Published on Jun, 2023

To sixtyish, active couples went on this trip together, and we had a blast! It was a long but fun day. That narrated trip to the boat dock gave us a lot of information about the DR history and culture which we loved. The boat ride and the time on Bacardi Island, including lunch was great. Everyone was very friendly! The second boat ride and open air jeep trip up the mountain was equally as great. It was amazing to arrive and see 60 horses and 60 guides ready to take us to the waterfall. Very attentive guides walk with you while you ride the horse through the rainforest. Plenty of time at the waterfall and even though it had been pretty dry recently, the waterfall was spectacular! The trip back got a little complicated as we ran into a rain storm on the catamaran. The deck crew handled everything with humor and safety, including rum shots to warm us up in the rain! Our bus back also had issues, but we were pretty quickly transferred to a smaller van for the ride back to our resort so it really wasn’t a problem. It was all handled well and with transparent communication. Very glad we all did this day trip off the resort to get a taste of Dominican life!

Published on Mar, 2023

Our excursion started by getting picked up in a van around 6:40 AM. The expected arrival was 6:30 AM with an estimated 10 minute delay. The email was very thorough about expectations in case you did not see the van. We picked up a few other passengers and headed to the station where the big tour bus was departing from. The check-in was smooth and they provided sandwiches and coffee/water. The sandwiches were not great as they were mostly bread with one slice of meat (pork) and cheese. My recommendation to travelers is to pack some snacks or eat breakfast before arriving. We were loaded on to the bus and had to wait as there were some travelers were delayed. This part was a bit annoying but I respect the company for trying to provide the best experience to all their customers. The bus ride was very comfortable and there was available wifi. Our tour guide Nathan (I think) was very knowledgeable and spoke many languages. He was also funny and engaging with everyone. We made a pit stop at a rest stop to use the restrooms before heading out to Las Canitas. At Las Canitas is where we took a small boat out to see the whales. We ended up joining with another tour group so it was a lot bigger group than expected. They did however, have their own tour guide. Come prepared to get wet. The water was spraying everyone as we headed out. They do roll up the plastic covers as they approach the whale watching spot so those won't obstruct your view. I would recommend bringing a change of clothes or a water poncho if you want to stay dry. After the whale watching we headed out to a small island and had down time to swim or drink at Playa Cayo Levantado. There were vendors at the beach selling pina coladas and coco locos with/without alcohol. I highly recommend as they were delicious. There is also a bar if you want something else. Recommendation is to bring USD. If I recall correctly the drinks were between $5-8 USD each. There are also vendors on the beach so bring cash if you want to buy souvenirs. From Playa Cayo Levantado, the boat took us to Samana where we had lunch near Bahia Carenero. The food was delicious. It is buffet style and is included with the excursion price. They also offered lobster for an additional cost. After lunch we headed to Salto El Limon via an "open truck." The drive was very long and not as comfortable. Once you arrive, the company that owns the horses has socks and boots available for people. You will get covered in mud so I wouldn't wear anything that you can't easily clean. You are guided by a local via horse. They are not paid and rely on tips, so make sure to bring cash for them. I was told tipping in USD is the preferred method. The horse ride was very uncomfortable and quite scary. I have previously ridden horses but the road was treacherous. Very uneven, rock and muddy. My horse slipped once and I could tell the horse was struggling to make the journey. Aside from that, the horse looked well taken care of and groomed. The hike down to the waterfall was very steep and was not recommended with people with asthma. I went with an injured knee and was able to take my time going up and down with assistance from the guides. The waterfall was beautiful and you can go swimming in it. In my opinion I think you can skip this part if rugged terrain is not your thing. There are also vendors that sell things near the waterfall, so again, bring cash if you would like to purchase souvenirs. There are also photographers that join the group and take pictures to sell to you. The pictures came out great. We paid around $60. Not a bad price in my opinion and they send them digitally. The photographers did accept payment via zelle and other electronic options. Overall, this trip was wonderful and you do get a lot for your buck. I recommend if you are looking to get a lot done in a day.

Published on Feb, 2023

This excursion was AMAZING! If you are an impatient person, or don't sit well though, skip this one. There were significant periods of travel on bus and jeep. Our guide, Nathan, was great and had an excellent sense of humor. The photo ops weren't to expensive, and were well worth it, as they caught some great shots of whales, and emailed all pics the same night. Super long day - we left resort at 6:20a and arrived back at 9p. Overall excellent experience!

Published on Jan, 2023

Excellent tour. Nacho did excellent job translations of all launages entering bus. Daniel was excellent and very smooth ride. Beach clean and able to swim easily. Food was amazing and had my fill❤️ Highly recommended

Published on Jan, 2023

It is a long day. It’s doable. My wife is an anxious person and packs to be prepared. If that’s your thing, this is the review for you. What to bring: Dramamine or patch Towels Swimsuit Sunscreen SPF shirt for the boat Water Snacks Toilet paper or wipes, hand sanitizer Binoculars Sunglasses Hat Flip flops Tip money Expect a lot of waiting. We were the first to arrive at the initial meet-up location. There was a sandwich and coffee waiting for us. We watched about 5-6 vans arrive before the buses arrived. The guides make sure to take care of you, so you can relax. Everyone we interacted with was kind and thoughtful. Note: They offer an excursion to the waterfall with and without seeing whales. If you want to see the whales too make sure you purchase the right ticket. Some people accidentally bought the wrong one. We left the first spot at about 8 am. During the drive the guide gave history and facts about the DR. About mid-way, we stopped at a souvenir shop to use the bathroom. The bathroom was clean. The drive was gorgeous and gives you an insight into what life is like in the rural areas of the Dominican. We got to the catamaran at about 9:45. We were lucky and got to see some whales. Seeing them isn’t necessarily guaranteed. The crew hustled to make sure we got a view. This was my wife’s favorite part. You really only see the smallest part of the whales come above water. They are just massive and majestic. After the whales, we went to a small island for only 40 minutes. If it was up to my wife, we would spend more time here and then go back to our Airbnb. We got back to the catamaran and went to lunch. Lunch was sooo good. They had vegetarian options as well. We brought snacks because we weren’t sure what was going to be served. From here we got on the open-air Jeep to the start of the hike to the waterfall. This was an enjoyable ride where we got to see Samana. The waterfall was beautiful but we didn’t like the horseback riding. You are with a guide the entire time. We thought the guides were too rough with the horses, and we understand that there are cultural differences that influenced this, plus we do not pretend to be experts on horses. Regardless, we felt uncomfortable about it. The suggested tip was $10 for the guides. We were nervous about the stairs down and out of the waterfall. They were doable. We took breaks when we needed. The travel back was long. After we left the waterfall, we had to take the Jeep, the catamaran, a bus, and then vans back to our hotels. We recommended this trip if you would rather do one day exercising and see so many things. My wife would have preferred breaking it up over two days, and would have happily scheduled both through this same company.