Best of Roatan with a Local - This was our first stop on our cruise. At the end of our cruise we all agreed this was the best. I booked this excursion through Tripadvisor because the one we wanted on the cruise excursions list was sold out. I am so glad that happened. We did animal park, horseback ride, snorkel, beach and lunch. Coming out of the port was chaotic. Watch out for the hallway of tour operators. You know you are going in the right direction if dozens of people are shouting at you trying to sell you a tour. Finding the exit felt like coming out of a back entrance into an alley. But attendant at the small gate guided us to the tour sign. Our tour ended up being private. Just three of us and our driver, Jenny. She was great, filling us in on local info. She was a problem-solver too! We ran into some issues when we arrived at horse ranch, but she made some calls and made sure we didn’t have to wait too long. (And here lies my only negative: it felt a bit disorganized at times.) Horseback ride was with a small ranch, but Junior, Kyle and Nicholas were helpful and friendly. Horses are smaller than the full size ones we are used to in the states (so not ideal for heavier riders). They were okay. Not malnourished but had some sores on faces that needed attention. My daughter got a stubborn horse that decided to gallop off for a few seconds. But all good. Ended ip being an exciting story to tell. Snorkel was with William of Anderson Tours (and Jake). Again, ended up being just us because other group was taking too long. We snorkeled in Cozumel too, and found Roatan to be much better. The reef that we were taken to just off the beach was bigger and full of sea life. We weren’t crowded like we were in Cozumel. Waters were calm and cool. We could have stayed at the beach and had a bite, but we have beaches at home (and menu at beachside place was Americanized options). So we opted for going back toward port and having lunch at a local place. Fried fresh whole snapper was on the menu. Everyone loved it. Simple place with good food, beer, and they take Visa/MC if you are in a pinch. One thing that other reviewers note too is that you have to keep in mind that Roatan is a smaller type of port town than you find in Mexico or other Caribbean locations. It is not as developed or commercialized as others (aka no Margaritaville in this town). Some call it “poor.” But it provides a great, unspoiled experience. Much of the locals rely on tourism for income. And, unlike the rest of Latin America, a majority of the people speak English due to the island’s history as an English colony. Many people we encountered learned English as their first language. So it makes communicating with locals easier for non-Spanish speakers (that’s not us but I realized quickly that speaking Spanish was not necessary and sometimes complicated communication).

Sloths and monkeys are worth seeing! - We had some very memorable moments! The petting zoo was amazing. Everyone had a great experience. There was also some handmade souvenirs. The horseback rides were very entertaining too. The guides here did the best they could with what they had. The beach was just ok.

Worth the price and the tour group is professional, courteous, and attentive! Not a worry, just fun! - We loved this excursion! Kevin was our guide and he was great. We had a small group, only one other family of 3 with us. There was another family of three to start with but they had a slightly different excursion so they split off quickly. Kevin made sure we always had what we need and found the van when it was time. He got our locker keys for us and updated us on wait times through out. It was a pretty hot day for Honduras and I felt bad for the horses shlepping us around. Bingo and General were great horse guides and the pass was slow and easy. My 7 year old was fine riding a horse solo, but to be fair he has more horse experience than I do with the camps he’s taken. This snorkeling was my favorite of every port I have ever been in and I’ve been to a lot. We were a little off season, going in June so the crowds were at a minimum. Not sure what it’s like during winter when crowds are larger. I do wish they had stools or something for the higher lockers at the horseback riding/snorkeling they are all above a persons head 5’9”/5’10”. My husband was trying to rangle the bags out without being able to see and dropped a steel water bottle on his head, almost knocked a tooth out. But the excursion was great! Worth the money and any wait times at the animal park! Surprised by the guinea pigs but they were a fun memory in the end!

Snorkeling made it worth it - The horses didn’t seem well kept, making them kind a little aggressive. But nothing to be alarmed over. The snorkeling was the highlight of the trip. My teens to my 32 year old sister still haven’t stopped talking about their experience. They have said multiple times they wish it lasted longer. They were on the boat by 1:30pm when they didn’t need to be back until 3:00pm.

Family rated this as our best excursion! - We had an AMAZING time on this excursion with our children ages 5-14. Our private driver Skinszor and each of the people we met along the way were fantastic. Despite some initial hesitation on the treatment of the animals, we saw nothing concerning and the animals appeared to be well cared for. The monkey/sloth/birds were super fun to engage with and we didn’t feel crowded since we were by ourselves. The horseback ride was fun and just long enough - yes, there is trash along the shoreline but we could see that there was some effort to clean as there were many trash bags gathered along the road (water bottles galore!). As others mentioned, it was a short ride on a small stretch of beach, the road is mainly what appears to be private for some homes and a church. The horses knew exactly what to do and for our inexperienced riders, was a fun time - I would probably not recommend for experienced riders since it’s a very slow pace. These are a much smaller breed of horse than what we are used to seeing in the U.S. Afterwards, we were taken to Foster’s West Bay resort where we enjoyed the beautiful water before going on a quick snorkeling trip with many fish and coral before enjoying the rest of the time on the beach. Highly recommend the Pineapple Drinks sold by the lady who makes them in the water on a kayak, so delicious and very well priced so we bought many! We didn’t want to leave, we were having such a wonderful time. My children all enjoyed immensely! Highly recommend, it was especially nice to be able to do things at our own pace. We were definitely the envy of our friends and the excursions they chose. Something to note, bring small bills as they won’t exchange larger ones and the local people like crisp bills without any ‘rips’ (even tiny ones where bills have been folded - not something we consider at home), and the ocean water is VERY salty here.

