KiniKini ATV Tour vs. Jolly Pirates

[GreenLeaf]

Although I did review previous postings about the Kini Kini ATV tour I did not have a good experience and cannot recommend Kini Kini. There was virtually no instruction on how to operate the ATV other than here is the gas, brake, throttle, start switch. We immediately headed out into traffic which for drivers never on an ATV was certainly a little intimidating. We were actually told we were to leave the ATV’s running at each stop because “if they don’t start we’ll be stuck”, not a lot of confidence in the equipment! Out of the 6 ATV’s that the customers were driving 3 had mechanical problems. One stalled repeatedly, 1 had brakes lock up so there were virtually no rear brakes by the end of the tour, 1 actually died completely and the driver had to double up to get back to the start point, luckily it was towards the end of the trip when we reached the road again. The ATV the guide was driving had a broken hub on his left rear wheel and had to stop a few times to kick it in place so he could keep going. Part of the trip is actually on some pretty rough terrain consisting of significant uphill and downhill stretches. We were told use the gas uphill and the brakes downhill, nothing else. No instruction stating to lean forward going uphill and slide back on the seat going downhill to help stabilize the ATV. This ride was physically demanding and required upper body strength to keep from losing control as you rode over and around the loose rocky trail. One of the riders actually got thrown off the ATV while going uphill, they hit a rock..the ATV stopped and they didn’t. This person wasn’t traveling fast at all, just exhausted and got thrown off. The person sustained serious scratches that tore a lot of skin off of most of their leg and needed to be treated by the ships doctor. The guide for the ATV tour pulled up when he realized someone was down and had nothing in the first aid kit to clean the wounds. Luckily another tour was flagged down and we got 2 alcohol wipes. When we finally got back to the starting point they didn’t even ask if this person was OK or could they take a look at your wounds to try and clean them up. The owner was adamant that his equipment was checked before every trip, based on the number of problems encountered I find this hard to believe. This is not a trip for beginner ATV riders and I cannot recommend Kini Kini to anyone. A very shabby operation indeed.

[Scubachick84]

This review has me really worried as I'm booked with Kini Kini in January. Has anybody else used them recently?

[twinscruiser2]

I am trying to decide between the half day ATV tour or the Jolly Pirates sailing. Any help in making my decision would be appreciated for our upcoming cruise in January. Thanks in advance.

[Arubalisa]

This review has me really worried as I'm booked with Kini Kini in January. Has anybody else used them recently?

My review from June:

"Review Kini Kini Tours Aruba

 

This trip to Aruba, we had decided to take dd to see the Natural Pool. Dh and I had driven there twice previously on our own via 4 x 4. Dh hated driving there and did not want to do it again. He is allergic to horses so that was out. The new Tom Cars looked cool on the Aruba Off-Road website so we decided we would give that a shot. The day before we left for Aruba they emailed a confirmation and substituted Baby Beach for the Natural Pool. The reason we booked the tour was for the Natural Pool, so we cancelled.

 

We then booked an ATV tour with Rancho Daimari. By chance when a kind person on the Aruba bulletin board heard we had changed our plans to an ATV tour, he instead recommended Kini Kini Tours. Dh cancelled Rancho Daimari and called Kini Kini and booked a private ATV tour.

 

 

We awoke early Saturday morning to give ourselves enough time for breakfast. While dd and I were finishing up dh went to the concierge to make a dinner reservation. He got confused and saw the van for Daimari and went over and talked to the driver. The driver said, yes he was there to pick us up and if we were not all there within 5 minutes he was leaving without us. HE was 20 minutes early and even if we were "really" booked with them, I don't like being threatened when he was early. Dh ran and got us at the buffet, we high tailed back to the room for a last potty stop and to pick up our backpack and we were off. When I saw the van I immediately knew dh had gotten confused and Daimari's driver took advantage of this. We were later told by others that this is a common practice for Daimari. They see tourists at resort lobbies waiting for pick ups and they try to grab them for their tours instead. Shame on them!

 

I went straight up to the driver and told him that we had cancelled and there was no way we were going ANYWHERE with him and his attitude. So dd and I sit down to await our pick up from Kini Kini and lo and behold there is their driver recognizable by his "Kini Kini" t-shirt sitting on the bench across from us. We went over and introduced ourselves and he helped us into the van and we were off. A short ride down to the high rise hotels we picked up a couple who were taking a jeep tour.

