Monkey Home & Puerto Plata Local Adventure

I am agreeing with my family that this was a great tour and we left satisfied. It has kind of raised my expectations for tours. The guide, Ismael was fantastic. He has a lot of life experience, both in the Dominican Republic and abroad. He narrated the trip from start to finish, and was patient with some of our more troublesome member of the little group that we came with. He left us with a good understanding of what it might be like to live in the Dominican Republic, and I can see why so many Americans have moved there. We went to various locations including the relaxing and at the same time exciting Monkey Experience, the chocolate shop, which had some great chocolate bars made fresh there and for sale in a large store section. We also had a chance to eat some food with some neighborhood Dominicans at this quaint restaurant. The food was really good and fresh. I can only shake my head thinking about how good and different it was from the quick meals I normally scarf down as I rush from one place to another in the USA in my overscheduled life. For drinkers, we had a great visit to the local rum maker. It had one heck of a history and I did not know how prolific the Dominican Republic is with the production of their may types of rum. We went to other places as well, and like others in my tour, I felt a spirit of freedom being kicked back in Ismael's nice and comfortable bus. I did a lot of people-watching, trying to take it all in. We felt safe and in good hands with Ismael. Others on the bus had visited the DR before, but they did not see the side of the DR that the tour gave us, and the price was reasonable!

First, let me write what I was looking for. I wanted to see a lot of the local area, get an idea of how day-to-day life is there, and learn about the Dominican Republic. This tour gave me everything I was looking for and then some! Above all, I felt safe the entire time. We were driven around the Puerto Plata area and Ismael was an exceptional tour guide. He showed us city areas, rural areas, and areas in between. He took us to a local restaurant to dine with some of the local residents. There were around twelve of us and we all agreed that the food was very good and had variety. The people were kind, and it seemed to be a well-frequented restaurant. I wish I could have that kind of food back home. The countryside was picturesque, with all kinds of trees, many with fruits. I loved seeing the many homes and imagining myself living the seemingly simpler way of life. The Monkey Experience was located out there and it was fun and educational as well. We learned how important the Cacao was to their culture and economy. But the little monkeys and the guides there, were the stars of the show. We also spent time sightseeing and shopping in the city area. We visited several culturally significant locations, including a rum factory, candy maker and store, and a place the created jewelry made from precious stones that were is native to the island. All the while our driver, Ismael narrated every location. Ismael had a deep history of the island and was an excellently clear and thoughtful speaker. He enhanced our experience greatly by giving context to the many locations. He was able to answer all of our questions. He went to great lengths to make sure we were always accounted for and happy. The tour bus seemed pretty new and was clean and well-maintained. The seats were very comfortable and the bus had a great ride. This is a very professional operation and definitely one to consider if you are visiting the area. I will never forget this glimpse of life outside the rat race that I live, and I won’t forget the high level of service the tour provided, hence the reason I am typing this. I want to give this tour the outstanding credit it is due. We experienced so much in the short few hours of shore time that we had off the ship. Thank you, Ismael Tours!

Ismael is an excellent tour operator who speaks both English and Spanish. He has reliable drivers and reasonable prices. They accept credit cards, PayPal or cash. If you are going to the monkey jungle and zipline tour in Sosua, beware that the unpaved road to get there is very bumpy!

I really liked the experience very funny little monkeys and comlones also the city has much to offer what I liked the most was the visit to the center is very colorful streets and a very good vibe

A very nice experience the minutes are very playful and I could try different typical things besides the visit to the city I was surprised very good choice

Excellent service we had a very nice day with monkeys and the city tour we enjoyed a lot and the food was excellent definitely will contact ITT next time.

This was our 5th trip to the DR and we have used Ishmael since our 1st trip. This year Ishmael helped us with transportation to Las Terranas/Playa Bonita and a walking tour with family in Puerto Plata. A highlight was a local Dominican lunch at Como En Familia. For local trips in and around Cabarete "On Time Eddie" took care of us, always prompt and friendly. We look forward to seeing Ishmael and his team again next year.

Ismael was the best, he made sure we had an experience to remember. We felt like we were his family as we walked through pleura plata. Very professional and even gave us a history lesson