Hi Kelly,
Here's my excursion answer - since you asked.
The excursions I recommend are the Outback Jungle Safari (
http://www.outbacksafari.com.do/ ) and the Freestyle Catamarans (
http://www.freestyle-catamarans.com/ ). Both are excellent and safe and lots of fun.
My favorite day out however is to hire a local driver for the day. The driver I recommend is Martin Espinal. He is an excellent driver in a country of madmen. He has a clean, air-conditioned minivan in good condition and he speaks excellent English. It will hold five easily and comfortably. Martin is very personable and knowledgeable and is extremely reliable in a country where many people run on "Dominican Time". You can read more at
http://www.debbiesdominicantravel.com/martin.html
Please e-mail him
ESPINAL30@MSN.COM , (if you are interested in hiring him) detail what you expect from him and he will get back with a price. Depending on the complexity, time and distance involved a full day trip should be in the range of $70 - $100 US and a half day $40 - $50 US. Obviously if you want to go lay on the Sosua beach for the day it would be on the low end and if you want a full day trip to Santo Domingo it might even be around $125 US due to very long distances and very long times (3+ hr. drive each way). These are just guidelines as I don't set Martin's prices but this is what I think is fair for all. Prices are good for 1 - 5 people so you can see the advantage of sharing if you are a couple only.
Some examples are:
1 ) For the tour to Puerto Plata, Damajagua Falls , Rum factory, the San Felipe Fort and the Cable Car - $80 US approx.; 1 - 5 people; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
2) For the Haitian village, the Sos?a beach , Monte Llano and Cabarete - $80 US approx.; 1 - 5 people; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Or you can custom design a tour and he will quote you a price. This year we went up to Santiago for example.
Be sure to mention if you want to take the Teleferico (cable car) up to Mount Isabel de Torres and any other things you might want to cover. You might want to go to the clothing factory (Dinorah's Sportswear) for some great buys. This is where many of the local beach vendors get their wares to sell. A couple of pointers 1) Make sure you have reached an agreement on price before you use any Taxi 2) Pay ONLY when you return to your hotel 3) Ask about any additional costs such as entrance fees (Fort & Amber Museum), guide cost (Falls), Teleferico & Botanical Gardens, etc. Tipping is customary only if you feel the service has warranted it.
When you e-mail Martin tell him that you are being referred by Gregg. Just for the record this is to ensure you get the best pricing as I do not receive anything for these referrals and I pay for Martin's services when I visit the D. R. He is simply a driver I grew to trust when we hired him as he is both a safe driver in a country known for crazy drivers and a very nice guy who I now call a friend.
Gregg