Victor Bodden guide/driver recommendations? (MERGED THREADS)

[hobchlvr]

Just back from our cruise and the Bodden private tour is the best money you can spend on any shore excursion! Six of us took the personal tour with guide Kenny who was beyond excellent, and made the trip very enjoyable and truly personal. Wonderful young man full of knowledge and very sincere. Highly recommend the zip-line at Bodden Tours home base, It is for everyone i'm retired and still was able to keep up with my two grandchildren, thanks to the guides. Great experience all day! The other places were all of our choosing and at Kenny's suggestion. Daughter and son in law are still talking about it, and I think son in law made a new friend as Kenny's copilot.

[AllAmericanAmy]

Hi all -

 

Dec 2015 was my 3rd visit to Roatan on a cruise and 3rd time using Victor Bodden private tour service. I have had 3 different guides.

 

1st = Frankie we enjoyed this guide... very laid back & accommodating. We requested him for our 2nd visit, but the dates got messed up, so...

 

2nd = sorry... don't remember his name. Was not overly impressed (it was NOT one of the guides names mentioned on this board frequently)

 

3rd = Tex and this is BY FAR my top recommendation. I will DEFINITELY continue to request TEX when we go here (and we WILL be back - it's my favorite port in the Carribean).

 

HEAR ME NOW... At the end of the day I was talking with Tex and said I assume he is booked every time there is a ship in port, since his name is "legendary on this forum and another trip review website. He shook his head "NO" and said, unfortunately, he DOES NOT often have requests put in for him and many times a ship is in port he is without work. I was like "HUH????". How can THAT be? Then I realized maybe people assumed what I did - I read tons of postings about how GOOD Tex is as a guide and how far ahead some people book/request him, so when I contacted Victor 3 MONTHS before sailing, I assumed Tex was booked. Victor's response to me was "Tex is avail and I'd be glad to assign him as your guide for the day". I said YES PLEASE!

 

So, if you are using Victor's services and have read about a driver you'd like to have assigned to you .... REQUEST IT VIA EMAIL with Victor NOW. Don't assume Tex (or another favorite) is booked! As for ME and my family - it'll always be TEX --- ASK FOR HIM!

[weedhopper]

I see they have a Fun-N-Sun Tour that will drop you off at Bananarama for two hours after the tour for swimming and snorkeling before returning to the ship. Does anyone know how much they charge to rent the snorkel equipment there?

[RumpunchGirl]

We are booked with Bodden tours in a few weeks. My friend booked 6 of us for the private tour and boar snorkeling. Does anyone know how the Boart snorkeling works? Will we be with others on a charter? What time of day can you do this/can you tell your tour guide you want to snorkel after lunch? Thanks for any of your answers!

[Holly2]

We did this when touring with Tex. Just us on boat and we got a Bodden discount.

Tex coordinated with boat operator so he would know exactly when and where to meet up.

A great day!

[PictureMom]

We are booked with Victor Bodden next month. Chose the Best of Roatan tour and added on seeing the monkeys and going on the glass bottom boat tour. Has anyone been on that boat tour? Wondering if it's worth the $35 extra per person. My mom doesn't swim so although snorkeling sounds fun to me, we can't do that. I'm excited to visit with the monkeys. I know I will love that! Other than snorkeling, I'm curious what people liked seeing or doing in Roatan the best.

[ladytiger96]

If you need a tour guide, I would HIGHLY recommend Arnold from Rony's tours. We just got back from our cruise one month ago today. Out of 2 cruises, this is the best port day we have had. I just did my tripadvisor review, so I'm going to copy it here. Please pm me with any questions, as I don't know how much I will be on these boards now.

 

"We had a wonderfully amazing day with Rony’s tours. Although we were late getting off the ship, our guide was waiting for us. We had the pleasure of having Arnold as our guide. He made sure we got to do everything we wanted to do, and he was so interesting to talk to as well as accommodating. We felt very safe and taken care of. First we went to see and interact with monkeys, parrots, and other animals as well as a butterfly farm. After that we had asked to go horseback riding. He took us to a great place, and we rode horses up on a large hill with a spectacular view and then back down and even into the ocean! We went on an island tour next, where he took us to a place to buy beautiful souvenirs at very good prices. We had some beach time at Bananarama, where we felt safe and were not concerned about our belongings. (Bring bug spray as there are sand fleas!) Finally, we asked to be taken to a local restaurant. We had the most delicious FRESH fried snapper, fried plantains, and red beans and rice. This was the best fish I have ever had in my life. It was getting close to time to get back on the ship, but Arnold would have driven us around for longer if we had wanted! No request was a bother for him, and he was pleasant and cheerful. You can tell that Arnold really loves people and his job. Rony even emailed after we were home to ask us about our trip. We can’t wait to come back and do it again. Roatan is one of the most beautiful and culturally rich places I’ve seen."

