From Punta Cana: Saona Island & Altos de Chavon Day Trip with Lunch and Open Bar

This was the worst tour I've ever booked on Viator. Time spent: Scheduled Pickup 6:10AM. Actual Pickup 6:21. Returned to Hotel at 9PM. 14.5 hours. Majority spent on bus without working air conditioning. Bus was fully packed despite Covid. Masking not enforced anywhere on tour. None of the Covid safety measures advertised were present. Bus also used while we were on the Island and not cleaned before we returned. After hours of picking up others from hotels, we stopped at a Gas station. We sat for awhile. We were waiting for other buses to combine on ours. We were already as full as should've been. As we were waiting, it was explained to those sitting in front why we were waiting but only because they asked and only on Spanish. My fiancé is native in Spanish and I'm learning so we knew what was going on. The English speakers were completely left in the dark as to why we were stopped at some random gas station in the middle of no where and not even getting gas. We then left this gas station to go to another to combine everyone on our bus. This left the bus almost fully packed, again, without air conditioning or masks enforced... Next, we stopped in a souvenir shop at 9AM. We spent about 30 minutes here. When you get off the bus, you are branded with a sticker. This is so when you buy something the tour operator gets a kick back as we were told by guides and the people working the shop. No soft drinks or refreshments have been served on the bus. This is also where you are told there is no open bar on the tour but you can buy alcohol here. A $9 bottle of rum was $35 USD. A cup of coffee was $5. This particular shop was also significantly out of the way. We had to backtrack to get back on the way to the Marina. I watched Google Maps... Back on the bus for a nice hot bus ride to the Marina. In English, the tour guide says to look outside to the left and right and see the sugar cane fields, they're owned by the largest company, etc. After he finishes talking, he realizes by looking outside he's talking about sugar cane and the actual view is trees and houses... Fail. He does start the same in Spanish once we start passing sugar cane fields... We arrive in the Marina and are told to exit the bus. Immediately circled by every souvenir salesperson there and left by the tour guide and bus driver with no direction or communication on where to go next or what's going on. Just stand here in the road. We're then joined into several other groups. Pedro was my "Daddy" also Benjamin's group. We're moved to the dock where we're given yarn bracelets(I assume so if we buy anything on the Island, they get a kick back). We're then packed onto speed boats. Wait, this is a catamaran tour right? The speed boat tour is about $40 less... Nope, and can't really talk to anyone about it at this point. Pedro gets out group on the first speed boat which fits 25 and we're off to the Island. Wait, no. We're off to about 20 meters from shore to sit and bake in the sun for 30 minutes with zero communication about why. Then two other speed boats each packed with 25 people; one with Pedro and one with Benjamin on them arrive. Apparently, this speed boat thing is a race. Our captain liked to win so we were beaten off of waves repeatedly. Stuff flew out of the boat, we stopped more than once to let the other boats catch up meanwhile, this was the most miserable experience ever. This wasn't some cool speed boat. Imagine a seat half the width of an airplane seat and made of fiberglass. About halfway through, we stopped so one or the tour guides could explain the difference between Haiti and the Dominican and toss in some misogynistic jokes about running out of gas. We then went to the natural pool. Cool. Lots of boats. Lots of people. Every boat driver coming in thinks he's fast and furious and you can watch them do their stupid fast turns out in the ocean coming in, ours included. The water on the pool was great and calm. Photos good. Zero life besides people. Looks like a natural pool that's been turned into a human water park. Back into Speed Racer. Off to lunch. On the Island, lunch was ok. It was a buffet lunch for 75 people. Ok, so it wasn't good and probably the cheapest possible lunch the tour company could buy per person. The tour company did offer lots and lots of free water. Swimming in the ocean was good, we got about 2 hours before our groups started being rounded up again. I also found it weird with Covid, we were in a massive group. There were other tours on the Island. There was not another tour completely disregarding distancing or sizes. We finally made it to the Catamaran as was advertised. Again, no drinks. We had a bottle of rum but no one even bothered to come around offering soft drinks, bottled water, snacks, anything. Once the Catamaran arrived back near the dock though, it seems the tour operators started realizing how much time they wasted with the souvenir shop and leaving us just stand around earlier. We were rushed back to the bus without air conditioning to go to Altos de Chavon. Absolutely no one was masked at this point. We arrive at Altos de Chavon and are very much so rushed through. No wonder why. They were closed. Ha. After Altos de Chavon, the entire bus was again driven out of the way to drop off the tour guide while extending our time. Repeat the morning in reverse, another 3 hours of dropping people off at a Gas Station and hotels, except, this time, those that spoke Spanish got to hear the story of how the driver was paid $150 to have intercourse with the husband of a married couple while the wife watched... Let me tell you. That was the perfect ending to that day. No. It wasn't. I want an entire day back of my life.

It was amazing !!! The water is a paradise ! The people are the sweetest and fun so much FUN’! The catamaran snd then the fast boat was incredible !!

Our meeting time in the lobby was 6:50 AM. We get a call in a room at 6:40 right before we were leaving and the driver said he was waiting and we had to hurry. We said no problem we will be there in 10 minutes, and when we got there at 6:50 AM he had left. He told us he had been waiting for 20 minutes – not our problem that he was super early, and then he said he left at 6:53 AM but the front desk will verify we were there at 6:50 AM sharp. He emailed us and said no refunds. They have $336 of our money this is beyond shady

Great trip to la Isla Saona. The ride on the Catalan was the most memorable experience. The tour guides were great and it was worth an all day excursion.

A stop in a "natural pool" next to the natural park was nice. The island of Saona is magnificent. Never went to Altos de Chavon. Stopped in a small souvenir shop which was not necessary.

Our tour guide was very entertaining along with all the staff. Felt safe and comfortable at all times.

Really bad experience, I've waited for two hours anda no one showed up and don't even contact me to let me know of any changes.

Nice trip but mass produced and consumed. Numerous bus transfers with some confusion. Service people (guides bartenders marineros dancers) were all attentive. Lunch was ok quality. Our buses brakes caught fire on the way back but the driver recovered quickly and impressed transportation for us back to our stop.

Well organized, funny tour guides and fully worth it...Altos De Chavon is a must see! Wish I had more time there...

See my review on trip advisor (FRIOG) Don’t go it absolutely spoilt a true destruction of paradise Please see my extensive review on trip advisor