After the previous day when we have visited Saona island with no issues, we are much more relaxed and prepared to enjoy a full day of adventure. Our tour agent recommended to combine 3 activites in the same day and add a pinch of adrenaline to our exotic holiday.

The fun started since the morning when our tour guide Nacho woke us up with a huge portion of laugh instead of coffee. The entire road trip he was presenting us the country with a note of irony but nevertheless with lot of pride for being born domenican.

Road trip, lot of laugh and… Nacho

Thats how we discovered that Domenican Republic has it’s own KFC, (see the picture below), a free hotel (the police station where you can spend the night free of charge) and a hospital with just one doctor, reason why the cemetery is located near by. Nachos explained us that the domenicans are mostly Catholics but a big percent of then (57%) are alcoholic. With the great taste of Mama Juana (local made beverage) I am not at all surprised.

Monkey land-Spend time playing with cute squirrel Monkey

The first stop of the day was at Monkey land. Monkeys are not in my list off favorite animals as they are unpredictable and get pissed of easly. However this experience was different than any other previous encounter, the little naughty creatures were not kept inside of the cage but wandering free in the nature until they were sensing the sound of metal bowls which announced the best time of the day: the lunch. Beside the food, my new little friends seemed to be very interested in fashion and won’t stop playing with the hanging shells of my blouse.

• 

• 

The monkeys are the size of a squirrel, very active, interactive and harmless. Those type of monkeys have the largest brain proportional to their body of any primate. No wonder we got along so well!

To be able to visit the monkey sanctuary you must understand the instructions given in English or Spanish in order to avoid injuring yourself or the monkeys and petting is totally prohibited… in the end we must not forget that we are dealing with wild animals and not with pets.

Spice up your exotic holiday with the Zipline adventure

Zipline… always wanted to try, never had the courage nor the oportunity. I must admit that I regreted my decision as soon as I was attached and pushed toward my first zipline, even thought the equipment seemed pretty safe and the staff from Runners adventures very proffesional.

• 

• 

As soon as I reached my first platform and felt the ground below my feet I smiled proudly of my achievement, thinking that it’s all over but the crew announced me that I still have 11 more paltforms until the finish lane. Oh my God! I wasn’t prepared for that but the adrenaline took over me and with excitement I climbed higher and higher until I reached the last platform: 800 meters long.

Until that stage I haven’t face any issue, speading throughout the beautiful jungle landscape like a pro, however the last lane gave me a bit of headache, when the strong wind stopped my skinny body right in the middle of the lane. I followed the instructions of the staff and started pulling myself with both arms towards the platform, however the huge ravine and the sound of the river below me didn’t help much. I figure out I have two option: fainting or put all my effort in to reach a safe place and of course I chose the latest.

• 

• 

After all the experience I totally recommend Zipline as part of your visit in Domenican Republic. Below you can find the website where you can book your adventure and experience the longest Zipline of the country and the only one which features a side by side cable, which means you will be able to ride alongside your travel buddy.

https://www.runnersadventures.com/zip-lining/zip-lines-adventures-punta-cana/

Budgies adventure-Let’s drive on the muddy land

The last activity was the Budgies tour on a difficult terrain, the kind of off road adventure. The adrenaline had raised at unimaginable levels given the fact that me and my friend were both unexperienced drivers and our car had some issues with the breaks. Watch out… we are cooooming!

The staff was very helpful and once they noticed our little problem they changed our car and we continued the ride through the mud until we reached a river where we supposed to refresh ourself.

The river was far from spectacular and I prefered to have a quick breakfast with some items that we “stole” from the buffet in the morning as our tour guide advised us that the government just restricted the lunched organized by the travel agencies around the country in order to prevent the spread of Corona.

• 

A visit to a local farm and the best part of the trip… Mama Juana

We wrapped up the day with a visit to a local farmhouse near by where we had the chance of tasting delicious cacao drink, domenican coffee and the famous Mama Juana.

• 

Domenicans are really proud of their national drink Mama Juana which is considered to be a strong aphrodisiac and also a great medicine that can cure the flu, aid digestion and circulation and also cleanse the blood, kidney and liver.

Basically Mama Juana it’s a delicious mix of herb, rum, wine and honey which taste very similar with Sangria but has far more benefits. The best thing about this drink is that can be refilled and let to infuse with the plants for a similar experience.

A holiday to Domenican Republic wouldn’t be complete without Mama Juana experience!

To be continued…

https://mihaelaida.com/2021/05/26/a-complete-guide-to-domenican-republic-the-capital-santo-domingo/