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BUMPING TOURS DOMINICA REVIEW
LEVI BARON OF BUMPIING TOURS
TRAFALGAR FALLS DOMINICA
BUMPIING TOURS DOMINICA
by Paula Hughes Court
We recently returned from a cruise to Dominica where we had
the good fortune to spend the day with Levi Baron, the owner of
Bumpiing Tours. My family absolutely loved Levi and
considered his tour to be one of the very best we've ever taken.
Levi is a sweetheart and goes out of his way to make sure
everyone has a good time on his tour.
Levi offers a variety of tours and hikes for cruise ship
passengers with most tours stopping at Titou Gorge, Trafalgar
Falls and the Sulfur Springs. Some of Levi's tours involve a
great deal of strenuous hiking so be sure to advise him of your
physical ability beforehand so he can personally point you to
the best tour.
We opted for the Roseau Valley Treasures Wet tour because
we wanted to see as much of Dominica as we could without
hiking. We've traveled to almost all of the Caribbean islands
and found Dominica to be the most beautiful and lush.
Everywhere you look there are gorgeous blooming plants,
flowers and trees. Levi does a great job of pointing out the
various plants, many I've never seen before such as almond,
cashew and cocoa trees.
ROSEAU VALLEY TREASURES WET TOUR
Levi met us at the cruise ship dock around 7:30 where he
quickly sorted us into our various tours and loaded everyone
into new vans. Our van held about ten passengers, most of
whom had read about his tours on the Cruise Critic message
board.
Be forewarned, the roads of Dominica are very curvy with
steep dropouts on the sides. Several times the road goes to
one lane so this is one island I would recommend not renting a
car. It took a few minutes for us all to realize Levi was a safe
and careful driver. Until then we squeezed each other's hands
and squealed every time we dared to look at the side window.
TITOU GORGE DOMINICA
Our first stop was Titou Gorge, my primary reason for booking
this particular tour. The air was chilly at Titou Gorge at 8:30
a.m., even in Dominica. Levi warned us about the cold 60
degree temperature of the water, but after much discussion
only one person backed out. We all decided the experience of
swimming through the gorge would be worth suffering through
the cold for a few minutes and it was. Levi provided swim vests
for everyone so after buckling up we eased one by one into the
frigid water. After making sure everyone was in, Levi dove head
first off the side of the cliff.
He led our group into the gorge, which was bascially a cave with
a river running through it. The gorge was used in several
scenes in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. To keep my
teenager daughter moving through the cold water, I kept
reminding her that if Johnny Depp could do it, we could too.
The water was only chest deep most of the way and was much
shallower in spots. Levi kept a close eye on everybody and
brought along extra flotation devices for anyone who needed
them. The current picked up as we neared the waterfall and it
was fun trying to swim through the bubbles to get closer. Due to
the heavy rains, no one in our group was able to get close
though everyone tried.
Swimming through Titou Gorge was great fun and one of those
lifetime experiences we'll always remember. After drying off and
loading back into the van, we headed over to Trafalgar Falls.
The charge to use the restroom here is $1 so be sure to bring
along some cash. On a positive note, the restrooms are clean
so it's worth the money for the convenience. At this point we
were reminded Dominica is a rainforest because it began
pouring. I recommend bringing along a poncho if you don't want
to get wet. We were all wet anyway so a few raindrops didn't
make a difference at this point.
There is a short hike to the lookout point where you can wait
under a pavilion if you don't want to go down to the natural hot
springs for a soak. This is also the best spot to take photos of
the falls.
After taking photos, we walked a few feet down the steep trail to
the natural hot springs. It felt great to soak in the hot water after
swimming in the cold gorge. Be careful about soaking too long
though, especially if you've been drinking. It's easy to become
dehydrated very quickly. We felt privileged to be with Levi when
other tour groups walked by with guides telling them there
wasn't time to stop and soak.
SULFUR SPRINGS, BOTANICAL GARDENS, MORNE BRUCE
After Trafalgar Falls, we made a short stop at the Sulfur
Springs then drove through the Botanical Gardens. After that
we headed up to a lookout point, Morne Bruce, for a stunning
view of the city and cruise ships. There are several stands set
up here selling inexpensive souvenirs if you want to bring
something back from Dominica.
Our original intentions were to continue on with the tour and
snorkel at Champagne Reef but my daughter was feeling
fatigued so we called it a day. The duration of the tour at this
point was 6 hours, the Champagne Reef stop adds another 1
1/2 hours to the tour for an extra $7 dollars. I've heard this a
fabulous snorkel spot so I hope to do this next time in Dominica.
Levi drove back to the cruise terminal and let off those of us
who didn't want to snorkel. I heard later the others had a
wonderful time at Champagne Reef. I'm sorry to miss it.
Levi kept us supplied the whole day with a cooler full of
unlimited fruit juices, soft drinks and local beer. I suggest
bringing along a snack of some kind such as crackers or even
muffins from the breakfast buffet. Swimming in the gorge and
soaking in the hot springs drains your energy more than you
think so you'll need the nourishment.
I give Levi Baron of Bumpiing Tours a very high rating for this
tour. I wish all of the Caribbean tour operators could be as
professional, prompt and courteous as he is.
The Roseau Valley Treasures Tour Wet costs $47 including the
snorkel stop at Champagne Reef. The cost is $40 without this
additional stop. Children 13 and under pay $37 and $30.
