Kelsey D
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Posts posted by Kelsey D
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1 hour ago, Judyrem said:
I want to do this so very much, but my sister in law is not adventurous and is not into water activities. Would she be able to just walk with group or should I just do a beach day with her😔
There are alternative ways down some of the larger waterfalls, but you definitely have to get wet on this tour. If my daughter was given the option to avoid the water, she would have taken it. However, there was no choice but to take the plunge, and she was so glad that she did. If your sister-in-law feels strongly about not getting in the water, I don’t recommend bringing her along. I don’t think that she can avoid the water, and she won’t enjoy herself. If she only THINKS that it’s not for her, like my daughter, she may love it if she can let go of her fear. It was an amazing adventure. I hope that you get to experience it.
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1 hour ago, my2monkees said:
Kelsey - about how long did the 27 falls take? We are going in November and my son hink8ng of doing this but we are only in port 7:30-3:30(so back on board by 2:30). Is this enough time?
I estimate that we were onsite about 4 hours from drop off to pick up by taxi, and it’s about a 30-minute drive each way. You should be fine getting back on board by 2:30 if you 1) get off the ship relatively early and 2) don’t anticipate that your group will need frequent breaks. We only took one break during the 45-minute hike, and we made good time getting down the falls. I would go for it!
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15 hours ago, RW_MI said:
Kelsey - how did you and your daughter find the water temps? I'll be there in early March and am wondering if I should wear my wetsuit top. I actually just bought it to bring on my next cruise because I get cold even when I'm snorkeling for 30 - 45 minutes, so hoping it will help a little. Thanks.
In March, it was...refreshing. You don’t really have time to think about it once you start, and after you take that first plunge, it’s fine. We weren’t uncomfortable at all, but it was definitely chillier than my preferred 80 degree water temp. I wore a long-sleeve bathing suit top. A wetsuit top isn’t a bad idea if you’re prone to being cold in water.
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7 hours ago, rinzler78 said:
Question for you Kelsey D...we are considering going the route of just getting a taxi and heading to the falls on our own. When you got to the lower falls that were crowded with the other tours how did your guides manage getting you to the front of the line? Is this something they are accustomed to doing for the much smaller groups who get a guide directly from the park? I’m 99% sure this is the route we want to go especially if it means getting to pass the masses of people in the lower falls is guaranteed because the guides from the park do this automatically when you’re not with a larger tour.
When we arrived, they grouped us with another family that was doing all 27, and we were assigned two guides, one to lead and one to trail the group. From what I understand, when you book through a tour company, at least one guide is assigned from the park itself; so every group, whether booked through a tour company or directly at the park, is officially led by a guide from the park. The guides all knew each other and worked together. What they were doing for us seemed customary. Nobody questioned it, and even the waiting tourists didn’t seemed phased by it. I can’t guarantee that they do this for every group, but they sure did make it seem like business as usual. I suspect that not too many opt for all 27 on any given day, so it’s probably not too disruptive to let a small group go to the front of the line when this happens. I am so thankful that we went this route. It was easy and less expensive; though, I’d be willing to pay more for this experience over that of a tour group. That’s just our preference though. Best of luck in your planning, and enjoy yourselves whichever route you decide!
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So happy to read this today! we have booked Carson for November this year, group of 4 of us on a custom “gardens” tour of the island. Thank you for sharing your mom’s experience.
Heather
You’re welcome! You’ll have to report back after your trip and let us know if you have the same great experience.
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I think it depends on your fitness level. I am 49 and carrying extra weight and I never exercise. I was able to do the hike, but was grateful for the breaks they gave us after each incline. I was a little winded but never felt like I couldn’t do it. Also, it is shaded most of the time so that helps. My teenagers and college-aged kids who are athletes had no problems at all with the hike. They really do give you lots of breaks.
Be careful when they tell you to be careful! I did slip on some rocks going downhill and bruised my knee pretty badly.
We had a wonderful time. The falls are beautiful and I’m so glad we did all 27. We were the only group there until we reached fall #7 and it got really crowded. I am glad we got to experience the upper falls before joining the masses!
I agree with this poster. Having the first 20 waterfalls to ourselves made for an amazing experience. My group, however, only had one break. They must work to accommodate the group. Since we were keeping up during the hike, they must’ve thought we didn’t need more breaks. Our ages ranged from almost 10 to 35, and we’re in good shape. A lot of heavy breathing though. I wish I could do that workout and be rewarded with those waterfalls every day.
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How far is the Isla Verde beach from the port? Can you rent chairs and umbrellas?
Any info would be helpful. Thanks!
It’s about 15 minutes from the OSJ pier. Chairs and umbrellas are likely available for rent in the resort area, but we were further out where there were no facilities.