 

Our driver Ray took us to Kini Kini's office. It was a house and we were instructed to walk through the house to the back and there was the office! This office is actually in the home of the owners Eloy and his wife Christine. We indeed felt as if we were being welcomed into their home. Our credit card information was processed and we were then taken to the ATV's for orientation and safety as well as fitting for our helmets. Eloy and Ray made us feel very comfortable and gave us a good run through before our butts even hit the seats. If the ATV's were not new, they were "like" new. During our stop at the Natural Bridge, a rider on a rented ATV from another company admired our ATV's saying, "We got the good ones."

 

I rode single and our 12 yo dd rode on the back of the ATV with dh. Following our guide Ray, we were off to visit the sites. I have to say dh and I had never rode ATV's previously and were slightly nervous given the prospect of riding some local roads prior to heading "off road" once past the tip of the island and the California Lighthouse. Our worries were for nothing. By the time we left the lighthouse we were of course off road and I know I personally was feeling very comfortable driving. Ray allowed us to drive at a speed comfortable to us, leading accordingly and offering up insight and history at each stop.

 

Our sites visited included: California Lighthouse, Wish Garden, Alto Vista Chapel, "Baby" Natural Bridge, Bushiribana Ruins, the Natural Bridge and Natural Pool. We have been to all the above sites previously and again, took the tour for access to the Natural Pool. We did give up the stop at the Ayo Rock Formations in order to be able to spend additional time at the Natural Pool. Our guide Ray was very happy to oblige. Dd was happy to be able to take a swim, cool off and rinse off some of the dirt.

On the back of his ATV, Ray carried a cooler with water as well as strapped our backpack carrying digital camera, video camera and towel and was happy to allow us as much time as necessary at each stop for photos and video.

 

I do have to say after visiting the Natural Pool twice previously by 4 x 4, getting there by ATV, was by far the easiest and quickest way in which to get there once we were "off road". It was still a little "hairy", as it was in a 4 x 4, but by following our guide Ray, we knew exactly where on the path to follow. I might add I was grateful the brakes worked! Never once did I fear for my life though. Imo it is more dangerous swimming in the Natural Pool than getting there via ATV. I cannot recommend this tour highly enough, especially as a way to see the Natural Pool. This was one of the best excursions we have ever taken on the island in the 13 years that we have been visiting.

 

Also, as many times as we have been over on the "other" side of the island, there were a couple of new things Ray showed us: 1. "Baby" Natural Bridge, always been there, we just drove by it, 2. the coolest blow hole you have ever seen, 3. Been to Alto Vista what about 15 times ? and never knew there was the Peace Labyrinth there. Dd and her friends took their turn through the Labyrinth when we stopped there later in the week.

 

Was there a downside? Dirty as anything. Riding behind our guide Ray, and then my dh, I literally know now where the expression, "eat my dust" comes from. Remembering how green the island was at Christmas, it was immediately noticeable that it was now so totally opposite. Brown as brown as can be. No significant rain since February, by June the island had become very very dry and DUSTY. As a side note, as I will mention later, the island did see significant rain June 24 and 25. In 17 visits I have never seen the island as dry as it was. If you prepare beforehand and wear junky clothes (think throw away) and shoes as we did, this will not be an issue. My t-shirt from that day just went into the trash; no amount of bleach was ever going to get out all of that dust.

 

Dd complained about everything under the sun during the ride, but this was her chance to see and swim in the Natural Pool. If you asked her now I think she would say she liked it but will tell you that she did not like the dirt and the dust. For dh and myself it was a unique experience and an opportunity to see Aruba from a different perspective. "

 

The issue may be ATV safety in general

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4DKUS_en___US227&q=watapana+tours+complaints+aruba

[Arubalisa]

During our 17th trip to the island in June we took both of these excursions for the first time. They were both among the top 4 excursions we have ever taken (the others being Tranquilo and the Heliopter tour)

My reviews are at http://bloggingtoaruba.*****.com/my_weblog/2008/08/review-jolly-pi.html

and

http://bloggingtoaruba.*****.com/my_weblog/2008/08/review-kini-kin.html

 

I "think" it comes down to whether or not you wished to spend the day on land or on the water.

[keywestcat]

Thanks for the detailed review. We are booked with Kini Kini on our next cruise and had also thought of cancelling and going to 'Plan B'. Has anyone else used them in the last few months?

[twinscruiser2]

Arubalisa, my DW and I have never snorkeled much, how much instruction does the crew give out and are the sites too difficult for newbies.

