Educational sites

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

The area

Address

Gravel Bay, Roatan 0000 Honduras

Contribute

Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

5.0

55 reviews

Excellent

47

Very good

8

Average

0

Poor

0

Terrible

0

Morgan M

Ajijic, Mexico16 contributions

Wonderful Unique Experience

Mar 2016 • Friends

If your the kind of person that likes to get off the usual tourists trail this is your location. You will never find this unique learning experience anywhere. Ms. Deborah, is a wonderful instructor. It was great learning the history of the steel drum, how they are made and tuned. The young men and women who assist with are lesson we're delightful. Thank goodness there were there they made us sound good. Don't leave your experience with out a tee shirt and most importantly a CD. When you get home and your vacation seems long faded in the past pop that CD in your player and you are right back at your Steel Pan Alley experience. You can't help but smile and feel that joy all over again.
Don't miss this experience.

Written May 8, 2016

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Kirsy1

Silver Spring, MD348 contributions

Best excursion on our cruise!

Aug 2015 • Family

We had an 8:30 class with Ms. Deborah. She came and picked us up at the cruise ship dock in her 31 year old truck! It was great! Ms. Deborah is an amazing teacher and kept the adults and teens interested.
Side note...remember the island might be an hour off your cruise ship.

Written August 24, 2015

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Matthew W

Calabasas, CA7 contributions

Experience of a lifetime

May 2016 • Friends

I will begin by saying this was an absolute blast! I went on a cruise with a group of 6 and we booked Steel Pan Alley to learn how to play the exotic Caribbean drums. We learned the history of the steel pans, how much effort it requires to make them, and how to play the instrument. If you are into trying a unique experience, this is a must! Deborah is very friendly and the kids are all awesome. I definitely recommend!

Written June 3, 2016

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

DaraB_12

Los Angeles, CA3 contributions

Truly unique experience in Roatan

Dec 2011 • Friends

I honestly had no idea what to expect. I was solely going off of the one review I found on Trip Advisor. But it sounded different than your typical tour, so I decided to give it a go. I am so glad I did. It made my visit to Roatan my favorite stop on a week long cruise. Deborah, the owner, picked us up at the ship and gave us a ride to the school. Four awesome students of Deborah's (all about 13 years old) helped to teach us the steel drums. It was so much fun and we got to learn all about the school and the kids and had a blast playing the drums. One lady joined our group at the last minute and Steel Pan Alley also became the highlight of her cruise. She couldn't stop talking about how much fun she had! After our lesson which took about 2 hours, Deborah offered to drop us off wherever we'd like to go on her way to pick up some students for their afternoon lesson. She was very informative and gave us some great tips for shopping and sightseeing the rest of our time in Roatan. Support Steel Pan Alley, you'll have a fun and unique experience!

Written January 3, 2012

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Susan B

Tegucigalpa, Honduras5 contributions

Unique and Fun Experience!

Nov 2017 • Friends

If you have ONE day in Roatan you MUST do this! Miss Deb is a retired music teacher from California who provides free classes to kids in Roatan. Together they offer a brilliant and unique musical experience. You will learn the history of the steel pans AND how to play 3 songs! I was skeptical considering I have never played an instrument in my life. It was so much fun. For $35 and a "tip" that goes directly to the kids ... this is a unique experience and value+++! Can't wait to do this again when friends and family visit!

Written November 6, 2017

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Monique C

5 contributions

#TeamSteelPanAlley

May 2017 • Family

Get Steel Pan certified (not really)! But you will learn to play three tunes and learn the history of steel pan drumming, in just about two hours. A retired music teacher from CA opened a school to teach steel pan drumming. The school is free to area school kids and is funded by the money she raises from classes she offers to tourists. The students actually helped to teach us the selections we learned! I couldn't think of a better way to donate my dollars. Definitely a highlight of our trip to Roatan!

Written May 23, 2017

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

indtraveler6199

Indianapolis, IN3 contributions

Hidden gem of Roatan

Mar 2017 • Family

There are so many beautiful areas in Roatan that you're tempted to spend the day just enjoying the water, but I'm certainly glad we didn't. Steel Pan Alley was a really fun experience. When we got there, I expected that maybe we'd learn a few notes on the steel drums and didn't expect much more. Instead, after a very short time, and some expert musical tutoring, we were playing actual recognizable music! Deb and her students were very patient with us and we were all surprised by how much we were able to accomplish in a very short time. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who came to Roatan. It's not as widely publicized through the cruise lines, but certainly everyone on the island knows about her school. It's just a short taxi ride away from where the cruise ships land.

Written April 4, 2017

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

cvanort

Eagan, MN43 contributions

Unique Experience

Feb 2017

Steel Pan Alley is a school in a local neighborhood that teaches school children how to play the steel pans (steel drums). Our group, ages 25 through 85, got a van, who drove to the school, where we were met by kids (all teens) who would become our tutors for the next 2 hours. Deborah, a US native who has been in Roatan for over a decade, is the teacher. She provided us with history and hands-on lessons. (Deborah also sings with the band at Bananarama in West Bay on Sunday nights, and she is amazing.) As the chickens clucked outside, we worked with our patient teacher to play a tune on the steel pans. We had a blast.

This was not only fun but a great opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause. The cost was $35 per person for over two hours of the experience. You have the opportunity to tip the students, buy T-shirts ($10, I think) and CDs (I bought the Christmas one because you can hear the rooster in the background. My mother in law was just going to sit and listen, and Deborah encouraged her to participate, which she did and had a great time.

If you want to see how the residents live and get an authentic experience, I would recommend Steel Pan Alley.

Written March 30, 2017

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Rumskys

Portland, OR727 contributions

Don't miss this huge highlight of our Roatan visit!

Feb 2017 • Couples

We contacted Deb, a very knowledgable teacher from California, to set up a drumming lesson. What a fantastic time! We (four of us) had a chance to learn three songs from Deb with help from four students. All the proceeds go back into this organization and directly benefit the island children. I can't stress enough how much fun this was! You will enjoy it regardless of your level of musicianship. It's an easy taxi ride from West End, West Bay, and Coxen Hole. Most highly recommended!

Written February 17, 2017

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Melody P

Austin, TX115 contributions

Go local!

Oct 2015 • Family

When I travel, I like to immerse myself in something authentic to the people and area where I am visiting. That is what makes travel special. Deborah and her steel pan school was exactly what my Roatan trip required. She is an exceptional teacher and made our 2-hour visit well worth the effort. The kids (her actual students) were close at hand to help teach us, and accompany us in our renditions of Mambo #5, and 2 other songs we learned. Between songs, we got a brief history of the area, learned the steel pan's humble beginnings, and mingled with some polite and talented children and teens of Roatan. Been there. Done that. And DEFINITELY got the t-shirt!