Feature Tour - Go East | PHOTOS and DISCOUNTS!
Activity Guide Self Tours - Save $$$ | Tour at YOUR Pace CROWD FREE!

Check out current issue for the latest tours for East, West and North sides of the island.

Don't waste money on guided tours! All you need is Activity Guide, a rental car and a sense of adventure. Tour at your pace, free of crowds and see the sites YOU want to see; spend as much or as little time at each attraction as you like!

This is a compilation of all the best things to do at any given time in and around the Northside and East End areas; as well as things to do along the way for anyone planning a day trip.

Mastic Trail

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Botanical Park

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Pirate's Caves

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Cathy Church

Video:

Pure Art

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Black Pearl Skate and Wave Park

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Pedro's Castle

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Cayman Kayaks

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Kaibo

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Portofino Restaurant

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LighthouseRestaurant

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Newbie Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 13 Location: Houston, TX

Joe Stebbins wrote:

This is just a page from the magazine but I thought it would be helpful in planning your days to try and set aside at least one day to see some of the more remote and pristine areas of the island.

SNIPPED

Hi I just found this great site. We, a party of 8 adults, will be visiting Grand Cayman via cruise ship in March 2006 and are interested in a private driver who could show us some, not all of these site.....can you recommend anyone? And where to I get this magazine? TIA

Sunny Very Happy

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 5:43 pm Post subject:

Hi Sunny - Welcome to the message board and congratulations, you just joined the approximate 1% of cruise passengers who will have an exceptional and highly memorable and rewarding experience in the Cayman Islands. Very Happy

Give Elaine a call at: 1-345-917-8636. She has a 9 seater taxi and will be happy to take you to whichever of those places you prefer, then wait for you while you are inside. She is a native of the island and a wealth of information.

Be sure to print out all the

from the magazine before you arrive. We do not distribute to the cruise dock and they will save you a lot of money. Wink

Newbie Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 13 Location: Houston, TX

Joe Stebbins wrote:

Hi Sunny - Welcome to the message board and congratulations, you just joined the approximate 1% of cruise passengers who will have an exceptional and highly memorable and rewarding experience in the Cayman Islands. Very Happy

Give Elaine a call at: 1-345-917-8636. She has a 9 seater taxi and will be happy to take you to whichever of those places you prefer, then wait for you while you are inside. She is a native of the island and a wealth of information.

Be sure to print out all the coupons from the magazine before you arrive. We do not distribute to the cruise dock and they will save you a lot of money. Wink

Hi Joe! Goodness you are fast. Very Happy

Does Elaine have a website?? She sounds perfect. We are kinda laid back and like to do and see things at our own pace....and love having a local show us places that we might not see on a regular tour.

Sunny

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 5:53 pm Post subject:

Sunny - Elaine does not have a web site but you will love her. She is definitely laid back and she will enjoy taking you around and telling you about the island.

One word of advice. No matter where she suggests you eat, insist that she takes you to either Pappagallo or Lighthouse - Depending on which direction you decide to go on your tour. I can not state this strongly enough. You have a rare opportunity to eat at one of the very finest restaurants in the world. Wink

Newbie Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 13 Location: Houston, TX

Joe Stebbins wrote:

Sunny - Elaine does not have a web site but you will love her. She is definitely laid back and she will enjoy taking you around and telling you about the island.

One word of advice. No matter where she suggests you eat, insist that she takes you to either Pappagallo or Lighthouse. I can not state this strongly enough. You have a rare opportunity to eat at one of the very finest restaurants in the world. Wink

Thank you Joe.....I will give her a call. And remember your suggestions Wink

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 6:59 pm Post subject:

WELCOME sunny! The East End is pure paradise to me.........less people, wonderful restaurants, and so many wonderous things!!!!!!!!

You're coming on a cruise ship stop though, and I wonder about whether you ought to consider doing something you CAN'T do on a cruise ship........like swim with the Stingrays thru Soto's! Joe is right about the Lighthouse and Pappagalo's as being just the most FANTASTIC restaurants but you're coming off a cruise ship, which is a 24 hour buffet........please check out the Stingray City trip, a trip to Boatswain's Beach, a stop to snorkel somewhere..........possibly the Pampered Ponies on the East End, but I worry that with the travel time, and the limited time you're on the island, if that's going to work within your schedule......'course you're dealing with someone here who gets to the airport 2 HOURS early and hopes that's enough time Bash

.

Don't bother to go to Hell........the tourist stop where you can actually have postcards sent from "Hell" unless you really like the idea of that........but the Turtle Farm is near there, and THAT is something worth seeing.........we never miss a stop there, to see the little darlings, of all sizes and ages........and there is a souvenir shop there as well.

Anyway, just my 2 cents worth..........and I give that a LOT Rolling Eyes

After your stop in Cayman.........you'll do like so many of us have done.......forget the cruise ship and book a full week in paradise!!!!!!!! Very Happy

EastEndlover, Celine Wink

Newbie Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 13 Location: Houston, TX

Celine wrote:

WELCOME sunny! The East End is pure paradise to me.........less people, wonderful restaurants, and so many wonderous things!!!!!!!!

Hi Celine!

