samana bay

this is one of the most beautiful bays in the world. We got to see the whales and also traveled accross Samana Bay to spend a day at Cayo Levantado

We walked from Cayacoa to the small town and explored the Dominican area where the street markets are held and the back streets where locals shop (as opposed to the area frequented by cruise ship passengers).Folks were friendly - no one bugged us to buy stuff - and we felt perfectly comfortable exploring the backstreets on a saturday where there was a "clothes exchange" running the whole length of a street and prices were so cheap you need not haggle! (unlike water front area where prices tripled!)

Whales were wonderful - excellent trip with Kim's whale watching. Wonderfull staff - very knowledgeable.

Not very touristy, Busy with locals doing their thing ..street sellers are ok just say no thank you and they will go away.

Whale watching tours to see humpback whales are organised from here. The tour I went on was supervised by researchers documenting the visiting whales. Its the experience of a lifetime with minimal interference with these wonderful mammals.I drove six hours to get here and it was well worth it2006 2013

Drove all along the road hugging Samana bay, and passed through the marina on numerous occasions. Beautiful, if still a bit underdeveloped.

If you like the Quiet and Seclusion of Nature, The Bahia Principe Cayacoa most definitely offers that. The resort is located on a Cliffside overlooking Samana Bay. The Natural Beauty of this area is both Breathtaking and Serine.The only downside is if you go into the town of Samana, and although its a quaint town, the locals who hang out there tend to harass the tourists a bit too much, trying to get them to purchase from their stores of from them.. A little pushy I'm thinking. So if you go there just be polite and say no thank you and away you go.The resort is fantastic. great value for the $$$$$We have been there twice and once to Laventado which is on the Barcardi Island just off the shores of Cayocoa Resort.We most definitely will return again....

Our room faced the town across the bay. We enjoyed listening to the music coming from the disco and the view was beautiful. We spent one afternoon walking through the town and a night at the disco. We felt safe where ever we went.

Nights are busy along the Malecon. Plenty of food, drink and local music. Take a trip across the bay to the national forest. Scenic and remote. The caves are very accessible. It's a great break from the more hectic pace on the mainland.

Bring your camera and 100 sunblock! Breath taking views. Wish the excursion boats had air conditioners. The water was a bit rough for my liking. Sorry I missed the whales.

Attractive harbour; local shops and restaurants and a taste of Dominican culture. Visit the two churches - one English and the other Dominican

The bay itself and the surrounding waters are crystal clear but we noticed numerous condoms in the water. Quite disgusting when you think about it, people spend thousands of dollars to holiday there and you come across this.

Great shopping & bartering! Find some village made goods and learn about the local culture. Bring your cameras and some US currency to barter with. There's also a local grocery store where you can purchase vanilla and coffee for low costs.

Being a follower of the great outdoors, mountains and beautiful beaches, I was very well served. Just our little journey from the airport to our hotel for a period of 45 minutes gave us the chance to take enough pictures to fill our winter evenings. To enjoy your trip to the fullest in Samana, please book excursions from your hotel. We took one that took us a whole day to visit a plantation where we could taste the cocoa, coffee, local fruits and local drinks. We went to one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, the beach Raicon. I went horseback rideing on the beach and later, we were treated to a meal of lobster all washed down with local rum. We had the privilege of being accompanied by two friendly guides. Other excursions seem as interesting. The only advice I can give you when you go to Samana is to learn more than the basics of Spanish in order to be able to communicate with the locals. These people are so friendly that if you cannot speak the language, you miss the opportunity to get to know great individuals,

The local town was more like a village. It is made up of a church, lots of tourist shops, all selling the same stock. You must barter hard. Everything starts at 25 dollars, we never paid over 5 for anything. Be prepared to walk out, they soon drop the price. There was new shopping mall being built when we were there, but only a couple of shops were occupied. When you get off the free buggy into town, you will be greeted byone of the many local guides. It is worth letting one tag on as he takes you to the locals market, which is well hidden, and other palces that you might miss. They are happy with a 5/10 dollar tip and a can of coke as you go around.