Debbie & Friends at the Roatan Jungle Canopy Tour

Debbie, Lee, Carey, Kenny, Don & Leslie (cruisecritic.com) - Yakima, WA:
Now that our NCL Dream Cruise is over, I wanted to take a moment and recommend a wonderful tour guide we booked on our own. Bodden Tours is a fantastic small company owned and operated by Victor Bodden. This hard working young man is a A1 tour guide who offers lots of great history and information of his homeland. We booked Victor, and he allows you to set up the tour you want. You cannot miss with this tour. Victor took us on a canopy zip line adventure ($45 per person. Not the same company offered through the ship...this company's zip line tour is larger, sporting 13 zip lines and several challenging bridges to cross!), to an Iguana farm ($5 per person), and to lunch at a wonderful little restaurant located at the Half Moon Bay Cabins (menu items from $7 and up). Victor is quite honestly one of the hardest working individuals we have ever met. Besides running tours, he is a contractor (he is currently building a home for his sister) as well as he helps his wife run a small convenience store. He is family oriented, and proud to tell you of his wife and daughters, and takes you past the family property on his tour. We loved the unstressed, relaxed way he runs his tour, and give Victor and Bodden Tours a huge THUMBS UP!!!. (NCL Dream, December 13, 2005)

Falele (cruisecritic.com) - Portland, OR:
Bodden Tours=A++++ We just returned from cruise and booked Bodden tours. Victor met us at the pier and introduced us to Enry (our guide). He was great. Perfect English, it's his first language. He took us all over the island and whatever we wanted to do. We went to the Iguana Farm....amazing and to Mayan Princess on West Bay, went snorkeling in Half Moon Bay (no charge to snorkel and they rent fins and masks). Enry was totally trustworthy....He took my bag and locked it in his car while we were snorkeling ...my husband, myself and my 13 year old son. There was plenty of valuables and nothing was touched. We had him for the whole day to take us around and show us his beautiful island. Loved it! Victors written English is not so good, but he speaks perfect English. (NCL Dream, December 20, 2005)

Amanda & Tom (cruisecritic.com) - Grand Rapids, WI :
We spent our day with Victor when we were in Roatan. I would highly recommend his tour. We had email contact with Victor on several occasions before our trip. When we got off the ship, Victor was waiting right where he said he would be. We started our day with an island tour. We stopped off at the zip line canopy tour (which we had arranged to do ahead of time, but chickened out and Victor was not at all upset) and dropped off two people from our group. The rest of us went to the iguana farm (for $5/pp) which was interesting. When we were done, we went back to the canopy tour to pick up the two sweatiest men I have ever seen! So, then we swung by Anthony's Key resort for a looksee. Anthony's Key is where they do the dolphin type excursions. It looks like a very beautiful place. We also made a stop at Victors house where we met his wife who was working in their convenience store. We purchased some vanilla here for a very good price. We then headed to another resort where we ate lunch and did some swimming. On our way back to the ship, Victor dropped us off at an orphanage. We had arranged to visit the orphanage before we left so, we had brought a backpack full of small toys. We had a fun time passing out the toys and watching the kids go nuts. The teacher that was there only spoke spanish, but we found a common language and everything was all good. This was really the highlight of our day. Victor had us back to the ship with time to spare. It was a nice day in Roatan and I would not hesitate to recommend Victor Bodden Tours to anyone. (Carnival Valor, December 2005)

Huge homes along the South Shore

Bob - Milwaukee, WI :
I just wanted you to know that my wife and I had a wonderful time touring Roatan with your driver/guide Ben on December 15, 2005. Ben was great. He clearly knows all the prime places to go and see on your island. He was knowledgeable and very communicative. His English was excellent. Next time we come to Roatan we will certainly be booking with you again - and we'll ask for Ben. (NCL Sun, December 15, 2005)

Sandra & Lonnie - Denham Springs, LA:
We just wanted to let you know how much Lonnie & I enjoyed our day with Ali. He is such a nice guy. The island is so beautiful. We had been there once before but didn't get to see much of it. We had such a great day, thanks to Ali. Please tell him thanks again. It was nice meeting you too! We look forward to coming back & seeing Ali again. (NCL Sun, December 15, 2005)

Lots of Iguanas at Sherman Arch's Iguana Farm
(Entrance Fee - $5 per person)

Dave (cruisecritic.com):
Things to do in Roatan: Been there 3 times, I contact Victor and we take a drive up to the east end to the high point. Great view. Then stop by the Iguana farm, then off to Half Moon Bay. A little resort on the east part, I think is called Half Moon Resort. You can sit on the edge of the water in chairs, in the shade of large trees. Plenty of sunny areas if you want. Great coral reef right there, with gear available. Very cheap, no admission charge. Kids will bring you the drinks that can be run on a tab. Lots of different coral and fish in the shallow water reef that runs right next to shore. Go to the restaurant. My favorite is the Caribbean King Crab. It is unreal. You get about 3 crabs for about $18, and it is plenty for 2 people. When you get back to the dock, lots of little shops. Great place to get wooden items, and Honduran coffee.

