AMBER COVE SHORE EXCURSION: DAMAJUAGA JUMP & SLIDE

I have done many excursions in my life, and this was probably my favorite one I have ever done. This includes different excursions from cruise ships to different land excursions I’ve done in the past. This excursion had everything I ever hoped for in an excursion; transpiration, hiking (getting a workout in), the outdoors, adventure, snacks, and rum punch at the end. What else could you ask for from an excursion? Here’s my review of the Amber Cove Shore Excursion: Damajagua Jump and Slide.

I was going on an organized group cruise ship where many of us already knew each other and we didn’t like any of the excursions offered by our group. One of our friends suggested we look into the amber cove excursion through a third party. This is where I did a little bit of research and found the Damajagua Jump and Slide excursion through Viator. I quickly went to our group Facebook page, created an invite, and quickly riled up 15 other people to come on this excursion with me. WOOO.

When we arrived in port, a group of us got together and followed the instructions provided by the company of where to meet them for this excursion. When we were all gathered together, we joined another group of 4 in a van and were set off on our adventure.

Getting to the falls

On our drive to the falls, our lovely tour guide explained to us a brief history of the area and the country of Dominican Republic. He talked about the falls, the economy in the Dominican Republic, the population, and what we can expect from the tour. He was very knowledgeable about the area and spoke many different languages as well. He was great at keeping us entertained throughout the 25-minute ride and before we knew it we have arrived at the falls.

Once we got to the falls we were instructed to put on our baiting suits as well as wet shoes (the guide actually checked if we were wearing them), we geared up with helmets and life vests and we were ready to start our adventure.

The adventure begins

The adventure started with a hike up to the waterfalls. The company advertises the hike to be roughly 30 minutes, but it’s slightly longer when you have a group of 20 people. The hike was uphill, very slippery, and half the time you were walking through mud. Be careful this can be a dangerous hike if you’re not paying attention. Because this was a big group we ended up taking a couple of breaks in between for everyone to catch up, and to catch a breath. The hike wasn’t extreme for anyone that is in moderate condition. But, If you’re out of shape the hike isn’t impossible, it might just take slightly longer.

Once we finished our hike the real adventure began. In order to get back to what they call “base camp” we have to go through a series of jumps and slides through 12 natural waterfalls and slides. There was a total of about 10 slides and jumps.

We went through a couple small streams and rivers to get to the waterfall and it’s time to jump. The group ahead of us were not done by the time we got to this jump, so we had to wait a few minutes. This was great because we can see some people jump before we actually had to jump. The adrenaline was now rushing through each of our bodies. One by one we lined up and following the instructions of our tour guide. There was one that stayed back and told us where to jump and another that went ahead of him to clear the coast, and make sure we're not all jumping on top of each other.

The first jump

Adrenaline is now rushing through my body and I can’t wait to jump into the water. I’m a huge adventure seeker so I was not at all scared to jump; I look at the person in front of me jumping and get on the ledge behind them. One, two, JUMP! I am jumping into the water, holding my nose and my body touches the water. I submerge under and all I can think about is holy crap is that water deep, and cold. The first shock to my body happened and woke me right up. Straight from the first jump we get helped up from the water and have to jump into the river again. After just jumping a 10ft waterfall this second jump was no problem. I go meet up with the rest of my friends and we wait for everyone from our group to finish.

Leading up to the BIG jump

After the first jump, we did a series of smaller jumps, small slides, more hiking, and swimming through the river that led up to the big slide. It was great to be outside and enjoy the beautiful weather while participating in an awesome active activity. After a few more jumps and slides it was time for the BIG jump. Again, the guide counts off, 1,2,3 JUMP, and you step off the ledge jumping roughly 30 feet into the water. Your entire body is full of energy and so pumped that your entire body is shaking afterwards.

Tip: Don’t look down, it looks a lot harder than it is from above. Also remember not to hold up the line, if you’re scared, having doubts, or don’t want to do it at all there are ways you can walk around where you don’t have to jump. Remember safety comes first.

Once you’ve gotten through the big jump all the other ones were small in comparison. All the different slides came afterwards also; the slides were a lot of fun and some of them might have been scarier than some of the previous jumps we’ve done.

Once we completed all of the slides and waterfalls we had to do a short hike back to "base camp" where we had local rum punch and snacks waiting for us. There is also a small shop and showers for you to rinse off at the base camp. After our rum punch we got back to the bus and drove 25 minutes back to our cruise ship. On our ride our tour guide gave us different local instruments and we all played and sang to local music. It was the perfect way to end the tour.

This was the best tour I have ever done. With so many different active activities it really is the perfect tour for any adventure seeker. Most of the group that I was with was in their 40/50’s and a few of us younger, this was the perfect excursion for any age group. We all agreed how amazing this tour was, though we were all in a bit of pain for a day or two after the excursion. It’s an extremely active tour and if you’re not up for it I don’t suggest doing it, but if you’re up for the challenge and love an adventure definitely check them out on your next stop to Amber Cove. Check out the video below to see the actual jumping and sliding for yourself.

Xoxo Ania Travels 💜