Dominican Republic - January 2009
Dear English-speaking readers, this page is an automatic translation of an article originally written in French. I apologise for any strange sentences and funny mistakes that may have resulted. If you read French, click on the French flag below to access the original, correct text:
Français
I don't know which end to start this new post. We have been made to do so much in so few days! This press trip is meant to highlight other activities than pure "lazing around" in the Dominican Republic.
Excursion to the island of Saona
The proof: while we arrived on Thursday 16th, in the evening, it was only this Monday that I finally managed to swim in the Dominican turquoise waters that we see on the tourist brochures!
Monday, therefore: excursion of pure relaxation to the island of Saona, in the south of the country. With a crossing on a huge catamaran of 28 meters, reserved only for our small group of eight... The great luxury.
A well-deserved break, after all the "sporting" emotions that were inflicted on us.
The avionette
Starting with the flight over the country in a "avionnette", a kind of minibus with wings and a propeller, to reach the peninsula of Samana in the north and leave from there. The Dominican Republic seen from the sky is a fantastic spectacle.
"See the pictures: Caribbean colors
"See the video: Me gustan los airplanees
Result: those of us who were afraid of flying are now either cured or even more terrified than before!
😆
Admire the control tower of the tiny Portillo Airport in the north, in Samana ...
Ride in ... quad
After having been sent in the air, we went for a wild ride on a quad bike... Yes, yes, the quad bike is that big noisy thing between the motorcycle and the 4×4, which can be driven like a child's motorcycle and which goes everywhere. Even the most circumspect of us loved it.
We criss-crossed heaps of super quiet beaches (well, which were it before and after our passage), around Las Terrenas. Samana is really a superb region.
I highly recommend the experience. The quad is confusing at first, especially when you are used to "normal" motorcycles, but in the end, it's quite fun.
This walk was especially the occasion to get out of these tourist enclaves that are the resorts "todo incluido" where we stay, and to see a bit the "real people". What is good is that we can stop easily on the way.
To make a refreshing stop near a rio where Dominicans come to swim on weekends with family and friends. To take a look at the fierce baseball games that are played in vague sports fields. To marvel at the horses, cows and pigs seen in the fields or on the road. Or to take pictures with the children, who love to admire themselves on the screen of the camera...
Los Haitises Park and Limón Waterfall
The next day, Saturday, we had a speedboat excursion in the morning to the Los Haïtises National Park: a scenery of limestone cliffs, full of caves and mangrove swamps, reminiscent of the Thai Andaman coast near Krabi and Phi Phi.
In the afternoon, we climbed through the jungle and the mud, on the back of a horse, to the fabulous waterfall of El Limón. Perhaps the most beautiful of all our walks!
The swimming is cool and spectacular. And it's quite difficult to get close to the waterspouts while swimming. You have to fight against the current and the force of the spray that takes your breath away.
Everywhere, great welcome, very warm. It's really worth it to get away from the beaches.
Yes, life is hard... It is between 25 and 30°C depending on the time of day. We don't have to worry about anything, everything is well organized. And I am delighted with the excursions that they have concocted for us.
I would have a bad grace to complain... But here it is: next to that, there is the accommodation in "todo incluido" or "all-inclusive" or "tout-inclus" as you want. As beautiful as the resorts and hotels are, this kind of formula is really not my thing.
I will tell you in a next post, very subjective, my vision of the pangs and the joys of these exotic golden cages for Westerners in need of sunshine ...
😉
