Veel gestelde vragen over onze excursies

1. How to select the right excursion?

The Saona Crusoe VIP offers the most variation. During our visit of the village Mano Juan you will experience the traditional Island culture. The lunch is great. We visit the Sea Turtle project and the snorkeling from the beach in Canto de la Playa is in quiet, shallow water (max. 6 ft deep). Canto de la Playa has one of the most beautiful reefs of Saona, however you will not encounter very large fish (because of the protective reef barrier around the bay). Even beginners can experience the underwater life here. And Canto de la Playa is the most beautiful beach of the whole South East of the DR, we will be alone there for most of the time. This is a magical experience. Our Saona Crusoe VIP is excellent excursion for the whole family. People with handicaps can join.

The Nature Complete Tour combines the sea with the jungle. If you want to see it all on one day, this is the excursion for you. In the morning we will visit Catalina Island for some snorkeling, and in the afternoon we cruise up the Chavon river to visit the Tanama Jungle Ranch. Please note that we can have rough seas on the return from Catalina .... not recommended for people with back problems and when you are pregnant!! The snorkeling is mostly better then around Saona. Saona offers a more "Caribbean experience".

The Saona Special is a shortened 2 Island tour. This tour is developed for wedding parties and groups, but individuals can join also. We start later (09:30am) and we don't do the loop towards Catalinita and the snorkeling of the boat at Cayo Raton (see the Tour Map; we go from the red "4" to the red "7"). The Piers offers prime snorkeling (from the beach) and the whole tour is a beautiful island experience. We are back earlier than with the above mentioned tours (around 04:00pm). This tour is suitable for everybody.

3. Can I book the excursion after arrival in the DR?

You can book after you've arrived in the country, see the previous answer for the procedures. Please note that we have limited seats available and that we a lot of times are fully booked on the tour dates (especially on the Saona Crusoe VIP). It will be better to book in advance; we don't request a deposit, so your risk is limited. You won't get a better deal when you book later.

4. How do I cancel an excursion?

It can happen that you need to cancel a trip. This is possible, without any costs for you (you don't pay a deposit anyway). We only request you to notify us as early as possible. We regular have to turn people away because we are fully booked. With a late cancellation it could be possible that we can't fill the seats anymore. A "no show" is even worse for us: we can't fill the seats, the taxis are driving and we have the boat loaded with the food etc. To summarize: please let us know as soon as possible.

5. What in case of bad weather?

The Dominican Republic is known as the country with the endless summer. However even here we have sometimes bad weather, mostly in the months September and October. The weather is very changeable here, rain mostly falls in short, heavy showers. Of the 500 tours we did the past 2 years we only had to cancel in 4 or 5 occasions. As soon as we can predict bad weather or rough sea conditions we will phone you to reschedule the trip. In the worst case we will contact you early on the tour date or we will inform you via the taxi driver. We will phone or text you on the mobile phone (please check your voice mail), or we will try to phone in the hotel room. The latter is sometimes problematic because the name we have on record might not be known by the hotel. The safest way to be informed is to either forward us your room number after you've arrived in the country or to just phone us. If we have to cancel we usually shift the tour to the next day.... If you can't attend the excursion on the proposed date, the tour will be canceled for you. BTW we look at several sources to determine the weather, one of the best sources you can find here.

6. How is the transport organized?

For guests from Dominicus / Bayahibe: You will be pick up by our air-conditioned minibuses. The pick up location for guests of all Dominicus resorts is at the front gate.

For guests from Dreams la Romana: Dreams la Romana is actually located in Bayahibe. We meet in our visitors center on the beach of Bayahibe. This is +- 4 minutes walking from Dreams towards the village Bayahibe.

For guests from Gran Bahia Principe La Romana: Your hotel is +- 50 taxi minutes from Bayahibe. You will be picked up around 07:30am in the reception.

For guests from Punta Cana / Juan Dolio: We will pick you up with our air-conditioned minibuses between 07:00am and 07:20am in the reception of your hotel. At the moment of booking we don't have the pick up schedule yet so we give to everybody the pick up time of 07:00am. As soon as we have the pick up schedule we might phone you and adapt the time. If you don't hear anything, please be on time and don't get nervous if the bus is 15 minutes late. The travel time to Bayahibe takes a minimum of 55 minutes and it could be 75 minutes depending on the pick up schedule. The fare takes you through the country side and through some small villages. On arrival there are bathrooms; we try to avoid stops on the trip towards Bayahibe. On the way back you can request the driver to stop somewhere if all passengers agree. You will be back around 06:30pm. Our buses are safe and licensed by the Ministry of Tourism. You will be fully insured and the drivers are reliable.

