Frequently Asked Questions

Get to know our tours inside - and out - before you adventure off the path with us

1

Are reservations required?

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While we do not require advanced reservations, we have limited space and often sell out. We highly recommend reservations in advance for the best availability of our tours – especially during peak holiday periods.

2

What is your cancellation policy?

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While we take both non-guaranteed reservations without an advanced credit card payment as well as fully guaranteed reservations with credit card payment in full, we highly suggest the latter to avoid any potential disappointment. In order to accommodate all guests, we schedule guides, reserve vehicles and load provisions based on our reservations. Therefore, Funky Monkey Tours has a 48-hour cancellation policy during non-peak periods (via email or person-to-person phone call) for guaranteed reservations in order to receive a full refund (less all Credit Card processing fees).

Cancellations made less than 48 hours in advance will not be refunded. During peak holiday periods (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Spring Break and Easter), cancellations for guaranteed reservations made less than 7 days in advance (via email or person-to-person phone call) will not be refunded. And for our cruise ship guests with guaranteed reservations – should your ship’s itinerary change for any reason, or the local Nevis/Kitts inter-island ferries not run due to adverse sea conditions, your deposit will be refunded in full (less all Credit Card processing fees).

3

What about cancellation due to weather?

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Occasionally we do cancel due to inclement weather – but that is very rare. In Kitts and Nevis, rain showers tend to blow in and out over a short period of time – rarely does it rain all day.

If it’s raining on one side of the island, chances are that it’s sunny and dry on the other side! And if we do get caught in a shower, we’ve found that most of our guests love parking under the nearest Mango Tree waiting for the (warm) rain to stop while enjoying a cocktail (or two) along with hearing some good island stories.

4

Why do you charge a deposit?

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As soon as we have a reservation for 2 or more people then we need to reserve a guide and a vehicle and/or extra vehicles which means those spots are no longer available for others. If you have to cancel for whatever reason and do so prior to 48 hours before your scheduled tour then we will refund the deposit taken. If you cancel within 48 hours then the deposit will not be refunded.

5

What should I wear on tour?

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As for expedition attire – comfortable, casual, cool clothing & shoes is perfect for the trail. You might bring along a pool towel just in case of a rain shower. And, I’d also bring along some sunscreen, sunglasses and a camera. For those with contacts – tours can get a bit dusty and you might want to switch to eyeglasses.

6

Can we swim anywhere on the tour?

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While there are places along the trail for a swim – we don’t recommend it. Sitting afterwards in a 4x4, in the sun and with a salty swimsuit is a sure recipe for a diaper rash! Wait until after your tour and then take that dip in the ocean or pool at a nice restaurant with a freshwater shower – believe me, you’ll be much happier!

7

Do we stop for food or drinks on the tour?

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No! We do not stop for food while on the trail so bring along a snack bar if you wish. We do, however, offer our popular bottomless cooler of soft and hard drinks on tour. Passengers are welcome to drink as much as they like however we ask that all designated drivers (if any) kindly refrain from drinking any alcoholic beverages until the end of the tour.

8

Should I tip the Guide?

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It is customary to tip the Guide for a job well done. Gratuity is based on individual preference, but we suggest 15%, which is the industry standard. Cash is preferred or you can have it added to your credit card.

9

Who goes on the tours and are there any age restrictions?

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Our guests include all types - regular folks to crown princes and princesses – from Wall Street schemers, scammers and scoundrels to Hollywood glitterati – famous sports figures to back yard duffers and everyone else in between – and all ages from 6 months to 93 years old! You’ll never know who’ll be on tour with you! We have lots of great stories to tell BUT…..whatever happens on the trail – stays on the trail !!

10

What’s the minimum and maximum group size that you can accommodate?

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We have a minimum number of two guests per tour. Singles are welcome to book but in the rare occurrence that there are no other guests going on that tour, single guests will be charged for two persons should they still want to go at that time. As for maximum group size? – while we have multiple vehicles and substantial capacity, we usually limit any one tour to around 24 guests which allow us to maintain a high level of customer service with each of our guests. In general, our daily tours go out with between 4 to 8 guests. For our larger groups, we may take additional guides on trail as well as offer multiple daily tour times to accommodate all.

11

3½ hours sounds like a long time – do you offer a shorter tour?

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This question comes up occasionally and the answer is generally NO – unless it is only your group on tour and the entire group wishes to end the tour or if you’ve arranged for a Private Tour - then, you can cut it short if you wish. BUT….this has NEVER happened to us as our guests find that the time goes by very quickly and they usually want to stay out even longer!

