Fantastisk Paradise Island + snorkling-mangrove-tur og lokal mad.

This one was super relaxing, depending on where you are staying it could be up to a 2hr ride but when you arrive to the beach you are then taken on a boat to a sand bar (Paradise Island) in the middle of the ocean, takes 2 min to walk around the whole "island", they give you tasty fruits and snorkeling gear, really cool fish and some big ones too. You can also just relax on the beach. After you are taken through a mangrove where it's a maze to get to a pretty central point but the way out was the fun part, top speed motorboat whipping through the maze that is the mangrove till you make it put into the open ocean. Then they take you to a Dominican restaurant where I had the best fried chicken probably ever. They stop a cigar spot that makes the cigars and they talk you through the process. If you get the guide named Mendy you are in for an educational and fun experience my guy speaks 4 languages fluently.

Know that you spend more time traveling by bus then you do at the island. Had we known that it was 3 hrs one way we would have choose a different excursion. I love to be snorkeling and the 45 mins we got was just not long enough. they have 5 tiny huts not enough area to hang your items, as they don`t want you taking sand from the beach. Other then that the snorkeling is amazing but not worth all the travel time to get there and back to the resort

I will start by saying the actual islad was nice, lunch was ok and the mangrove tour was ok. HOWEVER, the actual tour activities took maybe 2 hours. We left the resort at 7:30 am and did not get dropped back off till 5:45... so 2 hours of activities and 8.25 hrs of driving.... this is not what i signed up for. I expected max 2 hrs each way driving which is crazy long already but i was shocked at how long we were driving. No music. Small history lessen by a very grumpy tour guide. Never again would i book a tour like this. We were a party of 8 adults and we literally begged to get dropped off at our resort sooner as we were all very unhappy.

It’s nothing special just the snorkeling was nice To far of a drive you spent 4 hrs driving on the bus

Our trip started rocky..got picked up in a van and transfered on the side of the road. Booked on viator and wasnt informed the time of pick up. The activity itself amazing. It was so much fun. The speedboat was by far the best.

Overall - an ok experience. Would I do it again - DEFINITELY NOT!!! Pros- Paradise Island was beautiful! And we actually stayed a few hours which was a nice surprise especially since most excursions only give you 45 min or so on the beach. The snorkeling was great, but current was a little rough. The boat rides were great and we loved riding through the mangroves!! Lunch was not Dominican but was really good and what you would see in America (chicken wings, pasta, rolls). The lunch was great for us, but wouldnt have been if I wanted authentic Dominican food. Cons-The bus/car ride to and from was MISERABLE! It a good 3 hours EACH way!! The "1hr,15min bus ride" in the description is a complete LIE. When we booked, we picked 8:10am pickup but they showed up at 7:30 (as we were still eating breakfast) and needed us to get in van ASAP. Most of the people in this excursion were in a nice Charter Bus, but my family of 3, plus 2 other families were squished in a small minivan. We also asked if we could ride in the bus and were told no. (by an English speaking person that helped communicate when we stopped) The driver did not speak any English and could not communicate. And his driving was Horrible. He sweved around every pothole (soo many) and slammed on breaks many times. I don't get car sick and I was sooo sick about an hour in on the way there in the morning. Take Bonine or similar before you go! Luckily when we stopped I got a soda and a snack, which helped. This was a 10 hour excursion with 6 hours in the van/bus and 1.5 hrs eating lunch which is way too long.

The bus ride from Puerto Plata was a bit bumpy for some passengers, but the scenery through the agricultural land and small towns was a sight worth seeing. At the island, our tour guide lead us around the whole reef. Our group of 8 all enjoyed the day. Buying the photos and video was well worth the money. This is a trip everyone should do, bring your own mask and snorkel for a longer experience.

DR Experience was great with Euzébio (Guide) being the most knowledgeable guy on the DR. The isle is actually a sandbank but nonetheless beautiful and the mangrove near by is a must.

Mendi was our very informative tour guide. My family was supported throughout the whole trip and the kids had a blast! We were picked up at our rented condominium in Playa Dorada in an air conditioned bus. We made a few stops to pick up other passengers in other hotels. We made a quick bathroom stop about half way to our final location. We then got life vests and got on our speedboat. We made it to Cayo Arena were we got fresh fruits (pineapple, watermelon, bananas) , drinks (sprite coke), alcohol (rum). We were there for about an hour. If you have kids, make them wear their life vests in the water as the current in the ocean can be deceiving while snorkeling. We then rode through the mangroves sometimes at high speeds giving the kids a thrill. Once on land again we rode back to the same location we had used the bathroom, but this time to a different floor were there was a buffet that included rice, beans, fried chicken, pasta salad, and bread. There was also sodas and water available. Once everyone was done eating we rode to a cigar and gift shop. Once everyone was done with their purchases we began the drop-off at different hotels.

It was really fun and the food was amazing! Just a heads up, you can’t wear shoes on the island. There were a few sea urchins hiding in the corals further out so just watch your step.