bayahibe, Dominican Republic

May 13-20, 2023

With option to add-on SCUBA Diving

Bayahibe is a charming fishing village that has it all: spectacular beaches, gorgeous natural surroundings, and sea beds teeming with marine life.

At Iberostar Selection Hacienda Dominicus, you can take it all in right from the beachfront… or from the iconic lighthouse, whose unique charm will make your photos look like postcards. This 5-star hotel featuring colonial architecture and stunning gardens comes with fun for the whole family: a splash pool, kids’ activities offered through their Star Camp program, coral reef diving, services at the SPA Sensations and an array of dining options that are sure to please everyone, including 5 specialty restaurants.

Add-on Scuba Diving

With this scuba add on you will be visiting and working to grow and restore the resort's own coral reef nursery in the ocean! During the first two days you will get to collect fragments of coral from the nurseries and transplant them on the resorts own reef. The days after that you will have the opportunity to dive and see some ship wrecks and to hunt lions fishes.

Indulge yourself in the clearest water and surround yourself with the ocean wildlife with this add-on.

This Scuba add-on includes 10 day dives, 2 night dives, 2 day coral gardener class, 1 nature hike with cavern snorkel and all required diving gear. See the document below for more information.

Not certified yet?
You've got time!

Our partners at Aquatic Adventures of Ohio have (indoor) classes going year-round! You can complete the classroom portion of your SCUBA diving certification and then do your checkout dives in some of the warmest, clearest waters in the world!
Click the link below for more information!

(and if you aren’t based in Ohio, no worries! You can still do your classroom training close to home and complete the checkout dives on vacation with us!)

SCUBA ADD-ON : Coral Gardener course (Day 1) + Coral spawning sunset dive

This morning, you will go out for a boat dive trip with 2 dives on the coral nursery sites. The 2 dives will include some buoyancy exercises to evaluate each participant level, and you will help participate on the maintenance and cleaning of different structures of the coral nurseries. The dive trip will start at 8:30 am and you will be back around 1 pm. After a lunch break at the hotel, you will come back to the dive center in the afternoon for a more detailed explanation about corals, threats to coral reefs, coral nurseries, asexual and sexual assisted reproduction, and the Fundemar’s coral restoration program. Then, you will get ready for another dive from the shore at sunset time to try to observe the spawning of the grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis). According to our prevision, the coral spawning for this coral should happen in Bayahibe on May 15 or May 16.

SCUBA ADD-ON : Coral Gardener course (Day 2) + Coral spawning sunset dive

Today, you will go out again for a boat trip with 2 dives. During the first dive you will collect fragments of coral on the coral nurseries. You will transport the fragments on the boat, and during the second dive you will transplant the fragments on the reef with different methods (depending on our needs and on the participant level). You will evaluate and measure all transplanted fragment. Each diver can plant their own fragment! The dive trip will start at 8:30 am and you will be back around 1 pm. After a lunch break and some rest in the afternoon, you will get ready for another dive from the shore at sunset time to try to observe the spawning of the grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis). According to our prevision, the coral spawning for this coral should happen in Bayahibe on May 15 or May 16.

SCUBA ADD-ON : Wreck Diving Day

Today will be the day to explore 2 wrecks in Bayahibe. You will do the deep dive first on St Georges wreck, where you might be able to encounter some bigger fishes. The second dive will be on the Atlantic Princess, a shallow wreck that is also full of fishes. The dive trip will start at 8:30 am and you will be back around 1 pm.

SCUBA ADD-ON : Peñon Reef Lionfish Hunting and visit of the Natural Pool and Mangroves in the National Park

This excursion combines scuba diving at Peñon Reef, one of the best reef in the area, and the visit of Cotubanama’s National Park. This is a full day trip starting at 8:30 am and you will be back around 4:30 pm. Peñon reef is one of the most beautiful dive sites in the area, where you often see larger animals (turtles, eagle rays, stingrays, …), as well as many fishes and big pillar corals. In the morning, you will do 2 dives in 2 different parts of the reef and try to hunt some lionfishes (invasive fishes in the Caribbean).

