Beyond the idleness
ENI 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!
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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 ...
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Your photos are splendid and the story you tell is furiously enticing! Ouest France is not looking for an editor (as soon as) ? 😉
Oh rage oh despair... If they'd told us the program before we left, I'd have thrown you out the window to take your place. Your story is, how shall I say, very tempting and the organizers seem to have gone out of their way to enhance your ride. Coooooooooooool. Come on, enjoy your last days and we'll drink your sun-drenched rum together. Biz 8)
Thank you for these photos, these stories, it feels good !!!!!!!
As for the airplane, it's almost the same as the one I took in Thailand, except that ours took off and landed on the water, which is a great memory!!!!!
Otherwise, well, it makes you want to spend a few days in the Dominican Republic....
As far as hotels are concerned, I know exactly what you mean...it's the same for me, I hate “todo incluido”, even though I've never done one....I imagine too much....But, I think there are quite a few people, tourists who appreciate this system without charm and without surprise.Is it more economical?maybe....whatever....in Asia, there's nothing better and cheaper than a good pad thai in the street...And over there, what's it like?
Have a nice last day there, and I think you're “free”, so enjoy these last few hours of warmth....Here, it's warmed up a bit...but hey...it's still cold...too cold!!!!!! 😥
@ Ceucidit: My duck is not the organizer of this trip... And such an opportunity to leave is quite exceptional!
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@ Funny World: I'm enjoying it! In fact, I think I'm going to go and have one last taste of the water and the sun before packing everything up for check-out... Bouh. I don't want to go home!
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@ Helen: I knew you'd understand me... It's a very different journey from the one I made nine years ago. I had to put my “little independence” to rest. In exchange, I'm enjoying the very pleasant comfort of this “todo incluido” package. Of course, I'm not going to complain, but it's just that I'm not used to being “forced” to stay in a huge hotel, a real small town by the beach, where you're just tourists... I think all the flight+hotel packages offered by tour operators are really interesting. A lot of people simply want to spend their vacations relaxing on a beach with all the comforts, so they don't have to worry about a thing, which I can understand. Otherwise, there are small restaurants outside here too, but we haven't seen much of them.
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@ Martial: Yes, I will complain: the sky is too blue, there is too much sun, too many beaches, too much cool things to do .... What a scandal !!!
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Besides, you'd complain 😉 Come on, I've got to leave you to hit the road 😉
The thing that horrifies me most about «all-inclusives» is hearing «Québécois». It's easy to find one-week packages for less than 1000$ to the Dominican Republic and Cuba from Montreal (I even saw deals for 600$ in 4-star hotels at the beginning of the year), so inevitably people flock to the bargains as soon as the cold weather sets in. When I travel, I want exoticism, not to hear about our local stars on the beach! Even if I mentally prepare myself for this reality, it always ends up driving me crazy. Because yes, I've sometimes opted for this really economical formula when the mercury's hovering around -25 degrees... Between two evils, it's better to choose the lesser!!!! But Hélène is right, nothing can replace the pleasure of eating pad thai on the street in Thailand (sigh)...
@ Marie-Julie: I can confirm that there were a lot of French-speaking Canadians in the hotels we stayed in... I can understand why people might be attracted to this type of accommodation, which is both practical and economical, but personally, I wouldn't go for it. Hotels of this type are all about “self-catering” and everything is very artificial... But I'll come back to that in a later post. Having said that, I'm not going to deny myself the pleasure - I've had a truly fabulous week. And to fill up on sunshine and warmth in the heart of winter is an incredible luxury.
8)
I went to the D.R. in June, and apart from lazing around, I don't know what there is to do. Alas, the excursions offered by tour operators are overpriced and expensive, even vulgar. What's more, if you're looking for privacy, you'll have to go back to the drawing board, with a minimum of 30 people... The D.R. is all about mass tourism.
On the other hand, the kindness of the Dominicans will enchant you, as well as the beauty of the beaches.
Ideal for a break in the sun, but no more.
Hello Gulick,
As far as mass tourism is concerned, I totally agree with you. Personally, I never travel this way, usually. This time, I discovered what the “tourist industry” really meant, with these huge hotels hemmed in by beaches full of deckchairs...
As for the excursions we did, I really enjoyed them, because I was privileged: we were only our small group of eight, each time... Great luxury, compared to the large groups that cram into buses, boats, etc...
On the other hand, I think it's possible to discover the Dominican Republic in a different way, on an individual basis, by staying in small hotels, pensions or guesthouses, a bit like I did nine years ago, and seeing things for yourself. But this type of trip isn't necessarily for everyone, nor for those who just want a “break in the sun”.
Finally, for the kindness of the Dominicans, I agree completely, again. But I will mention these different facets of the Dominican Republic in a future article ...