Things to Do - My Review

[TxGirly]

I got a response from Bonnie today, one day after I emailed her. She quoted $45 per person and $50 for transportation, which looks like their standard rates,but we would have to meet them. Anyone know why they cannot pick up at the pier?

[Bevard]

When are you going to Playa? Two of us (45-50 yrs old) would like to use this company but are leery of two ladies going alone with a stranger. We'll be in port on 3/8. Would feel more comfortable in a group situation. Anyone?

[tang-bailey]

He is not allowed to pick you up at the pier because they are not paying the cruise lines to be an official tour company which is why they are soooo cheap. They CAN drop you off though.

 

It's really easy, when you get off the boat you walk right up to the line of taxis waiting for your business. They have set rates you buy a ticket from a kiosk by telling them you need a taxi to Lapis which is where Eddie will pick you up (it's a Mall). It takes about 10 minutes to get there.

[TxGirly]

Thanks for the info on the pier pick up. I will be be in port on 3/4 w/DH and his parents. All the details are left to me...so I decided everyone is going with Edventure Tours instead of Xcaret Park. Thinking about surprising them so I can't get out voted.:D

[Cacky1]

Hi Everyone,

We had a wonderful time on our cruise and with Dannyl from Edventure. We rented a jeep at the port. I had previously emailed Executive asking if there was a car rental at the Calica port.They answered my email saying there was and the charge for a jeep. I did not reserve the jeep but I did print the email and took it with me. I am glad I did. When we ask them about renting the jeep they told my boyfriend that it would be $85.00. But they sent me a rate of $60.00 which included all the extra insurance charges. When I brought that to their attention they quickly changed the rate to $60.00. It only took about 5 minutes to rent the jeep and head out to Tulum. (That is b/c we hurried off of the ship and to the rental stand) The drive to Tulum was a straight shot after you make the u-turn when you leave the port. It was a little longer driving time than we expected. The driving there is crazy! But we made it to Edventure where Danny and Bonnie were waiting on us. We were fitted with our snorkeling gear and then we were off to the store for beer and cokes. After the stop we then headed to Dos Ojos where we went snorkeling in the cavern. When you first get in it is light but as you go around it gets dark. But Danny did have a light which helped to light things up. We had an underwater camera and he insisted on taking the pictures since he had the light. Not one picture turned out in the cavern. I really hate that, b/c it was very interesting to see. Then after we were done in the caverns,Danny showed me the pet monkeys that were tied in the jungle. The owner runs a little hut that has food,drinks etc. just outside the cavern. He gave me a banana and told me to go feed the baby. So we went down and OMG they were so cute especially the baby. The baby took the banana right out of my hand and peeled it just like a human. I wanted to take him home!! We looked down and saw watermelons growing. Seemed odd in January to see watermelons on the vine! After we were done there Danny took us to a lagoon. It was beautiful. The foliage was so pretty and the statues were so unique. I took lots of pictures b/c it was such a pretty and well kept place. Then we put our snorkeling gear back on and snorkeled in the lagoon. I liked the lagoon much better than the caverns. I guess b/c it was out in the open, light, and so many beautiful fish. We had another underwater camera and took lots of pictures. We had bags of corn flakes to feed the fish. My boyfriend took a picture of me underwater and you can barely see me b/c I was surrounded by so many fish. We stayed there a long time. We were enjoying it so much we didn't care if we did anything else after that. Danny and Eddie let you snorkel the lagoon on your own. By the way, Eddie had a group at the cavern the same time that we were there so we did get to meet him too. We all ended up at the lagoon. After we finished at the lagoon (we did decide to stay longer there b/c it was so nice) we went to the La Buena Vida, a bar/rest. on the beach, that was really cool. I loved the swings, the treehouses, and the view of the beach. Their salsa was wonderful. They had very good Pina Colada's too. I went up in the treehouse and took great pictures. It was really nice and we want to go back there when we have more time. We ran out of time. We were going to zipline and my boyfriend was going to cliff dive but we didn't have enough time. When it was time for us to head back to Calica Eddie said Danny could ride back with him. That saved us some time . We had to stop and get gas in the jeep. When we stopped my boyfriend told the kid to fill it up. He then got out to go use the restroom. He was only gone a minute and by the time he got back 4 more guys had joined the guy pumping our gas and they were all trying to get their heads in the driver side window. They were all trying to talk to me at once and I didn't understand a thing any of them were saying! I felt a little weird there for a minute but when they saw him walking back they backed up a little! Anyway, not only did my boyfriend have to pay for the gas but he also had to pay 5 paso's for using the restroom! We were walking back on the gangplank at 7:28 and we were told to be back on at 7:30. We would have been back on a few minutes earlier but we did stop and see what the vendors were selling. The ship was supposed to leave at 8:00. Our dinner seating was at 8:00. We got to our table at 8:13. We had to really hurry and get showers and get dressed to get there by 8:13. The ship was a little late leaving b/c we were eating by the time we started moving. So to anyone of you that can't decide about Edventure, take my advice and go with them. We did not get to see Playa del Carmen but we had so much fun we really didn't care. Danny was super. Bonnie was really nice and so was Eddie. If we ever go near them again we will certainly do their tour again. We will recommend them to everyone we talk to that is going to Calica. The charge was only $45.00 each. It was well worth it to get to go to the places the tour buses don't go to. I do remember reading about some of you being concerned about your safety. Don't be. These are very nice folks, just trying to make a living. They are on very good terms with the Mexicans that run or work at these places that we went to. I could tell that they were very much liked by the Mexicans. If you females that said you were going without any males are a little nervous about it,ask Bonnie to take you out if you would feel better with her. She does tours sometimes. I promise you won't regret going. This was truly the highlight of our trip. If anyone has any questions or would like to see some of my pictures from the places we visited then send me any email at cbkems2001@yahoo.com and I will send them to you. Hope you all have as much fun as we did. Please tell them all that Cathy and Todd from South Carolina says hello!

