23 Jun 2025
Try to book early in the day to avoid traffic. We were coming from the west side, Kimpton Grand to be exact, and it took us over an hour to reach the meeting point after leaving around 2 p.m. Luckily, it was a scenic ride. The traffic was brutal, so plan ahead if you’re coming from that direction. Our tour guide, Deri, was very friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. He was happy to stop at different sites along the way, which made the drive more enjoyable. He was also very talkative and shared a lot of interesting facts about the island, which we appreciated. We really enjoyed seeing the mangroves—it was beautiful and peaceful. However, we were a little uneasy about the boat itself. It wasn’t very modern or well-equipped, and as non-swimmers, we were especially concerned that life vests weren’t offered. That definitely made the boat ride more nerve-wracking than it needed to be. As for the food tasting, it was a bit disappointing. We stopped at what turned out to be the guide’s home/restaurant. There were quite a few flies, although a fan was provided. The meal consisted of a platter with jerk chicken, shrimp, and rice and peas. It wasn’t really a “tasting”—just a single plate to eat from—and unfortunately, the food was cold by the time we ate. It was tasty, but had it been hot, I’m sure our eating would be more than a 6/10. All that said, we still had a good time overall. It felt like we had a personal chauffeur for a few hours, which made the price feel fair.