Saona Island, memorable all-inclusive experience, from Santo Domingo.

Everything was great but wouldn't say All inclusive since you get ONE meal which is not sufficient for most people on a 13 hour trip. Also you have water, rum, coke and sprite for beverage and that's it. Took quite a while for the bus to come in the AM - we could have slept about 30 min more

The bus ride is long, but they do try to make it entertaining. They make a quick stop at a parada for breakfast or souvenir shopping. I suggest eating a good breakfast as the lunch they offer on the island is terrible! Most guests left tons of food on their plates and lots of food thrown away. The fruit was the best part of the lunch, but finished quickly and there wasn’t enough to go around. The beer and liquor offered as part of the package is the cheapest and not very tasty. The island is beautiful but that’s the best part of the trip. Be careful with the photographers. Find one that is fun and happy to be there! They will take great pics of you and then offer you a better price. Our photographer was rude and very short tempered, took awful pictures and then tried to sell them for $10 a piece. There were about 30 pictures all together. When I asked him to give me a package price he told me I’m not obligated to buy if I don’t like the pictures or the price.. of course I didn't buy. On the boat ride back while chatting with others I heard some paid $2 per photo, and some even paid $100 for a package of 20-40 pictures. Also lots of vendors, just say no and keep it moving if you’re not interested. If you show any interest they will harass you all day.

If you go to Santo Domingo, you have to make a trip to this island. We went through a known seller on the beach in Punta Cana. Perfect organization. 150€ in 2. Bus, boat (coke and river rum for those who wanted), lunch on the island, all very good. Experience really recommended.

After a few years we decided to go hiking again on the island of Saona, obviously with Mariposa Tours, a guarantee. Fantastic day, everything smooth as oil, assistance, professionalism, kindness. Gifts of the Mariposa Tours team that we know well, we always entrust our excursions to them. Early departure allows you to reach places not crowded with tourists, appreciating them best. Good food and guaranteed fun. Gabriel number one. Thanks to all the staff. Highly recommended

Beautiful water, ideal temperature. Sand with corals, not to be stolen. Beautiful experience to do at least once in a lifetime. Relax.

It was mostly great, at the beginning when they picked us up we’re saying that my reservation was only for 1 person, they didn’t even know Viator platform. At the end they contacted the provider and everything was solved.

Everybody was very friendly, and the catamaran cruise was pleasant, with drinks included and a few hours to enjoy a truly paradise-like beach. Pros - The people are genuinely nice and attentive - The beach and water are stunning, a real paradise Cons - Staff can be a bit pushy when asking for tips - Not really a VIP experience, as the service is similar to cheaper day trips Drink selection is limited: only rum-based drinks on the boat, same plus beer on the beach Keep in mind that this is a full-day excursion. It starts very early at 6:00 am and returns around 8:00 pm.

A catamaran transportation to the island, the food is provided at the beach, we stayed there till 3 o’clock and we returned back. The beach is sandy but the sea not so incredible

I feel forced to give this experience 1 star, but the saving grace was our driver, Daniel. His professionalism at the start made me feel this would be an amazing day on a picturesque beach. My joy ended upon arriving at the port. The barely "English" speaking guide, Chocolate greeted everyone and gave nicknames to each group. And that's where this comical trip begins. We boarded a small boat to board a catamaran, which took us to a "hustling party boat". The open bar was - rum and 2 liter of coke. Water was in a large jug. The hustle for tips was consistent throughout the entire journey. Beware of the photo sessions (you'll be asked to pay for it). Our "party boat" waited for over 20 minutes for another catamaran of "victims" to board, and then we headed to Saona Island. The island is beautiful, but nothing about the experience is. The bathrooms are out houses with toilets that do not flush. No soap or hand sanitizer. Appartenly 2 things are the responsibility of the customer - hygiene and gas for the boat. We left the island with too many people on the boat. Halfway on the journey back to the port a boat met ours in the middle of the ocean to offload some of our passengers onto that one, I should have gotten on that boat. We continued on to the area to see turtles, which sadly were not visible. They were probably avoiding our boat like I should have avoided this experience. We depart the turtle area and run out of gas. How does this happen? Chocolate waved down another boat, which was able to take some passengers, while others like myself, young children / families and elders were left stranded waiting for a miracle to get us back to the port. Finally another boat came and we made back to the port where our driver Daniel brought us to gas station to use a proper bathroom and grab some snacks. If you want an experience that lacks communication about your itinerary, a sense of hygiene, and customer safety, this is for you.

Paid $140 and they ran out of protein: chicken and fish. On top of that, took forever to leave waiting on people from other boats to join us. Overpriced and didn't deliver