For guests with own transport: follow the road leading into Bayahibe until you reach the large bus parking. Here you can park your car. On the right you see the Banos / Toilettes building (rest rooms). Just left from this building (while facing the building) you see a path towards the beach. Follow this path for +- 200 meters / yards and our visitors center is on the right hand side (next to restaurant "Carambar").

7. Payments - when and where?

Mostly we don't require a deposit. You can pay the full amount in cash on arrival in Bayahibe. We don't have credit card facilities. You can pay in US$, Euro or Pesos. Our base currency is US$, if you pay in Euro or Pesos we will calculate the daily exchange rate. Be careful with changing money in the resorts, they might give you a bad rate. It is better to go to a Casa de Cambio outside of the resort. You can also draw cash at ATM's if your debit card uses the Maestro gateway. Be aware that the machines sometimes don't work.... Try to pay us the exact amount, we sometimes don't have change in the proper currency.

8. What about the group discount?

When you book a group with 8 to 15 adults you get 10% discount, a group with 16 or more adults get 15% discount and for a group of 24 (full boat) we give a discount of 20%. Groups normally are asked to pay a deposit of 25%. Please collect the money from all group members before you arrive in Bayahibe and please pay us in one amount.

9. What to bring?

You just bring whatever you would take for a day on the beach. Don't forget your camera. It is the best to put your camera and mobile phone in a zip lock bag. You can take an additional T-shirt in case we get a shower on the way back. Take a hat, lots of sunscreen and mosquito repellent (with DEET). If you have a snorkel set than please take it; you will be sure it fits. We have a dry compartment in the boat for a limited amount of luggage.

10. Can I bring things for the local children and people?

We collect all donations in our office and once every 3 months we visit a remote village and donate the goods to the children there. The poeple on Saona Island and in Bayahibe will get a lot from tourists, the need is higher in the poor remote communities. We always post photos and comments on our Facebook Page after a visit. Please don't bring sweets, most children don't go to the dentist. You can bring medicines, but check the airline regulation re what you're allowed to bring.

During the Saona Crusoe VIP we will visit the Sea Turtle conservation project, they rely on cash donations in order to keep the project going. School supplies are welcome as are clothes etc. We normally collect the donations in our office and we select a community that is not frequently visited by tourists to distribute the goods. Remember: if you bring 5 items and there are 20 children hoping to get something, many will go home empty handed....

11. I'm pregnant, is it safe for us?

We don't take pregnant women on the Nature Complete Tour. We only take pregnant women on the other tours when the pregnancy exceeds 13 weeks (1), after you've consulted your doctor (2) and with quiet sea conditions (3). The latter can only be determined the evening before the trip, please phone us to check.

12. I've got physical limitations, can I join?

People with physical limitations can join the Saona Crusoe VIP and the Saona Special, you need to be able to sit and you'll need to have the function of at least one arm / hand to steady yourself. Please notify us upfront in case we need to take a wheelchair, we have limited space on board. Our crew will help you to get in and of the boat.

13. I'm vegetarian, I need a special diet....?

The lunches on our tour offer an array of salads, pasta's and fruits. Vegetarians will not be hungry. If you need a special diet (kosher, gluten free, etc.) please notify us so we can take some other ingredients. All the ingredients are taken from the main(is)land on the day of the tour and are bought fresh and prepared with a high standard of hygiene. Please be aware that we don't have an 'a la carte' restaurant, we try to accommodate every diet request.

14. We come with a group and we want our own tour??

This is possible. The Saona Special is develop to accommodate groups (wedding parties, cruise ship passengers). You can also charter one of our boats for the day and we will design a tour that fits your needs. We can accommodate groups up to 400 people and anything is possible. Check our private charter page, or send us an email: .

15. Cash donations and tipping during the tours??

A lot of times there is confusion re donations and the tipping during the excursions. The only project for which the guide 'officially' asks for cash donations is the sea turtle conservation project in Mano Juan. This project is a licensed project under supervision of the university of Santo Domingo. The locals, like the nurse in the hospital and the children who might sing a song, are happy to receive something, but this is a 'private enterprise' of these people. Giving something is at your own discretion. We pay our staff above average wages, however in this country (like in the USA) part of the income relies on tips for a good service. If you are happy with the service you can give a tip. The tip is collected by the guide and evenly shared by all staff.