[Chabalita]

We were really surprised to hear about the comments from GreenLeaf, since we live on the island and have personal knowledge of Kini Kini Tours and know that they have a great deal of clients who are extremely Happy with them which is why we always use their services. We are also aware of their reputation that clients safety comes first! Just yesterday we had a group that went on the ATVs and they raved about their tour and mentioned that they would do it again! As we all know, we can't please all of the people all of the time, but we can please some of the people most of the time. :):):)

[GreenLeaf]

As I said use this company at your own risk. You may have a good experience but all 6 riders adamantly would state to stay away from this tour operator. They are not equiped to handle issues during the ride, both from a saftey and mechanical standpoint. The equipment is sub par and again, this is not a beginner ride. When 3 out of 6 ATV's develop mechanical problems during a half day ride that in itself speaks volumns. Good luck to anyone who decides to book an ATV tour with Kini Kini - you have been warned.

[Amtrack Springfield]

My wife and I just used Kinikini and we had a great time. A husband and wife own the tour company. He is from Aruba and she is from Chicago originally. We were picked up at the pier promptly and taken to the office to pay for our ride. This tour is not for first time riders. The roads are rough, if you are on a ATV or driving a four wheel drive jeep. We have drove ATV's before, but this time it was just us and the tour guide. We saw parts of Aruba you cannot see by car or jeep. The only issues we had is that it rained hard and we all got soaked. We were on the westside of the island and it poured. We did not go to the beach because we were cold and wet. We ran into alot of people back at the ship who took the ATV tour sponsored through the ship and got soaked too. I would book with them again.

[Cruisewombat]

I did the 4 hour ATV trip 3 weeks ago. I have mixed feelings about this trip. It was a great trip and I would do it again, but I agree, there were no instructions, the breakes on my ATV was not up to standards and I'm very happy that I have tried ATV's before in rough terrain as back and forth to the natural Pool was challenging.

 

I don't think the ATV was in good shape and yes, we had to let them run during stops, we could not use the reverse or the manual rearbrake and so on, but I did enjoy the trip and would go again.... but maybe not with Kini Kini.

 

I must say that we were two adults on one ATV and this affects things like breaking and handling.

[CaribbeanBound]

We loved Jolly Pirates! Would do it again, especially with kids.

 

We headed to MooMba Beach on Palm Beach for Jolly Pirates' "Sail, Snorkel, Swim, and Swing" from 9:30am to 2:30pm. You can easily get to Palm Beach via taxi for $10 or via local bus for $1.30 per person. There is a free shuttle from the ship to the cruise ship terminal. To catch a bus, simply exit the terminal, turn right, and cross the street to the Bus Terminal --- an orange building with white columns and benches. Take the #10 "Hotels" bus. Palm Beach has several stops. Get off at the Holiday Inn, walk through the lobby to the beach, turn right, walk about 100 yards to MooMba Beach. Jolly Pirate's office is just behind the large thatched roof beach bar. Check-in for Jolly Pirates was at 9am. It's $53 per person (less a 15% online booking discount) plus tip. We set sail in a pirate ship for three snorkel sites: two reefs and a WWII sunken German cargo ship. We also got to enjoy swinging off the ship into the ocean. We were fed a very tasty lunch which included pork ribs, chicken skewers, pasta salad, slaw, fried banana and a roll. The free bar offering up rum, whisky, Pirate Poisson, Pina Colada, sodas and water, was open the entire trip. Snorkels, masks, vests, and fins were provided. This is a very fun excursion for all ages. Recommended! Hint: if you are just looking for a nice beach, consider Eagle Beach which is on the way to Palm Beach.

 

Here are more of our Secrets of the Caribbean!

http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

These are our very detailed personal reviews, hints, and tips for ports of call that you will be visiting.

[Northender]

Jolly Pirates are wonderful. We used them a couple of years ago and everyone had a great time. :)

[jakohlba]

Just returned from AOS and did the Jolly Pirates. The ship tour does not do lunch, but drinks are included. My kids are 12, 16, & 19 and said it was one of their favorite excursions, especially the rope swing. The crew was fun and we had a great day, even though it was a little rainy.

