Anyone been to Samana,DR

[quickme]

Can't wait for this week to end. A group of us are heading down to Samana Dominican Republic for 7 days. We're staying at the Grand Bahia Prinicipe El Portillo. I've already packed my rod and reel for some shore fishing. Just looking to see if anyone had been to the resort and have had any luck casting a few lures? I hope to be able to give a report after my trip.

 

 

Nick

[BillM]

A few jig heads and some shrimp is all you'll really need. Steal the shrimp from the all you can eat table

[fishing n autograph]

I was there in 2009. We had a Terrible time. Unless you are staying on the private island all the resorts are overrated. We stayed at the grand Bahia principe Samana. It was rated a 4 star and I wouldn't have given it 2.5. We spoke to others on the excursions and we heard similar complaints - bad food, bugs everywhere in the room, no entertainment. It is also a slow bumpy ride in a bus up the mountains.

 

Samana is in a jungle environment so it's quite steamy compared to punta Cana.

 

I'm not sure about your resort but with ours locals could buy day passes and spend the day in the tiny pool and on the beach.

[fishinmortician]

Don't steal the shrimp from the table, they are cooked. Pay someone in the kitchen 5$ they will give you a giant bag of raw shrimp. I have not been to samana but read many reviews on trip advisor about the fishing, I believe there is a fishing pier nearby, along with lots of rocky ledges along the beach, have fun!

[Andy]

My wife and I had a one day stop there a couple of years ago with a cruise. I don't mean to rain on your parade, but I couldn't wait to get out of there. I would never go back based on that one experience. It was filthy and I never felt safe. It was the only stop, in all of our stops over three different cruises in the Caribbean, that the captain gave a formal warning to passengers going ashore to be careful re; drugs and the local police shaking you down. Not very reassuring. Loads of locals begging for money, including small children. That being said, we stuck with a tour company and we didn't have any real problems. I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm and I hope that you have a good trip. Just be smart and think about when, where and how you go when you leave the resort. Andy

Edited August 15, 2013 by Andy

[fishing n autograph]

I never felt unsafe there. Especially when every car you see is a Lexus or mercedes lol.

 

It's much much different than punta Cana by far

[Andy]

That is the one problem(?) with the cruise thing. You have one day to develop an impression of a stop and if your tour or day trip isn't all you hoped for, you have that impression for the whole island. My wife and I didn't think much of Belize either, but my daughter went there and loved it. So hopefully quickme has a good trip. But I still wouldn't go back to Samana myself.

[quickme]

I was there in 2009. We had a Terrible time. Unless you are staying on the private island all the resorts are overrated. We stayed at the grand Bahia principe Samana. It was rated a 4 star and I wouldn't have given it 2.5. We spoke to others on the excursions and we heard similar complaints - bad food, bugs everywhere in the room, no entertainment. It is also a slow bumpy ride in a bus up the mountains.

 

Samana is in a jungle environment so it's quite steamy compared to punta Cana.

 

I'm not sure about your resort but with ours locals could buy day passes and spend the day in the tiny pool and on the beach.

 

I was reading reviews on Trip advisor and it seems okay. ( I hope!) When we went to Cuba we experienced what you experienced in Samana. 100's of locals, bad food, bugs everywhere ( we had a tarantula outside our door) and locals FILLING the pools ( not a big deal, I can swim in a pool here, I don't have an Ocean in Ontario). I wouldn't go back to Cuba eventhough its much cheaper for a family of 4.

 

 

 

Don't steal the shrimp from the table, they are cooked. Pay someone in the kitchen 5$ they will give you a giant bag of raw shrimp. I have not been to samana but read many reviews on trip advisor about the fishing, I believe there is a fishing pier nearby, along with lots of rocky ledges along the beach, have fun!

 

Shrimp is last resort. I am hoping to run into slightly bigger even though those little guys in saltwater fight like 3lb bass!

 

 

My wife and I had a one day stop there a couple of years ago with a cruise. I don't mean to rain on your parade, but I couldn't wait to get out of there. I would never go back based on that one experience. It was filthy and I never felt safe. It was the only stop, in all of our stops over three different cruises in the Caribbean, that the captain gave a formal warning to passengers going ashore to be careful re; drugs and the local police shaking you down. Not very reassuring. Loads of locals begging for money, including small children. That being said, we stuck with a tour company and we didn't have any real problems. I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm and I hope that you have a good trip. Just be smart and think about when, where and how you go when you leave the resort. Andy

 

I heard the same thing from a few friends that were on a cruise. I am always on alert especially with my family in tow. The begging and drugs don't bug me, I have experienced that all here. I am going there with an open mind and very excited to get away. We are pretty low maintenance so as long as there are no bugs in my room that can kill me, food doesn't get me sick , cold drinks and fishing is good from the beach I am one happy camper!

 

 

@ BillM I don't know if I could steal cooked shrimp. I'm afraid they won't last the walk to the beach .

 

 

I hope to give all of you a report after my trip. If i'm skunked by the 3rd day there I'm going to get some shrimp. Its not much of a resort if I don't have any pics of any fish.

 

 

Nick

[DanD]

Here's a Dominican Republic message board; lots of good info for all areas of the Dominican.

Easy people to talk to and are usually more then willing to help and answer questions

.

http://debsdrtravels.proboards.com/board/6/samana

 

Have a great trip; they're usually what you make them.

 

Dan.