[MJL1111]

We stopped at Roatan with NCL. I had arranged a Best of Roatan private tour for myself and my wife. We have mobility problems so were basically only interested in sightseeing, not beaches or shopping. After tendering off ship we found their booth right away and were assigned a driver/guide.

Overall, I would say the operation is very good. However, our guide was barely fluent in English. I had a rather specific itinerary planned and I would have liked to have him chat a few minutes about it before departing. Instead he just took off and headed to the east end of the island for which I had no interest. I finally got him to take us back and over to the north side and the Blue Harbor Arboretum. That was pleasant and interesting. Then we went to Carambola Gardens which was also very good. We then stopped at Victor's Monkey House which we enjoyed. After that to the West End and then back toward the ship at Coxen Hole. There were supposed to be some viewpoints like "Panorama Hill" and "El Mirador" that I thought we'd see, but as far as I can tell our guide was not aware of them.

Overall I would rate the operation as very good, but the driver's poor communication skills were a real turnoff.

[sailsister]

We had a wonderful time on our Roatan tour. Kenny was our driver and he spoke excellen t English and was very informative about the island. We had booked to go to the Arboretum and enjoyed it very much. Kenny waited for us and when we were ready to proceed, took us to the botanical garden. We found it rather hard to navigate as you spent all the time looking down so as not to fall over tree roots and rugged paths. The map given was useless. Kenny make the tour worthwhile and would highly recommend him and Bodden Tours. Just let them know what you are interested in seeing and they will take you there!

[spidybabe]

We are just back from the Star Jan 10th sailing and loved roatan. We went on Victor Bodden fun & sun tour and had a great fantastic day. We felt safe the whole time and loved every part of the tour. I wasnt sure i would like the monkey, but he was so very tame and cute.The company is highly professional and wonderful to work with. We highly recommend this tour and visiting this gorgeous island.

Safe sailing

[tinkercruise]

Great tour company. Our tour was wonderful and I felt very safe and assured we would get back to the ship in time. Great day!!!

[susu207]

This was the second time to tour with Bodden but first with private tour. Our driver was great, we got to do what we wanted on our own time. It rained a lot and this would have ruined a set schedule, but our driver took us to some other places and then back to Monkey business and we got to zipline when no one else was there. This is a great company to work with ... highly recommended.

[nw gardener]

This was our first time in roatan and our group used Victor bodden and we are so glad we did, perfect day. We had a private driver, tex, great guide and we lucked out using him as we had a request to track down and quickly visit a relative during our tour. He came through, and it turned out he had a relative who owned a house on the property. Loved the monkey business stop too, would use them again without hesitation.

[bhancock00]

This was me and my parties first time in Roatan (party of 3) 2/11/2016

Joann was our tour guide and was great. She took us on a tour of the island, stopped at a grocery store, local souvenirs, and even dropped us off at one of her favorite restaurants for some local cuisine. We did not feel rushed or like we missed anything. She was there to show us any and everything we wanted.

We also stopped at the Monkey and Parrot encounter which is Victor Bodden's residence. We were able to meet and thank Mr. Bodden for allowing us and others to tour his collection.

When I booked this excursion I assumed it was going to be a zoo type of environment. However, I could not have been more wrong. We got a private tour through the area and was able to go inside the pen with the monkeys, parrots, and other animals.

Everyone with this group is friendly and professional.

It is perfect for all age groups.

Edited February 16, 2016 by bhancock00

[fionnavanderpump]

I arranged a tour guide through Bodden Tours for my parents and several other seniors, some with medical and mobility issues. Victor Bodden was very helpful, easy to work with, and just all around great.

 

Ronald was the tour guide for the day, and the group raved about him afterwards. They all agreed he was knowledgeable, funny, helpful, etc. They really had a great time.

[jsg4535]

I highly recommend this tour company. Everything went well and we had a great time!

