Such an exotic and unforgettable experience with people with a beautiful story!! Highly recommend for families!!

The music and the explanation of the culture through the music was phenomenal. Had so much fun learning paranda and punta.

My friend and I had a drumming lesson and dancing lesson several months ago, and had a great time! The palapa was nice and cool and very beautiful, and Ivan taught us several rhythms and dances. It was a great activity to do even though we were just passing through the area.

if you want to experience the culture of a people there is no better way than to spend some time here, They will teach about food dance songs drumming language of the Garifuna people, we had a great time while we watched as they made drums and played for us the day we were there. When you get to the southern end of the country this is a great way to experience the real Belize ..check out our videos at DrMucker on youtube

Ray was a great guy - really friendly, and incredibly talented at both drumming and teaching. I loved the traditional thatch and surroundings and was lucky enough to see a toucan while we were there! Its worth stopping by even if you're just passing through the town for a day before heading elsewhere.

We booked the “Drum, Dance and Dine” experience which appears in the web site for USD22.5. We arrived there, a family of 6. The place looked abandoned and smelled bad. It was very hot and a lot of mosquitos. Only 1 person met us, he was very nice and gave us a 1 hour drumming lesson and then his mother came with soup with fish and vegetarian dish for the girls. There was no dancing and no “family performance” like it was written in there web site: “Enjoy an evening of authentic Garifuna drumming under our beautiful thatch palapa with a professional 30 minute group performance by our family group, followed by a short dance lesson. Afterwards, enjoy a traditional Garifuna cultural meal of "Hudut" - fish fillet sauteed in coconut milk with mild spices served with mashed plantain.“ They charged us US$150 and we felt it was overpriced for what we got and that it was poor and wasn’t what we booked and expected to get.

We participated in this drum school and dinner through Hillside International. Such a great experience for all. The beats kept us moving all night.

I did a one-on-one session at the drumming school and had an amazing time! My lesson started off with Ivan who taught me about the Garifuna culture and some basic Garifuna rhythms. Then, Ronald taught me some challenging lead rhythms, per my request. Both of the guys were patient, genuine, and fun! I was able to learn some drumming rhythms while also joking around and having an amazing time. The guys also invited me to a performance that they were having that evening and I got to watch them play traditional Garifuna music with their whole crew. If you're coming to Punta Gorda, visit the Warasa Garifuna Drum School. You won't be disappointed!

We cycled out of Punta Gorda onto the dirt track towards the Mayan Mountains and were just beginning to wonder if we'd gone the right way when we saw the Warasa sign. Roland came out to meet us and we spent a great afternoon learning about the Garifuna culture, trying our hand and the Punta rhythms and feeling fully immersed in the lush landscape, punta rhythms and local hospitality. Fun, lively, relaxing and totally Toledo. A great way to spend the afternoon.

This is a must when visiting Punta Gorda! Rhythm isn't something that comes natural to me but Ronalds patience and teaching style made it easy for me to pick up some basic beats! Thank you again and I can't wait to come back!!

Super kind and welcoming! Learned some fun beats with an expert who is very involved with community work, then had a tasty dinner made by his family. Fun and Rastafarian vibes, if you’re visiting Toledo mostly and doing many Maya cultural activities, this is a bit different and fun to mix it up!

We had a lot of fun at an evening performance at the drum school. Ray even had us up and dancing. A hint: Use bug spray. We forgot it and had bug bites on our legs. We honestly didn't care a lot for the food that was served after drumming, but the drumming experience and what we learned about Garifuna history and culture still made this an excellent experience.

We spent the morning with Ray and his family learning Garifuna dancing and drumming. We even had a chance to help carve, sand and string a traditional drum. Even for the rhythm-challenged, this was an outstanding experience. Ray is talented and a very patient teacher. We also loved learning about how drumming is connected to the history of the Garifuna people. Don’t miss it!

Thank you Ronald and crew for your energetic and authentic Garifuna drumming experience. We enjoyed the evening of music, dancing and learning about your culture during our stay at Cotton Tree Lodge.

This is the first review I have Ever written, but R McDonald is so gifted patient and magnetic that I want other 72 year olds females who have a "narrow comfort zone" (like me) to attend this drumming school even if you have no interest in drumming. I was with a group and I went to be amicable, but R McDonald, his Dad, and his aunts were so talented and so kind that I had a wonderful experience. We drummed, we danced, we relaxed, and we learned. I think that if you go to Punta Gorda and do not go to the Drumming school then you have not really been to Punta Gorda, and you have missed a once in a lifetime experience. PS. I may have been his most challenging student ever....laughing, learning, making music and participating outweighed this late life deficiency discovery. (No beat? Who knew?)