Travelling to Samana from Bavaro

[drmaniac]

Hi There!
In August I am going to stay at Grand Palladium in Bavaro and I would like to make a four days trip to Samana peninsula from there.
I read about take-off flights, but they are out of my budget (fare should be 99 dollars one way) and airplanes land on El Portillo airport in Las Terrenas (I want to make Samana city as base for my excursions...).
Renting a car is expensive as well and roads are horrible as I read!
So, is there any cheaper option to get there (bus or smtg similar)???? I guess passing throug Higuey up to Sabana de la mar...
How many hours does the journey take?
Tnhx

[Hillbilly]

It can easily take most of a day but it is the cheapest way to do itl

HB

[Dolores]

To do it on the cheap it would take you almost a day to get there and another day to get back. Better plan on a return trip to the DR and stay in Samana; it will be worth the return trip.

I you want to lose the two days -- take an Expreso Bavaro bus to Santo Domingo (4 hours). Get a RD$150 cab drive to Caribe Tours (1/2 hour). Take the Caribe Tours bus to Samana city (4 hours). All in all will cost you about US$20, but again it will take you a day to go and come back. In my opinion, there is so much more you could do in the Bavaro area -- better to visit Boca de Yuma, see the house of Ponce de Leon, take a boat trip up the river and visit La Playita, for instance. Do the waterhole tour of Punta Cana, contact through the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation. Rent a car and drive up to Macao beach.

To go via El Seibo-Sabana de la Mar will also take you pretty much of a day. To El Seibo it is about two-three hours. And then you have to catch the ferry -- about two three hours.

Better to stay at the Cano Hondo-Paraiso hotel and do the eco walks from there, instead of the extra trip to Samana.

My recommendation is that you leave that for another trip.