After the dives, you will stop at La Piscina Natural (Natural Pool) of Las Palmillas, where you will enjoy a picnic style lunch on the boat. There, you will be able to snorkel with the giant starfishes on the sand bank, in a paradisiac landscape. Then, you will navigate to the mangroves, where you can observe some turtles and rays from the boat.

SCUBA ADD-ON : Catalina Island

Today you will go for a full day to Catalina Island. Catalina Wall is a great underwater cliff with the nicest corals. This dive site is suitable for deeper dives for experienced divers as well as beginners that will stay on the shallow platform. After the dives, you will have lunch on the boat close to Catalina beach, in a paradisiac landscape. On the way back to Bayahibe, you will navigate in the Chavon River, a famous river that was the location of some Hollywood movies. You can admire magnificent wild landscapes, and observe birds such as pelicans, vultures, fish eagles. If you're lucky, you might come across Pepe the manatee. This is a full day from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.

SCUBA ADD-ON : Cotubanama National Park and Padre Nuestro's Cave

This half-day trip combines a guided mini-hike in the National Park of Cotubanama - Padre Nuestro and snorkeling in an underwater lake in Chicho’s cave. You will follow the guide for a mini-trek in the National Park, where you will learn more about the local vegetation and how the Taïnos Indians used them for living, cross the cactus forest, and enjoy the natural landscape. Then, you will do down in Chicho’s cave where you will be able to see some bats and snorkel in an underwater lake in the dark with diving lights in a crystal-clear water. This half-day trip is from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm.

TRAVEL DETAILS

REGISTRATION FORM

PLEASE TYPE CAREFULLY! INACCURATE INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN TRAVEL DELAYS AND/OR CHANGE FEES.

(Please submit one registration form per household -max 4 people per registration form)

F.A.Q.

What airport should I fly into?

While there are several airport options for this trip, we have found the most affordable (and the airport that offers the most flight options) is Punta Cana (PUJ)

If you choose to fly into a different airport that’s totally fine!
We cab arrange your airport transfers for an additional cost.

What time should I arrive in Punta Cana?

Check in time at the resort is not until 3pm.
We suggest arriving in Punta Cana around 2 or 3pm.

What time is the check in to the Resort?

• Check in at the resort will not be until 3pm at the earliest.

  • If you arrive early, or your room is not yet ready for you to check in when you arrive, you may be able to leave your bags with the front desk and they will keep them securely held behind the desk while you go out and eat or explore the resort until your room is ready.
    

Do I have to be certified to go SCUBA diving?

Yes, an Open Water Certification is required to go SCUBA diving.

If you haven’t gotten certified yet, you don’t know what you’re missing!
You can do your classroom work before your trip and then do your checkout dives on vacation!

Can I go diving just a few times? Or do I have to dive every day?

The first rule of diving (well, one of the first rules) is to call a dive if you aren’t comfortable. This means that if you have signed up to go diving one day and you don’t feel comfortable, please don’t get in the water.
That said, this is a personal choice and not one that will result in a refund of money.

If you want to go diving, but don’t want to participate in the active dive schedule we have included, we can arrange a separate dive for you, as often as you’d like!
The great thing about this resort, is that they have a house reef! So you don’t have to go far to get some great diving in.

Can I pay by Zelle?

Yes!

We started taking Zelle payments last month and we found this to be a fast and FREE way to pay!
For those who don’t know what Zelle is… it is very much like a wire transfer (but it is not a wire transfer).

Everyone’s bank is different, though, so you may want to call/go in to your local bank and ask to have the maximum amount available to transfer every day.

Example: Some banks only allow $500/day transfer. Other banks will allow $1200/day.

Always be careful when making payments through Zelle to people that you do not know. There is no protection guarantee provided and you cannot reverse the fee.

The Pros for using Zelle:

• It is FREE (no processing fees)!

