We had really looked forward to our day at Ocean World and I had booked the Dolphin Swim & Shark Encounter for my son and I. All was well as we took our orientation and headed off to swim with the dolphins, there was eight in our group six adults and two kids. When we got to the pen my son was a little nervous but was willing to try. I went first and it was quite nice, then the trainer wanted my son to go next, my son told him he would like to wait but the trainer challenged him and my son still wanted to wait so another child went and as she did the trainer taunted my son in front of the whole group and brought him to tears, now my son was both scared and embarrassed and the trainer continued to make comments even after I told him it was OK if my son did not want to participate. Other adult participants approached me and said it was embarrassing, but the staff did nothing except tell me I would not get a refund (I had already told them I didn't care my son was more important) and chase me with a slip of paper to sign explaining why my son would not participate. Needless to say this trainer ruined our day and my son did not want to participate in the shark encounter either(Again the staff were there with their little slip of paper for me to sign). That was our day a colossal waste of money and a terrible start to our trip that has left an extremely poor taste in my mouth for this attraction and I would never recommend it to anyone.

Our whole trip may have been ruined if not for the great staff of Northern Coast Diving Aquasports who took very good care of my son and helped him to experience scuba diving.
Read my review at: Scuba Reviews & Info

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January 2009

Ocean World was fun - a bit pricey for what you get and very "Americanized". The dolphin swim was fabulous.

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October 2008

The two of us also went to Ocean World (it took some persuading but my mate final gave in!). We paid to do the shark and stingray encounter because it was only an extra $15 added to the price of the entry fee. While we were taking photos of the dolphins my best mate was invited to be part of the show and got to swim with the dolphins for free! Ocean World is amazing and you should make ever effort to go.

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June 2008

We finally went to Ocean World after 3 years. My wife and kids did the dolphin swim ($165 & $120), while I just took a general admission($55). The price includes transportation from the hotel. The park is not all that big(excluding the marina & casino). You could probably get from one end to the other in about 5 minutes. The shows (bird, shark, sea lion, and dolphin were a bit weak (esp. the bird show). There was a snorkeling tank, that we really enjoyed, a couple of bird 'cages' (where you can feed the birds, and get pictures of them all over you), and a tiger grotto (where the kids could swim around and watch the tigers from behind the glass). My wife and kids loved the dolphin swim. Even though some of the shows were a bit weak, We were not disapointed over all. The food was reasonably priced, as were the souvenir T-shirts, and underwater cameras. Lockers, bird seed, as well as snorkeling equipment were all provided free of charge!

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June 2008

We went to Ocean World .... kind of like sea world dominican style. We had a really great time even though it rained. We did the shark encounter and snorkeling/feeding the sting rays. Feeding a shark sitting in my lap is an experience I won't soon forget! -- I would definitely recommend this excursion.

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April 2008

We also visited Ocean World . My parents did this the month before we went, so we knew it was going to be great. You can choose to swim with the dolphins, or swim with the rays and sharks. We swam with the dolphins and it was amazing. We touched them, kissed them and held their fins while they swam. It is completely worth the money you pay to go!

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April 2008

Ocean World which was great, kids absolutely loved it, the snorkel reef aquarium is awesome, you get to snorkel in a gigantic aquarium with lots of tropical fish, some huge! (no fins allowed, so don't cart yours along like we did) The sea lion, dolphin and shark shows were very entertaining, especially the shark show. We never paid the extra to swim with the animals and still had a great day. Gift shop here has good prices, if you break your digital camera like I did, disposables are only 10$ compared to 27 $ at the resort. Large sunscreen was 15$ here compared to more than 20$ at the resort. 12 or 14 inch pizza here was 9$. I expected prices to be high, nice surprise. We had brought snacks from the hotel(banana bread and cinnamon buns) but ended up ordering pizza because it was so reasonable. Time share guys here too, just say no thanks.

