not wear Keens either b/c the toe box was too rigid for him. We've done hikes twice in Dominica and one thing you do want is comfortable, but sturdy footwear.

[Ron_L]

Check Land's End. They have a water shoe oxford in their catalog that comes in wide. My husband could not wear Keens either b/c the toe box was too rigid for him. We've done hikes twice in Dominica and one thing you do want is comfortable, but sturdy footwear.

 

Thanks! I'll look

[roothy123]

Thanks so much!

 

For food on the excursion, maybe you could order room service the night before and put it in the cooler/fridge to take with you the next morning. I don't want to overpack for this cruise, but I just might pack a small container to put a sandwich in. A banana plus a box of granola from the breakfast buffet might tide me over, but a more substantial snack would be much better!

Edited December 4, 2013 by roothy123

[carolslc]

For food on the excursion, maybe you could order room service the night before and put it in the cooler/fridge to take with you the next morning. I don't want to overpack for this cruise, but I just might pack a small container to put a sandwich in. A banana plus a box of granola from the breakfast buffet might tide me over, but a more substantial snack would be much better!

 

I wish I could, but my understanding is that you can't take anything off the ship unless it's prepackaged. :-(

 

I am bringing some gallon ziploc bags with me so that if I can find a sandwich or other food someplace in the port, I can throw it in and put it in my backpack for later.

[Moonlitherial]

If you can stand the toe configuration I've found that my Vibrams work great for a combo of hiking and water. They do need most of the night to completely dry but I've worn them both hiking on volcanoes and walking through rocky water and they've done great. I have balance issues and I find that having my toes available to assist helps me feel more secure on rocky terrain.

[starfish the second]

we are doing the wet tour with levi in april. is getting in and out of champagne reef hard:confused: also does he get you back to the ship in time to look around the pier a bit:confused:

[yknot13]

we are doing the wet tour with levi in april. is getting in and out of champagne reef hard:confused: also does he get you back to the ship in time to look around the pier a bit:confused:

 

We just returned from our cruise and were with Levi last week.

We did the wet tour. It was fantastic and now ranks as our top excursion.

It is not that difficult to get in and out at the reef. We got back to the port area with around an hour and a half left to shop and walk around.

The people on the island are extremely friendly.

There is not a great deal of shops so an hour was plenty of time to look around.

Have fun, wish I were going back soon.

[bunzini]

We are booked with Levi. I have a question. What does one do with their camera when swimming?

[Lo1Mo2]

Recently did the "wet" tour, with three stops. One of our favorite excursions of all time. The entry to the reef snorkeling was not as hard as I read--and I am both on Medicare and tooling about on imperfect knees! Also the snorkels was great--the best we have had in a while from a cruise ship (Bonair still rates as the best). Also this was a guided snorkel, with the guide being very well informed and he would dive and point out things to us. The gorge was cold but not as much as I feared. Pretty strong current but.....turning around will simply take you to the shallow (and warmer) entry spot. The falls stop, which is a walk which yields a view of falls, has (if my memory serves me well) a lot of steps but it is not arduous beyond that. However one must scamper over the rocks to find the best soaking pools in the hot springs water. Everyone helps everyone else all day long. Our guide, Kelvin, knew a great deal of the island's botany and history and he added to the enjoyment of the tour. A+ day. Do wear water shoes, however. The cost of $50 was quite reasonable.

[carolslc]

We are booked with Levi. I have a question. What does one do with their camera when swimming?

 

We did the wet tour last week - LOVED it! You leave your stuff in the locked van at each stop. If you want to take pictures, bring a water camera. At Champagne reef we left a towel and shoes on the beach but I wouldn't leave a camera up there. You either want it with you in the water, or leave it in the van. Same at Titou Gorge - we left towels and shirts on benches. You could safely bring a camera down to Trafalgar falls as long as you're careful getting into and out of the hot springs with it. As someone else said, you're climbing down on huge rocks. Totally worth it - very cool hot springs - like lots of hot tubs and you can climb around and try different ones out.

[erniesband]

Jewel Of The Seas docked in Roseau, Dominica on 1/15/14 and we had arranged yet another tour Levi and Bumping Tours. We had a group with mixed abilities and decided to do one of Levi's easier tours the Interior's Best (Mini Hike) from his website. First stop was the Emerald Pool. It was a nice easy hike and Levi got us there before all the ship tours started showing up, so we were leaving as they were just starting. The next stop was Spanny Twin Falls, this one was a little more challenging for our friends that don't do much hiking, but still a good hike and the falls were beautiful. We had some young adults with the group and here's were Levi took them on the more adventurous hike to the other of the twin falls up and over to the other side of the large hill. They were gone about a half hour while we older folk just chilled at the observation platform. Levi then deviated from his normal tour because he knows my wife, one of our other companions, and I well and that we're always game for something new. He took us to a new set of falls I believe were called Sponsey Falls. Where you could hike to seven falls. The owners were just developing the area as a tourist attraction so we were the first to see it. The first 3 falls were easy to get to just down a well-developed path and well worth the trip. You can see falls #4 in the distance and would have to hike over one river and up a second to get there. I would love to try it on another trip. Falls 5,6, & 7 were not where you could see them. By this time the owner had joined us and on our way back up he showed us where the path to #5 was. "It's only a 5 minute hike away,” he says. Well our younger friends and Levi take off up the hill and my wife decides to follow so as a caring and loving hubby I go after her. 5 minutes my butt! After a muddy and slippery 20 minutes later I'm there. Don't get me wrong it was all great fun! And the falls were worth the effort to see. Once back down the owner said that if we come back next year there will be a pathway cut into the hill to make it easier. So after washing off a little in one of the streams we're off on our way to our last stop, Mr.Nice Fruit Stand. All I can say is if you can stop there this guy is a hoot and a half! Levi had us back to the cruise dock by 3:30. It was a wonderful time and well worth it.

