Ride the Ducks Guam Review
Tuesday, February 13, 2018Ride the Ducks Guam is a fairly new sightseeing tour that lets tourists take on an adventure around Guam – on land and on sea. If you’re a history buff or if you’re traveling with small children and the elderly, this is one of the most fun and adventurous trips you can take with your family.
What makes this tour unique is that you get to ride an amphibious vehicle that goes on the road like a bus and then makes it way to the sea like a boat! I haven’t been on an amphibian before and I only see this in the Philippines as a rescue-type vehicle for flood victims. It was quite exciting to get on board this bright yellow vessel, like I’m hopping onto a theme park ride!
We booked this tour via the tour desk at our hotel. Once we got the available schedule for our large group, we paid at the tour desk on the spot (US$45 per head) and got our confirmation receipt. We chose the 1:30 PM schedule for the following day’s tour.
On the day of our tour, we had an early lunch at Fuji Ichiban Ramen then roamed around Tumon Sands Plaza and the nearby vicinity before heading to SandCastle. This is where the Ride the Ducks tour begins. We went inside SandCastle and at the reception area, we were given a tiny candy cane and what they call “quackers”, a whistle-like instrument in a shape of a duck’s beak that produces a quacking sound.
The amphibian vehicle looks like a World War II landing craft which was made in the U.S.A. and under the control of the United States Coast Guard so it’s pretty safe. I picked up a seat near the front and on the window side so I can feel the breeze as we left Tumon area.
The tour is equipped with a sound system which served as an audio guide. The entire audio played was in English, but other languages such as Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Chinese were available, too. The driver and tour guide briefed us with some safety measures and gestured us to blow the quackers in varied intervals and depending on the beat of the song at the background. I find this cool and it keeps the adventure rolling, as kids and kids at heart can definitely join the fun.
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| Tourists aboard Ride the Ducks Guam. Sleeping couple asleep all throughout the tour. Lol. |
We passed by San Vitores Road and hit Hagatna all the way to several cathedrals, Asan WWII park, and governor’s offices. While we were on the road, the audio guide pointed the various “gems” or “treasures” of Guam, which are tourist spots (special mention to the biggest Kmart in the world), as well as important places in Guam’s history. In addition, the roads where Ride the Ducks took us led to a number of tourist spots which we visited the next day.
The highlight of the trip was definitely the plunge onto the ocean port. Everyone was excited and eager to float onto the sea, and the kids were very much excited (including me!). Since the vehicle was designed to float on water, the transition from land to sea was smooth and we didn’t experience any splash of water. What’s definitely entertaining was the chance to maneuver the amphibian.
We spent about 20 minutes on water before heading back to land. This time we passed by Highway 1 and Marine Corps Drive. The drive back to land has reduced our momentum, as the audio guide, background music, and guided tour weren’t as solid as before, probably because one of the drivers (and occasional tour guide) left and picked up another amphibian vehicle at the port.
Ride the Ducks ended at SandCastle once more and we got to take the “quackers” home. Since it was only a 90-minute tour, we had the rest of the day saved for more sightseeing and shopping at Guam.
Pros
• Comfortable tour for kids, adults, and elderly
• Gives interesting information and history about Guam (how it was discovered, its inhabitants, similarities with Philippine history, etc.)
• Lets you tour on land and on water without getting off the vechile
• Gives you a moment on the steering wheel (while at sea) to drive and to have your photos taken
• Brings you to different areas in Guam you normally wouldn’t visit without a private car
Cons
• Time spent and distance traveled on water is too short
• The return drive from the ocean port lowers the momentum of tourists and can be a bit boring
• US$45 (via tour desk) is pricey for a 90-minute tour, but their website offers discounts
• Technical error when booking online (no option to select number of participants)
• The return drive from the ocean port lowers the momentum of tourists and can be a bit boring
• US$45 (via tour desk) is pricey for a 90-minute tour, but their website offers discounts
• Technical error when booking online (no option to select number of participants)
I believe there are a few improvements needed, but overall, I did enjoy this tour especially the fun facts included in the audio guide. Make sure to find discounted tickets for bigger savings.
Tour Desk Ticket Price: $45
Website Ticket Price: From $35 (special rate of $25 for limited promo)
Website Ticket Price: From $35 (special rate of $25 for limited promo)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. The contents of this entry are purely my opinion and 100% honest based on my travel experience.
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. The contents of this entry are purely my opinion and 100% honest based on my travel experience.
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