Client report, canopy tour 2016Client report, canopy tour 2016
Feedback about capecanopytours: There are some great and positives things to report, some so-so ones and some negative things.
1. Positive part: A great exhilarating experience for thrill-seekers who want to push the envelope. Who want to float between heaven and earth at the speed of an automobile ride. I would give this part a 8.5 or 9 out of 10 points.
Compared to the canopy zip line in Drakensbergen, the Cape Canopy tour is the longer and better one. At the very end the warm meal provided within the package deal was nice. The steel parts of the canopy tour lines all looked very shiny, professional and well maintained.
2. So-so part. At the beginning and at the end a bone-rattling 30 minute drive in a 12 person jeep over a very bad mountain road. It was jokingly sold as a “free massage”. Helmets kept us alive.
3. Four negative things.
A) Broken and torn apart gloves were issued. My glove was so torn it exposed skin, chafing against the steel cable and thus caused a skin burn between thumb and index finger, which swelled up with liquid into a nasty blister later on. In that group I joined at 1 PM several gloves issued were torn. The gear issued should be 100% Swiss quality. Not torn quality.
B) I joined the 1pm group. Mid-way climbing the hill in the battered jeep, we met our team of two staff for the canopy tour. Since 10 AM (we learned later on) that team of two instructors had NOT had any rest period or lunch break - and had to work on continuously without food or rest until 5.30 PM. Two canopy groups, back to back. This does not make for Zen instructors.
C) For all guests: After finishing the 11th and last zip line, for all clients there as still a very major uphill climb uphill for more than 20 – 30 minutes minutes over a rough mountain path. It was at the edge of what I could do physically. Not an easy part of the outing.
D) Riding back, half way on the hill we saw one of the other jeeps (not ours) with serious mechanical failure standing still on the mountain path with one staff member holding broken parts, figuring out what to do.
Tip 1: In good weather- Bring sun block for your exposed skin.
Tip 2: In bad weather - forget about it, too cold and windy up there. Clients have been known to opt out and walk to the jeep after the first 2 swings.
Tip 3: The entry in the main park entrance did not function (that day) because of a destroyed bridge. The lady at the gate told us to drive back down for 10 minutes. This is nonsense. Drive down for only 1 or 2 minutes and just after the lake you see a mountain path to the right with a green flag. Take that path up by car. Really bad road.
I am in the tourist guide business (Private Art Tours, Amsterdam) and have seen tours all over the world. Given the former listof pro's and con's I would rate this tour with a 7.
This page launched 7 March 2016.
Research and copyright by Kees Kaldenbach. A full presentation is on view at www.xs4all.nl/~kalden/