Kim Beddall of Victoria Marine/Whale Samana reports that a great new Los Haitisis experienced will soon be available to individuals and groups.
The experience starts at the Park Office in Sabana de la Mar. People coming from Santo Domingo can drive to the office, people coming from Samana can take either the 7am or 9 am ferry across the Bay of Samana.
At the park office you pay the RD$100/person park entrance fee. The park office then arranges for a guide who will accompany you. Young people from Sabana de la Mar are being trained to serve as guides. According to Kim, the ones presently trained are very nice and very knowledgeable about the vegetation and wild life.
Once the fee is paid and you have your guide, you either go by moto concho or truck to where a boat takes you across a river. From there, with your guide, you hike for about two hours to get to the park. According to Kim, it is not a difficult hike, and all who made the trial excursion yesterday easily handled the hike. She said the hike is very interesting. You first pass through an agriculture area, then as you begin to get closer to the park you see the vegetation, trees and birds change. She said she saw some beautiful birds she had never seen before.
The guide is with you the entire time, and the excursion includes a very nice lunch. It also includes a boat ride along the coast and through a mangrove area.
Though the details are still being finalized, the cost will probably be RD$100/person for park entry, RD$350/person for the very good lunch, about RD$300 for the guide, RD$100 for each of the two boat trips during the excursion, RD$200 for land transportation during the excursion, and the cost of the ferry across the bay for those coming fom Samana. Those are rough figures, but indicate the excursion should be a very good value.
If going from Samana, you can cross on the 7 am ferry and return at 3 pm, or cross on the 9 am ferry andreturn on the 5 pm ferry.
She advises taking water, as it is hot hiking, good tennis or hiking shoes, sun screen, and insect repellent. She said she was the only one wearing shorts yesterday, so knows you can do it, but you need to be sure you have a good insect repellent.
According to Kim, the trip is "really cool" (but she was not talking about the temperature).
The park office in Sabana de la Mar is 556-7333.
The experience starts at the Park Office in Sabana de la Mar. People coming from Santo Domingo can drive to the office, people coming from Samana can take either the 7am or 9 am ferry across the Bay of Samana.
At the park office you pay the RD$100/person park entrance fee. The park office then arranges for a guide who will accompany you. Young people from Sabana de la Mar are being trained to serve as guides. According to Kim, the ones presently trained are very nice and very knowledgeable about the vegetation and wild life.
Once the fee is paid and you have your guide, you either go by moto concho or truck to where a boat takes you across a river. From there, with your guide, you hike for about two hours to get to the park. According to Kim, it is not a difficult hike, and all who made the trial excursion yesterday easily handled the hike. She said the hike is very interesting. You first pass through an agriculture area, then as you begin to get closer to the park you see the vegetation, trees and birds change. She said she saw some beautiful birds she had never seen before.
The guide is with you the entire time, and the excursion includes a very nice lunch. It also includes a boat ride along the coast and through a mangrove area.
Though the details are still being finalized, the cost will probably be RD$100/person for park entry, RD$350/person for the very good lunch, about RD$300 for the guide, RD$100 for each of the two boat trips during the excursion, RD$200 for land transportation during the excursion, and the cost of the ferry across the bay for those coming fom Samana. Those are rough figures, but indicate the excursion should be a very good value.
If going from Samana, you can cross on the 7 am ferry and return at 3 pm, or cross on the 9 am ferry andreturn on the 5 pm ferry.
She advises taking water, as it is hot hiking, good tennis or hiking shoes, sun screen, and insect repellent. She said she was the only one wearing shorts yesterday, so knows you can do it, but you need to be sure you have a good insect repellent.
According to Kim, the trip is "really cool" (but she was not talking about the temperature).
The park office in Sabana de la Mar is 556-7333.
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