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April 2008

We took in Ocean World and the Bravissimo show. I would highly recommend these tours to anyone; they are well worth the money.

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April 2007

The Northern Highlights tour was okay. I would have liked longer at the fort to learn more about the history and much less time in Susua - the vendors there are so pushy - almost demanding - it was difficult to get away. But the beach was nice as was the lunch served at the resturant . The Rum Factory, Amber Museum and the Cigar factory were interesting as was the short walk we took down the street and back again. Again - the store keepers seemed a little too eager to have you come into their store. We were met by a couple of Haitian ladies who really wanted us to buy thier goods but we didn't. One tied some beads on my wrist and asked for a couple of pesos for her trouble - I guess tieing those knots was hard work - anyway Wayne had a 100 peso bill (just over $3 US) and gave it to her, she was so happy she literally danced down the street. Next year we will take a more history based tour.

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January 2009

We also went on the Cascade (waterfall) half day excursion, approximately $45usd per person, this was awesome. The drive was about thirty minutes in a unique type of bus, followed by forty minute horseback ride to a shaded rest area for the horses, then, a fifteen minute walk down to the falls, just beautiful. Go for a dip if you like, just remember you have to ride back in wet bathing suit or take a change of shorts. Bring hikers, I went in sandals and had to wear their rubber boots. Your shoes will get dirty. It is a very rocky and rustic trail which crossed the river a few times, but, the trail was beautiful in its own right. We each had our own horse and guide / horse whisperer, these guys walk the whole trip in rubber boots, every day. You can opt not to take a horse, I wouldn't recommend this option, it is pretty hilly terrain and it would wipe you out the rest of the day. I was sore enough from riding the horses, never mind hiking the trail on foot.

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July 2008

The ‘Signature Evening’ was by far the best excursion we done. This is organized by the reps and is something they do as a sideline. They collect you from the resort and then take you to the ‘real’ Puerto Plata city. Away from the tourist traps of expensive malls and tacky souvenirs, they take you where the locals live and socialize. A really interesting fun tour that was so much better and interesting then the Half Day City Tour we had done earlier. They then drop you off to watch the sunset from the old fort and the fantastic Malecon, and provide you with cold beers and Rum. Once the sun has set, we were driven to a local beach front restaurant which was awesome. You separate onto 5 or so tables of 8 people and you are given a meal of your choice, chicken, pork or Lobster (at an additional cost) and also drinks vouchers for the bar. After dinner, they do a quiz where you can win gifts and also a raffle where the proceeds go towards the welfare of the children living in poverty in the city. This really was a fantastic worthwhile evening, lots of fun and a good way of making friends, and the one excursion we enjoyed the most. It’s really worth the $45 per person.

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March 2008

Hi Debbie, I just got back from Dominican Republic . I was traveling with my husband and my two kids (6 and 10). We were staying in the Puerto Plata area in an all inclusive resort. We had a great time and were able to take advantage of all sorts of activities. We spent a week and did mostly beach related activities but one of the activities we participated it stands out because of how different it had been. My husband decided to go on a Zip Line Tour with Yasika Adventures. I was adamant about it because I felt that the kids were too young to do anything like that but to please my husband I went along. My intent was not to go on if I felt it was too dangerous for the kids. He purchased the tickets and off we went. It was a beautiful drive going up a mountain. Once we reached the facilities we were given a training on safety and how to use our equipment properly. We had two guides one that went 1st and one that stayed behind to provide assistance if needed. I felt a bit more comfortable and after a few people went (including my husband) I allowed my son (6) to go and he went accompanied by a tour guide. My daughter was old enough to go by herself and then it was my turn. To make a long story short, this was a great family tour! It was definitely worthwhile, especially for my kids. Before we even completed the tour they were ready to do it again. They are still talking about it. It was safe and the tour guides were extremely helpful and accommodating. I recommend this to anyone that is ready for an adventure!!! If anyone is interested their web page is http://www.yasikaadventures.com

