Samana Tropical with DodoMap

One of my closest friends drowned in this pool. Nobody knew until we were leaving the place. It's super deep, and there was no one there to save you. Please don't get in unless you're a great swimmer.

We didn't stay overnight because we already had a hotel in town, but really enjoyed visiting Samana Tropical Jungle Village on a day pass. It's only 3 miles from the town center and easy to reach by motoconcho. Everything was clean and well kept, and the tree houses and villas were all charming and different. Michael, one of the staff, showed us around some of the tree houses and villas for overnight guests. Then I had a lovely swim in the natural pool. The cool fresh water comes from the jungle. They had a stand-up paddle board I could use, and you can jump off the platform if you're brave. We heard birdsong all through the jungle and saw hummingbirds and beautiful flowers. We happened to visit one February morning when we had the place to ourselves. The kitchen wasn't open that day, though I think it's open at busier times. It was a lovely way to enjoy the area's natural beauty while still being close to town, and we really recommend checking it out.

Really bad service. My boyfriend and I travel by bicycle, so we need to plan our trip carefully. I sent an official booking request through their website and never got a reply. I find that extremely rude. If they're full, that's fine, but a quick message to say so wouldn't hurt anyone. Customer service clearly doesn't seem to be a priority.

A group of us spent the day here and we were all happy with it. The owners and staff were super friendly, the food was amazing, and so were the views. We'll visit again.