Cathy

[TxGirly]

Cathy I have been checking daily anticiapating your review. Thanks for all the details. I am so excited about our cruise I am on this board morning and night. I have read some reviews of Edventure about riding with Eddie or Danny. Will their vehicle seat 4 additional people or do we have to rent the jeep? I am not real thrilled with DH mixing his drive style with what I have experienced in a taxi in Mexico. So I prefer to pay for transportation with Edventure. Also, what was there to do besides snorkel? I don't see my MIL doing water stuff. What else do they offer on the tour?

[hlsess]

Great review - I emailed them yesterday with my date- about how long was the tour once it started and ended not including getting the jeep and returning to ship.

[Nana0908]

Hi Nikki

 

Thanks For The Great Information! I Just Emailed Daniel To See If We Can Set Up A Private Tour With Him. Your Pictures Were Great.

 

I Am Going On The Imagination With My Sister And My Daughter Next Week, Cant Wait. How Much Time Did You Spend At The Beach? How Long Did The Tour Last, And Lastly Did You Get To Go Shopping In Playa Del Carmen?

 

Sandra

[niknik]

Hi Nikki

 

Thanks For The Great Information! I Just Emailed Daniel To See If We Can Set Up A Private Tour With Him. Your Pictures Were Great.

 

I Am Going On The Imagination With My Sister And My Daughter Next Week, Cant Wait. How Much Time Did You Spend At The Beach? How Long Did The Tour Last, And Lastly Did You Get To Go Shopping In Playa Del Carmen?

 

Sandra

 

To be honest, I don't really remember how long we spent at each location...but it was a long day and we did a lot. We didn't do any shopping in Playa del Carmen as it's in the opposite direction of everything that we did...and shopping is very far down on the list of things we wanted to see and do. I'm not a huge shopper when I'm vacationing. I just want to see and do as much as possible.