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April 2008

ith Nolitours we went to Paradise Island. It is a 2.5 hour bus ride and then a 30 min powerboat ride to this island. It is very close to Haiti, who is in the middle of a civil war right now. Sometimes the island is too submerged in water and the trip may have to be postponed. Ours wasn’t but we met a couple of girls who were returning because of a postponement. There are a few little bars, but it is limited what you can get. There is no shade so for the love of god PUT ON SUNSCREEN. I am very pale and I was wearing SPF 30 and I still burned. Snorkling the reef on this island was great, we saw many different types of fish and my boyfriends brother thought he saw a barracuda. Lunch is included on the shore. You’ll notice that the cats here are starving so try and save them a bit. My boyfriend’s mother put her plate on the ground for the cats. This is a bit insulting to the chief, so try to just hand feed them. It was amazing to see the poorer side of things out here. We had some candy on the bus with us and when we stopped in the villages we gave nearby children some suckers. This makes them very happy. In the towns, you can see that some people are fairly well off (nice car, bars on entries, nice structures) and others are very poor (shanties for houses, domestic dogs running wild thin as bones).

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March 2008

We only did the one tour to Paradise Island. Snorkelling is my thing. One thing they don’t warn you (and also instruct you not to share with others at your hotel) is that it takes a long time to get there and even longer to get back to the hotels. We were picked up at our hotel lobby at 7am. There were others already on the bus that we learned were picked up at 6am. We then proceeded to stop at 2 other hotels (Iberostar and the Rui chain) before reaching the boat launch. You are loaded up into speed boats in groups of 10 – 15 or so. They insist you were lifejackets. However, the jackets provided merely slip around your neck and most only had 1 working buckle at the neck. If you went overboard, I seriously doubt it would help keep you afloat. Anyway, the ride out to the island is about 35-45 minutes. They teased us by saying if we were lucky we might see dolphins or even whales. No such luck. The island is small. Really it is more of a sandbar than “an island”. There is no vegetation but they have erected several huts to set up camp. There are several tour companies who use the island simultaneously so each group is set up in a specific hut. Sandwiches and open bar are set up as well as for those who don’t have gear, they provide it. We purchased our tour from the Sunwing rep at the hotel for $90 US each. He told us that breakfast was included. As we are picked up at 7am we understood this to mean something would be served on the bus (a bun or something). Nothing is brought out until you reach the island so make sure to take something from the buffet the night before to tie you over. It was mid morning before we could get something (ham or cheese on a bun). The snorkelling was not bad. They lead you out through the reef and one of the guides dives down and baits the fish. There are hundreds of fish all around you! Very cool. The reef is not as colourful as you’d like to see it. Hopefully, it is not dying, but it wouldn’t surprise me as there must have been 80-90 people there on that day and the tour runs 6 days a week. The guides baiting the fish carry the bait in plastic wrap. The first time I noticed it in the water I thought it was a jellyfish. However, when they are done with the bait, they let the plastic go in the ocean. As we made our way around the reef, we saw it happening again, and again. Really too bad as they brief you before you get to the island that in order to protect the natural habitat of the reef, you are not allowed to removed or touch anything in the ocean. Sad. Following the approximately 2 hours on the island you are loaded back into your speed boat to travel over to the coastline to see the mangroves. I did a mangrove boat tour once in Margarita Island, and it was a blast. Traveled through lagoons, saw lots of wildlife, the guide would stop at the shore and show you shrimp and starfish. However, this part of the trip seemed to be about going as fast as possible and getting the tourists as soaked as they could. You couldn’t take pictures as the waves were crashing over the side of the boat. Your dry clothing you had hoped to change into was now soaked. I guess it might be considered fun for some, but I didn’t care for it at all. Once they reach the shore, they do slow down, but there are really no lagoons, only pockets of coves where they drive into so you can get up close to the mangroves. They stop and explain the importance of the mangroves to you which is interesting, but it is all over in about 15 minutes and they are off as fast as they can go again. You end up at their beach facility where they serve a decent lunch with open bar (beer extra for some reason). You can get somewhat cleaned up (outdoor shower) and washrooms where you can put on your soaked clothing for the bus ride back. The bus ride back takes you through the rugged natural park that you are in. The road is dirt, so quite a rough ride! They stop part way back at a shop where you can buy the same souvenirs you see everywhere and they make a big deal out of the mamajuana. Cigars are rolled in the hut to the right of the building, beyond the washrooms. After 30-45 minutes, you are back on the bus headed for the hotels. We arrived back at our lobby around 5pm. Interesting day, nice to see some of the country side, but way too long of a day for an hour of snorkelling.

