Vacation spot?

Why, in the name of true travel, would you ever go to an all-inclusive? Break out of your rut and do something normal like rent a hotel, visit the local restaurants, enjoy the culture of this country and not have to put up with the canned 'festivities' and under-impressive food / beverages of an all-inclusive.

i do not know where the all inclusive in Caberete is.. but I would go there. There is not much to see and do around Samana.. well.. depends. If you come in whale season. you can do the whales, then go to Las Terrenas. then to Las Galeras..

lots of folks do not speak Spanish and maybe have never been to a foreign language country and the all inclusive is the best way to budget and feel safe. But most all inclusives are pretty much the same. There is a Wyndham in Coson as well but it is a long way to the village of Las Terrenas

but i would add that to your list

I would avoid the new AI in Portillo as they have downgraded the rooms and service and upgraded the prices. Now at about two hundred per person per night

definitely not worth it

but the one in Coson is dreamy

The all-inclusive in Cabarete is the Wyndham Tangerine across the street from the Esso station next to Maraja restaurant. I'd rather stay at Millenium or Velero Beach by several orders of magnitude. The all inclusive in Cabarete is just about the last place in town I would stay...just sayin...

The Wyndham in Coson has been closed for a few years. I would not go to Samana City. The beaches there are ok but not great. If I were you I would consider going to Las Terrenas. Check out Hotel Colibri, Hotel Alesei . These are not all inclusives but they are right on the beach and have good restaurants at the hotel. If you still want an all inclusive consider Hotel Principe Portillo. From Las Terrenas you can book a number of tours all around the area from whale watching to a horse back tour to the falls at Limon. Good luck.

LTSteve

I could not recommend the Principe.. Not only built with very close to slave labor but PACKED the rooms in. So far from the old El Portillo resort. So far from their intention. During the building there were massive protests by the local Dominican workers who would not work for the 300 pesos a day which the Principe was paying. They wanted 600. The workers were kept on the premises for 24 days before they were paid. No toilet facilites. They had to buy their food on the street... which some entrepreneurs had set up and on which they made a lot of money off the Haitians/ oh of course that is my political and moral opinion and not binding on anyone else.

I met a couple of very unhappy
Canadians who were staying there.. Prices seemed very high. Although I could have gotten the numbers wrong but I did think that they said two hundred per PERSON per night. Up from around sixty which was the price when I stayed there. I met the daughter of the owner there who is now the head of the Adrian Sisters in the midwest. She said the family had just sold the property and hoped that the new owners continued....

Back then, there was a free shuttle to town. Now they charge $20 per person.

The other A ! .. the Italian one, also closed so I guess that Principe is the only A ! in town

I agree with the Aleisi or the Colibri as good alternates

and certainly recommend Las Terrenas over anywhere else in the island for a vacation

I have just booked my next vacation for the Viva Wyndham Tangerine. This will be the seventh time that I have stayed there. The location is perfect, right on the beach and a ten minute walk into town. There is a farmicia and a supermarcado right across the street. Obviously, since I keep going back, I like it there.

In response to those who always have negative things to say about the AI's, they are the most convenient way to travel. Eating is not the most important thing in my life, and staying at an all inclusive means that I do not have to think about where I want to go to dinner. It is also more economical. The first time I traveled to the Caribbean, upon arrival my boyfriend went to the hotel bar and got a bottle of water and a beer. It cost him $8 US. I drink a lot of juice and water when I sit on the beach. The amount that I drink would cost me as much as I pay for my full day at the hotel, including food.

Chicagoan said:

In response to those who always have negative things to say about the AI's, they are the most convenient way to travel. Eating is not the most important thing in my life, and staying at an all inclusive means that I do not have to think about where I want to go to dinner. It is also more economical. The first time I traveled to the Caribbean, upon arrival my boyfriend went to the hotel bar and got a bottle of water and a beer. It cost him $8 US. I drink a lot of juice and water when I sit on the beach. The amount that I drink would cost me as much as I pay for my full day at the hotel, including food.

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Staying in AI is not the most economical if you do your homework, I don't understand why people get that idea.

Again, 300 pesos for a botella de Agua ? I can understand why you'd think that way

Africaida said:

Staying in AI is not the most economical if you do your homework, I don't understand why people get that idea.

Again, 300 pesos for a botella de Agua ? I can understand why you'd think that way

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I don't go on vacation to "do my homework". There are more important things to do than try to figure out where to eat.

By the way, the water was $3 and the beer was $5. I am sure that if I had "done my homework" we could have gotten it cheaper. However, we had just arrived, and we wanted something to drink while we waited for our room to be ready.

Chicagoan said:

I don't go on vacation to "do my homework". There are more important things to do than try to figure out where to eat.