[famtrav]

Thanks for the review. How long did it take for you to drive to Tulum. I was hoping you or someone out there knew if that is where you must go is you book an excursion with them. Quite a few people said that Eddie drove them back to the ship. I was just hoping to get a few more details. Thanks again.

[niknik]

Thanks for the review. How long did it take for you to drive to Tulum. I was hoping you or someone out there knew if that is where you must go is you book an excursion with them. Quite a few people said that Eddie drove them back to the ship. I was just hoping to get a few more details. Thanks again.

It took us about 45 minutes to drive to Tulum...a little fast of course. =;0)

[famtrav]

This has got to be some kind of record for views and responses! I just booked a day for my husband and I for April 1st with edventure tours. We managed it on pretty short notice which was great. I usually spend the days ashore baking at the beach so I am excited to see another side of Mexico. On our last e-mail he offered to get us wet suits if we get cold easily. Are the cenotes that chilly? The only thing we aren't going to do is the zipline. We will be on the Elation. It's our first Carnival cruise as well. I hope I can give an interesting review of all of this when we get back. I hear a lot of good things about that ship. :)

[niknik]

Are the cenotes that chilly?

 

Yes! The cenotes are very cold. I didn't wear a wet suit and it wasn't unbearable to me, but my tolerance is pretty high. My DS couldn't go in. Her husband had no problems and my DH had no problem. You get used to it...and it's incredible and not to be missed. I can't wait to hear your review!

[hlsess]

We did not wear wetsuits in the cenote- it really felt great but it was close to 90 that day- last uesday 3/21. We did do the zipline, spider monekys, La Buena Vida, and snorkeled in the lagoon. It was a great trip-n ice to be away from the resort-we were on a land trip.

[cleve1]

Has anyone done Tulum with "edventuretours" if you are tendering in Cozumel?

We will be tendering in Cozumel from 8am to 7pm on Carnival's Inspiration and wondering if there will be enough time for a private tour of Tulum with Edventuretours? I am concerned due to time constraints associated with tendering and ferry to mainland. Is private tour worth it or you recommend Carnival's Tulum excursion?

 

Thanks.

[niknik]

Has anyone done Tulum with "edventuretours" if you are tendering in Cozumel?

We will be tendering in Cozumel from 8am to 7pm on Carnival's Inspiration and wondering if there will be enough time for a private tour of Tulum with Edventuretours? I am concerned due to time constraints associated with tendering and ferry to mainland. Is private tour worth it or you recommend Carnival's Tulum excursion?

 

Thanks.

 

That might be cutting it close. I usually don't recommend ship tours, as I find they are overpriced and you don't get the service and uniqueness of a private tour.

[cleve1]

Just returned from the cruise. We took private tour with Edventure Tours (http://www.edventuretours.com.mx/Home/index.htm) to Tulum and a beach. Bonnie and Ed took us around in a very large air conditioned van and the tour was simply great. I highly recommend everyone to contact them. Their charges are less than ship excursion and offer much more than the ship excursion. Bonnie also had a large cooler full of sodas, beer and juices in the van! They also took us to a beautiful beach front restaurant.

[cruiseneophyte]

Nik Nik

 

Thanks for all of the information. I have been reading all of the post and decided to set up an adventure with Daniel and Bonny. They are picking 8 of us up at the ship with a van. ( I think they need a minimum number of people before they pick you up.So our costs include tour plus pick up).

 

 

We leave Sept 2nd and will write back about our adventures

[iriemon]

When I go to this website (http://www.edventuretours.com.mx/Home/index.htm)all I get is a picure page, no description of tours or prices. We are going to Playa del Carmen on 12/27 and from the sounds of it this is the group to go with. Can anyone help me out with either the correct website or email address?

[niknik]

http://www.edventuretours.com.mx/Home/eng/index.htm

[BC_+_3]

OMG you guys!