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February 2008

We did one excursion which was the 7 Waterfalls Jeep Safari which we bought from a beach vendor named “Nelson” for $60 per person (we later found out that other people paid different amounts for the same excursion, some as low as $40 per person). Had we known about the type of excursion this one was prior to going, we likely would not have bought it as it is quite physical to do. However, we were not displeased and recommend you give it a try. Not recommended for elderly individuals or children under 10 years of age. You should rent the special shoes for $2 USD per pair as suggested and you will be provided with both a helmet and a life jacket. It takes about 20-25 minutes to get to the first waterfall and then you must climb up each one thereafter which includes short swims in deep water and assistance by three very capable strong guides who may at times bodily lift you to assist you in getting up to the next level. Coming down was fun as there were natural waterslides to go down, with the choice of jumping or water sliding down the last two. We would do this one again.

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January 2008

We also went River Rafting, which was a blast! My favorite excursion thus far (we also went to Paradise Island and on a Jeep Safari last time). The only downside is from ICD it’s about a 3 hour bus ride to get there. But you stop half way to go to the bathroom and grab snacks and drinks. They give you breakfast, then you suit up (in a wetsuit, helmet, and lifejacket). And you drive another 20-25 minutes in open toped jeeps though a small town and up into the mountains. Then you go rafting for about 2 and half hours. There are professional guides in each of the rafts and they explain everything you need to know before you start. It was so much fun! I actually was the only single person to fall out, but it wasn’t bad. You just swim back to the boat and they help you back in. In one of the rapids a whole raft tipped over and they all fell out except for the guide, but they have safety people who go down before all the tourists in case anything like that. They have a medical team that goes with you also, on our trip one guy got hit in the eye with a paddle and we all pulled over and they cleaned him up. You stop halfway for a snack and some lemonade. Then continue on until the end. At the end you stop at another ranch and they give you drinks (beer, soda, or water). Then you take the jeeps back to the regular ranch and have lunch (chicken, rice, salad, bread, veggies). From there you get to watch a video of the trip, which the safety boat took. That’s was cool, you could buy it for $35 (we would have bought it but was at the end of our trip and we didn’t have anymore money) they also take a picture of your raft at one point, and you can buy those for $5. The trip was awesome and I would defiantly recommend it! We paid $80p/p.

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March 2009

We also did the El Limon waterfall excursion. I was not impressed. It was very misleading "take a guided horseback tour through the jungle and end up at the bottom of a beautiful 50 ft waterfall." Ok, the "guide" actually owns the horse and walks beside you holding onto the horse or donkey or whatever you get. Then you have to park your ride and climb down the mountain. The steps are a good 2-3 feet steep, cut into the rocks. My thighs hurt at the bottom. Then, after a few minutes, you have to climb back up the mountian. Not once did anyone say "this isn't for people with reduced mobility or heart conditions or asthma or for anyone who is generally out of shape", otherwise, I would!

