Paddling with Manatees

Sites visited and group members

This group of ladies was so much fun. The guides were great and fun loving.

I love getting to learn how to kayak and experience the Manatees up close. The other ladies and guides were amazing. Great hotel with good food.

The guides, Laurie and Tori, and the other women on the trip and of course, seeing so many manatees! The dolphin/pelican skirmish was an extra special event!

This was an overall amazing trip! It was so exciting to see manatees up close in nature without being crowded by other manatee seekers. As someone new to kayaking, I found this trip the perfect way to learn and experience the joy of paddling, especially with a purpose - finding manatees! Everything was perfect - the guides, the accommodations, the food. The exceptional pre-trip communication made me throw more layers in my suitcase to be ready for a few cold days. I will definitely return to Adventures in Good Company for other well-planned and exciting trips.

I liked that the trip was non stop. We were doing activities most of the time instead of spending time driving from activity to activity. I liked how easy it was for a first time paddler to learn. I liked that the lodging allowed the group to bond quickly. Being able to all fit at a long table for each meal really allowed for connections to form. I liked there was flexibility in the schedule to adapt to weather issues. I liked that we were allowed to spend so much time in spots where the manatees were gathered.

Great personalities and organized trip with clear and casual communication

Loved the trip even with the colder weather.

The thoughtfulness of the schedule, experiences, and fun activities to get to know the group better!

The waterways we kayaked were beautiful and full of manatees. The guides were incredible, enthusiastic, knowledgable, organized, and fun. This trip delivered!

Number of manatees seen, great guides, and really nice women on the trip.

I loved meeting new people & being on the water and hiking in nature. For me, it was definitely the manatee!!!! (And know everyone knows who this is! LOL!)

The adventure exceeded expectations and the women I shared this experience with were delightful.

The attention to detail! No two paddles were the same. Also Laurie and Laurie were really fantastic, friendly guides.

The participants were awesome. Laurie Priest was great. Weather was fickle, but kayaking was great fun.

My first AGC trip! I have travelled quite a bit and a few times with "groups" instead of alone or with family. This group was exceptional. I think we got really lucky -- very special group of women and we all got along so well. For me, that was the real highlight, the company of the other travellers. Leaders, Laurie & Laurie, were also wonderful. Knowledgeable, fun, capable etc.

learning to kayak and seeing all of the manatees I would like for it to have been at least a day longer to get in more kayaking. I would prefer to do just one nature preserve and either more kayaking or hiking.

Seeing so many manatees! Excellent guides and great trip participants. The accommodations were conducive to allowing the group to socialize and get to know each other. The food was fantastic and I enjoyed the family style meals. I especially liked having lots of fruits and vegetables.

Seeing the manatees in the “wild” was amazing! I’ll never forget how magical it was sitting in my kayak having a manatee swim under my kayak. Or to sit in silence and listen for the intermittent sounds of the manatees coming up for air. The other women on this trip were all fun and the guides were excellent!

The women I met, the guides, the weather, kayaking, manatees.

The kayaking and the AGC guides were perfect.

The wonderful guides, the fun fellow travelers and seeing many manatee.

A wonderful mix of paddlers, great guides, wonderful weather and lots of manatees.

The combination of adventure travel, good accommodations, and being part of a group of friendly active women made for a very special trip. The opportunity to explore and be surrounded by the beauty of nature is priceless. I will always remember special moments such as personal encounters with manatees and paddling silently through lush Florida habitats to a “secret spot”.

This was my 1st group/solo trip EVER! Jaime & Laurie (our guides) were welcoming & treated everyone with respect. I wasn't sure what to expect, so I came with no expectations and had a wonderful time. Met some amazing women and best of all got to see the Manatees!!!!!

It was so great to just get away with a fun group of women and do something we all enjoy!

The kayaking was awesome and so relaxing! Being out on the water and getting to see so many manatees and waterfowl was a great experience!

Experiencing the world of manatees and kayaking the scenic waterways was a real treat.

First, the two guides were great. Positive, informed, had everything planned out. I love kayaking and being part of nature while being with the manatees in their natural habitat was wonderful. I also appreciated that we had accommodations in and got to enjoy and absorb the local community.

The leaders set up a welcoming atmosphere and expectation of fun and camaraderie. . We were lucky the weather was cold and we saw numerous manatees. Community meals and nice schedule of activities. In the immediate area.

Great guides, lovely accommodations and activities

What made the trip special for me was the ability to experience adventures with other like minded people who were also enjoying everything as much as I was.

Being able to observe and be close up to the manatees.

Like the other AGC trips I've been on, this one did not disappoint. We had excellent weather, saw loads of manatees and learned quite a bit about them. The camaraderie among this group of women was on par with what I have experienced on other AGC trips. The lodge setting made it easy to socialize but also have some space if you wanted it. The variety of activities kept us busy and we had many moments of shared laughter.

The guides Laurie and Jaime were excellent. Loved the lodge, they fed us so much and hosts worked so hard. The weather was great and we saw so many manatees the first day. We played a manatee jeopardy at night and other games. Nice relaxing trip and a new experience in kayaking for me.

The camaraderie among the women as well as the opportunity to be kayaking seeing not only manatees, but an amazing variety of birds up close.