You're coming on a cruise ship stop though, and I wonder about whether you ought to consider doing something you CAN'T do on a cruise ship........like swim with the Stingrays thru Soto's!.....this will be our 4th visit to Grand Cayman.....we have gone to stingray city Joe is right about the Lighthouse and Pappagalo's as being just the most FANTASTIC restaurants but you're coming off a cruise ship, which is a 24 hour buffet........please check out the Stingray City trip, a trip to the Butterfly Farm,....we have been there as well....and loved it.... a stop to snorkel somewhere....we do plan to stop for some beach and snorkel time..........possibly the Pampered Ponies on the East End,...some in our little group would not be able to do that due to medical conditions.... but I worry that with the travel time, and the limited time you're on the island, if that's going to work within your schedule......'course you're dealing with someone here who gets to the airport 2 HOURS early and hopes that's enough time Bash

.hahahaha....I do too.....and that is one of the reasons it was important for us to have a private driver.....and not go on an organized tour....

Don't bother to go to Hell........the tourist stop where you can actually have postcards sent from "Hell" unless you really like the idea of that........but the Turtle Farm is near there, and THAT is something worth seeing.........we never miss a stop there, to see the little darlings, of all sizes and ages........and there is a souvenir shop there as well....we have done both Hell and the Turtle farm.... Embarassed

Anyway, just my 2 cents worth..........and I give that a LOT Rolling Eyes

After your stop in Cayman.........you'll do like so many of us have done.......forget the cruise ship and book a full week in paradise!!!!!!!! Very Happy

EastEndlover, Celine Wink

We have always enjoyed our stop overs on Grand Cayman...and really want to do something different this year than hang on the beach or revisist the places you mentioned...I sincerely appreciate you 2 cents and you can offer them to me anytime!! However after checking and seeing there will be a total of 6 ships in on the same day.....I might have to re-think our options....that's far too many people for this island at one time! EEEEKKKKKKKK However I am sure the recommended driver will be able to keep us on track and ensure we enjoy GC.

Thanks,

Sunny

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 7:32 pm Post subject:

Sunny - It wouldn't matter if there were 20 ships, the sad fact is that almost all of them would still end up at the same few places. They trust the ship and don't do any of their own research so they get a miserable, crowded, expensive visit, spent mostly waiting in lines and fighting crowds. I'll bet you don't see one person from the ship all day while you are doing your Go East tour with Elaine. Wink

When you get back to the ship and tell others what you did, they will either think you are crazy or somehow went to a different island. They have no grasp of the reality of how things really are here - just a very narrow perspective that the cruise industry's marketing machine wants them to see.

Newbie Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 13 Location: Houston, TX

Joe Stebbins wrote:

Sunny - It wouldn't matter if there were 20 ships, the sad fact is that almost all of them would still end up at the same few places. They trust the ship and don't do any of their own research so they get a miserable, crowded, expensive visit, spent mostly waiting in lines and fighting crowds. I'll bet you don't see one person from the ship all day while you are doing your Go East tour with Elaine. Wink

When you get back to the ship and tell others what you did, they will either think you are crazy or somehow went to a different island. They have no grasp of the reality of how things really are here - just a very narrow perspective that the cruise industry's marketing machine wants them to see.

Thanks Joe, that's encouraging. As I said we are pretty laid back and prefer to stay away from organized tours no matter where we go. The first time went went to GC...we read all the tours brochures.....and then walked into the town square and hired a taxi (there were only 4 of us then)....we saw the things we wanted to see, plus a few things we probably would not have seen, he took us to a lovely little beach...we were the only people there......then our driver took us to his home to meet his wife and young son....on the way back to the ship he took us to get Rum and Rum cakes...very inexpensively....it was a small local shop....the rum cakeswere home made and IMO much better than the packaged Tortuga Rum Cakes...we enjoyed the day immensely. I am sure Elaine will be able to guide us and get us back to the ship on time. Sunny

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 8:07 pm Post subject:

Sunny - That's how the people are here. Well, most of us anyway. Very Happy

You can use the Tortuga coupon at any of their stores and you will pass right by one near the airport. Ask Elaine to stop there and you can pick up a couple of Tortuga Rum Cakes. Wink

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 8:14 am Post subject:

Sunny.........know just what you mean about the people........it's one of the many reasons we love Cayman. We too had a cab driver offer to take us home to meet his family and have dinner ANY time we are there! Just incredible heart

............there must be something in the water down there Wink

Celine

Frequent Flyer Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 54

Just looking at the water makes you feel friendly Very Happy

I've never seen more beautiful water and beaches than at GC Palm

The time can't go fast enough Margarita

Newbie Joined: 31 May 2005 Posts: 15 Location: Clinton, NJ

Hi Joe!

Is the Go East Tour available in each issue of the CAG? If not, is it possible to get a version of the tour that I can print? I'm very interested in exploring the island as extensively as possible. Do you suggest doing it ourselves or hiring someone local to tour around with?

Thanks.

Lora

Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:57 pm Post subject:

loranj - The tours are rotational but "Go East" will be in the May issue when you arrive. You don't need a guide, that's the whole point. I publish a detailed tour with easy directions and maps so you can do it yourself. For guided tours I highly recommend the Kayak Eco Tours with Cayman Kayaks. If you go to Pirate's Caves I would take the guided tour because there is so much to see now you can easily walk right by things without someone there to point everything out.

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