Pieshops (cruisecritic.com) - Toms River, NJ:
Just got back from our cruise and Victor was great. We went with myself, my wife, out 2 daughters 6 years and 19 months and my inlaws. Did the zipline, awesome, a workout but awesome, highlight of the trip. Something like 20 zips and 4 bridges. A few of the zips were over a football field in length. We had our own personal guide who was great, he even carried my daughter over a bridge she was scared to do. Very Very safety oriented, you are clipped in 2 times in case something were to happen to the first. We also went to lunch on the west end on the island, great lobster kabob. Also went to the iguana farm, pretty cool and we went to the orphanage where we left them some cloths, markers and stuffed animals. Great tour, great island - we will be back! (NCL Sun, November 2005)

DKS (cruisecritic.com) - Boston, MA:
Bodden Tours A+! We just did a tour with Bodden. Had Kem as our tour guide. We are a family with 3 children ages 3, 7 and 10 and we had a blast. What a great way to get a taste of the Island, and you go at your own pace. We had nice clean air conditioned van just for our family. Kem made suggestions and then we picked what we wanted to do and then adjusted based on the kids likes and dislikes. He seemed to know everyone. One of our most favorite stops. We would like to go back and spend more time just in Roaton. I have to say I was very worried to go to this island, but i am so glad we did. (NCL Dawn, November 2005)

Paula (cruisecritic.com) - Cape Coral, FL:
Victor was there as we exited the ship - waiting as promised... also with him that a.m. was the female tour guide - can't remember her name -- but what a super funny lady. We piled into the van and headed for the zip lines -- great zip lines not the ones where 900 cruise ship guests go... The staff there was great... good solid equipment ... and lots fun! Next, Victor took us around and we drove along the beach where school was in session. We stopped by Victors house and met his wife and youngest daughter... what a cutie.... bought Vanilla from wife -- ummmm it's good (it's double the price in Mexico, buy it from Honduras) Then off to the beach...some of the people with us went snorkeling but I choose to drink some yummy Pina Coladas from the bar. The food smelled so good....... We ordered the Coconut Grouper ----- GREAT!!!!!!! Victor is a wonderful man who knows his Country. This was the best 25.00 pp I ever spent. If you want a nice private tour - Victor is the only way to go. (Carnival Valor, September 2005)

Jim & Judy (cruisecritic.com) - Brownsburg, IN:
We did a whole day tour with Victor in June. It was just great. He will take you anywhere you want to go, at whatever pace you want. We covered the whole island, took us to his home, shopping,and snorkling...and to the orphanage. He has lived there all his life and will show you the real island life. If you go take something for the kids in the orphanage, and ask Victor to take you there. It only takes a minute, but the rewards are great. They have nothing. We packed a soccer ball, some pencils, paper pads, and some chewing gum. Victor will get you back to the ship in plenty of time to do some shopping, and all this for 25.00 per person payable at the end of the tour. Getting hold of Victor can be difficult. Their internet is spotty at best, so plan early and enjoy. (June 2005)

Mary (cruisecritic.com) - TX:
We did not have Victor we had one of his drivers and we had a great tour. Victor's driver spoke very good english and he went out of his way to show us a good time. We went to the Iguana Farm, He took us to Fantasy Island Resort so he could show my kids the wild monkeys in the trees. We spent a couple of hours at Half Moon Bay to snorkle and eat some lunch. This place was very good for snorkling. The food at the resturant was good. He also made a stop along the side of the road where a lady was making sugar cane juice so my kids could try it. We had a very memorable experience in Roatan thanks to Victor Bodden and his great driver. From what he told us, Victor is very picky about who he hires to drive for him. None of his drivers drink and if they are not family they are usually friends from his church. (Norweigan Sea, March 2005)