[gkjta]

When we were looking for a tour in Dominica - one of the main things we wanted to do was Screw Spa's hot sulphur springs and Reyno had a tour that included that. I would not hesitate to book with him again - we loved every minute of it and would do it all again in a heartbeat. Desmond was our guide - very knowledgeable, kind and patient. We were never rushed and were allowed to take our time anywhere we went. His knowledge of the all the plants, trees, etc was astounding. He would pull over and hop out and grab things to show us. We went to the Emerald Pool, Spanny Falls, Mr Nice Fruit Stand, Botanical Gardens - over an hour at the sulphur springs and was still willing if we had wanted to take us other places but we didn't want to take advantage of his time and wanted to walk around the cruise port area for a bit before getting back on the ship. If anyone has any questions - feel free to ask. I'm sure the Bumpiing tours are great but we only had 6 people in our group which was so much easier to move at our own pace.

[CaribbeanBound]

We enjoyed Bumpiing so much, we booked them a second time for the exact same tour.

 

Roseau, Dominica

We prearranged the "Roseau Valley Treasures" tour with Bumpiing Tours (Levi Baron). $49 per person plus tip. We tendered into Roseau. Tendering was very efficient. Levi Baron met us just outside the pier and turned us over to Gary, our awesome driver and guide for the day. Gary kept us one step ahead of most of the tours. We started our day at Wotten Waven Sulphur Springs which entailed a short walk to view small boiling pools. Then it was off to Trafalgar Falls which features two large waterfalls in the same area. There was about a 10 minutes walk through a rainforest to a viewing platform where we took pictures and then proceeded past a "Proceed Only At Your Own Risk" sign and descended down to some hot springs where we relaxed and played in several hot pools. We also got some closer views of the falls. From here we drove to Titou Gorge where part of Pirates Of The Caribbean 2 was filmed. It was an easy 10 minutes walk to the Gorge, where we got into cold mountain water and swam a short distance through a cave to a waterfall. (If you go, don't wimp out. It's worth the chill). We instantly warmed in the sun upon exiting and got toasty in a nearby hot spring. We visited the Botanical Gardens where we learned about see different plants, trees and flowers grown on the Island. A short 5-minute drive to Morne Bruce presented us an overview of the entire city of Roseau, and port, from the top of a hill. We ended the tour snorkeling at Champagne Bay, where we hired an snorkel guide for $10 to show us the fish and underwater sites just offshore. There is no way we would have seen as much without our water guide, T.J. The entire tour lasted about 7 hours. Gary kept us well hydrated with Kubuli Beer (the best local island beer we tasted on this trip) and water. Gary was also quick to stop the van for any pictures we wanted to take and often stopped to pluck a leaf, nut, fruit, branch or root for us to smell and identify as one of the many local spices grown on the island. Recommended! This tour is so spectacular that we booked it again on our second trip to Dominica.

 

Question: What to do with your camera when swimming?

Answer: You're on a cruise. Get a good water camera and take it with you EVERYWHERE you go. You'll be greatly rewarded with wonderful pictures.

We bought the rugged Olympus Stylus TG-830 for under $200. WOW! that's a great camera for the money. It has lots of picture modes and the panoramic mode just takes your breath away.

 

More "Secrets of the Caribbean": http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

First-hand information on excursions we've taken in over 20 Caribbean ports. With photos!

Edited February 23, 2014 by CaribbeanBound

[4serenity]

Has anyone ever done Tubing in Dominica? How was it?

 

 

Pay It Forward. Be kind.

[Bahama Mama 40]

Booking the Bumpiing wet tour for November Summit cruise. Not sure what to wear since it involves so many different stops. Would shorts and tshirt over a bathing suit be best? For footwear, I see Keens are recommended, do you swim with the Keens on at the Titou Gorge? or would it be good to wear an athletic shoe for the hike and a water shoe booty type for the swim?

Thanks!

[Ron_L]

Booking the Bumpiing wet tour for November Summit cruise. Not sure what to wear since it involves so many different stops. Would shorts and tshirt over a bathing suit be best? For footwear, I see Keens are recommended, do you swim with the Keens on at the Titou Gorge? or would it be good to wear an athletic shoe for the hike and a water shoe booty type for the swim?

Thanks!

 

Most folks had either shorts and a shirt over their bathing suit or a cover-up of some sort.

 

We wore our Keens for everything but snorkeling. There are rocks and ledges underwater in the gorge so having some protection is a good idea.