Great father-daughter excursionL4049QPchrisl
My 13 year-old daughter wanted to try a number of different "extreme" activities while we were in Cabo, so Wild Canyon definitely gave us the opportunity to try a number of different things all in one package. We booked directly from their website as opposed to through Viator or our hotel concierge, as the website had a discounted price. After booking, we got all the necessary information and forms via email, and everything was smooth. We also elected to take advantage of the transportation, and the shuttle came to our hotel lobby right on time.
After being dropped off we checked in. This took some time (maybe 5-10) mins. One thing that I didn't realize before was that UTV insurance was required rather than optional if that is one of your activities. So I paid for the insurance. I also needed to indicate whether I wanted an automatically shifting ATV or a regular one where you need to shift the gears yourself. The automatic is an extra $50. I elected to go with the regular one even though I didn't quite know what I was getting into. Later on I found out that it was a very simple matter to shift gears. Nothing like having to drive a manual transmission car.
First stop for us was the bungee jump. One thing I'll note is that it takes quite a bit of time for each person to get harnessed up, transported to the cable car which is the launch point, strapped in / hooked up, do the actual jump itself, and get reeled back in and then returned to the starting point. So if there's a line, expect a wait. I had to wait at least a half hour for two people in front of us to get the giant swing rides done. Safety first, so you want to make sure everything is done just right, so the wait is understandable. Ideally, there's no one waiting when you decide to try it out. We went there first thing thinking that it would be extremely popular, but it turns out that after we finished, no one else was waiting. This was on a Thursday so maybe there were fewer people? Had I known, we might've been able to do a zip line or something and then proceeded straight to the bungee jump without waiting.
We had two guides for the bungee jump. Both were excellent. They really tried to put our minds at ease, and even though it was my daughter's idea to try it, in the moment of truth, she was more frightened than I've ever seen her. The guides were encouraging without being pushy. The first attempt she backed out, but then gathered up her courage and did it on the 2nd attempt. But she could've said no and no one would have judged her for it.
This was a bungee jump over a canyon and it was very high up, so the thrill factor is definitely there. As a first time jumper, I don't really know how to rate the experience compared to other bungee jumps, but we both survived, so that's a plus :). Again, the guides were terrific, and this was definitely the highlight of the day.
After the bungee jump, we did the UTV, ATV, camel ride, and animal tour, so compared to the bungee jump, each activity got progressively tamer, but they were all still fun. The UTV/ATV/camel rides can be done once each during the day, but that was enough. The UTVs and ATVs were in good condition. The UTV ride was extremely dusty, probably more so since we were at the rear of the group. But crossing the canyon bridge was cool. The ATV ride was more fun for both my daughter and myself. We got to drive faster on some straightaways and did a circuit that took us near the beach. Both the UTV and ATV could accommodate one driver and one passenger.
The camel ride involved taking a shuttle to a remote part of the park. The camel ride itself was pretty short. Kind of like a pony ride with an employee holding the reins and guiding the camels along. So at no point are we taking control of the camels. I could see it getting boring after a while, so it's probably good that it was short. The guide and a photographer walked along with us, with the guide cracking jokes and giving some interesting facts about camels. After the ride we had a chance to pet and take photos with one of the more docile camels and even had a chance to feed one while we waiting for the shuttle back.
The animal tour was a guided tour to pet / touch / feed rabbits, guinea pigs, parakeets, macaus, etc. Although not a thrill ride by any means, this would be a highlight for any kid, and even my teenager really enjoyed feeding the rabbits and birds.
All in all, I found the experience to be very well organized. Most activities took place every half hour. Other than the bungee jump, there was very little waiting. The shop, restrooms, and facilities were all very clean. There is a restaurant if you want to have lunch, although we didn't try it. As is the case for any similar activity, there is an extra charge if you want to purchase photos from your day, and it's not cheap. Since we did the bungee jump, I pretty much knew I was going to purchase this in any case, and the video we got of the jump was very professional.
One piece of advice for the park management - have a better way to manage gratuities. Each attraction involved a tip box for optional gratuities. I used whatever smaller bills I had (50-100 pesos) but after a while I ran out of these bills. And the shop was not able to exchange my 500 peso bills. I would definitely prefer it if they just included a service charge with the park admission, or gave the opportunity to provide an optional gratuity at the end that would be shared among all of the guides. But the way it was set up, I was able to tip some of the staff but not others.