• It is instantaneous (funds will go directly to Zone Travel- so this is the absolute fastest way to make a payment)

The Cons for using Zelle:

• Every bank is different when it comes to maximum amount available to be transferred every day. So, this may mean that you need to make multiple payments to Zone Travel, multiple days in a row.

• It does require an app download onto your phone, and you need to set up your account with your bank information.

Can I pay by check?

Yes!

If you would like to avoid the 4%processing fees, you may pay by check.
It is very important that you pay in advance of the deadlines and allow ample time for delivery.

You can make checks payable to “Zone Travel”

Please mail your checks (allowing 3-5 business days for delivery - PRIOR to deadline) to:
Zone Travel
PO Box 12052
Columbus, OH 43212

Payments received after the deadline could result in cancelation of your reservation or increased fees.

Pricing details

price Per Person: 

NON-DIVER RATES:

$1,228 (quad occupancy (2br))
$1,162 (triple occupancy)
$1,252 (double occupancy)
$1,881 (single occupancy)

DIVER RATES:

$2,233 (quad occupancy (2br))
$2,167 (triple occupancy)
$2,257 (double occupancy)
$2,886 (single occupancy)

*All pricing & availability is subject to change until completed through the booking process. If your vacation package includes airfare, baggage fees may be an additional cost. For international travel, a passport book is required. Most locations require at least 6 months before expiration on your passport, as well as 2 blank visa pages. Please make sure to have the correct and updated documents if applicable. If you have a criminal background, you are responsible for knowing the travel restrictions pertaining to the offense.

INCLUDED IN THE QUOTE

• Ground Transportation

  • Arrival and Departure: Punta Cana Airport

• Hotel accommodations

• All Meals while at the resort

• Most taxes and fees

  • Service fees and commissions (NON REFUNDABLE)

NOT INCLUDED

• 4% processing fee per payment (if paying w/credit card)

• Airfare

• Local taxis

• Most meals/beverages (unless included in the itinerary)

• Optional Travel Insurance *DUE AT TIME OF BOOKING- PLEASE REVIEW THE DETAILS OF EACH PLAN THOROUGHLY

  • Basic (starting at $148)

    • Please Note: This plan does NOT include epidemic or pandemic-related illness, individually-ordered quarantine, and denied boarding.

  • Cancel for Anytime (starting at $269)

    • Please Note: Under certain conditions, covered reasons for some benefits of this plan include epidemic or pandemic-related illness, individually-ordered quarantine, and denied boarding.

  • Other insurance options are available, if you have questions or want more coverage options, please let us know at time of booking.

SUGGESTED PAYMENT SCHEDULE

There are three payment options available to you. 
*Payment schedule does not include insurance costs. Insurance is due with initial payment. 

Option 1: Full Payment
(Most affordable overall)
Full payment (plus insurance)- due no later than April 1, 2023.
*Please keep in mind, a 4% processing fee will be charged at time of payment if paying with credit card. (this has not been included in the costs.)

Option 2: Two Payments
One payment will be due immediately and the second payment will be due no later than April 1, 2023.

(There will be a one time $50 fee per person, for this delayed payment option)
(More than 2 payments are not allowed without a 10% administrative fee per payment)
NOTE: If you choose the Cancel Anytime insurance, it will be due with your first payment. If you choose Basic insurance, you can choose to add that payment on at any time prior to departure of your trip; however, please note that you will not be covered for any changes or cancelations until you purchase this policy. It is illegal to purchase insurance with the knowledge and intent that you will be changing or canceling your trip.)

*Please keep in mind, a 4% processing fee will be charged at time of payment if paying with credit card. (this has not been included in the costs.)

***SPECIAL: IF YOU PAY THIS TRIP IN FULL BY DECEMBER 31, YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY THE $50/PP FEE!***

TWO-PAYMENT PLAN:

(price per person)
Due now: $200 + Insurance (suggested)
Apr 1: Remainder due

Option 3: Monthly Payments

(There will be a one time $50 fee per person, in addition to a 10% admin fee per payment for this delayed payment option)
NOTE: If you choose the Cancel Anytime insurance, it will be due with your first payment. If you choose Basic insurance, you can choose to add that payment on at any time prior to departure of your trip; however, please note that you will not be covered for any changes or cancelations until you purchase this policy. It is illegal to purchase insurance with the knowledge and intent that you will be changing or canceling your trip.)

