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27 waterfalls

angiem0217

By angiem0217,
in Dominican Republic

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friargirl

friargirl

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Hokas are good - my Keens were near retirement, too, so I just used that old pair. We used Marysol, and would do it again in a heartbeat. Francisco was amazing - I'm surprised you haven't heard from him yet! He even called his guide on our way back so that he could speak with me about the tour and see how it was. Shoot him an email again - I'm sure he'll get back to you. We had a great time - no complaints :) Whichever company you choose, if you decide to do this excursion, I'm sure you'll have a great time!

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whulfc86

whulfc86

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For those that have been on the tour, what age were the kids?

 

I'm just wondering if it's something my 7 year old could do with me. On Iguana Mama's website it only mentions the 27 waterfalls as ages 8+ so I wasn't sure about the 12 water falls option.

 

They do offer an easy option which is just to hike to the first waterfall then wait in the pool there until the group finishes the rest of the waterfall, has anyone done this option?

 

From what I've read Marysol has a 7 waterfall option but their website is down so I can't check on age restrictions or how strenuous it is!

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friargirl

friargirl

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We were supposed to have time to head out to a local shop, etc. with Marysol, but we missed that on our trip. The problem was not with Marysol, but with Carnival (the only real complaint I had on our cruise). Disembarkation was horrible in Amber Cove was horrible - the worst I've ever seen. We docked about an hour late and then it took about 1 1/2 hours to get everyone off the ship. I don't even think we left until noon by the time everyone from our party got to the tour bus with Marysol. I wish we had more time to eat at the waterfalls, and do the extra stuff but it truly was no fault of the tour operator. Things happen. Jesus from Marysol did a FANTASTIC job of making sure we all got back to port on time. I'll admit...we were all nervous for a bit that we were going to miss the ship, but these guys were great.

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sweets2323

sweets2323

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This post was helpful because I am afraid of height to an extent.

 

Thank you. I hope we can find other things to do in amber cove.

We just returned today from our cruise and I wanted to let you know how our trip to the waterfalls was with Marysol Tours. We had a great time and I have no problem recommending them. Since they are not "approved" yet by Carnival, you must walk out of the port to meet them. Once you go out of the port, they were waiting to the left on the roadside. This is a fairly long walk, so allow plenty of time.

 

Our group was split between 2 open air "safari" type vehicles for the drive to the falls. One tip - don't sit in the very front unless you want to be covered in dust and dirt by the time you arrive, lol. The drive to the falls was about 25 minutes and gave us a look at the real Dominican life outside of the modern sanitized port Carnival built. The drive to the falls is not for the faint of heart, as anyone who has ever taken a taxi or van in a Caribbean country knows. :eek:

 

Upon arrival at the falls, everyone put their bags, hats, etc. in the cab of the vehicles and they were locked. We were given life jackets and helmets and began the hike to the top for our tour of the 12 Falls with our guides. The hike is fairly strenuous, but is doable for most people in average shape (I am 54 and not in prime shape and made it). There are lots of steps and the trail is very rocky in most places, so anyone with knee, hip or other walking issues would struggle. The guides did stop and have use rest on several occasions and everyone was given a bottle of water at the start of the hike. Everyone in our group made it to the top, though a few were struggling by the time we made it to the top.

 

Once at the top we began our descent down the falls. The water was cool, but we quickly acclimated to it and it felt good after the hike up in the hot, humid conditions. At most of the falls, we had the option of sliding down a part of the falls similar to a body slide at a waterpark or jumping off a ledge. A few of the falls also had the option of a ladder or path to go around for those unsure of the other options. The highest jump was about 15 feet and the smallest was probably 4 feet. We got a few scrapes and bruises along the way, but nothing major. There was one ladder we had to climb down that was probably 20 - 25 feet, so if you are afraid of heights or ladders, this may not be for you.

 

After the last waterfall, there was still a hike of 10 minutes or so to get back to the starting point. Once there we turned in our helmets and life jackets and were served a buffet lunch. The lunch consisted of salad, grilled chicken, rice, beans, plantains, hot dogs and your choice of coke, sprite or water to drink.

 

A photographer goes with each group and takes photos and videos of the group and you have the opportunity to purchase this at the end of the tour. We chose to purchase this and it was provided on a flash drive for the cost of $ 45.00. The quality of the videos and photos was similar to a Go-Pro camera and we felt was worth it.

 

After our meal, we boarded the safari vehicles and headed back to port. We stopped at a local business where we were shown the process for making cigars and given the opportunity to purchase hand-rolled cigars, bottles of the local drink Mama Juana (similar to red wine) and some souvenirs. We were not pressured to purchase anything. We returned to the port and had time to shop in the port. The entire tour lasted approximately 6 hours.

 

We also observed another tour provider, Iguana Mama, and they offered almost the same tour as Marysol. The main differences were that Iguana Mama provided a large air conditioned bus and I do not believe they made the stop at the local business on the way back to port. Marysol only offered the 7 and 12 waterfalls tour due to time constraints and Iguana Mama offered the 7, 12 or 27 waterfalls. The difference could be the stop at the local business.

 

If you do the 12 or 27 waterfalls, you hike up a trail to the top and slide and / or jump off the falls on the way down. If you do the 7 falls, you actually climb up the last 7 falls and them slide / jump off those same falls on the way down. I would recommend the 12 waterfalls since it provided a hike up, then the sliding / jumping back down the falls and still gave us time to shop when arriving back at the port.

 

If you are in reasonable shape, not afraid of moderate heights and enjoy outdoor activities, I highly recommend this tour. If you have trouble climbing stairs, walking uphill, are afraid of heights / ladders or are not comfortable leaving the port in a foreign country, then this is not the tour for you.

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JT1962

JT1962

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If they are in average shape, enjoy the water and are somewhat adventurous, they should be fine. There is nothing that should be of concern as far as actual danger for them.

 

There were kids in that age group as part of our tour. One boy ran most of the way during the hike, was the first one to jump off of each falls and did the largest ones twice.

Another boy whined about the hike the whole way up the trail and was finally picked up and carried by his dad. He was scared of jumping off some of the falls and was in tears several times.

 

A 6 foot jump may be fun for one child and terrifying for another. The parents know their kids better than anyone else, so they should determine whether to take them or not.

 

Sent from my LGL31L using Forums mobile app

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friargirl

friargirl

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What time did you leave and get back to the port?DS want to hang out at the pool area for a little bit before getting back on ship.

Thanks.

 

 

We docked late. I think we were supposed to dock at 9, and didn't dock until about 10. Then, it took 1 1/2 hours to debark (worst debarkation ever). It's a bit of a walk to get outside the port to meet the tour company and we didn't even leave until after noon because we were still waiting for another party from the ship. This was absolutely NOT the tour company's fault. By the end of the excursion we didn't think we'd get back in time to make it to the ship - we were supposed to sail at 5, so we wanted to get back for 4 which meant leaving the tour around 3:15 or so. We actually had to cancel the stop at the local vendor in order to make it back in time. I think because many passenger's excursions started late, they were getting back late as well. We had to wait in a huge line for about 45 mins. to get back on board. So....the long and short....I wouldn't plan on any pool time. But, the tour? So incredibly well worth it - would do it again in a heartbeat.

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