Thanks Emile and Christy for the awesome day of excursions! That was by far the highlight of our trip to the Dominican Republic. I can’t wait to come back for more! For those reading this, here are some of the reasons why these guys rock. Sorry for the novel, I just wanted to be thorough.
1-Planned amazing activities
Our first excursion of the day was the 27 Waterfalls hike. If you are not familiar with this hike, it is a popular tourist destination, and for good reason. Emile suggested we do it first so we had time to do the whole thing. We were blown away! It is a fairly strenuous hike, but the experience was incredible!
The way up to the top of the 27 Waterfalls is hot and sweaty, but it’s in the shade so it’s bearable. The first part of the hike getting to the top of the waterfalls is hot and sweaty. But the shade made it bearable and we had fun talking to the guides.
The way up to the top of 27 Waterfalls is hot and sweaty, but it’s in the shade so it’s bearable.
Then the real fun begins! You get to walk and swim your way down the river, sliding and jumping down the waterfalls!
In one of the many waterfalls!
Everyone in our group agreed this hike was the highlight of the trip (even beating out snorkeling!). If you want to see the elevation changes and length of the hike, check out the map of it here:
After lunch, Emile took us on the tram ride up to Mount Isabel de Torres. It was a perfect restful activity after a morning of hiking. We were grateful for his suggestion—the view on the top was breathtaking, and the statue of Christ was very inspirational.
A huge statue of Christ at the top of the tram
I definitely think this is worth seeing, and Emile took care of securing the lowest prices for this and the other days’ activities.
2-Tied up all the loose ends for us, like securing our travel and planning the details.
You really don’t want to drive yourself in the DR. Believe me, it’s crazy. (Skeptical? Search YouTube for driving in the DR.) We experienced several different taxi drivers chauffeuring us around, most of them drove like everyone else (i.e., scary, stop-and-go, making me want to puke because of my motion sickness, etc.). Emile booked Leonardo for us, a very nice Dominican with a vehicle large enough to accommodate our group of 8. He was great to talk to, and best of all, he was an excellent driver! He shuttled us around the whole day. It was obviously more expensive, but was completely worth not having to worry about motorcyclists (on their cell phone or carrying a family of 4) darting in front of you.
Don’t rent a car. You need a good driver like Leonardo, it’s well worth it.
Emile planned an overall schedule for the day, but kept it flexible so that we could do what we wanted at our own pace. It was nice not to have to worry about the when’s, where’s, what’s of the little details but simply enjoy ourselves along the way.
3-Mixed it up with some native culture
After the hike, we went to Laura Algo Diferente, a local outdoor diner, for lunch. I didn’t see any other tourists there;as far I could tell, this was not a tourist trap. While we waited for our food, Emile and Christy taught us some Latin dancing.
Latin Dancing
Then came the food. I couldn’t understand anything on the menu (except piña colada sin alcohol!), but the waiter suggested something similar to chicken cordon bleu. I was not prepared for the deliciousness that followed. There was some sort of heavenly white sauce that just made that chicken melt in my mouth. We were all tasting everyone else’s food and everything was amazing. I told the waiter that was the best I had eaten in the DR. He told me they get that compliment a lot!
We were so happy to have met Emile and Christy of Travelshore Center while we vacationed in the DR. I have no trouble recommending them to hook you up with amazing experiences at great prices on your excursions.