12

Do you offer private tours?

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Yes! Our private tour option is very popular and available with prior arrangements. Private tours go out at the same times as our regular tours - 9 AM & 1:30 PM and have the same 3½ hour duration as our guided tours unless otherwise agreed to. The tour route is totally up to the guests. A while back we had one private tour remain at their first bar stop for the entire 3½ hours! Now that was a tour! There is an additional flat fee which applies to any group size (from 2 to 24) which can be found in our Schedule of Fees.

13

Are your tours too rough for older guests or those with existing back conditions?

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As mentioned earlier, there’s nothing scary or rough – no hiking and no “heavy lifting”. We don’t do any trail blazing, speeding or anything crazy. Our Polaris 4x4’s are built to handle the small bumps and our tours are safe for all. We’re just out for a fun and memorable time – after all…. you’re on vacation!

14

What vehicles do you take on tour and can I drive?

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For all our group guided tours, we take a variety of 2, 4 & 6 passenger Polaris RzR’s® and CREW’s® on trail depending on the number of guests. All guests are assigned/seated to each vehicle at the sole discretion of our staff. While not guaranteed, we will make every effort to keep parties together. Our guide always drives a 6-seater Polaris CREW® as the lead vehicle. With small groups of five or less – those guests will ride with the guide in his vehicle. This is a nice way to go as those guests can sit back, enjoy the scenery hear to island stories and have a drink not having to worry about dodging rocks, goats and crazy island drivers! Hey…. You’re on holiday – relax, have fun and leave the work to us! On those tours where we have more than five participants, we’ll take out additional vehicle(s) as needed and ask for volunteer driver(s) from the group.

All designated drivers must be 25 years old or older and will be given a local driver’s license. If you volunteer to drive, don’t worry as it’s very easy – our vehicles are all automatic and drive like big golf carts. On those tours with more than five participants, we’ll go out “wagon train style” with as many vehicles as necessary with all keeping a safe and orderly distance behind each vehicle. As always, our guide, and his five guests, leads the way. With larger groups, we may add an additional guide in the middle and/or a follow up guide at the rear of the “wagon train” to ensure safety and fun for all. For those guests who specifically want to drive in their own vehicle and follow behind the guide - no matter how many or few guests are participating - we’ll do our very best to accommodate their wishes. All drivers must have a local driver’s license (or purchase one from us) and there is an additional vehicle charge per extra vehicle on top of the normal tour charge (See our Schedule of Fees for current rates).

Note: additional vehicle(s) are subject to availability on the day and are not guaranteed.

15

Do you accept cash and/or credit cards?

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For payment – US$ cash is always preferred however we also accept Pounds and Euros (though at par with the US$).  We also accept Master Card, VISA or American Express.

16

Will we see any monkeys or other animals while on the tour?

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Most of the time we’ll run across some Green Vervet Monkeys while on trail in Nevis – but, not so much in Kitts as its much more developed and populated. Kitts does, however, has a very spooky, heavily secured, Jurassic Park like International Monkey Research Center in the middle of the island where who knows what goes on? This eerie place is owned by some big international pharmaceutical & cosmetic companies. The Green Vervet Monkeys were originally brought to Kitts and Nevis from Africa in the 17th Century by British settlers.

They’re highly social and usually seen in groups of up to 7 to 80 individuals. While mostly in the bush, they can be found everywhere on the islands – kind of like squirrels back in the states. While cute, they are a major nuisance to local farmers as they are always eating their crops and have no natural predators here. That said, they’re still a bit shy and reclusive. However, if Mother Nature permits – we’ll see some. We also hope that you get to see “The Big Five”, a cow, a donkey, a goat, a sheep and a monkey, plus horses, a few pigs, mongooses and chickens….Oh My!

17

We’re arriving into St. Kitts on a cruise ship and would like to take your Nevis Guided Tour. Do we have enough time to come over to Nevis, take the tour and make it back in time for our ship’s departure?

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In most cases - yes! We have many St. Kitts Cruise Ship and/or destination guests come over to Nevis for the day and take our tours – and it’s easy! The only bit of caution is that after seeing Nevis – you may not want to go back to Kitts and/or your Cruise Ship! There are reliable public ferries just around the corner from where your Cruise Ship docks as well as vehicle ferries and private water taxis at the south end of the island.

