- Thread starter patbro
- Start date
Villa Serena Las Galeras
That would not be my first choice
It is a beautiful, out right georgeous place.
BUT it is not near the whale watching area.
I would ask this board for whale watching lodgings, or suggestions as to how to go about it. I have done it and can highly recommend the experience, but I don't have all the names of the best places to stay for tht purpose. Since the boats leave from Saman?, I would propose something in town so yu can walk to the docks. There is a lady there, Kim (?) that has been a leading light in whale watching for over a decade. I am sure that someone here can give you her email. Look for a post by KEN and ask him. He is an authority on things Saman?...no kidding.
Now, for the "after-whale-watching-snuggle" I can heartedly recomend Villa Serena. But I can also recommend Mairenique which is next door and a lot cheaper!....and had better food....
HB
It is a beautiful, out right georgeous place.
BUT it is not near the whale watching area.
I would ask this board for whale watching lodgings, or suggestions as to how to go about it. I have done it and can highly recommend the experience, but I don't have all the names of the best places to stay for tht purpose. Since the boats leave from Saman?, I would propose something in town so yu can walk to the docks. There is a lady there, Kim (?) that has been a leading light in whale watching for over a decade. I am sure that someone here can give you her email. Look for a post by KEN and ask him. He is an authority on things Saman?...no kidding.
Now, for the "after-whale-watching-snuggle" I can heartedly recomend Villa Serena. But I can also recommend Mairenique which is next door and a lot cheaper!....and had better food....
HB
Although whale watching from the larger boats (such as Kim's) is done from Samana Harbor as correctly pointed out by Hillbilly, as there are no beaches near the city, most people stay in Las Galeras, Las Terrenas or in a few of the resorts outside the city. There are several hotels in the city if you need to stay overnight only for a whale watching trip.
Most guests travel into Samana city from various peninsula locations (30 minutes) by rented car or private taxi for a day of whale watching and then return to their hotel and area beaches for the remainder of their stay. There are also whales off Las Galeras and Las Terrenas but the boats used for the day's adventure are smaller.
For more information about the two hotels Hillbilly mentioned, Villa Serena and el Marinique, going whale watching and other peninsula activities see www.samanaonline.com
Most guests travel into Samana city from various peninsula locations (30 minutes) by rented car or private taxi for a day of whale watching and then return to their hotel and area beaches for the remainder of their stay. There are also whales off Las Galeras and Las Terrenas but the boats used for the day's adventure are smaller.
For more information about the two hotels Hillbilly mentioned, Villa Serena and el Marinique, going whale watching and other peninsula activities see www.samanaonline.com
You are going in early March, I hope. Late March iffy for whale watching. Some years the excursions continue into late March, even early April, but other years they are finished by mid-March. It all depends on the whales and how long enough linger in Samana before returning to the north for the summer to make excursions worthwhile.
The best person for whale watching is Kim Beddall, the Canadian expat who founded whalewatching in Samana Bay. Her excursions the best because she is knowledgeable about the whales and truly cares about them. To the other excursion companies, whale watching just a business. Her company is Victoria Marine/Whale Samana http://www.whalesamana.com/
Nothing wrong with staying at Hotel Gran Bahia, between Samana and Las Galeras, or one of the hotels in Las Galeras. But you will need to take a taxi to get to the dock in town where the excursions leave from. An alternative would be to stay in town at Hotel Tropical Lodge. You can walk from there to the dock. http://www.tropical-lodge.com/
The best person for whale watching is Kim Beddall, the Canadian expat who founded whalewatching in Samana Bay. Her excursions the best because she is knowledgeable about the whales and truly cares about them. To the other excursion companies, whale watching just a business. Her company is Victoria Marine/Whale Samana http://www.whalesamana.com/
Nothing wrong with staying at Hotel Gran Bahia, between Samana and Las Galeras, or one of the hotels in Las Galeras. But you will need to take a taxi to get to the dock in town where the excursions leave from. An alternative would be to stay in town at Hotel Tropical Lodge. You can walk from there to the dock. http://www.tropical-lodge.com/