[cvspsych]

We used Bodden Tours on a recent port stop in Roatan. We originally considered staying on the ship for the day, but decided to take a chance and do a private tour with Bodden. From the beginning we had a completely pleasant experience. We were greeted by friendly and helpful staff who quickly checked us in and took us to our driver Howard. Our driver Howard was amazing!! He was very friendly and knowledgeable about the island and was happy to share information and answer any questions that we had. The tour was completely personal and we were able to pick and chose anything we wanted to do. We relied on Howard to show us the sites so that we could get a more authentic experience-he did not disappoint. We chose to end our day at the beach in the West Bay area. Howard took us to a beach club where we received the golden treatment thanks to him. He stayed with our belongings while we swam and made sure we received our drinks/lunch in a timely manner.

 

I would highly recommend taking this tour when you are in Roatan!! Be sure and ask for Howard for a great experience!!

[Happy Bee]

Everything above is true. It was great day on our November cruise last year. Kenny was our guide.

[Happy Bee]

We used Bodden Tours on a recent port stop in Roatan. We originally considered staying on the ship for the day, but decided to take a chance and do a private tour with Bodden. From the beginning we had a completely pleasant experience. We were greeted by friendly and helpful staff who quickly checked us in and took us to our driver Howard. Our driver Howard was amazing!! He was very friendly and knowledgeable about the island and was happy to share information and answer any questions that we had. The tour was completely personal and we were able to pick and chose anything we wanted to do. We relied on Howard to show us the sites so that we could get a more authentic experience-he did not disappoint. We chose to end our day at the beach in the West Bay area. Howard took us to a beach club where we received the golden treatment thanks to him. He stayed with our belongings while we swam and made sure we received our drinks/lunch in a timely manner.

 

I would highly recommend taking this tour when you are in Roatan!! Be sure and ask for Howard for a great experience!!

 

What beach club Howard took you? what was the cost to attent and what its includes? We are planning to go AGAIN with Bodden company this year aslo.

[PictureMom]

Our guide was George and he was awesome! So friendly and knowledgable. We had a great day with him. He took us to a local elementary school where we donated school supplies. This island is very poor and I encourage everyone to stop by and give them a donation. The kids were so cute and the teacher was very appreciative. Monkey Business was the highlight of our day! Loved holding the capuchin monkeys, getting hugged by a spider monkey and holding both parrots and macaws. Very unique experience that we will never forget. George took us to Half Moon Bay for lunch and we had a relaxing lunch by the water. We enjoyed chatting with George as we all enjoyed a fish sandwich. George is a really great guide and he truly made our day in Roatan special. Request him as your guide and you will not be disappointed. Tell him his friends from Massachusetts and Michigan said hi!

[Pyrate13]

Don't know if we had the same George as ours spelt his name Jorge. If so, great guy. Had Jorge before and have him booked again in Oct. :)

[cvspsych]

The cost of the tour was $30.00 pp. It cost us each $10.00 pp to get into the Paradise Beach Club which included use of the facilities-wifi/lounge chair/umbrella. In addition, we gave Howard a tip for his service for the day.

[Swampbaby]

Our time in Roatan was fantastic and I fully give our tour guide, TEX, the credit. He showed us the island and with the activities we wanted to do that covered it from end to end. He loves his island and it shows in how he presents it to others. TEX was very courteous, knowledgeable, did whatever we wanted ,when we wanted and was a very safe driver. Absolutely loved the Mangrove Tunnels and Glass Bottom Boat tours where TEX waited for us to return. When I became extremely tired he arranged for security to take both of us in wheelchairs to the ship.

 

I highly recommend Victor Bodden Tours and TEX and this is the very best way to tour Roatan.

[Ole Bob]

Just got back from 7 nights on Vision of the Seas. We hooked up with Bodden, not finding anything on RCCL that interested us.........and we're glad we did. The Fun & Sun Tour was great. Tremendous value, plus excellent guiding and stops. DO NOT miss the monkeys! What great fun.

[cmsgtwhite]

Our time in Roatan was fantastic and I fully give our tour guide, TEX, the credit. He showed us the island and with the activities we wanted to do that covered it from end to end. He loves his island and it shows in how he presents it to others. TEX was very courteous, knowledgeable, did whatever we wanted ,when we wanted and was a very safe driver. Absolutely loved the Mangrove Tunnels and Glass Bottom Boat tours where TEX waited for us to return. When I became extremely tired he arranged for security to take both of us in wheelchairs to the ship.

 

I highly recommend Victor Bodden Tours and TEX and this is the very best way to tour Roatan.

 

Thanks for the info on your trip and TEX. We have TEX on 16 Mar! Still thinking about things we want to do while there...do you or anyone else have a MUST Do? Already planning to do the Zipline, monkeys and want some beach time...