Playa Limon

[Borec]

Borec, the photos have an enhanced look to them (like using Fuji Velvia on Cibachrome paper for a well color saturated effect, back in the days before digital cameras and photoshop).

Can you explain how you took them, camera and effects used. Was it an HDR process?

Very nice look to the photos.

Yes I have enhanced the pictures a little, you will find that all photographers that take their pictures bit more seriously, do enhance the pictures a little (professional pictures are all enhanced). I guess you have seen the amazing pictures with a huge full moon and a landscape. I tried and tried, and could never get one, then I found out that it is all fake (not enhanced, but usually two pictures pasted together). I was not happy. Anyway, I did some enhancing before with photoshop, but it was just too much work. Recently I got a relatively new software from adobe called lightroom, and it is pretty good for keeping track of you pictures and also for doing quick enhancements. The best part is that it does not change your original picture when you edit it, but it creates a side file where it keeps all the changes, so you are not altering your original. Saying all that, I have not enhanced the pictures too much, but it is sure handy to control your exposure, white balance, color saturation, hue, and another about 100 settings. So if you screw up your exposure you can work with it, that is if you have the data, and in order to have the data I use RAW format (20 MB a shot) to take the pictures, not JPG. My camera is Panasonic DMC-FZ50, pretty good camera - not professional, but pretty good. For example those palm trees in sunset did not get much enhancement, I just took several pictures with different settings. Mind you since I changed to digital, I take lots of pictures, so those 20 pictures are the best of about 350 photos. If I find a good scene I take several pictures with different exposures (bracketing it is called I guess). I kind of know the theory, but it is usually trial and error.
Hope this was helpfull. If you take your pcitures seriously, I recommend lightroom.

 

[Borec]

I imagine that Punta Cana would also be a good airport to fly in to -- and for some of us a lot cheaper than Santo Domingo.

Yes, it is actually closer from Punta Cana, you will drive to toward Santo Domingo, nearly all the way to Higuey, just before you get to Higuey you will hit intersection in a village of Otra Banda, there you turn north and follow the road all the way to El cedro. This road is better, not so many potholes.

by the way the narrow road along the cost on the map is just a track through the palm trees and is not continuous, as it is cut by the rivers.

You can also visit the Playa Limon with some tours from some of the hotels, I guess it cost like U$100, or something, includes horse riding, boat ride, visiting some farm, going up to the monta?a redonda etc. Not sure who to ask about it.

 

[Borec]

I drove with my car this week from El Seibo to Miches. (Mitsubishi Lancer)
The road was very bad.
With a normal car it is more and less impossible.
I don't go any more with my car there.
You need a Jeepeta.

Well I am used to very bad roads from Bolivia, so this road in my opinion is still pretty good, you can definately use a front wheel drive low clearance sedan for it (especially if it is not yours ). You just have to drive slowly because there are potholes there.

 

[Borec]

Oh, so far the only road where you really need 4x4 that I have found in DR, is if you go directly from Jimani to Pedernales,a long the haitian border, and the short stretch of road going down to Bahia de Aquilas.

 

[Borec]

have to drive slowly because there are potholes there.

and in some parts the blacktop has been washed away, the 15 km gravel bit just after Seibo to Pedro Sanches, is just fine.

 

[marcel]

punta cana information wanted

i will be staying at the lti resort soon. is it a gated community? are people free to come and go? are there natives that are on the beach that may sell jewlery and maybe give massages. or, are all the natives shut off from the resort grounds. please reply.

marcel

 

[Borec]

by law all beaches are public (government land), the trouble is being able to get to it through private land, so "natives" can get onto any beach they want. As far as I know you can get out of any resort if you want, "natives" just cannot get in (the narrow strip of the beach is the exception, even though they might be very discouraged to use their right)

 

[Playa Limon]

ecotourism in Playa Limon - be welcome

Yes, it is actually closer from Punta Cana, you will drive to toward Santo Domingo, nearly all the way to Higuey, just before you get to Higuey you will hit intersection in a village of Otra Banda, there you turn north and follow the road all the way to El cedro. This road is better, not so many potholes.

By the way the narrow road along the cost on the map is just a track through the palm trees and is not continuous, as it is cut by the rivers.

You can also visit the Playa Limon with some tours from some of the hotels, I guess it cost like U$100, or something, includes horse riding, boat ride, visiting some farm, going up to the monta?a redonda etc. Not sure who to ask about it.

You can book this tour (Laguna Limon vip) in the Rancho La Cueva in El Cedro on the beach of Playa Limon for U$ 60.00

 

[MikeFisher]

and finally their new excursion is up.
named "Tres Aguas" or "3 waters" or also "Lemon Lagoon National Park Tour".
3 waters b/c of the 3 different waterbodies you touch on the same tour.
1st the Cedro River, you travel that one by canoe or paddleboat, then you hit the atlantic ocean on the Lemon Lagoons beach, and the 3rd waterbody of course is the Lagoon itself for a boat ride.
great serviices like always by Andy and his new partner Jumbo, a swiss guy who is in charge to run the excursion there.
you will find more info about their new venture at The Punta Cana Excursions Corner
www.excursionscorner.com
for sure that tour will pop up soon in several touroperator's brochures soon,
i know Jumbo as a very close friend since many years, i've been there as a 'testride' for the new tour several times during the construction phase, it is just fantastic.
the location Harley's Heaven itself alone without any excursion is a top spot for a weekend with the family off the stressy every day lifestyle.
they serve better food than the best restaurants in the Punta Cana area do(i live in PC since 15 years now) and the place is just a paradise itself.
we spend some nights up there this year 4 times til now and there will sure several more weekends to count before this year comes to an end.
while PC resorts rate themselves 4 and 5 stars i would give the Harley's Heaven a minimum of 6 stars on that scale.

that been an update of an ole thread from last summer, but they are just great and worth to keep track on
Mike

 

[Playa Limon]

the excursion LAGUNA LIMON vip to Playa Limon in El Cedro, Miches

Yes, it is actually closer from Punta Cana, you will drive to toward Santo Domingo, nearly all the way to Higuey, just before you get to Higuey you will hit intersection in a village of Otra Banda, there you turn north and follow the road all the way to El cedro. This road is better, not so many potholes.

by the way the narrow road along the cost on the map is just a track through the palm trees and is not continuous, as it is cut by the rivers.

You can also visit the Playa Limon with some tours from some of the hotels, I guess it cost like U$100, or something, includes horse riding, boat ride, visiting some farm, going up to the monta?a redonda etc. Not sure who to ask about it.

On this website you can find more details about this excursion: Laguna Limon vip - or go to this page: Rancho La Cueva - :bunny: