Samana

[espmass]

I haven't seen many comments about Samana or the excursions there even on the port boards. Maybe it's too new a stop? I'll be there on the EOS 1/23 cruise. Any comments or suggestions from people recently there? We were considering either the excursion to the beach or the open air safari tour (4X4?)of the countryside. We have already been cautioned about not bothering to go off on our own as we usually do in ports. thanks for any comments and suggestions.

[Tmeister]

We were in Samana almost three years ago, and it was a very new cruise port at that time, although I was told that it was a popular vacation spot for residents of the DR. At the time, there was very little worthwhile in the town at the port; a few fellow cruisers took the "town and shopping" excursion and said it could easily have been over in 15 minutes. There are some beautiful but not very well developed beach areas within an hour's drive. We went to Las Galeras, a huge cove surrounded by palm trees and not much else. There's a small village there, and the economy appears to be based on fishing or serving tourists. At that time they were much better at the former than the latter, but we were still well treated. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon on a picturesque and unspoiled beach. You could tell that there had been some efforts to develop some vacation homes or small resorts, but most appeared to be rudimentary or only half finished. There's some beautiful and inexpensive artwork for sale in the village at Las Galeras.

 

I understand that there are also some ATV or jeep tours available and some sailing excursions, but I don't know anything about them.

 

If you're arranging a cab ride to the beach, it's a good idea to assemble a group of about 8 ahead of time and then negotiate for a reasonable fare (about $10-12 a person round trip). The driver may not speak English; he may pick up a "guide" along the way who does. Expect to be asked for a tip ($20) for the guide. It's worth it if the guide narrates the trip a little bit and helps you out on the beach. Expect the original fare demand from the cab driver to be astronomical.

 

If approached in the right frame of mind, Samana can be a nice place to visit. Just remember that you're in a third-world area and not an amusement park.

[philnpen]

On a recent cruise with a stop in Samana I took the tender twice - my first time and my last time. I found the locals to be pushy and at times threatening. On the ride back to the ship another man said a local kept wanting to polish his shoes. The man was wearing sneakers.

[Morecruisesplz]

I haven't seen many comments about Samana or the excursions there even on the port boards. Maybe it's too new a stop? I'll be there on the EOS 1/23 cruise. Any comments or suggestions from people recently there? We were considering either the excursion to the beach or the open air safari tour (4X4?)of the countryside. We have already been cautioned about not bothering to go off on our own as we usually do in ports. thanks for any comments and suggestions.

 

Our choice of excursions were all fully booked during our early November stop in Samana. So we just walked into town and did some exploring on our own. There is a great little shopping center that is a short walk in town. Just ignore the street hawkers and all of the motor bikes and taxis hollering at your and enjoy a stroll. Go past the harbor on the left and watch for a very new looking shopping area on the right with brightly colored roofs (sort of reminded us of Bermuda.) The first store had great prices on post cards and bottled water, there is a nice restaurant with tables and umbrellas out front to people watch, and several other speciality shops. This is going to be a large shopping center when done but only about 1/4 of it was finished when we were there. Even if you are able to book an excursion, this is a nice walk and gives you a chance to meet some locals and see some of the area.

[Morecruisesplz]

On a recent cruise with a stop in Samana I took the tender twice - my first time and my last time. I found the locals to be pushy and at times threatening. On the ride back to the ship another man said a local kept wanting to polish his shoes. The man was wearing sneakers.

 

My wife and I never felt threatened at all during our walk into town. There were lots of people walking in the area. The street hawkers are no worse than Cozemel or any other port we've been to. If you simply tell them you are not interested they will leave you alone.

 

When you say you felt threatened can you please give us more detail?

[Grannycb]

DH thought the Cayo Levantado beach excursion was one of the most pleasing beach breaks we've taken. We had a lovely time relaxing in the shade, sipping drinks and snorkeling just off the beach. There were local dancers to entertain us and a nice bar for drinks. We ate hot dogs because we didn't want to leave the beach area for the buffet. There were vendors there for shopping. We will do the same excursion if we are fortunate enough to get back to Samana.

[philnpen]

My wife and I never felt threatened at all during our walk into town. There were lots of people walking in the area. The street hawkers are no worse than Cozemel or any other port we've been to. If you simply tell them you are not interested they will leave you alone.

 

When you say you felt threatened can you please give us more detail?

 

Had a person stand in front of me on the sidewalk almost demanding I give him money since I was a 'rich american' and could afford to give him some. I had taken a later tender and was by myself on the walk. Having armed guards nearby didn't seem to bother the man. But also let me state we had tablemates that had taken the beach excape excursion and another couple took a different excursion and they all enjoyed the stop. All I'm saying is to be very careful in Samana.

[Morecruisesplz]

Had a person stand in front of me on the sidewalk almost demanding I give him money since I was a 'rich american' and could afford to give him some. I had taken a later tender and was by myself on the walk. Having armed guards nearby didn't seem to bother the man. But also let me state we had tablemates that had taken the beach excape excursion and another couple took a different excursion and they all enjoyed the stop. All I'm saying is to be very careful in Samana.

 

Thank you for the details. I'm amazed after being out there without any problems but certainly understand your concern. I wonder if the fact that you were alone made him more bold.

[checkard]

We were in Samana in November. Someone on our thread had booked a private tour - we went to a beach to snorkel, you could go on a tour of the bay by boat, there was a snack shack and restrooms. Tour operator picked us up right at the pier and brought us back when the tour was over. There was one guy selling handmade necklaces and other things. His prices were very good and he just sat and worked and didn't hassle anyone. Most of us bought things from him because they were different and we watched them being made.

 

We had a wonderful time in Samana.

[Oville]

DH thought the Cayo Levantado beach excursion was one of the most pleasing beach breaks we've taken. We had a lovely time relaxing in the shade, sipping drinks and snorkeling just off the beach. There were local dancers to entertain us and a nice bar for drinks. We ate hot dogs because we didn't want to leave the beach area for the buffet. There were vendors there for shopping. We will do the same excursion if we are fortunate enough to get back to Samana.

 

I'll second this though the food choices left a lot to be desired. The beach was very nice and we enjoyed our day thoroughly!!

[espmass]

Thanks. I'm used to aggressive islanders as I have been to most of the ports already but I was cautioned to be more careful in Samana since it was a fairly new port anmd they are not overly experienced yet in how to approach tourists. I have heard good things about the Cayo Levantado beach break before. Has anyone heard anything about the 4-4 Safari Adventure (not the self driving one)? It sounds like a nice way to see the area and experience the flavor of Samana rather than another beach day if we want a change. Thanks.