You can reach Levi at Bumpiing Tours at
www.bumpiingtours.com
by Paula Hughes Court
We recently returned from a cruise to Dominica where we had
the good fortune to spend the day with Levi Baron, the owner of
Bumpiing Tours. My family absolutely loved Levi and
considered his tour to be one of the very best we've ever taken.
Levi is a sweetheart and goes out of his way to make sure
everyone has a good time on his tour.
Levi offers a variety of tours and hikes for cruise ship
passengers with most tours stopping at Titou Gorge, Trafalgar
Falls and the Sulfur Springs. Some of Levi's tours involve a
great deal of strenuous hiking so be sure to advise him of your
physical ability beforehand so he can personally point you to
the best tour.
We opted for the Roseau Valley Treasures Wet tour because
we wanted to see as much of Dominica as we could without
hiking. We've traveled to almost all of the Caribbean islands
and found Dominica to be the most beautiful and lush.
Everywhere you look there are gorgeous blooming plants,
flowers and trees. Levi does a great job of pointing out the
various plants, many I've never seen before such as almond,
cashew and cocoa trees.
ROSEAU VALLEY TREASURES WET TOUR
Levi met us at the cruise ship dock around 7:30 where he
quickly sorted us into our various tours and loaded everyone
into new vans. Our van held about ten passengers, most of
whom had read about his tours on the Cruise Critic message
board.
Be forewarned, the roads of Dominica are very curvy with
steep dropouts on the sides. Several times the road goes to
one lane so this is one island I would recommend not renting a
car. It took a few minutes for us all to realize Levi was a safe
and careful driver. Until then we squeezed each other's hands
and squealed every time we dared to look at the side window.
TITOU GORGE DOMINICA
Our first stop was Titou Gorge, my primary reason for booking
this particular tour. The air was chilly at Titou Gorge at 8:30
a.m., even in Dominica. Levi warned us about the cold 60
degree temperature of the water, but after much discussion
only one person backed out. We all decided the experience of
swimming through the gorge would be worth suffering through
the cold for a few minutes and it was. Levi provided swim vests
for everyone so after buckling up we eased one by one into the
frigid water. After making sure everyone was in, Levi dove head
first off the side of the cliff.
He led our group into the gorge, which was bascially a cave with
a river running through it. The gorge was used in several
scenes in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. To keep my
teenager daughter moving through the cold water, I kept
reminding her that if Johnny Depp could do it, we could too.
The water was only chest deep most of the way and was much
shallower in spots. Levi kept a close eye on everybody and
brought along extra flotation devices for anyone who needed
them. The current picked up as we neared the waterfall and it
was fun trying to swim through the bubbles to get closer. Due to
the heavy rains, no one in our group was able to get close
though everyone tried.
Swimming through Titou Gorge was great fun and one of those
lifetime experiences we'll always remember. After drying off and
loading back into the van, we headed over to Trafalgar Falls.
The charge to use the restroom here is $1 so be sure to bring
along some cash. On a positive note, the restrooms are clean
so it's worth the money for the convenience. At this point we
were reminded Dominica is a rainforest because it began
pouring. I recommend bringing along a poncho if you don't want
to get wet. We were all wet anyway so a few raindrops didn't
make a difference at this point.
There is a short hike to the lookout point where you can wait
under a pavilion if you don't want to go down to the natural hot
springs for a soak. This is also the best spot to take photos of
the falls.
After taking photos, we walked a few feet down the steep trail to
the natural hot springs. It felt great to soak in the hot water after
swimming in the cold gorge. Be careful about soaking too long
though, especially if you've been drinking. It's easy to become
dehydrated very quickly. We felt privileged to be with Levi when
other tour groups walked by with guides telling them there
wasn't time to stop and soak.
SULFUR SPRINGS, BOTANICAL GARDENS, MORNE BRUCE
After Trafalgar Falls, we made a short stop at the Sulfur
Springs then drove through the Botanical Gardens. After that
we headed up to a lookout point, Morne Bruce, for a stunning
view of the city and cruise ships. There are several stands set
up here selling inexpensive souvenirs if you want to bring
something back from Dominica.
Our original intentions were to continue on with the tour and
snorkel at Champagne Reef but my daughter was feeling
fatigued so we called it a day. The duration of the tour at this
point was 6 hours, the Champagne Reef stop adds another 1
1/2 hours to the tour for an extra $7 dollars. I've heard this a
fabulous snorkel spot so I hope to do this next time in Dominica.
Levi drove back to the cruise terminal and let off those of us
who didn't want to snorkel. I heard later the others had a
wonderful time at Champagne Reef. I'm sorry to miss it.
Levi kept us supplied the whole day with a cooler full of
unlimited fruit juices, soft drinks and local beer. I suggest
bringing along a snack of some kind such as crackers or even
muffins from the breakfast buffet. Swimming in the gorge and
soaking in the hot springs drains your energy more than you
think so you'll need the nourishment.
I give Levi Baron of Bumpiing Tours a very high rating for this
tour. I wish all of the Caribbean tour operators could be as
professional, prompt and courteous as he is.
The Roseau Valley Treasures Tour Wet costs $47 including the
snorkel stop at Champagne Reef. The cost is $40 without this
additional stop. Children 13 and under pay $37 and $30.
You can reach Levi at Bumpiing Tours at
www.bumpiingtours.com