When we returned to the ATV place, expecting to find our group with ATVs ready to go, we discovered they had combined us with another group of about 15 people. That was another gut check: this felt like way too many people for an ATV tour with only three guides.

Then as they started counting people and pulling ATVs, I noticed they were bringing more around from the back. Gut check number two: if they’re bringing ATVs from the back, they’re back there for a reason—probably maintenance issues. Gut check number three hit me hard: this just didn’t feel right. I almost said something—hindsight being what it is, I probably should have—but I didn’t.

I hopped on the next ATV in line and immediately noticed it was different from the others. Most were quad family-style Polaris with long double seats and cargo areas in front and back. Mine only had cargo on the back, not the front. Instead of a foot platform, I had little metal foot pegs, almost like a dirt bike. And the muffler was right there next to my leg. This felt more like a racing bike, and I wondered if I should be on it without long pants and proper closed-toe shoes. My reef sandals were closed-toe, but still.

I was actually more dressed than other people—some girls were in literally flip-flops and bikinis on the ATVs. I thought, “Well, at least I know how to operate a vehicle. It’ll be fine.”

After a quick demonstration on operating the ATVs, they instructed us to stay to the right of the road as much as possible. This would give the guides room to run up and down the line, blocking traffic and keeping things in check. They wanted us to stay within one to one and a half ATV lengths of each other to keep the group together.

We started filing out in single file. I was initially in the front row with a long trail behind me. As we went through town, we encountered island traffic—lots of roundabouts, cars driving close together, bicyclists buzzing by. The woman in front of me kept creating big gaps, and occasionally cars would cut in front of her. I was trying to stay close as instructed, but she didn’t understand how to drive well, slowing down and making weird stops in the middle of turns. I found myself hitting the brakes a lot.

Going through town felt like a big parade of ATVs. The local drivers were honking and yelling at us. Not the fun, safe experience I had imagined.

Eventually, we pulled up to a park area, removed our helmets, and were told we had 20 minutes to grab food from the marketplace. About 15 people went to the recommended French café, but we decided to go elsewhere since that place would be packed. We had a nice lunch, but we weren’t paying attention to the time and didn’t see any of the guides come back. When we returned to the meeting spot, everyone else was already there, and it was rush-rush-rush because we were late.