 

I loved reading all these reviews. I'm leaving Monday on the Fascination. We're in Calica Wednesday and will try all day tomorrow to set up a short notice tour with them. Do you think there's any chance to get hooked up with them on such short notice? I will be with DW and 2 teen boys and this sounds perfect. Thanks for all the info everyone.

[bottledweller]

When I go to this website (http://www.edventuretours.com.mx/Home/index.htm)all I get is a picure page, no description of tours or prices. We are going to Playa del Carmen on 12/27 and from the sounds of it this is the group to go with. Can anyone help me out with either the correct website or email address?

Click on the fish

[tang-bailey]

Check him out!

[Pinkys_val]

ok so ive read all your reviews!!! And i emailed them to set up a day in Nov.!! Im very excited about it all because we went to Progresso and Cozumel last nov and did not have much of an experience!! Well Cozumel was good but not Progresso...Anyways..Is it cheaper to rent a jeep than to pay them extra to use their van????

[Pinkys_val]

We’d be honored to show you this amazing area! The places are incredible!

Below are the activities you can choose for your day- we'll do as much as you have time for!

 

We snorkel the underground river cenotes of Dos Ojos. There we see the amazing stalactite and stalagmite formations in fresh, crystal clear turquoise waters. It is in a cave setting, yet open on one side to the jungle all the way around! Great if anyone is a little claustrophobic! There are a couple little spider monkeys there. Fun to interact, and take some photos!

And then on to a wonderful lagoon, an inlet from the ocean that forms a natural aquarium full of tropical fish! This is also a beautiful sculpture garden, so you will enjoy your visit in and out of the water!

Other EDVENTURE options~

We can take you out in a beautiful bay to swim and snorkel with the sea turtles. A natural habitat for them! Watch as they graze on the sea grasses- or glide effortlessly through the bay. If the ocean is calm, we can see some nice reef there as well. $10 extra per person.

We also have a zip line available. You climb up 30 feet to a platform above and then zip across the jungle canopy for 600 feet! Nice little rush! $10 extra for one zip, $15 for 2 zips.

Since the Ruins of Tulum are so close, you may want to visit them as well for your day. It takes about 1 1/2 hour to go through them, and then you can spend the rest of your day "Edventuring"! The ruins are $7 per person. If you want a guided tour inside the archaeologic site to explain the history and culture of the ancient Maya add $40. for group up to 6 persons.

Our tours are $75 per adult, $60 for children under 10. That includes transportation from Calica, snorkel equipment, entrance fees to the cenote Dos Ojos, the lagoon aquarium, and our guide service. Extras are Ruins, zipline, turtles, and/or lunch.

Lunch is not included in tour price. We know some great places to eat... nice little beach restaurant/bars right on the bay. Or we can pick up a picnic and take to one of the places we snorkel! We'll have a cooler with beverages for you.

 

For the deposit, you would send $40. (one fee for tour group, not per person) through PAYPAL. Our account with them is edventure68@hotmail.com I can have them send a request for payment with instructions if you are not familiar with their service.

 

The balance of the tour you would pay the day of the tour in cash or travelers checks.

 

Bring towels, wear your swim suits or have on under your clothes. If you plan to visit the ruins, wear comfortable shoes or sandals. Otherwise flipflops or some type of water shoe/teva is good. Also for the ruins, wear a cap or hat (no shade there) and have a bottle of water as it is pretty hot!

Sunscreen has to be ecologically safe/biodegradable for the cenotes, reef, turtles, and fish. If you can’t find any, we have it available at our shop.

Here are phone numbers in case you would need to contact us. Area code not necessary if local call from Playa del Carmen area. From the US or Canada, first dial 011 52...

(984) 871 2209 tour shop

(984) 875 4151 home

044 984 116 2538 cellular Bonnie

044 984 806 4102 cellular Eduardo

Hope this gives you the information you need to help you plan a day of your precious vacation time here in the Riviera Maya… and hope to hear back from you!

Edventure Tours,

Bonnie

Let me know if you have any more questions!