[sharke]

On our recent cruise DD and SIL took the 1/2 day ATV tour with KiniKini in December of 2008. First and foremost, they enjoyed all of the sites on the tour. The natural bridge, church, scenery, and ocean views were all beautiful. My SIL, an experienced ATV rider, said the tour was a blast and he would definitely do the tour again. My DD, however, had never driven an ATV prior to this experience. Directions were given very simply..."just push the gas and go real fast." These directions were all my SIL needed, but my DD actually flew off the ATV on the way up to the natural pool (she hit a rock and the ATV stopped, but my DD did not). So, a word to the wise for those first-time ATV drivers and/or those who may be a bit nervous to drive an ATV: hop on the back of the ATV of someone who is experienced in driving an ATV when you go to the natural pool. And, be ready to ride the ATV through traffic during your tour. At the end of the tour, the owners made sure to meet with my SIL and DD to make sure she was okay...this was a nice touch. The equipment was very nice, helmets were supplied, but there was little instruction and you may want to throw in a small first aid kit if you/your party plans on ATV touring with Kini Kini. And, WEAR SUNSCREEN!!!!

[Arubalisa]

And, WEAR SUNSCREEN!!!!

AND, junky clothes and footwear! :) The island has been wet as of lately so not as dusty, but last June we were caked in dust and so were our clothes and sneakers. :(

[apo07]

I recently went to Aruba and decided to book a Private ATV tour with Kini Kini after reading the reviews online. I advise you to look for anther ATV provider for the following reasons:

 

1) Kini Kini DOES NOT CARE about YOUR SAFETY:

 

* INSUFFICIENT HELMET SIZES & OLD, CRACKED HELMETS: My sister got a safety helmet that was old, cracked, and too big for her head... it slid the moment she put it on. I asked our guide for another helmet, and he said they did not have any other size, so she had to wear that one. And he also mentioned going without a helmet was fine.

 

* OLD, MODIFIED ATVS that receive VERY LITTLE MAINTENANCE: our ATV's were old and in bad shape. They had even modified the ATV's so reverse did not work, if you turned it off it would be a hassle to turn them on again, and one of them pulled to much to the left side. Also, one of the ATVs was missing air in the tires (made it very hard to maneuver) and our guide did not want to go get air in the tires or call the office to get this fixed. He kept up telling us he would cancel the tour.

 

* FILLS UP THE ATVS ON (NOT TURNED OFF) WITH YOU RIDING IT, SMOKING A CIGARETTE: At the end of the tour our guide told us we had to go pump gas. He wanted us to pump gas with the ATV turned ON, while he was finishing his cigarette. I was horrified and found this very unsuitable, asked my sister to get off the bike, turned it off, and walked as far as I could from the ATV and gas station. We brought this to the attention of the owner, Christine, and she said this is the way things are done with them, they have never had a problem operating in this way, and will continue to do so until an accident happens. So basically they are waiting until something bad happens to stop.. not a good idea.

 

* RUDE TOUR GUIDE: we got a private tour for one reason: going at our pace, being able to stop at our leisure in different places, and going at a speed we felt comfortable. Turns out our guide was continually trying to rush us, telling us we had very limited time in different places, and asking us to go faster (although one of the people driving the ATVS had not experience and did not feel comfortable going very fast). If this is going to be the case, why pay much more for a private tour? Makes no sense..

 

So, save yourself the aggravation and don't use this tour operator... find someone who does care about you and values your SAFETY and WELL BEING.

[pjs9876]

On the Pirate ship-How do you get back on board after jumping in the water? Is it a cargo net or a hard plastic ladder? How far up do you have to climb?

[Arubalisa]

On the Pirate ship-How do you get back on board after jumping in the water? Is it a cargo net or a hard plastic ladder? How far up do you have to climb?

No cargo net, it is a ladder.

The side of the boat is fairly high,, I don't remember how many rungs, but I am not the most coordinated person and did not have any difficulty. The crew will also assist you.

If you have any questions on the ladder I am sure if you emailed Jolly Pirates they could assist you.

[Scubachick84]

I recently went to Aruba and decided to book a Private ATV tour with Kini Kini after reading the reviews online. I advise you to look for anther ATV provider for the following reasons:

 

1) Kini Kini DOES NOT CARE about YOUR SAFETY:

 

* INSUFFICIENT HELMET SIZES & OLD, CRACKED HELMETS: My sister got a safety helmet that was old, cracked, and too big for her head... it slid the moment she put it on. I asked our guide for another helmet, and he said they did not have any other size, so she had to wear that one. And he also mentioned going without a helmet was fine.

