The Jungle Queen has been in Fort Lauderdale and in Miami for a long time. They set out to sea 3 times a day. There is an early morning trip, a lunch trip, and the most popular dinner cruise. This review is of the Fort Lauderdale River Boat. As I have yet to get on the Miami version I can not comment on that one.
The Jungle Queen is a large River Boat that takes you on a guided journey through the inter-coastal waterway of Fort Lauderdale. It was surprisingly educational. The halfway point in the trip is where you get off and check out their little jungle island, then back on the boat to return to the original dock. It has tri-level seating. The bottom and middle are covered and the top is not. I would save that level for night or winter trips. There were plenty of seats available.
The morning trip took about 3 -3.5 hours. It was very relaxing and due to the time of day the weather was beautiful. In the summer it tends to rain in the afternoons it is also really hot and humid. I recommend either the early morning trip or the dinner cruise if you will be here in the summer months. If you are coming during the winter feel free to travel anytime of day as the rain chances are much slimmer and more random. Also the weather is much tamer all day long so the middle of the day trip may be just perfect.
The trip begins at a dock right next to the Bahia Mar and across the street from the Sheraton which is located directly on Fort Lauderdale Beach. It is docked on the inter-coastal, in the summer the first trip leaves at 10 am despite the website saying 9:30 am. In the winter it goes back to 9:30 am. I use the terms summer and winter very loosely by the way. In South Florida there really are only two seasons: summer and winter. Summer generally lasts from April to October and Winter from October to March. Every now and then winter is only from January to March but you never know. The humidity starts to die down around mid-October and that is why I say this is when winter starts.
Back to the Jungle Queen review lol. The first thing you will see and the thing you will see the most of is large expensive houses owned by very rich people. I must say they are fun to look at and the tour guide will tell you about some of them. Here's a few pictures.
 |
| This is the Miami Vice house, here in Fort Lauderdale |
Another thing you will see a lot of is Yachts! Apparently Fort Lauderdale is the Yachting capital of the world. So there were plenty of Yachts to be seen.
Halfway through the trip we stop at the Jungle Queens privately owned "Jungle". Most of the area was "Jungle Type" before people settled and changed the entire landscape to fit their needs. Almost nothing you see in Fort Lauderdale is natural! Anyway for the morning and afternoon cruise there is no food included. However, you still get to stop at the island and view the animals and gator wrestling show.
Along with animals and a show there was also a snack bar and bathrooms on the little "Jungle Island". While there are bathrooms available on the boat I would suggest waiting for the Jungle bathrooms if at all possible. Here are a few more pictures of the snack bar, condiment stand, and bathrooms.
Another suggestion is to bring bug spray for the "Jungle Island" especially if it has been raining in the few days before you venture out here. They were not a problem in the boat but this area is farther inland and has places where mosquitoes like to gather.
Also keep in mind that the dinner cruise goes to a separate part of this "Jungle Island" for an all you can eat BBQ dinner. It is a sit down meal not a buffet and the waiter or waitress will bring you more until you say stop.
When you are done on the "Jungle Island" (they will tell you what time to get back on the boat I think it was about 30 mins), you will head back the same way you came. You are supposed to sit in the same seats. It works out nicely because you can see everything you didn't on the way out. By this time you are also a little tired from the Florida heat. So the ride back is very relaxing. There is not as much commentary on the return voyage as there was on the adventure out. It is more of a soak it all in time.
All and all I would say it is a very enjoyable experience. It was a great way to see Fort Lauderdale from "behind". It was informative and entertaining. I would like to go again and try the bbq dinner portion of the trip and be able to see the inter-coastal at night. It looks completely different and has a different feel. I would absolutely recommend going. If you are looking for adventure skip it. If you are looking for a relaxing day, learning a little about the city, or sightseeing I would definitely do it.
CONTACT ME for more information or to plan your next vacation to Fort Lauderdale, Fl. We also offer coupons and discounts on most adventures when booked as a package.
Here is Jungle Queen's website link:
No comments:
Post a Comment