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February 2007

The view was worth it but I would not do it again. Make sure you are physically fit - my legs were jello for 2 days later. Make sure you wear clothes you do not mind ruining, The red mud is really difficult to get off. Another note this is a very difficult ride up & down the mountain part by horse and part without. The part by horse is so difficult that they have a guide for each person to help you and the horse through this rough terrain. When the outing was done I gave my guide $6 tip, I think she was expecting more. The tour operator said he thought $5 was fair but sometimes people gave them more. Some thing to think about

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January 2007

We booked the Catamaran sail and snorkel tour from the water sports center on the beach. We were told that we would enjoy sailing, snorkeling, all you can drink, fabulous entertainment, a visit to a beautiful secluded beach and an amazing buffet. Well...., we sailed for maybe 10 minutes, there was no snorkeling due to bad weather which we fully understood until later learning that every other boat that day had amazing snorkeling (our boat didn't even have any snorkeling gear on it). All you can drink, was one beer between six of us and then the bar ran out. The beautiful secluded beach was piles of garbage and dead, rotting animal carcusses directly beside our buffet. The food look disgusting and no one could eat it. Then we learned that we were being taken back to the resort by bus (which noone informed us of). We call this drive home the death drive. The driver drove so fast and crazy, that the van almost rolled and our friend actually flew off her seat and smashed her face against the window. Even after this incident, and other passengers getting angry and yelling at him to slow down he didn't. Once we returned to the resort we went straight to the manager to complain. As mentioned before his only reaction was to be concerned about this outside company (which puts on these excursions) and the rent they pay to sell in the Bachata's front lobby.

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February 2005

A full day of fun. The crew were fun, easy-going and dedicated to safety. Water fights with our sister catamaran, bellyflop competitions off of the boat for a 26-oz of Brugal rum, dancing, music, buffet lunch and an all-around great day. Snorkeling in two sites in Sosua Bay and feeding fish by hand - bread and bananas. Saw some fish you'd see in Finding Nemo movie and small sharks in depths below (not aggressive), small jellyfish, snails, crabs, shells, etc. Water was clear, warm and deep turquoise colour. Plenty of Cubre Libres and Presidente beer, but the full day of hot sun made us a bit queasy later that night. First time we were both ill. No wonder!

All buses were modern and air conditioned. We were generally picked up between 7:30 and 8 am and brought a bottle of water each, even though beverages are provided on the safari and Catamaran. It's a good idea to bring water with you everywhere, just in case it takes awhile to get to the destination. We were usually the first to be on the bus then went to other resorts along the way picking up others who had booked the same excursion. Our buses were always full, but not cramped.

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January 2005

Catamaran - A full day of fun. The crew were fun, easy-going and dedicated to safety. Water fights with our sister catamaran, bellyflop competitions off of the boat for a 26-oz of Brugal rum, dancing, music, buffet lunch and an all-around great day. Snorkeling in two sites in Sosua Bay and feeding fish by hand - bread and bananas. Saw some fish you'd see in Finding Nemo movie and small sharks in depths below (not aggressive), small jellyfish, snails, crabs, shells, etc. Water was clear, warm and deep turquoise colour. Plenty of Cubre Libres and Presidente beer, but the full day of hot sun made us a bit queasy later that night. First time we were both ill. No wonder!

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South Coast

February 2009

We went on the Catalina excursion booked with Sunwing Rep, $98 quiet expensive. IT was raining when we got to Altos de Chavon, then stopped later, the little village is very beautiful, then they took us to shopping in La Romana, only bought a toy, then we took the speeding boat to the Island. The beach was very nice, the reef looks beautiful and very close to shore. The day we went was windy and some of the reef are pretty close to the surface, the snorkeling was nice but I was so scared the reef might scratch me. We had lobster lunch and spend 3.5 hours on the island, we were supposed to ride the alligator boat in the river but they cancelled it because there was too much water in the river, we tried to get some refund but failed.

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January 2006

Catalina Island - Snorkel Trip
(Tour Operator: Scuba Caribe, located on-site at Casa Del Mar)(Cost: $35 per person and tip) (Time: 9AM - 3PM)(Food, beverage and water included) This was a really great way to spend a day at the resort. From the Casa Del Mar beach, we boarded the nice size boat and got on our way to Catalina island. Catalina island is near the town of La Romana and Casa de Campo - so it is west of the resort. We were with about 20 other people. I always enjoy these boat rides because i like to look at the resort from way out in the water, see the shoreline, and check out the water.

