During a visit to my daughter and her family in Miami, I took two tours, one to the Everglades and another of South Beach.
The first tour to Gator Park was mediocre. It promised exotic birds, alligators, alligator wrestling, and an airboat ride into the Everglades.
The main thing I wanted from the tour was pictures of birds so I could use them for the greeting cards I’m selling. It didn’t happen. The birds had flown north, the tour guide said.
The airboat ride was fun. The alligators we saw were near Gator Park, in an area where the boat operator fed them. We also saw one bird family, which the tour guide also fed.
The wild life show consisted of showing turtles, a scorpion, a skunk, and a small alligator. Then the Gator Park employee showed how he could put his hand in the alligator’s mouth. Next he jumped on the alligator’s back.
At the end of the show, we had the opportunity to have our photo taken with a small alligator.
I spent two hours at the park. It took 45 minutes to get there from downtown and 45 minutes to return. In addition, I spent two hours on the van while people were being picked up from hotels, some of which were delivered to the Seaquarium, which was in the opposite direction of where we were headed. The tour guide wasn’t that well informed and didn’t begin her commentary until we headed toward the Everglades. She skipped the opportunity to describe Miami and its neighborhoods.
I wanted to do a cruise of the bay and see the homes of movie stars and other famous people. When we were looking at tours, my daughter wanted to do the Duck Tour, a tour on an amphibious boat that travels on both land and in the water. I was reluctant because I’d seen the boats in Seattle, and they seemed to travel very slowly.
However, the Duck Tour South Beach offering was very good. We saw Biscayne Bay and the homes of well-known people on Star Island. The tour ended with a ride up Collins Avenue through the Art Deco District. The tour guide was well informed and entertaining. People liked quacking like ducks, waving at people, and having their pictures taken.
It’s important to get information on a tour company before you sign up. I went to the hotel in my daughter’s neighborhood to ask about the tour I was signing up for. I also tried to check out the tour company online with the Better Business Bureau, but the firm that booked the tour was different than the one offering it.
Here are tips from Normadic Matt’s Travel Site on “Choosing the Right Tour Company”:
- Find out who offers the tour and check out the company’s reputation.
- Compare costs.
- Inquire about the quality of tour guides.
- Ask about safety procedures.
- Check out the schedule.
With summer coming up, I hope you’ll have the opportunity to have a fun vacation and great tours.