Had a private car take us around. - Larry took us around. Had a private car. Our family had a private horseback ride. Larry then took us to the sloth park. Would highly recommend.

Best day of our trip! - We loved Roatan! Our guide Yariela was so helpful. The animals at the sloth sanctuary were lovely. The head of the horse operation was good at working with riders with little or no experience, and took us for a charming view through the area, ending up with a short ride on the beach. He even stopped for pictures by the water. We then went snorkeling through crystal clear water, seeing the coral reef, fish, and so much more. The boat captain Tomas even had snorkels, masks, and fins for those who did not have them. Our day ended up with Yariela guiding us to a beachfront restaurant with lobsters for everyone! This was the best day of our trip!

Best day of the trip! - This excursion was the highlight of our cruise! We were a group of five and had a private car and driver for the day. This was so much better than being herded with a hundred other people from the ship and rushed from place to place. We were able to take our time and really enjoy Roatan! We will definitely book with this company when we return! Special thanks to our driver, Borry, who was great to hang out with and up for anything!

Animals were Good - Horses were NOT - be ready for Roatan afternoon traffic jam - We started with the animal park, which was a very fun morning activity. The sloths and monkeys were adorable. Next was the horseback riding which was not so great. Rode 2 elderly trail nags that did not want to move, and the rode through a trashy looking neighborhood to a short strip of beach where the horses had to be coaxed into the water and then back to the stable. Total riding time was under 30 minutes. The beach experience was less than memorable except for less than 20 minutes spent snorkeling. I was provided a mask and snorkel when the skipper tied up to a static line, and told to go. I snorkeled by myself with no helpful hints. The water itself is beautifully clear and there were a lot of tropical fish to watch, but the time allowed was insufficient. The driver for the day did not make us feel safe, and the traffic getting back to the cruise pier was horrendous. Waited 45 minutes in traffic before we chose to abandon the car and walk the last half mile. Did not feel like we got a good value for the dollars spent.

Starved horses, expensive souvenir shops, no snorkel instruction....... - For starters, I had originally just booked my husband and I on this excursion which was horseback and snorkel. We added a 3rd person and at that time I chose the added option of sloth park and monkeys. Because of this, we did NOT wear swim suits under out clothes as we assumed we would not snorkel until the end. The guide informed me that I had only requested the horseback and snorkel and that's all I paid for. Well, I don't know what happened, but we were were not about to pay an additional amount which he said we could do......Well, this was one of the WORST horseback riding experiences I have ever ever been on. We had our own driver for the day.....that was nice. We got to where the horses were and it looked like a farm for abused horses. They were skinny, and tired looking and standing in the dirt....didn't see any food or water for them. My husband is HIGHLY experienced with horses, the other 2 of us not so much. He told me his horse was sick and not breathing right. He could tell it didn't want to move. (He mainly went on this ride for me, but it made him sick to see the shape that the horses were in.) I SHOULD have known when I had emailed prior to the cruise if there was a weight limit for people riding the horses. Our friend would not have met the limit had she been riding with us in Aruba a few years back....thus I asked. He said 300-400 lbs would be the limit. So, I assumed they must have a few large horses for heavier folks. NOPE! They took the SMALLEST and skinniest mare and put the heaviest of our party on her. You can see on the pics that the horse was severely malnourished and underweight. Her hip bones stuck out and her withers were sunken. Assuming we would be on the beach and in the water, I thought it won't be so bad on the horse. BUT we barely walked on the beach which was FULL of TRASH! it was disgusting. He took lots of pics and lined the horses all pretty....then walked in the water and took a few pics and then we left. It was NOT a great ride on the beach. After the horseback riding.....since there was confusion about the sloth and monkey park.....we indicated that we needed to change our clothes before going snorkeling. We were taken to a small (resort?) area where we had to pay to use the bathroom to go change. Then we got onto the boat to go snorkeling. We were handed a snorkel mask but were not given fins and had to ask for them. He said they don't usually give fins out to people. That was crazy to hear. We had our own snorkel vests but what they offered was just a simple life belt....not the best but okay. We were not shown how to snorkel, nor was there a guide in the water to point anything out or show anything. We didn't mind as we are avid snorklers, but felt that the others on the boat with us who had never snorkeled did not get advice which would have been handy. The reef was very beautiful and I wish we had had more time to snorkel and foregone the long winded lunch. After snorkeling we were taken to a restaurant where we could buy lunch. The food was authentic and amazing....but very expensive. $25 for lunch seemed quite high for the primitive outdoor restaurant. We found out that it was where the took the tourists....that the other places were too spicy! I wish we could have had a say and chose ourselves. Our driver was great.....took us all over and waited for us. We felt that our belongings were safe and secure.....I was pleased with that. On the way back to the ship we were taken to some shops on the way back. I wonder if they are in kahoots with the store owners.....we were TOLD the prices would be better there than near the cruise port....welll...NO! The small bottles of vanilla that we bought for $10 were only $3.50 right in the restricted cruise area! So beware......I think they know how to take advantage of tourists. Would I do this over again? No, the trash along the beach where they take you riding is a disgrace and ruins the entire experience. I know they can't teach their people to not pollute, but it really is horrible. The lack of care given to the horses was deplorable. In the US the horses would have been confiscated from abuse. I wish we had gone to see the sloths and monkeys, but the added fee he wanted us to pay was more than what the offer had said....and I wasn't 100% sure if I had already been charged for all 3 but he just had things mixed up. Either way, the $100 paid was not worth it. On our way back to the ship we saw some other horses in an area that looked like they were better cared for. They say you can save money by not doing a ship excursion, but I bet the horses would have been better cared for from one of them.