DO NOT BOOK A TOUR WITH THIS COMPANY. I booked via Viator (first mistake) and paid in full for this trip. I was so excited to go diving and spend the day on Catalina Island. Excursion Star left a voicemail at 8:45 pm the night before my trip (I don’t have an international phone plan so I can’t receive or make calls without wifi) that stated “we will be picking you up in your hotel lobby at 7:30 am tomorrow morning. I got home around 12:30 am, listened to the VM and texted them saying I got the VM and would be ready and waiting in the lobby. I was in the lobby waiting at 7:20 am, by the time 7:40 am rolls around I start texting and messaging Viator. No one messages back. I tried calling (I had to pay for making this international call) but it didn’t ring. Then at 7:50 am someone from the tour company calls and says they aren’t coming because I didn’t call them back last night (at 9 pm even though the website states they closed at 4 pm) to “confirm pick up”. I was confused because I thought the VM was confirming pick up as they said “ this call is to confirm pick up and we will be picking up at 7:30 am in the lobby of your hotel”. I begged them to come get me as it was the only day I could dive and I already paid, begged them even though this was clearly NOT my error. They refused and then refused refunding me. Luckily I have the voicemail which clearly supports my side. Unluckily I not only missed out on diving and Catalina Island, but had to spend the entire morning on the phone with Viator proving they no-showed. Viator should be on the side of the customer who PAID for a tour they didn’t receive and the tour operator should have to provide the burden of proof. Instead I had to send the voicemail recording and documentation supporting the fact that they never called “numerous times to no avail to reach me”, they never texted or emailed. Very poor customer service and ruined my vacation. Pay a little extra and go with a tour company that values your time and your expectations for a vacation!! DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE PEOPLE. You will be left with a ruined vacation and zero help. I should add this is the second time I’ve booked a tour with Viator where the tour operator no-showed and you have to fight tooth and nail to get a refund even when you have all the supporting documentation proving you were not in the wrong. Viator and it’s operators are just trying to rip you off-not worth the hassle!!

The location of this attraction was very far from our resort, so it was hours of travel to get there. That was fine because we were really looking forward to a great boat ride, horseback riding, and a beautiful waterfall. The boat ride was the only thing we enjoyed. We arrived along with about 150 other processed tourists from maybe six other tour groups to clearly overworked horses and “volunteer” guides who don’t make a wage – they literally live on tips from the riders, which is appalling considering the price of the trip. The trail to the waterfall was laden with mud and difficult stones; we felt so sorry for the horses, who were clearly miserable and had to be urged on by guides who hit them with sticks. It was pretty awful. What’s more, we weren’t riding horses; we were just sitting on them as they trod along. When we arrived at the waterfall, which should have been an intimate location, we shared our experience with more than a hundred other tourists; we couldn’t step three feet without running into someone. The afternoon beach visit was better: we were able to find some seclusion and quiet. We should say, apart from the horse guides, all of the staff on this trip were excellent: the guides, boat captains, and drivers. It wasn’t their fault the excursion was entirely overpopulated. Our Amstar booker steered us totally wrong with this excursion: she made it sound as though we'd be off the beaten path in a magical location after wonderful horseback riding. Instead it was miserable and unfulfilling.

This goes beyond the Colonial. A great way to learn the more modern history of the DR under Trujillo and beyond.