We anchored just off shore of Catalina Island and went snorkeling. Snorkeling lasted for about an hour, give or take. We could see reefs, fish and other things. I believe that we where near what is referred to as the Catalina Wall. The following is a description of it: Catalina Island Wall. The wall contains corals and sponges in all colors, shapes and sizes, elkhorn corals and myriad of colorful Caribbean fishes in shallow water. You can enjoy them just with snorkeling gear (6´to 15´)

I noticed that it is best to be one of the first in and one of the last out - for when all 20 people are snorkeling the snorkeling is good - but just not as good (less fish). And yes, I have to say that most of the fish I saw I had seen at the shore reef at Sunscape and/or at the far out reef at Sunscape. But, non-the less the snorkeling was great fun.

We then got back on board and headed to our second destination - the Island of Catalina. BOY.... this place is beautiful. Even Tad who has seen more of the tropics than i have and other people who had done extensive travel could not get over the sheer raw beauty of this place. From the sand (yes even the sand was something to be hold) to the clearness blueness/turquoise color of the water, everything was stunning. Their was a huge coral cliff at one end which looked great cutting into the water. The blue color of the water against the orange/tan of the cliff was stunning. We swam for a while, did a small hike and enjoyed the island from the boat. The vendors were not too pushy - one even gave each girl a pretty shell necklace. (Notes: There are a few vendors here selling their stuff and the beach chairs cost like $2.00. They have fairly clean bathrooms)

Our journey back involved hugging the coast to see the sights of Casa de Campo and the gated community. Boy, are those mansions impressive and to be located on the water - how nice that must be. We went into the marina there and hugged the coast some more to see the homes of the rich and famous. This was a great side trip and well worth it. It is believed that Michael Jackson, Sammy Sousa, Cheereka, Julio Iglesias, and other famous people have vacation homes here.

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January 2008

I am a fishing nut so I brought a three piece travel saltwater rod and some tackle. There are a number of options for fishing. If you walk down Boca Chica beach there is a sports fishing pier, you can see it from the Hamaca Beach. There are a variety of charters available from full blown 30+ Foot Sports Fisherman for $500 to $800 for ½ or full day to modified Yolas (the local open fishing boats16’ to 20’ fitted with mono and wire trolling rods) $40 -$50 and hour. I really didn’t want to spend a lot of money or leave my wife for hours while I went fishing so I took another route. Almost every morning I was out early walking the beach casting I did catch some small jacks and a small barracuda. The second morning I was fishing off the pier of the Pelican restaurant and some local guys came by in a yola catching bait. I called them over and they were willing to take me out for $10 an hour. This is a basic boat, they fish with hand lines, didn’t speak any English and you supply your own tackle though the next day they did come back with fresh ballyhoo for bait. I had fun with them they took me out to the point to the east and we caught big barracuda, spanish mackerel (that’s what I think they were) and jacks.