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I have been on one tour with Ellis and worked with him to book two more that unfortunately were cancelled because of changes in plans. He is unbelievably helpful, even when he has nothing to gain, as was the case when he gave advice for OSJ, hotels, beaches and even a shout out to another tour guide. His tours are great, although somewhat altered due to the hurricane damage. If he doesn’t offer what you’re looking for, he’ll do his best to help you find a way to make it happen.
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Very helpful! So leaving Trunk Bay at 4:15 was safe to make the 5pm ferry?
Yes. We even had time to grab food to go at Cruz Bay Landing. The most likely thing to slow you down is if the taxi driver waits to fill his cab.
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Correction. Was on St. John 3 hrs 40 mins (1:20-5:00), Trunk Bay roughly 2 hrs 40 mins (1:35-4:15). I looked at my picture times.
Grabbed food at Cruz Bay Landing before getting back on the ferry.
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Thank you so much! That was extremely helpful. I’ll take 3 hours at Trunk Bay over zero hours! Just wish we docked earlier. [emoji57]
Same. When we booked our cruise it was 11:00-7:00. I was so disappointed when we lost time, but I wasn’t going to let that ruin our plans.
You are very welcome. Have a great time!
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We had the same schedule in March. Had we been able to get off the ship right at 11:30, we would have made it, but we were held up by Carnival until 11:45. We arrived just in time to see the ferry pull away. To kill time, we asked our cab driver to show us Sapphire and Lindquist. We still ended up wasting a lot of time at the ferry terminal, which was disappointing. We were on the 1:00 ferry and went straight to Trunk Bay when we arrived at Cruz Bay. We left the beach at 4:00 and took the 5:00 ferry back to St. Thomas. Had we made the noon ferry, we would’ve had time to shop on St. John, which I regret. But I don’t regret making the trip for just 3 hours on Trunk Bay. Love that place.
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My mom can’t say enough good things about Skinny Carson and Barbados. This was her favorite tour despite rain preventing them from stopping at the beach and despite the fact that she had an amazing itinerary and popular tours scheduled on other islands. He was extremely friendly and informative and took them to some lesser known places. Carson’s tour is completely customizable. I can’t wait to see her pictures. “Wow,” is all she could say.
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My mom is touring with Carson today. I set it up for her, and Carson was great to work with. Planned a custom tour for four at $40 per hour plus entrance fees. I’ll let you know how it went when she returns from her cruise.
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Kelsey - Thank you so much for sharing your itinerary and the beautiful photos. I'm going to contact the tourism board tomorrow to ask for maps for our trip in August. Thanks again!
You’re welcome!
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They never replied to my email, but the maps showed up in my mailbox in less than a week.
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So when you get the taxi, do you just ask them to take you to the falls? If you don't go with a tour company, how do you get a guide?
Yes. They offered a more robust taxi tour, but we declined and chose just a round trip ride to the falls.
The guides are assigned at the falls, and the life jackets, helmets, and optional lunch are provided as well. Anyone selling a tour is actually just providing the transportation and paying for your waterfall tour for you.
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And you will have some amazing photo ops with the kids. Best of luck to you. Have fun!
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Sounds like a great plan! Both forts are beautiful, but if my youngest had to choose a favorite, it would be San Cristobal for the dungeon.
Can you see my thick, black dots on this map? Those are our stops. We started like you did but had to improvise with some closures.
This isn’t the map I used that day. Another one I got from the tourist company was even better, but I gave it to my mom. If you don’t get one in advance, I highly recommend stopping there on your way to the fountain.
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You are very welcome.
It was not a lot of walking. The stops that I planned in the morning were very close together, so we never had a long walk between anything. Had we gone straight from one fort to the other, that would’ve been a longer haul, but instead we used that as our midday break and hopped in an air conditioned SUV.
I used the Uber app to get a driver. They are not abundant. A taxi driver might me easier to haul down if you’re not using your phone.
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El Morro...
Cemetery...
Totem Pole...
Lunch...
Beach across from restaurant...
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Let me try again.
Jail cells...
Paseo de la Princesa...
Chapel...
Pigeon Park...
Cathedral...
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Amber Cove Damajagua Waterfalls
in Dominican Republic
Posted · Edited by Kelsey D
It’s difficult to remember all of them, but here’s what I recall. I chickened out at the biggest jump, so I climbed down a ladder to bypass the jump. I remember my daughter choosing not to jump into the first one of the 27, which we had to swim into and climb onto a rock to jump in. She simply stayed at the base of the waterfall and got started at 26. I remember when given the choice of sliding or jumping, she always chose to slide. I also remember the guide leading her around a jump or two to a shorter drop where she could just slip into the water. My daughter is not adventurous at all but could do this. But you do have to be willing to get submerged. That’s inevitable.