Address: Cayman Yacht Club
Phone: 345-916-5027
http://www.nativewaywatersports.com/index.htmlTraveler ReviewsFun and good value!
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Aug 27, 2008
Sharon (owner) and staff were super! We did Stingray City, Coral Gardens, Starfish tour and it was amazing! Our boat was not crowded at all--maybe 15 people at most. We paid $40 US per person for this tour. When we asked about being dropped off at Public Beach versus our hotel, Sharon dropped us there herself. They had onstaff photographer who took some great pics (thanks, George!) and we did not feel pressured to buy them but did. We liked it so much, we did a second tour. Best part of our trip!! If I had to choose between Starfish tour and Barrier Reef tour, though, I would choose the one that has barrier reef stop. More to see.
The way to go!
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Aug 25, 2008
We had a great tour with Native Way. They picked us up at our condo and took us to the boat. We were the only people on the boat so we had plenty of room to relax. First stop was Stingray City which was fun. The stingrays are gentle and the water so clear and warm. Next we went to Reef Garden which had wonderful snorkeling, and the Native Way staff found a conch for us and took a picture of a lobster I couldn't even see. Next stop was Rum Point which was like a postcard. The water is turquoise and shallow. After lunch at Rum Point, we returned to Grand Cayman via the waterway where we saw several iguanas. It was our favorite day on Grand Cayman.
well worth it!!!!
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Aug 22, 2008we booked with native way as a recommendation from our travel agent. we were on a cruise and were a little worried about not doing the "ship sponsored" tours as most others were. well, we all ended up in the same place in the ocean, with the same stingrays, star fish etc as all others on the cruise at about half the price as they paid!!! The tour lasted about 3 hours, our plan after was to go to 7 mile beach but the tour ended a little too late (not native ways fault, some people in our group showed up late in the morning) anyway, the rest of the tour was being driven back to the port on the bus. Sharon Ebanks (owner ) saw how disappointed my daughter was, she REALLY wanted to see that beach, she took us personally in her car to 7 mile beach and came back an hour later and took us to the port and wouldn't take any money. she was wonderful and personable and we had a great conversation with her in the car. learned a lot about the cayman islands. This was the best time we had on our cruise. i DEFINITELY recommend her!!!
Good for kids/families, not for the experienced snorkeler
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Aug 18, 2008
We were looking to book an excursion outside of the cruise ship in order to avoid large crowds, and we were hoping to have a small group with Native Way. However, we had about 40 people in our group.
We did the "Stingray City, Coral Garden, and Starfish Snorkel" excursion. The stingray sandbar was PACKED with people--there were lots of other boats (all with at least 40 people on them), which were all parked only a few feet from ours. As a results, the water was really, really crowded. However, this was still an awesome experience. It was really fun getting to swim with and hold the stingrays. I highly recommend getting out to see the stingrays if you are in Grand Cayman (even if not with this company).
Our next stop was at the "snorkel" site. I was extremely dissapointed with this spot, because I've heard of some great sites in Grand Cayman. First of all, there were about 10 other boats there with us, so the water was packed with people. And the bottom was mostly all sand, about 20 feet deep, with a few coral formations and a few fish. This would be a good spot for kids, but dissapointing for the experienced snorkeler.
Our final spot was the starfish snorkel, which was interesting. It was a sandy bottom with lots and lots of starfish, which you could dive down and pick up. Another good spot for kids.
Overall, I think this would be a nice excursion for kids. However, if you are looking to avoid the crowds, this is not the excursion for you. If you are looking to hit the best reefs in Grand Cayman, find another company that travels further (both to see a better reef and to avoid being in the water with 10 other boats). I think that the time constraint of this one prevented them from taking us anywhere good (the three sites are all within a few minutes of each other).
On another note, the island is very pretty and the water is beautiful!
stingrays, starfish, and coral with nativewaywatersports
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Apr 27, 2008We went on the "Stingray Sandbar, Coral Gardens and Star Fish Snorkel" tour. I absolutely loved the stingrays. The coral was your classic, beautiful snorkeling adventure. The Starfish area was interesting b/c it's not common to see a bunch of starfish (you could swim down and get them). The company did a good job (obtained the stingrays for us to hold; gave us fish to feed them). The group size was about 10 or 15 people. Cost was reasonable; team members were friendly & helpful.