Ted & Kathy "The Poprock People" Sand Springs, OK:
We had Victor as our guide, and this turned out to be our favorite port on the whole cruise. Victor met us at the pier and took us all over his island. He stopped at a couple of shipwrecks for some great photo ops. Took us to a local market to do some shopping. Then to the canopy tour where he was waiting for us at the end. From there he took us to his house to meet his wife and daughters. He picked mangos for us to eat, and showed us the avacado and cashew trees. We had brought stuff for one of the orphanages. That was such a heart warming experience. Victor was willing to take use where ever we wanted to go, and never hurried us along. We felt completely safe the whole day, and enjoyed having air conditioning in the van. Having our own private guide for the day was an awesome experience. We brought Poprocks for the orphans and also shared them with Victor and his girls. Victor was a little taken back by them, but found them interesting and his daughters LOVED them. If we ever make it back to Roatan, we will look Victor up as we now think of him as a special friend of the family. (NCL Sea, May 2005)

Pam (cruisecritic.com) - FL:
We had a great time with Victor's Tours. Victor was booked that day and put us with Roland. For a great price with our large family of 9 he was ours for the day and we fell in love with Roatan. First stop was the orphanage as we had brought some supplies. We had problems with customs on our NCL ship and they would not let us take the stuff off the ship. When we arrived at the orphanage and explained what happened Brad called a lady from Hondouras customs. Roland (with his "no problem" attitude) took us back to the pier where the Roatan Customs lady took a tender back to the ship with me and had them release the stuff. We went back to the orphanage and toured it and met some of the kids. They all were so happy and healthy and we were so impressed with the work they were doing! They had just opened a Dr.'s office and Dental office for the people on the island and they are really doing a great work. Next we went to the Iguana Farm for our children. This was not my idea of a good time but went for the kids. I ended up loving it! This is a great place and I never saw so many huge Iguanas in my life! We went to a little store for snacks and went to the West side of the Island for some beach and lunch. It was a great day and we want to go back to Roatan again. For anyone going to this Island...I highly recomend Bodden Tours. The ships can't touch the prices of the locals tours on the islands. Save youself some money and meet the locals and give your business to them. (NCL Sun, March 2005)

Stacey (cruisecritic.com):
We're just returning from the NCL Sun 4/9, and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Bodden Tours. It was perfect for our family (myself, husband, 3 yr old daughter, and parents). Victor, the owner, met us at the dock and introduced us to his brother, George, who was our guide for the day. Since we didn’t know much about the island or available activities, we asked George to show us his island. He stopped at scenic spots for us to take pictures, took us to little roadside stands to shop, and showed us some amazing things. We went to Fantasy Island, which is a Beach Resort which has a Nature Park attached to it. We saw deer, peacocks, lizards, and wild monkeys. Then we went to the Iguana Farm, and in addition to the hundreds of iguanas, we also saw turtles, lobsters, eels, monkeys, and parrots. When our daughter got tired, George stopped by the pier to drop off my husband, father, and daughter, and he joined my mother and I for a little shopping, bringing us to the “good” tourist shops. He was a great tour guide, and we highly recommend this tour because it is extremely flexible to your schedule and interests. (NCL Sun, April 2005)

On the way to the Ziplines of the Roatan Jungle Canopy Tour

The Cavera Family - MI:
Victor & George, Thanks for a memorable time. We enjoyed your tour and all the destinations. I will always remember the experience of the canopy tour at Palmetto Bay (a great workout). We had a group of 4 which included my 85 years young mother-in-law. Bodden Tours was very accommodating for her special needs which included a walker. She was delighted to see the Iguana Farm, Iguanas were everywhere! I am 61 and along with our 14 year old Granddaughter did the Canopy Tour. Exciting! French Harbor was breathtaking. We had a great time and highly recommend Bodden Tours. Thanks Again! (Carnival Valor, April 2005)

Gerald & Kellie, Andre' & Staci - Tampa, FL:
We just returned from our cruise on the Spirit w/NCL. We were fortunate enough to have chosen Victor at the pier to take us on a tour of the island he so lovingly calls home. We had a fantastic time!! He took us all over and anytime we wanted to stop for photo ops, he was delighted to stop for us. He even translated for us in the gift shops and recommended the perfect beach spot and eatery for lunch, where my husband had the Coconut Shrimp(YUM!). It was very picturesque w/ the outside dining area overlooking the water. If we are ever fortunate enough to go to Roatan again, Victor will be the first person we call! (Norwegian Spirit, April 2005)

