Oh geez! I hate to be a Debbie Downer...and trust me trip advisor friends...this is my first negative review. And I hate it.... Garl is a very nice guy with a great enthusiasm for the Everglades...think Boy Scout on steroids and you get the picture. And so what's the problem? Well, for one, we paid $320 per couple for a day with Garl to get out in the Everglades and take pictures of all the wildlife that the Everglades had to offer. It was my husband's 60th birthday present from me. A day full of picture opportunities. He could hardly wait. We met up with Garl and 3 other people and headed off for a long drive to a sandwich shop where we were told to buy a sandwich and bring a bottle of wine for the lunch and sunset....which we did. He then took us to a famous fruit stand and we got a smoothie...thank goodness! As it turns out, it would be the only food we got all day. We then headed to the park and we slogged out to a "gator hole" through dark, slimy, mud up to our mid thighs, where after a half hour hike we saw....NOTHING. Oh, I take that back. We did see a woodpecker which I look at in my backyard everyday. OK...be a good sport...lets continue on to the kayaking. We arrived at Flamingo entrance which is on the ocean. We were told that we would be astounded by all the wildlife there. It was windy...as in 20 mile per hour winds, but we all got in our kayaks as instructed and after paddling HARD for what seemed an eternity, got to photograph ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Why was that? Well..my husband and I were so busy trying to keep up with the eager beaver that there was no time to even snap a picture of the few birds we saw. He and his German date were so far ahead of the rest of us that shouts could not get his attention as the other woman in the kayak became ill from the exertion and starting throwing up. She and her husband turned back half way. We continued on....surely there would be something cool to see. Hey! What about that lunch? It was now nearly sunset and we were starving. Why in the heck did we bring a bottle of wine? Clearly not the romantic scene I had envisioned. We finally got his attention and told him that the other couple had gone back and we were going to as well. Didn't seem to matter much. He listened to what we had to say and then ONCE AGAIN took off way ahead of us. Aren't guides supposed to hang with their customers and tell them interesting facts along the way, and oh, I don't know maybe give them something of what they advertised? Look...I know it's not his fault that wildlife may not be as plentiful in November....but come on. We should have done an Everglade lake. Not the ocean in hard winds. We ended up strarving, exhausted and without any pictures. No... I take that back. There is one of a grumpy middle-aged woman "slogging" through the swamps just to see a woodpecker. Needless to say...we all bagged the proposed "night walk" and went home with our lunches still packed and our wine unopened. To his credit....when we returned he offered us a partial refund which I gladly took. So Trip Advisor readers...if you're under 30 and in great physical shape and vacation at just the right time....Garl's your guide. I for one was greatly disappointed. Sorry Garl....I know this screws with your number one status. I just tell it like it is.
Одговор домаћина
Feb 2012
As a professional organization, it is Garl's Coastal Kayaking's responsibility to respond to this review. Garl's Coastal Kayaking takes great pride in our customers comfort and knowledge about the Everglades. We go to places that are not easily accessed by the public. While we do this in a way that is safe, fun, and informative for all abilities, it is still a very wild place. Sometimes Mother Nature has ideas other than; the ideal breeze, a little cloud cover, and no bugs. Never the less, we make certain that our customers are well informed about the conditions before we proceed. The more important reason for writing this response, is that the reviewer not only misrepresents Garl's Coastal Kayaking by portraying this organization in a way that is false, but more importantly, misrepresents Everglades National Park by calling it a "swamp". It would be like walking up to the Grand Tetons and saying, "Is this it?" While we understand that beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, one thing stands true. Garl's Coastal Kayaking has the utmost respect for all of our customers and strives for the best experience possible. If you (the reader) are interested in having a truly great experience in the Everglades and Florida Keys with the most qualified guides, please read all of the reviews to inform your decision. It would be a missed opportunity if this one review turned anyone away from the experience of a lifetime with Garl's Coastal Kayaking.