Great excursion - Amazing experience, beautiful location the horse back riding was very personable and the volunteers made you feel safe. The waterfall was amazing. The entire excursion was 12 hours but was worth it!

Breathe taking - Was such a beautiful experience. Was worth every minute and also are your guide Emilio was so good to everyone. Gave lots of great information which helped make the experience even better

Highly recommended! - Excellent excursion!! Very good service. Very well coordinated. Special mention to our guide and driver, Jesús and Piña!! Excellent

Boat ride is visit bacardi island - Exhausting travel however is diverse as we go by boat , from truck type safari where you can get to know the actual state of the local population, in this case miserable state of how people live and ride. Negative point to say bad. In my case I went by horse as all the participants go to the Limon waterfall both my guide and my wife spent the whole time of the route asking for money. The horses are poorly nourished in my case the horse slipped and fell on me staying I stuck under it and wounding my arm that was bleeding and leg and back , the horse was so weak that he didn't even get up the guide had to try to hit him to get up , no.my case was a miracle not to have broken a leg and when the horse got up still I was hanging like foot on the straw and I was on the floor almost head down. I think an animal in good condition would not do that. In progress the same almost stopped only to the touch of beats the same walked and badly. I felt sorry for this scenario. In this same walk another person also fell from the horse because he also slipped but was more lucky because the horse did not fall. I leave the warning to all who go to the horse to be careful and lucky on the horse that will guide you. Points to pay attention to: The helmets that give to put in the head in addition to being peat everyone are not tight enough because in case of fall they will not serve anything. Of the rest of the tour was good especially the bacardi island that was top compared with.the Bavaro beaches that one can not take a bath due to being flooded with sargaço and with bad smell , to avoid these resorts in Bavaro

Day Trip to El Limón Waterfall & Bacardi Island (Cayo Levantado) Price: $150 per person - Bottom line first: The excursion had potential: Nature, waterfall, island, experience. Unfortunately, much of this has been undone by poor organisation, sales scams and little transparency. For the price absolutely not justified. ⸻ Procedure & impression: We started early in the morning from Bayahibe. The trip to the north of the Dominican Republic took about 3 hours – went through the interior, which was basically interesting. Unfortunately, the only stopover was at a village shop, where the toilet was not working and the food was unchilled on the counter – full of flies. You really don't have to. Our tour guide “Papa Camilo” has stood out positively – by far the best on our trip. He spoke good German, had in-depth knowledge and was able to give background on the economic situation, cooperation with Germany and poverty in the interior. Not standard tourist talk, but honest and informative. After a small breakfast we went by boat about 45 minutes to the Samaná Peninsula. Right there, the first problem: Seller. Despite repeated “no”, people were constantly approached – sometimes penetratingly. Then “safari tour” – what sounded like adventure was in fact a drive through dirt, construction sites and chaotic traffic, so more urban jungle than nature. After about 45 minutes ES walked 15 meters off the road where the jungle supposedly begins. There we were placed on horses – each with a personal companion. The horses seemed well-groomed, and it must be said clearly: The people who ran the horses were very helpful, friendly and really cared about ES doing well. However, the “only horse-accessible path” was then mostly tarred – not quite what you imagine a jungle ride to be. After about 20 minutes you descended and walked the last part to the waterfall – be sure to take sports shoes with you. The El Limón waterfall was one of the highlights – beautiful, cool, refreshing. Unfortunately, here too much too crowded and too little time: Around 20 minutes for photos, a quick bath, then out again. Of course here too: Sellers with animals, expensive pictures, intrusive behavior – a recurring theme of this tour. Back at the riding station we had lunch. The food was good and edible, but probably not the first choice for European or German tastes. Normal for locals, rather simple for tourists – but definitely fine. Afterwards we went back through the “urban jungle” to the jetty, again accompanied by pushy sellers. Next stop: Bacardi Island (Cayo Levantado). The journey took about 30 minutes. There was a piña colada from Papa Camilo, the beach was beautiful, not crowded – take a breath. But: Again, people with animals who want to impose pictures on you – annoying as everywhere on the tour. ⸻ Subject Photographer & images: ES initially said: $50 for any number of pictures. In the end, ES was only 16 images, which weren’t very good either – poor exposure, blurry, just nothing special. On Bacardi the photographer approached us again because I clearly stated that the price for the service is not reasonable. He went down with the price – but also only because there was time pressure and we no longer had the opportunity to negotiate properly. Nevertheless: $50 for mediocre pictures – pure rip-off. ⸻ Summary: The trip was exhausting, overpriced and accompanied by sales mesh throughout. Few highlights (waterfall, Bacardi Island, Papa Camilo) went down in the overall machinery. For $150 you get significantly more quality on other trips.

i wasn't a huge fan - i would give this place a mediocre review we got picked up at 620 am by bus on the bus for over 2 hrs till we got to a town where we transported by a boat for 40 mins to another bus to a so called ranch where a whole bunch of random people where standing around with horses you take a horse ride for about 20 mins to get to some stairs roughly 360 of them to get down very uneven some are 3 feet tall if your not in awesome physical shape i would skip this you have to come back up them to back on a horse to the beginning where so called lunch is served no idea what you could be eating every bathroom on this trip is disgusting lucky if you have t.p or running water after lunch you head back on the bus to a so called island Bacardi island its crowded with other tourist you have about 40 mins so you cant even swim or anything get back on that same boat and reverse all the transportation you where on in the am we got picked up at 620 am dropped off at like 830 pm and had to make a stop both times at store where they try to sell you things our tour guide and driver where awesome the begging for tips was so bad especially at there so called ranch that was a mud pit some of the drivers drive so dam scary and fast

Not worth it - I took this tour not worth it u basically pay to be on transportation for 14 hrs not handicap friendly at all we got the bus at 620 am sat for almost 3 hrs on said bus to be transported to a boat for almost 40 min to another transportation then u arrive at so called ranch wich is just people with horses pushes people for tips to take like 10000 steps to get to a dam waterfall back and forth back on a dam donkey nasty lunch back on a bus to a boat to another bus to sit almost 3 hrs to get back to your hotel would not recommend description is not right and would not recommend at all

Not that nice of an excursion and falsely advertised - Not worth it and not as advertised. Was a 3 hour bus ride each way when the description states 1 hour. Making the trip a total of 14 hours instead of the stated 9 hours. The catamaran isn’t nice and you get waterboarded when the bay is choppy. The catamaran broke down and we had to crowd on another boat. Then you take another 30 minute bus ride to ride horses. The horses are malnourished and could barely make the trek without the guide pulling on them to go. The food was good for lunch. The beach was nice but drinks weren’t included. Overall, definitely not worth the trip and we would have rather stayed and enjoyed the resort. Safe to say we will not be doing another excursion from Amstar.

Animal cruelty - Don't go to the waterfall on horseback. You contribute to animal cruelty!! Horses are beaten, malnourished and covered in wounds. So don't be a lazy tourist and take the descent on foot. We have also done this and it is very doable.

A very sad experience watching animal abuse! - Avoid at all cost! Extreme animal abuse towards the horses and mules that take you to the waterfall. They are beaten regularly. They are clearly malnourished and overworked. If you have to go to this dangerous place go on foot. Do Not take a horse!