Mary Kai, Bill, Ken (cruisecritic.com) :
Thank you again for giving us Bengi for our guide. We were so happy to get to meet Victor also, as we had read so many good things about you and your tours! Like everyone else ...we feel that Victor and Ben both became family in such a short time! Ben (Bengi) as we kiddingly called him after we found out some of the children called him that, was a wonderful guide. We had such fun with him and he is such a good, kind man. Please tell hiim how much we enjoyed our day with him and that we miss him and hope to see him again some day! (Norwegian Spirit, March 2005)

handdoc (cruisecritic.com):
I just got back from a cruise to Roatan on the Carnival Valor. We booked a tour through Victor Bodden (Fabulous!) and had him take us to the new canopy tour at Palmetto Bay. It was awesome, 20 platforms some with zip lines and others with bridges/ tight rope like stuff. The guides were great and the equipment BRAND NEW. We had a blast, plus it only cost $45 (verses $55 booked trough tropicalREZ or $85 if you get your transportation through tropical REZ). Victor brought the rest of our group (those who didn't want to go the canopy tour) to the bottom where they could watch us come down the last couple of zip lines while the kids played in the shade / stream. I can't do justice to the amazing scenery. It's something that we will always remember. After that Victor took us all to Half Moon beach for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. We had lunch and snorkeled. It was a perfect outing for all 11 of us. (Carnival Valor, March 2005)

Coconut Shrimp at the Half Moon Bay Cabins

Bill & Dorothy:
Our two families had a great time with (Bodden Tours) on the 15th of February. We would highly recommend you to anyone going to Roatan. I realize that the Canopy tour was of our choosing. Having done that once was enough for me. It turned out to be a lot of work for a 65 year old. Half Moon Bay and the great food there in the restaurant was great and we would consider going back there for a week or so. My wife was particularly impressed with your children. Thank you again for a great experience!

Mary Kay (cruisecritic.com) - IL:
We were in Roatan last week on the NCL Sun. Victor Bodden arranged for us to have Theris as a tour guide. What a wonderful day it was. Her English is excellent and her knowledge of the island and the people was the best. She took us all over the island and I can not say I would have changed a thing about the entire day. Had a wonderful lunch - three lobster tails for $16.50, in a restaurant right by the water. Roatan is a beautiful place and Theris made if a highlight of the cruise for us. Believe me, it is worth every penny! (Norweigan Sun, February 2005)

Coxen Hole

G Buckner (cruisecritic.com) - AR:
I can not tell you how thoroughly impressed me and my wife and friends were with Victor and his services. We were in Roatan on March 1st on the Norwegian Sea and arranged ahead of time to have Victor be our guide. He met us outside the gate at the pier and was so accommodating of our needs and wishes. This was by far our favorite port of call and this was mostly due to Victor and his service. He speaks perfect English and we found out he is self taught-no formal training at all. Amazing for how well he speaks, and now I understand why his e-mails were hard to understand. He speaks English perfectly but does not write it very well at all. Victor is soft spoken but does a very good job of introducing you to Roatan, his beloved home. For $25 per person for an entire day I could not have asked for a better value and I hope to return again soon and I will undoubtedly use Victor again. I would highly recommend doing the Jungle Canopy Tour on the east end of the island. It is just outside French Harbour and is not for the out of shape or unadventurous. It is part canopy tour, part Navy Seal obstacle course(just kidding but it is strenous). It has 20 platforms with 7 swinging bridges, single cables you walk across, Indiana Jones bridge, etc., and several ziplines of varying lengths. The staff was great and very entertaining, especially David. The cost was $45 per person, no reservation needed. Our guide, Victor Bodden took us directly to the start of the tour and picked us up at the bottom. Be advised you start at the top of a very large hill and you must descend 150 or so steps, some spaced out a little too far, to get to the first zipline. The tour was AWESOME!!! I not only gained alot of knowledge and appreciation for the way of life in Roatan but I have made a friend as well. He even took us to his him to meet his wife and daughters and show us his family homestead that he is so proud of. (Norweigan Sea, March 2005)

Sandra (cruisecritic.com) - Kalamazoo, MI:
Several months ago our friends who traveled with us arranged a tour through Victor Bodden. We were not disappointed! He met us at the pier promptly with a friendly smile....and a nice air-conditioned vehicle. The six of us wanted to learn about HIS country....the things he considers unique, beautiful and of special significance. His English is great and prices are extremely reasonable. The tour was leisurely plus informative. We felt he was very eager to please. We highly recommend this young man, who in a short time became a friend! (Norweigan Dream, February 2005)

Roatan Surf...Honduras mainland in the distance.

Kathy (cruisecritic.com):
We just returned from a wonderful cruise. We decided that Victor Bodden's tour was the best part of our cruise. He was so informative and a perfect host. We even went to his home and met his family. Roatan is beautiful and Victor showed it all.