Most Cruise Ships arrive to Kitts around 8 AM but passengers usually can’t work with your arrival time on Nevis and adjust our schedule accordingly. After your tour, you’ll probably even have some extra time to hang out at a nice beach restaurant, have a swim and enjoy some good food/drink before heading back to Kitts. In our many years of business, not one of our guests has ever missed his or her ship’s departure – so relax, enjoy and be happy!

18

What’s the best way to get to between the islands?

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Getting back and forth between the two islands for the day is easy, scenic and an adventure all its own. 

There are basically three inter-island transportation options – 1) the very popular “Water Taxis” all leaving from the dock at the Reggae Beach Bar which is at the south end of Kitts in the South Peninsula;  2) the downtown Basseterre scheduled public ferries near to the Cruise Ship Terminal; and 3) the SeaBridge Ferry located at the south end of Kitts in Major’s Bay.

While all three options work – some work better than others!  While you can always check the then current timetables on https://www.nevisportsauthority.com/schedule, we strongly recommend that you check with your hotel concierge or guest house agent/representative for the “actual” schedules when here and the current applicable fees and charges for all options.  

According to our pasts guests experience, and our own recommendation, we suggest for a Water Taxi that you use Islander Watersports where Wincent Perkins is the personable owner who can be contacted on +1 (869) 662-7081 and his current timetables can be found on their Facebook page: @islander.watersports.1. They have the largest, most modern fleet of Water Taxis which insures you of getting there and back!   They can also arrange a land taxi to take you to and from your Cruise Ship or location on the island

A land taxi operator on Kitts that our past guests overwhelmingly prefer to use is Elmoth Rawlins (aka “SeaMoss” and "SEXY TAXI") who’s a real nice, reliable operator that takes care of his guests and business!  His contact information is (869) 664-9240, elmoth89@gmail.com.

Bottom line……while all three-transportation options work – it’s just a matter of what’s best for you and your group.  And if you are really adventurous, you can also mix it up a bit taking one option one way and another option another way! 

And a final word - if any of the above ferry stuff sounds unsettling or intimidating – don’t worry, it’s not!  For those of us marooned on this Tropical Isle, it’s an everyday way of life for us!

19

I’m a corporate incentive group planner – do you carry insurance?

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Yes – we carry $1M ECD in Liability Insurance – the tour operator’s “standard policy” on the island. However, we are unable to offer and Collision Insurance as it’s not available on the island for our type of vehicles.

20

What else do I need to know about your tours?

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MOST IMPORTANT!!! Take our tour early in your holiday – DO NOT wait until the last day! If I had a nickel for everyone who told me that they wished they had taken our tour when they first got to the islands – I’d have a whole lot of nickels!

21

I’d like to rent one of your 4x4’s and go on my own?

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While over 95% of our business is guided tours – for some locals, ex-pats, return guests or those “Indiana Jones” types – rentals could be a good option. With rentals, you must be over 25 years of age and come to our shop where we check you in to the vehicle of your choice (either a 2, 4, or 6 passenger models – rates and availability vary). We’ll provide you with a basic island road map and give you operational instructions.

But be aware, there are few if any road signs on the islands as I suspect the taxi guys took them all down to further their business! And we ask that you please stay off all the island’s beaches as turtles are usually nesting. In addition to the rental fees, there’s a government tax (10%), a 90-day temporary local driver’s license and a refueling charge (unless you bring the vehicle(s) back full). With a rental, you’re responsible for any physical damage to the vehicle (including tires).

When all said and done, depending on the number in your party and your choice of vehicle(s) – rentals could be more expensive than a guided tour and with a lot less fun (hint – tour, tour, tour!).

22

OK – is there anything else I need to know for renting?

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Other than the information above, rentals are subject to availability as our tours take priority. Advanced reservations are highly recommended. 

All rentals rates are based on a 4 hour “half day” period being either 9:00 am to 1:00 pm or 1:00 to 5:00 pm or an 8 hour “full day” period being 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  All rentals originate and return at our respective Kitts or Nevis offices from which the vehicle was originally rented. Rentals are charged at the time the vehicle is taken out.  Guests sign and leave on file a “open” credit card charge slip for any overtime, fuel used, or damage incurred (if any).  Full day (24 hour) and/or multiday rates are available in advance. Call or e-mail for further information.  And remember, no matter how many rum punches you’ve enjoyed in route – always….

Keep to the left!

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