El Sonador River Experience, Dominican Republic

After two days at sea, we stopped at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. I've done a walking tour of the city during a previous cruise and was disappointed at how "touristy" that was. This time around, I signed up for the El Sonador River Experience which took us into the rainforest in Yasica Arriba.

The excursion started by boarding a small open air bus at the cruise terminal, the drive to the river took about an hour during which the guide gave us a short history of the island and the way of life here. Upon arrival at the base of operations, we were given life vests and safety helmets. I changed into my rash guard, running tights (to protect from impact with rocks, etc) and water shoes. I was a little worried about jumping into the river and floating down rapids: breaking a limb would definitely mess up my vacation. We hiked along a trail to where we would get into the water. The areas where we went in were quite safe although the water flowed fast in some sections. We went in and out of the river in three spots along the trail. At least two staff members were in the water with us. The river was beautiful, with clear and in parts, blue/green water, cool and refreshing. We all, especially the kids in the group, had a great time!

The excursion included a simple lunch which was very good: grilled chicken, fried plantains, beans and rice and salad.

We boarded the bus back to the cruise terminal. Near to town, we persuaded the driver to stop at a roadside stand that sold puerco asado (roast pork) that we were told was commonly sold during the new year. Some of us bought a plate of the meat that was served with boiled bananas (interesting).

At the terminal, I had time to walk about to take more photos. I really enjoyed this excursion, given the chance, would do it again!