Snorkeling with Turtles: An Honest Tour Review

So, you are dreaming of gliding through clear water, not to mention getting super close to awesome sea turtles, right? The ‘Snorkeling and Beach Tour with Sea Turtles’ very much sounds like a terrific way to experience that. A visit promises an encounter with these gentle creatures along with some relaxation. However, is it worth it? Let’s see!

Booking and First Impressions

Booking the tour online was, in a way, pretty easy. The tour company’s website appeared to be clean and had pretty clear information on what was included: transportation, snorkeling gear, a guide, plus lunch. Pretty standard stuff. The price seemed fairly reasonable for a full-day outing. Upon arrival at the meeting point, things seemed a bit disorganized. Like your usual tour, there were quite a lot of people milling about, all not really sure where to go. Still, the staff soon got things sorted, checking names and directing everyone to the transport vehicle.

The drive to the beach was rather longer than advertised, nearly an hour and a half instead of the promised hour. Which is, to be honest, the vehicle was reasonably comfortable, but the extended travel time kind of ate into the day. Once we arrived at the beach, a place they called “Turtle Bay,” my initial thoughts were that it looked a bit crowded. Lots of other tour groups were already there. This is just a heads up that if you are looking for a secluded spot, this definitely might not be it.

Gearing Up and the Snorkeling Experience

The snorkeling gear provided was, very much, alright. Nothing too fancy, that is. It got the job done. Though, I would tend to suggest bringing your own if you happen to have it, basically for hygiene reasons. The guide gave a fairly short safety briefing and a quick how-to for using the equipment. The information felt adequate, if maybe a bit rushed, actually.

Now, for the important stuff: seeing the turtles. It turns out that they were there! So, pretty soon after getting into the water, we saw the turtles gliding below. It’s almost hard to really describe the feeling of watching them gracefully swim along. They seemed surprisingly unfazed by us. We are a group of gawking tourists. Though the water wasn’t crystal clear, the visibility was okay. Good enough that we could observe these superb creatures in their habitat.

We were able to stay in the water for a little more than an hour. After a while, many others who were with us started to get a bit cold or tired, that is. Overall, seeing the turtles was definitely a highlight. So it made the tour worth it. That being said, because of the crowd, it did, in some respects, feel a little less personal and more like a zoo environment. You are one of many people vying for a view. Still, encountering wild sea turtles is such a superb experience!

Beach Time and Lunch

After the snorkeling part, we spent about two hours relaxing on the beach. Turtle Bay featured rather soft sand and reasonably calm water, but the beach area reserved for the tour group was relatively small. Finding a comfortable spot, at least one not right next to someone else, was rather tricky. Still, I relaxed while reading a book and enjoyed the sun and salty breeze.

Lunch was, in a way, served buffet-style, actually consisting of the local fare: rice, grilled chicken or fish, and a few vegetable sides. It filled the spot, but it wasn’t, that is, anything to write home about. They provided water and some sweet tea. So, overall, it was okay. Consider that people with dietary restrictions might want to bring their own meals.

The Guide and Group Dynamics

The tour guide spoke fairly well, his English was good, that is. He did give clear instructions and tried his best to keep everyone on schedule. Still, he did appear rather rushed, often rattling off instructions rather than engaging with the group. There really wasn’t too much in the way of personalized interaction, more or less.

The group was a rather mixed bunch. They ranged from solo travelers to families with younger children. Most people seemed enthusiastic. But, yet, the bigger group size made it hard to actually connect with the other folks on the tour. This is good, should you really value a more intimate experience.

Value for Money and Overall Verdict

When it comes down to it, the ‘Snorkeling and Beach Tour with Sea Turtles’ delivers what it promises. You actually get to see sea turtles in their setting. Is that worth it? Well, maybe so. Despite that, the experience wasn’t, by any means, perfect. The long travel time, the crowds, plus just okay lunch kind of bring down the overall experience just a bit. I feel the tour provides adequate value, especially if encountering sea turtles is one of your dreams.

Should you go for it? If the above sounds good to you, sure thing. But very much keep in mind the need for you to temper your expectations just a bit. A smaller group tour may very well offer a superior experience. However, that often goes with a far bigger price tag, doesn’t it?