Mission Trips
to Samaná,
Dominican Republic

You will want to fly into Santo Domingo (the capital of Dominican Republic). The airport code is SDQ. The flight is 2h 20m Nonstop from major Southeast airport hubs, like Miami. Getting around the country is best through private transportation. We can help you arrange transportation to the Advocates of Love campus.

When you bring currency into the country, it can be exchanged into pesos. We recommend waiting and completing a currency exchange when someone from our team is with you to ensure the best rate. We don’t recommend exchanging money at the airport, because you will not get the best rate.

** IMPORTANT** There is an E-ticket that must be filled out before checking into the departure flight from the US. You won’t be able to check-in unless it is filled out.

E-ticket link - https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/

Cuisine is prepared by our kitchen staff and it is a local menu with seasonally fresh proteins and produce – very farm to table in style. We like to give mission trip guests an authentic Dominican culinary experience. It’s not fancy, just fresh and local!. Your group can request meals and exclusions ahead of time – we accommodate what we can, and we ask that you make us aware of any food allergies or sensitivities ahead of time, also. Examples of meal basics include rice and beans, eggs, plantains, and more.

The accommodation for short-term mission trips (5-Day trips) is our Mission Hotel. Here we can offer comfortable housing for 15-20 guests. For longer-term stays and internships, we have an Internship Domicile called Casa Rosa. This home can house up to six (6) interns at one time.

From the time your group arrives to when you depart, you will be with our staff and hired support teams. There is very little, if any, time spent in unknown areas or with people unknown to us. Any independent day excursions your group would like to take are fully vetted, planned and communicated. For example, the transportation team we partner with are very local and are very well known. We know all of the drivers and the owners. This goes for all of the activities we plan. Dominican Republic is a relatively safe country and many on our team feel comfortable traveling in the country alone, with just the accompaniment of our staff. As with any travel through a major city, there are risks. To mitigate risk, we recommend traveling earlier in the day vs at night. Try to select the flights with earliest arrival times to ensure an earlier arrival at the Children’s Home.

The question is what is there not to do?!  Samaná is a tourist paradise. Here are some of our favorite things to do on Mission Trips: 

• Take a ferry to a beautiful barrier Island for relaxation and exploration
• Many different boating activities
• Hiking trips up mountains to witness stunning waterfalls
• Horseback riding
• Whale watching (Season is Jan 1 – Mar 31)
• Spelunking through local caves
• Explore natural springs
• Ziplining
• And so much more

No, when traveling from the USA no vaccines or shots are needed. COVID testing requirements are in pace, but change as the situation does. For the most up to date information, please refer to the US Embassy

No, when traveling from the USA, no Visa is needed.

Recommended packing list can be found here

There are different types of insurance options when traveling abroad. These are not required, but they are recommended. Travel insurance is usually sold with your flight and will protect your airfare cost. International health insurance may be offered by your healthcare provider or you can purchase short-term healthcare through a third party. We do not offer insurance on our Mission Trips.

The first day is usually a full travel day to get to the Advocates of Love campus. The trip really begins at the first meal (either Dinner or breakfast the following morning) when guests have all arrived and we kick off the Mission Trip with prayer and delicious, nourishing food altogether. 

The remainder of the trip depends on the type of Mission Trip you would like to plan and the trip objectives. Here are some examples of past and upcoming trips: 

• Five (5) families comprised of 20 people on a baseball team will visit in November 2021 to host baseball games and a tournament with the children. In between games, they are planning arts, crafts, and a beach day with the children. 

• A church group that came to host a Vacation Bible School for our children and also opened the camp to other children in the community. There were 60 children served in total. The group had a structured outline and we worked with them to gather the necessary supplies for all the crafts, activities, games, and Bible stories. The items we didn’t have locally they brought with them. 

We typically find it works best to plan the trip around a central theme. Then, like a party, we have a day or two of festivities, activities and adventures leading up to the special event. Our children are very creative and love art, music, cooking, carpentry, and more. They thoroughly enjoy practicing and rehearsing for a show or event of any kind. 

Many Mission Trip groups enjoy outreach within the community. Our mission trip guests have gone into the community with our children to deliver toys, Bibles, groceries and baked goods to locals who don’t have these items. The children also enjoy delivering food baskets and visiting the elderly, as well as reading the Word and praying with them. The elderly in Samaná are very lonely and express deep gratitude when our children visit with them.  

We look forward to learning how your heart is leading you and your group to serve and then working with you to plan the perfect Mission Trip.