Easy going friendship of participants.

I was super happy to have found a friend to accompany me since I have such fun on these trips (this was my 6th trip with AGC) and I want to share AGC with others. And, just as I have experienced many times before, the group of women that came on this trip was just great. THEY, in fact, were the real highlight.

It was enjoyable!

Yes. I could have stayed longer!

Outdoor activities yes. Food and accommodations no.

Great group of women, warm and friendly accommodations, excellent organization, and lots and lots of manatees.

so many manatees

And more! I laughed so often, gasped in amazement- sometimes at myself for what I learned I could do, and ate wat to much!

Above and beyond expectations!!! I knew we may see some Manatee but because of the cold weather, we saw an unbelievable number. It was fascinating from start to finish. The guides were fabulous! I loved kayaking which was a new sport for me. The lodge was wonderful and staff at the lodge were so personable and became family!

Exceeded Expectations. Laurie

Seeing so many manatees. Also the kayaking.

Manatee behaviors were far more interesting than I expected.

The group was very nice. Always on time is a plus. The lodge was a delight.

Kayaking in those rivers was great, Meeting all the nice ladies is always a highlight.

Guides were amazing and the manatees were bountiful!

Kayaking new rivers, seeing wildlife

Laurie and Wendy worked as a team in perfect balance and a compliant to each other. Very caring, professional, flexible, very knowledgeable , genuine, kind and true to who they are and allowed us to be who we are. Each day we had many laughs and smiles.

The people (guides

The highlight was just what the trip was called - Paddling with the Manatees. The Homosassa Springs Wildlife Center was very interesting. Because of potential thunderstorms this was done in the morning rather than afternoon

Great guides. Well planned. Wonderful group of women!

Seeing the manatees, all kinds of cool birds, kayaking down beautiful rivers I don’t know if it’s always this way, or I lucked out and got a really good group my first time. We all got along so well and just laughed and laughed..I loved it!

Kayaking was the best part of the trip.

We saw manatee! I was terribly afraid we wouldn't see any; or I wouldn't see any. I'm still sort of living in the Thursday 1/24 paddle. Easily that was a trip rating of 3 paddle, but it showed me I'm WAY stronger than I think I am. The trip overall was just absolutely amazing. Never mind I got to travel with my grandmother for the first time in 10 years!

Of course, seeing the Manatees up close but just the fun we have together. This was a special trip as I brought my granddaughter with me. This was her introduction to women's travel.

A little disappointed in the amount of kayaking. In the kayaks only 1/2 of each day for a couple hours. Would prefer more kayaking, as it was a "paddling" trip.

Great guides. Very knowledgeable and interested in our safety and comfort. Great group of fellow travelers..

Paddling the Chassahowitzka - amazing.

FABULOUS!! The manatees were amazing, our guides, Laurie and Wendy were the best--very professional, excellent cooks, friendly, funny, supportive, educational, etc. Even when the weather forced a change in itinerary, they handled it without any stress, as if it was supposed to happen that way.

The kayaking was nice and in varied locations, nicely mixed with a little hiking and a chance to see the manatees and other wildlife from land, as well as from the kayaks. Even though one day we were unable to kayak due to weather, we did alternative things that were fine. The evenings with the group and the guides were fabulous, fun, with lots of laughs and good food and good company. Our two guides did a great job of bringing us all together as a group in a very short length of time. This was one of my best trips with you for group bonding. Everyone was friendly, positive and supportive. Our guides were great facilitators as well as participants in our group activities.

This was the best trip ever!! To paddle with the manatees, the friendships with Laurie, Wendy and the other 10 members of the group were priceless. Paddling down the Chaz was a beautiful experience, the peacefulness of the water, the birds--maneuvering through that narrow shallow passageway was a bit of a challenge for me, but I did it!! I would book the trip again for next year except it's full and there are a few more trips I'd like to try.

I loved seeing the Manatees.

Havin an experience I have never had before - kayaking with manatees, reconnecting with friends and meeting other women. It was a great group of women and guides!!

The kayaking and the manatees were definite highlights.

Being surrounded in my kayak by manatees.

Learning how to kayak from excellent guides

This was my first ever group traveling event that did not include my husband. I was delighted to learn that other woman share my desire to travel "solo"! The comradery was outstanding.

the kayaking and manatee sightings at both Homosassa and Chaz rivers

The trip exceeded all my expectations and was superb! Loved the kayaking on Saturday into the more intimate area!

It was a great trip. The guides were helpful and patient. The area was beautiful, and the activities were fun. The food was also very good.

The Manatees of course along with beautiful weather. Meeting women from different parts of the country

I thought the first day of kayaking (manatees) would be the highlight of the trip, but the second day of kayaking was incredible!!! Loved it so much that I am trying to juggle my schedule so I can sign up for the AGC March Florida kayak trip!!!

The highlight was that everything was taken care of for you and no planning, thinking, or worrying was needed. It was great! I just had to be at the location at the time specified.

I would like to start by saying that our guides were fabulous; the other travelers were lovely. Because seeing the manatees is dependent on the weather, perhaps there could be another "enticement" for the trip. The sighting of the manatees would be a special bonus.

Seeing birds, jumping into spring water, three sisters spring