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December 2007

I have been traveling to the DR twice a year for the past 18 years and I have recently discovered the Southwest. There were many sites in the area that I wanted to see, so after exploring a few on my own I decided to look into going with a tour group to make the most of my time. I decided to go with Eco-Tours which is a small tour business that has a French girl and a Dominican driver. It cost 2000 pesos (about $65). That included lunch, van & boat transportation, stop overs at Los Patos, a cave with a couple of taino faces, & a fresh water swimming hole.
They picked us up at 8 am and we returned at 8 pm. There were 2 other tourists besides me.
Bahia de las Aquilas lived up to it's reputation as a gorgeous beach. Powdery white sand, the most crystal clear water that I have seen in the DR (including Isla Saona, Samana, Bayahibe, Playa Rincon) and on a par or even better than Grand Cayman or St. John's US Virgin Island.
It was different because there were no palm trees. There were sea grape trees and other trees and shrubs that I had never seen before that provide shade. We were dropped off by boat and got to spend 5 hours there. I highly recommend taking the boat to get there from the nearest town called Las Cuevas. The views along the coast to get to the beach were spectacular. There were large rock formations, pelicans, eagles nests, crystalline green water, small hidded white sand beaches. Still , that was overshadowed by the beauty of the beach of Bahia de las Aguilas. It has no hotels, no facilities and I hope it stays that way. That was part of the beauty.
All in all it was well worth the distance traveled to get there. Fifteen years ago when I first traveled to Barahona I saw one beach that had rocks and I thought this is not what I wanted in a Caribbean beach vacation. Where was the soft sand and palm trees? Now that I have been to most parts of the country I have a deep appreciation for the unique beauty for this area. You can see my photos from that trip on my website at www.geraceimages.com as well as in my Ebook "Images of the Dominican Republic" also available on my website. Eco-Tours is based in the town of Paraiso. Their tel # is 809-243-1190. Their website is http://www.ecotour-repdom.com/

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January 2008

We went on the Santo Domingo tour - the Capital of the Dominican Republic - was a four and a half hour drive from the resort. We stopped in La Romana on the way for "toilets" at a gift shop - by toilets I mean holes in the ground. The tour guide was awful, we couldn't seem to understand any of the languages she was trying to speak (English, Spanish and French - we are fluent in English and French). The history and culture of the city was interesting - be prepared to walk though! Eat before you go because there is no breakfast and lunch is at 2pm. Would I recommend this tour? For a history buff, yes. For a 20-something party animal, no.

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March 2007

Prieto Tours were absolutely great. The trip was $62 per person. They had us out from 6:30am until almost 9pm. The ride was long but our guide kept it interesting. They took us to a rest stop that had a store at which you didn't have to barter - just set prices which were low. Got some rum & coffee at really good prices. We then went to the Three Eyes Caves, The Santo Domingo Aquarium, the home of Diego Columbus (Christopher's son), the oldest Cathedral in the Americas (can't remember the name), another Cathedral which holds tombs of Dominican heros, a colonial market and went to several monuments. The $62 included admission to all of the above & a very nice lunch at a restaurant by the river. The tour guide also impressed me when he took care of an elderly woman who was sick from the beginning. He got her a taxi (made sure the driver spoke English) to take her to the hospital & made several calls to the hospital to follow up. I would recommend this tour company to anybody.

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March 2007

I feel somewhat obligated to write a review about one of the local tour booking companies out of Santo Domingo. My wife and I and another couple were recently there for a conference and had a little spare time. We were staying at the Melia hotel, a very nice place by the way, and they set us up with a company called Turinter. We arranged to take a half day tour with them for a tour of the city. This was not a good tour. We were hoping to get a guide who would know some of the city's rich history. We both spoke some spanish but hoped for a good english speaking guide as it would make things a lot easier. Our guide spoke about as much english as we did spanish and knew very little of the history. He and his driver were basically a very expensive taxi.

What they did know very well was how to find their way to the gift shops they wanted us to shop at. Turinter must get a good portion of their income from kickbacks from these shops, as they seemed to be the highest priority. All in all, a waste of money.

The next day we had already arranged with these people, and paid up front $320 for the 4 of us, to have them take us to Isla Saona. My wife is pregant and had injured her foot on the tour. We tried to get a refund for her and they took that as a cancel. They essentially no-showed the next day, absconding with our money. We tried various ways to get our money back but to no avail. Basically highway banditry and nothing we could do about it except contact you.

Turinter Travel is a scam. Please post this so that no one makes the same mistake we did. I would suggest that travelers to Santo Domingo either find another tour company with a shred of honor or, what I would suggest, find a cab driver they like and have him drive you to the sites you want to see. It will cost a fraction of the tour cost and I was surprised when we found out how much our cabby knew. Far more flexible as well without the stops to the junky gift shops.

