Snorkeling trip Puerto Vallarta (Mary Curry)
Before getting to Puerto Vallarta, my mom said she really wanted to go whale watching while some of the kids wanted to try snorkeling. We found an affordable tour that offered both so set out as a family of 7 with 50 or so of our newest friends on a day trip in the Bay of Banderas.
The snorkeling was admittedly terrible. Perhaps we have unfair comparisons having snorkeled in the Galapagos, Belize and Hawaii (and for me, the Great Barrier Reef for my first snorkeling adventure), but the water was cold and murky and there were far too many people. Snorkeling Puerto Vallarta (Mary Curry)
We tried to make the best of a chance to get out and explore, but ultimately this was our least favorite activity of the day. There just wasn't enough to see to justify freezing and trying to shelter our heads from the flailing fins of inexperienced snorkelers ahead of us. I think we were all relieved to get back to the warm ship and set off across the bay to our next adventure. Snorkeling boat in Bay of Banderas (Mary Curry)
From this point onward, the day markedly improved. We stopped at a beautiful beach where they had kayaks, paddle boards, and my kids' personal favorite, banana boat rides. Banana Boat Puerto Vallarta (Mary Curry)Banana Boat Puerto Vallarta (Mary Curry)
Unlike my previous banana boat experience, this one was more of a raft with a banana on each side, adding to the stability and reducing the chance for hitting heads if everyone were to tumble off at the same time.
My oldest son Matthew can be hard to impress as he's not as excited about multisport activities as the girls, but this was his favorite day! During our time at the beach, I think he rode the banana boat nonstop for a solid hour and it was so rewarding to see his huge smile.
My youngest, Gabriel, enjoyed the exquisite sand and sheltered waters of the beach. Playin on the beach Puerto Vallarta (Mary Curry)
On the boat ride back to the marina, the staff hosted a rock show onboard, complete with costumes, dancing, and some fancy lip syncing. The beat of the music seemed to attract a humpback whale who swam up to our boat and 'danced' in front of us, giving my mom the show she had been most excited about! Musical entertainment snorkeling boat Puerto Vallarta (Mary Curry)Whale Fin Puerto Vallarta (Mary Curry)
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
2 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
2 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.