Today was to be another snorkeling day, but we were rained out--stormy sea! We camped out in the dive shop and watched a National Geographic movie on Sharks. Good presentation--they really are our friends and we really are not in their food chain no matter how big and toothy they are.
The sun reappeared and we rode bikes into the town of Hopkins. The people of Hopkins are largely Garifuna, a culture whose ancestry is a mixture of Carib and escaped African slaves. They have their own language and are quite superstitious with a traditional ceremony called ''Dugu.'' This is a big family reunion in which deceased relatives also attend and are believed to take possession of other celebrant's bodies. Pretty creepy, but interesting. One of our waiters told us he is afraid of the Dugus and stays far away when he sees one.
Most of the staff at Hamanasi are Garifuna from Hopkins and they were wonderful! They were super friendly, personable, happy and contributed greatly to the overall charm of Hamanasi. The children we met in Hopkins were friendly, well spoken and very self-confident. We went into the drumming center; an open air, dirt floor, palm thatch roofed building where the local drummers meet and the kids take drumming lessons and dance. A 10 year old boy spied us and came over to play the drum for us. He was really good! The kids all go to private schools patterned after the British education system. Local elementary schools, mostly supported by religious denominations, then on to High school and Jr. College in Dangriga. If they do well, they can continue on at the U. Of Belize in Belize city. Mode of transportation in Hopkins is via bicycle. The houses are a mixture of two room thatched roof huts with a dirt floor and newer concrete block houses in brilliant colors. They have plumbing, but it seems to be outside. Every house has a clothesline full of wash and cable T.V.
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.