*Please keep in mind, a 4% processing fee will be charged at time of payment if paying with credit card. (this has not been included in the costs.)

***SPECIAL: IF YOU PAY THIS TRIP IN FULL BY DECEMBER 31, YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY THE $50/PP NOR THE 10% FEE!***

MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN:

Due now: $200 + Insurance (suggested)
The remainder of the invoice is split between the remaining months- with full payment completed by April 1.

REGISTRATION 

• A completed registration form (one per household -max 2 people per registration form)

  • If you have more than 2 people from the same household going on this trip, please fill out multiple forms, as the maximum per form is 2 people.

FINAL PAYMENT

• Payments not received on time will result in reservation cancellation without refund.

• Additional bookings after the final payment deadline may result in higher prices, less availability and additional administrative fees.

• Fee amounts imposed are at the discretion of Zone Travel.

CANCELLATION

Cancellation in writing must be received by Zone Travel 60 days prior to departure for appropriate refund on the land tour cost minus the following fees:

• Commissions and Travel insurance are non-refundable.

Travel Insurance

TRAVEL INSURANCE - AVAILABLE FOR ALL USA CITIZENS - DUE WITH INITIAL PAYMENT

Zone Travel LLC strongly suggests purchasing Trip Cancellation insurance. Be sure to check with your healthcare provider as most U.S. medical coverage will not cover you outside of the country.

Insurance costs are based on the total package cost, including air taxes and charges listed under "Included."

Approximate amounts can be given at time of reservation in order to purchase the appropriate amount of insurance.

BASIC PLAN:

The Basic Plan is so affordable you can have your fun and protect it too - all while staying within your budget. The plan has a wide-variety of covered reasons for trip cancellation and interruption, and it can also include coverage for existing medical conditions so you can book your trip with complete confidence.
Please Note: This plan does NOT include epidemic or pandemic-related illness, individually-ordered quarantine, and denied boarding.

Trip Cancellation: Trip Cost

Trip Interruption: Trip Cost

Emergency Medical/Dental Coverage: $10,000.00

Emergency Medical Transportation: $50,000.00

Baggage Coverage: $500.00

Baggage Delay: $200.00

Travel Delay: $300.00

24-Hour Hotline Assistance: Included

CANCEL ANYTIME: 
(NY RESIDENTS-PLEASE ENQUIRE ABOUT SIMILAR OPTIONS)

The Cancel Anytime Plan gives you the extra flexibility of knowing you can cancel your trip for almost any unforeseen reason that the Classic plan does not already cover at 100% and receive 80% of your non-refundable trip costs back. It includes benefits like trip cancellation protection, primary emergency medical benefits, 24-hour travel assistance, and more. This plan also has SmartBenefitsSM that can pay you proactively and simplify your claims process with no receipts required. Under certain conditions, covered reasons for some benefits of this plan include epidemic or pandemic-related illness, individually-ordered quarantine, and denied boarding.
Please note: This plan must be purchased within 14 days of your initial trip deposit and must cover the full non-refundable trip cost ($10,000 maximum). You could also be eligible for pre-existing condition exclusion waiver if all requirements are met (please refer to plan documents for details).
Important information about this plan: Plan charge includes costs of insurance benefits and assistance services. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, your plan excludes losses due to that condition unless you qualify for a waiver under the terms of your plan. See Plan and Pricing Details for more information.

Trip Cancellation: Trip Cost

Trip Interruption: Trip Cost

Emergency Medical/Dental Coverage: $25,000.00

Emergency Medical Transportation: $500,000.00

Baggage Coverage: $1,000.00

Baggage Delay: $300.00

Change Fee Coverage: $500.00

Loyalty Program Redeposit Fee Coverage: $500.00

Travel Delay: $800.00

24 Hour Hotline Assistance Plus: Included