 

* OLD, MODIFIED ATVS that receive VERY LITTLE MAINTENANCE: our ATV's were old and in bad shape. They had even modified the ATV's so reverse did not work, if you turned it off it would be a hassle to turn them on again, and one of them pulled to much to the left side. Also, one of the ATVs was missing air in the tires (made it very hard to maneuver) and our guide did not want to go get air in the tires or call the office to get this fixed. He kept up telling us he would cancel the tour.

 

* FILLS UP THE ATVS ON (NOT TURNED OFF) WITH YOU RIDING IT, SMOKING A CIGARETTE: At the end of the tour our guide told us we had to go pump gas. He wanted us to pump gas with the ATV turned ON, while he was finishing his cigarette. I was horrified and found this very unsuitable, asked my sister to get off the bike, turned it off, and walked as far as I could from the ATV and gas station. We brought this to the attention of the owner, Christine, and she said this is the way things are done with them, they have never had a problem operating in this way, and will continue to do so until an accident happens. So basically they are waiting until something bad happens to stop.. not a good idea.

 

* RUDE TOUR GUIDE: we got a private tour for one reason: going at our pace, being able to stop at our leisure in different places, and going at a speed we felt comfortable. Turns out our guide was continually trying to rush us, telling us we had very limited time in different places, and asking us to go faster (although one of the people driving the ATVS had not experience and did not feel comfortable going very fast). If this is going to be the case, why pay much more for a private tour? Makes no sense..

 

So, save yourself the aggravation and don't use this tour operator... find someone who does care about you and values your SAFETY and WELL BEING.

 

 

I had a few of the same problems as you did. Our helmets were okay, but the ATVs were in rough shape, the tires on mine were practically bald. We were all three inexperienced ATV riders and given no instructions other than "gas here, brake here", my sister fell off hers and got all scraped up and they had no first aid kit or even band-aids (I carry one with me thankfully). The toughest part of the ride was by far getting to the Natural Pool and you couldn't pay me to do it again. We cut our full day trip short after that portion, we ate lunch and had the guide take us back to the shop. At which point, we stopped at a gas station and he fueled them up while still running and smoking a cigarette. I wouldn't say that he was outright rude, our group was large enough that we had two guides and two groups. So the more experienced riders went ahead with one guide. While he wasn't rude, he wasn't overly friendly either. No information about the sites or Aruba in general. I wouldn't book with Kini Kini again.

[Engine643]

This is my review from last January. Looks like they have not listened to the customers as of yet as I see many bad reviews.

 

Kini Kini ATV Tour January-09

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

My DW and I along with two of our friends did the 4 hour ATV tour while on a cruise last week. I must say that we had a fabulous time while on this excursion. We went to multiple places including the natural pool and a few other sites along the way which made for some great pictures. Our guide was a young man who was pretty knowledgeable about the island and always made sure we did not fall behind.

 

Now to the not so nice. The equipment is in very poor condition and the operators might want to think about replacing their machines with newer models. My ATV died on the way back from the Natural Pool and I had to double up on a machine that was meant for 1 which made for an uncomfortable ride. The other machines that they had were all in poor condition in my opinion as I have rode with another company on the island in 2007. There was another rider that had problems with his machine shutting off a few times. The helmets were not the greatest and seemed like they were from the 70's. They fit very poorly and only came in 1 size. My wife has a small head and at the end had a stiff neck because the helmet didn't fit properly.

 

Until they replace their equipment with newer models and get some better helmets I cannot reccomend this tour at this time.

[Ang517]

MY DH and I shared an ATV with Kini Kini in Sept 09. I thought the stops were great, very beautiful. Thank God I didn't try and rive 1 myself because the terrain was very dangerous and steep, frankly I don't think I could've done it. We were not provided with helmets of any kind even though before the tour I asked about them and was told they provided them and goggles, needless to say no goggles, good thing I brought my sunglasses. I had also asked prior to booking if 2 adults would fit on 1 ATV when 1 of the adults is 6'4 and they again said sure no problem. I fit as long of half of me was on top of the metal rack which becomes quite painful when you are going over ruts and boulders. I was ok with this as the tour was so great until I saw another tour. The riders had a nice padded seat built on the racks and everyone had on helmets, needless to say I was a bit perturbed considering I had read reviews on here stating that this company had the "good ones". Our tour guide was very nice though and none of our ATV's broke down. Would I do the tour again? Yes but not with Kini kini. I had black bruises on both hips after the tour from the rack which looked so hot when I was in my bathing suit at the pool :(