JUNGLE TOP ANIMAL PARK ROATAN
We decided we wanted to do something different in port this time around. After a lot of research and contacting multiple vendors, we decided to ride ATV's in the jungle and then the second half of the tour would be to go hold some sloths. Something I've always wanted to do. We would be going to the Jungle Top Animal Park and I was very excited.
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We booked with Roatan Breakaway Tours and the owner, Lashan, was so nice and helpful in planning our day.
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So, after booking I immediately received a confirmation along with instructions on what to do when we arrived.
We did our ATV tour first and you can find that review located here
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We pulled up at the Jungle Top Animal Park and my excitement was building. Lashana said she would go get our wristbands and it was included in our tour of course and we headed to the bathroom. But first I grabbed my camera's and Gopro. I did ask why we went here instead of Daniels (well known place to see the sloths) and she said she had a contract with this place to bring her people here instead. We did notice they also had ziplining here and I was now wishing that we would have picked this instead of the beach.
We are here to see the sloths and the hubby immediately goes to the dog.
We went up the hill and immediately spotted the sloths. OH EM GEE! JUST LOOK AT THEM!!!! So fricken adorable. I am finally going to hold a sloth. There was one that someone was holding and another in the tree. As we waited for the other group to get done holding one, I was taken pictures of the sloth in the tree. Soooo Frrriiiickkkennnn cuuuuute (said in my slow sloth voice).
He moved ever so slowly, reaching for leaves and turning his head, and I knew it was instant love for me. I WANT ONE! Too bad Kendra wasn't with me. Maybe she'd go back home and buy one like she did with the monkeys we played with in St Kitts and she just knew she had to have one and drove to Texas and bought her one when we got home from that cruise! Myla my granddaughtermonkey is now 6 years old and they've had her since she was 5 weeks old. Could I talk Kendra into a sloth had she been here? Oh the thought!!!! I can dream right?
Then it was our turn to hold the sloth!! OH EM GEE! The moment had finally came....then...MY CAMERA DIES!! Are.You.Serious?!? I let out a yelp, a gasp, a yell...NOOOOOOOO! I have to go back to the truck and get another battery. Wait!!! The tour guide said "Go back and get your battery and when you get back you can hold it. I'll let them hold it now." Um nope, "I need pictures of them holding it too! Wait for me" I yelled as I went running down the hill (well, best someone like me can run with a bum foot but I can guarantee it was a pretty fast pace).
I made it to the truck and Lashan was nowhere to be seen. Oh no. I'm in panic mode now. I'm looking everywhere. I went up to the restaurant and seen her coming down the steps. Whew! She took me to the truck and I managed to get another battery. Ok, I'm good. I scurried back up the hill to the sloths only to find my family had moved on to the monkey cage. Wait! What about the sloths??? We were told we'd come back to them in the end. Ok, I get it...saving the best for last. YES!
We entered the Capuchin monkeys cage. They were pretty well behaved compared to others we have been around which will jump all over you, steal your sunglasses and just go crazy. These would get on you and sit, take a treat and go to the next.
We then moved onto the Macaw cage. Oh, they are so beautiful. Sakari has only held one once, when she was around 6, and of course it was Kendra's (which stayed at their business and talked to the customers as they walked in...but it's favorite slogan to say was "that's not my job"...learned from hearing Kendra tell Billy this over and over during the course of years lol), and it bit her. So, not the best experience. But she loves birds and has a Cockatiel herself so she was most excited about the birds. Well, her time has come. She was going to hold one again after all these years.
We then moved on to the Spider Monkeys. You couldn't go in the cage with them. They said they were a little temperamental. There was a male and female. The male was somewhat aggressive toward the female and she "didn't like him". When trying to feed them, he'd come up and take over and she'd go somewhere else. We did notice this right away.
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Keep 3 feet away from cage, but they handed us sugar cane to feed to them.
More capuchin monkeys to feed as well.
We moved on to the Coati, which is a member of the raccoon family.
They went into a pen and came out with a "Cavia or Cuyos", which to me is a guinea pig.
They had some deer's across from the other pens and they were super friendly and would come right up to the fence for you to touch them.
Sakari let out a squeal and it was more birds. This time the Blue-Headed Parrots.
At the very end of the cages was something that was tucked back in the corner. I don't remember what it was called.
We walked back to the beginning and it was SLOTH TIME!!! OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH. We were actually going to do this! I'm going to actually hold a sloth!!!
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It was the cutest thing ever and of course so gentle. Sakari loved it too!
Would you look at that face??? Oh my gosh my heart is melting!
Ok, my dream has been fulfilled. I held a sloth. Now I want one. :)
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We met back up with Lashan and it was time to leave. This is the nice vehicle we were in.
Here is a video we took of our day at the Jungle Top Animal Park:
Here is where the Jungle Top Animal Park is located compared to the cruise port. It's really close. So if anyone is docked at this port and wants to find something really close by like the animal park or zipling, this would be your place.
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On the way back to the port...
Final thoughts:
If you are an animal lover, you need to go here! They had a variety of animals and most you can go into the cage and hold them. The highlight was holding the sloths of course! If you like adventure and adrenalin, the zip lining looked like a lot of fun and I wish that we would have added that to our list of things to do that day. It seems to get a lot of good reviews online. So the Jungle Top could be a place you do all in one on a port day.
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As for booking with Lashan at Roatan Breakaway Tours, I highly recommend her services. She will customize your tour to do the things you want while in port. She's super nice and knowledgeable. I would not hesitate to book with her again in the future!