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January 2007

Crazy Wheels Quad Bike Safari - Bayahibe - One of the Best Excursions I have ever been on! ride your own quad bike down tracks and through the sugar cane plantations all great fun! be aware that you stop at a village and are inundated by children begging for money, my fiancée took colouring books and crayons for the kids and they loved it, quite a moving experience; when having the sugar cane demonstration they will also ask you for money (not surprisingly as they earn $6 a day) the guides were very professional and kept control of all situations although their English is not good; all in all a real insight into the real DR and the bikes are great fun highly recommended.

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January 2006

(Taxi and on our own)(Cost: $56 for two people and taxi tip)(Time: Approx. 2.5 hours or less) We saw pictures of this place before heading out and knew that it would make for a good sightseeing tour after a day of swimming and before dinner.

We found out at the resort that you could take a taxi on over for about $50 round trip (plus a tip) There is a small entrance fee (I think, but am not sure, that the entrance fee is about $3.00 per person). The taxi was a really nice van. The taxi driver takes you over and then waits for you for two hours (this is all included in the taxi fair: the round trip and the 2 hour wait). Our recommendation for any one going to this very beautiful place is for them to find another couple to share the taxi ride with (the taxi van had a lot of room and it would help keep cost down)

En-route, the very pleasant taxi driver talked about the gated community at Casa de Campo and the town made of coral. After just a fairly short taxi ride (I think 15 minutes), we went through the Casa de Campo very well guarded gates. We then traveled down a long road and pulled into the Altos de Chavón parking lot. We walked around this very beautiful town, marveled at the sites, and took photos. We were there for about an hour and a half.

Casa de Campo is a gated community for the rich and famous, vacationers staying at Casa de Campo and anyone participating in the many events that go on here throughout the year. This 7000 acre resort community is home to international polo matches, 4 top-ranked championship 18-hole golf courses (some of the best in the Caribbean), An all-Inclusive resort, a marina, Altos de Chavón, a 5,000-seat outdoor amphitheater and many beautiful mansions, many of which have ocean frontage.

Altos de Chavón is a 16th century replica of a Mediterranean village built high above the Chavón River. It was completed In 1976, and built on a verdant plateau high above the river. Many Dominican stonecutters, woodworkers, and iron-smiths were involved in helping create this stunning town. (I believe that a large La Romana sugar company that owned/operated Casa de Campo com a Hollywood set designer to design this)

Altos de Chavón architecture is reminiscent of another era from the Coral block and terra cotta buildings, to the church, to the cobblestone paths, to the water fountain and bell tower we definitely felt like we were transported back to the 16th century. These impressive buildings house quaint shops, exclusive boutiques, art galleries, archeological museum, an art school and first class restaurants.

Great arts and crafts can also be found here and the town is known for it. Altos de Chavón School of Design, gallery and museum are here. This well respected Caribbean art school is tied into/does many things with a very famous New York art school. The gallery is really nice to see.

There are many excellent viewing points to view the vistas of the surrounding area. From one of these main viewpoints, we looked down and saw the Chavón river (and boy is it down there - the town is very high up from the river) and then looked out (we think north or northwest) and saw one of the golf course holes and the distant mountains of eastern Hispaniola in the back. What a magnificent view.

Off to the side from Altos de Chavón is the Grecian-style 5,000-seat outdoor amphitheater. Although nothing was playing that night, It would be great to go back to see something. The acoustics in this theater are amazing. Their ongoing show Kandelá musical review show looks wonderful. Frank Sinatra inaugurated this outdoor theater in 1982 and Carlos Santana The amphitheater has hosted concerts, symphonies, theatrical events, and festivals featuring such renowned artists as Julio Iglesias, Gloria Estefan, Sergio Mendes, Dizzy Gillespie, Air Supply, and Pilobulos

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