Guatemala, Rio Dulce Boat Tour - Go with Gus / or Happy Fish?

[evenkeeled]

hi there fellow cruisers,

 

i'm writing to learn more about the boat tour from port Santo Thomas to Livingston and Rio Dulce. I've read through the threads and the two tours that keep coming up are Gus' Tour and another tour operator called Happy Fish. I've read great things about Gus but don't really have much information about Happy Fish. If anyone reading this has taken the happy fish tour, please let me know how your experience went. And if cruisecritic user "Anthuan" is out there.... dear Anthuan, please let me know what the happy fish tour offers and what the price is. kind regards, evenkeeled

[Hoggsfan1]

I will be cruising on NCL Spirit Nov 22, I can at least direct you to their website. happyfishresort dot com I am doing my homework as well. Good luck

[BonnieVA]

I have NOT been on the Happy Fish tour but we did Gus' in April. We did not pre-book so we talked w/ the tour ops when we got off the ship. From what I could tell, Happy Fish was VERY similar to Gus. They were cheaper, too, & kept coming down on price that it was hard for me to say "no". The difference I could see was in the interaction w/ Guatemalans. We REALLY wanted to meet everyday people &, since we had our kids, wanted to visit w/ children & bring donations. Happy Fish did not offer any of that. They took you to basically the same places (except the home w/ 2 babies sleeping in hammocks, where we were given fresh, homemade tortillas ... and the school where all the kids were ... and Gus' hotel where we were given yummy fruits that we cannot get here in the US) but gave little interaction w/ the Guat people. If you don't want any of that - if you just want to see some sights along the river - then Happy Fish is probably a good, cheaper way to go.

 

Hope that helps.

 

PS: If you research hard enough you can find a couple other tour options that are very similar.

[98Charlie]

I realize this is on old thread resurrected, but for whatever it is worth to those cruising to Guatemala this season:

 

Have not done the Gus tour but did take Happy Fish tour to Livingston last November on NCL spirit. Had been on ship's excursion to Lingston the year before and wanted more freedom to look around the village than the ship's excursion gave us the year before.

 

We pre-booked with Happy Fish online and had a small group to go. Had to wait about 45 - 60 minutes at the pier for Happy Fish to fill the excursion boat before we left. Wait was not bad considering we could look around the Heritage Hall area while more people signed up for the tour.

 

Happy Fish personnel were very good; conducted the tour with a professional, yet friendly atmosphere and allowed those of us who did not want to take the entire walk through Livingston to go on our own and meet up with tour guide at the appointed meeting place and time for return to the pier.

 

DH & I are doing the same cruise again this November and plan on booking another tour with Happy Fish. May take the Rio Dulce excursion or may just take the Livingston excursion. The village of Livingston has alot to offer people who want to interact with local people; spend a few tourism $$ with locals who are just making a living in their hometown like many of us.

 

DH & I aren't really in for long 6+ hour excursions and Happy Fish suits us quite well.

 

Dianne