Small Group: Saona Island Full Day Tour

Posted By : AmeliaAWaters
Couldn’t recommend this tour enough for anyone wanting to visit Saona Island! Melvin was an incredible tour guide who provided a great service; he was energetic, caring and knowledgeable with a great sense of humour. The small group made it a more personal experience rather than some of the catamaran excursions on offer. The trip was great value for money with five different stops including the small village of Mana Juan. Most tours just go to 1 or 2 beaches but Melvin is passionate about sustainable and responsible tourism so showing us local living and culture was part of the tour. He prioritises giving back to the community which we really appreciated. We enjoyed learning about the island and local history, as well as interesting facts about the different places and wildlife we saw on our trip. The two main beaches looked like a postcard. An early start meant we had plenty of time to explore and were often the first ones to arrive at the beaches! The food he prepared (breakfast and lunch) was delicious and there were plenty of drinks on offer, including a lovely rum punch! We appreciated that he took photos of the group which he later shared, without charging for the pics which a lot of tours do. Highlight of our holiday- cannot recommend Melvin and his tour enough!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-17

Posted By : Emily_S
Thank you Melvin and co!! We had such a lovely day with our group, nice to get to know other people from around the world and have the tour feel so much more personalised and special with it being a max group of 12. Melvin is very informative, everything has been thought out to a T. Nice to arrive to the first few beaches before the crowds and lots of photo opportunities! Overall a lovely day and would recommend. Only 3 tips I would give is take mosquito repellent and lots of it, sea shoes as there are some rocks in the sea in certain areas and take an anti sickness if you don’t like boat rides! 10/10 excursion, thanks again!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-14

Posted By : Tracey_S
Marvin was amazing. So dedicated to safety and every person enjoying themselves. He took pictures of us all and sent them to us. Seeing the turtle conservation and learning about them was amazing. Being able to learn about the culture was amazing. The beaches were amazing. The only downside is we all got sick from the food we ate which is so different from my last two experiences. Highly recommend eating breakfast and bringing snacks.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-14

Posted By : Abigail_H
Wish I could rate this tour with more than 5*. Was such a lovely day and well worth the extra money. If you’re looking for the tour to do this is it. Early start but that gets you to all the places before the crowds and breakfast, lunch and drinks are are included. Theres no hidden extras. WiFi on the coach there and back along with Melvin the fantastic, knowledgeable and helpful guide throughout. You are in a really small group and go on a jet boat over so the transfer is much quicker. You see places that the other big boats can’t/wont go. The only inhabited part of the island A turtle sanctuary X2 snorkelling stops - one of which is for star fish Melvin also quite happy to take pictures for everyone and WhatsApp them over on the bus on the way home. You are out from 6am - 6pm but honestly I couldn’t fault the day and would go back or recommend in an instant to anyone. Thankyou for such a lovely day
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-12

Posted By : Amelia_W
Couldn’t recommend this tour enough for anyone wanting to visit Saona Island! Melvin was an incredible tour guide who provided a great service; he was energetic, caring and knowledgeable with a great sense of humour. The small group made it a more personal experience rather than some of the catamaran excursions on offer. The trip was great value for money with five different stops including the small village of Mana Juan. Most tours just go to 1 or 2 beaches but Melvin is passionate about sustainable and responsible tourism so showing us local living and culture was part of the tour. He prioritises giving back to the community which we really appreciated. We enjoyed learning about the island and local history, as well as interesting facts about the different places and wildlife we saw on our trip. The two main beaches looked like a postcard. An early start meant we had plenty of time to explore and were often the first ones to arrive at the beaches! The food he prepared (breakfast and lunch) was delicious and there were plenty of drinks on offer, including a lovely rum punch! We appreciated that he took photos of the group which he later shared, without charging for the pics which a lot of tours do. Highlight of our holiday- cannot recommend Melvin and his tour enough!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-11

Posted By : Drasko_A
The tour with Melvin was great, they were organized and everything went smoothly. There was less crowds because they start early and we had 5-6 hours on the island in total, during which we visited 4 different beaches. All recommendations.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-11

Posted By : 748tianam
My boyfriend and I booked this excursion simply because of the amount of stops that were included and the amazing reviews about Melvin, the tour guide. He was GREAT! He was super knowledgeable and went out of his way to make everyone feel comfortable and included. He starts by giving some background info on the DR and what the plan for the day will be, super in depth and informative!! Isla Soana is gorgeous! Melvin offers to take photos on his phone which is nice because you don’t have to worry about bringing your phone in the water at every moment. He Air Dropped the photos to us on the bus on the way back from the excursion! We had a great time, met really nice people, felt super safe and would definitely recommend this excursion over a packed party boat!!! Keep in mind this is a long day ours was from 6am-5:30pm but definitely worth it!!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-10

Posted By : Monica_H
We loved the starfish, sea turtles and snorkeling! Melvin was wonderful! He provided education on the culture throughout the trip. He had an awesome way of connecting the others in the group so that you felt like family by the end!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-09

Posted By : Claudia_C
Thanks to our guide Malvin, the trip was superb throughout. Very knowledgable of the history of his country, he helped us to understand the evolution of this fascinating country in a very pleasant way. The guide's attention to all the details directed at the group was a bonus. If it was worth paying extra to spend the day in a small group? No 100% YES! a dream scenery, photography beaches, crystal water, unique experience and memorable moments. That's what this trip offered us. I recommend without hesitation.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-07

Posted By : DanielTolu
It was AMAZING. So worth the money. At least 2 beaches we were the only people there. A friend went in 2023 and recommended this and it did not disappoint. Our tour guide Melvin was educational without being boring. He starts off explaining the history of the republic. It’s short sweet and to the point. Then you hop on a speed boat to kick off your morning. It was amazing! Breakfast was light but good and you then explore the turtle sanctuary and understand the importance of the work you’re doing. Next we went to a beach which was completely empty, you could either swim in the ocean, explore or relax on the beach. Honestly I could go on and on but it was the best day of my life. It’s so worth the money! Once in a lifetime opportunity in paradise.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-07