By the way, the water was $3 and the beer was $5. I am sure that if I had "done my homework" we could have gotten it cheaper. However, we had just arrived, and we wanted something to drink while we waited for our room to be ready.

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The homework you supposed to do it BEFORE you get there. Also, I was referring to price since I have never had to "figure out" where to eat, nor drink when vacationing. But to each it's own, I respect your choice.

Kris,

To answer your question, I would recommend the Wyndham property. I haven't been to either property myself, but I have visited Cabarete and Samana. Samana is great to see the whales, but other than that, it's a very quiet spot with not much else to do. (In MY experience. I'm not trying to criticize Samana!) Cabarete is just a lot more fun for me. You can stay on the resort and venture into the city. If you don't speak Spanish, there are MANY people at shops, restaurants, and clubs that speak very good English.

You can arrange airport transportation with the hotel. Check the concierge for horseback riding and other activities.

Have a great time!

Preston

kris182 said:

So since you've been to this hotel, you do recommend it then? I've never been anywhere off the North American continent, so I'd be booking my vacation based on what people think who have been to these places. I rely on this, in addition to what residents of the area suggest.

But given that an all inclusive at that resort for one week would cost just shy of $900CDN, I would be happy to go there.

What about travel from the airport? Is there a shuttle to the resort? And activities that are included or extra fees? I am interested in horseback riding, but can't seem to find anything near the resort.

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I love it there. Otherwise I would not keep going back.

You can book a shuttle when you book your trip. However, I take a cab. It costs $35. If you have more than one person, that comes out to less than the shuttles. You do not need to tip your cab driver.

Regarding activities, they have "non motorized water sports" at no extra charge. They will give you a free windsurfing lesson if you are interested. They have the regular stuff, like volleyball and water aerobics, and a nightly show.

If you are interested in horseback riding or other tours, you can book through the hotel or from the guys on the beach. I've been booking through Sergio on the beach for years. He is cheaper than the hotel, and you can negotiate your price. STAY AWAY FROM FREDDIE'S TOURS IN TOWN. They are terrible.

You can also take the guagua (public bus) into Puerto Plata. If you do, be sure to take the cable car to the top of Mount Isabella del Torres. Bring pesos. They charge more if you pay in dollars. You will also want to see the fort and the amber museum. The guagua will drop you off at Park Central.

Do not change your money at the airport or at the hotel. You get a better exchange rate on the street.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me.

kris182 said:

Thank you so much for the advice. We're looking at going in late October, hoping that the weather is good. I'll have to write down the information for Sergio so I can find him when I do go.

Besides pants for dining, any other clothing recommendations? I know it's always warm, but I'm just wondering if there are any specific types of clothing or colors to avoid.

We're not interested in entertainment, we're more into beach activities except for surfing. And since we don't know the area at all, and our Spanish is poor at best, we don't want to venture too far from the resort. I'm going to do what I can to learn some Spanish before I do go.

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Don't worry abut your lack of Spanish. Everyone I have met in Cabarete and Sosua speaks English.

Regarding dress, wear what you wear in the summer in Canada. I buy sundresses down there which I only wear in the islands. (They are much too chintzy to wear in the US.) I pay between $10-$15 each one. Other than that, shorts or a bathing suit. Your husband will need long pants for the ala carte restaurants.

Don't just sit around the hotel. Get out and see the country. It's beautiful, and the people are so friendly. By the way, El Choco National Park is just 3 kilometers from the hotel. I have walked there. They have caves and zip lining there.

I'm not sure if they are doing the scuba training at the hotel at this time. Write to them and ask.

If they are not, contact North Coast Diving in Sosua. My boyfriend has dived with them several times, and they are good. They can probably tell you what you would need to do to get a resort certification.

If you want to experience Dominican life but with the comfort of English speaking locals and ex pats and safety as well as a variety of unique places to stay and things to do, then it has to be Las Galeras

Don't worry abut your lack of Spanish. Everyone I have met in Cabarete and Sosua speaks English.

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Yes. God forbid you might form some new synaptic connections. By all means, make no effort to learn the language of your hosts. After all, they exist for your good pleasure. Any of them worth dignifying with your acknowledgement will have learned your language in preparation for your arrival.

Castellamonte said:

The all-inclusive in Cabarete is the Wyndham Tangerine across the street from the Esso station next to Maraja restaurant. I'd rather stay at Millenium or Velero Beach by several orders of magnitude. The all inclusive in Cabarete is just about the last place in town I would stay...just sayin...

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I agree with Castellamonte, I visited the Viva Tangerine just after it opened, they has lots of problems with sewage bubbling up threw the ground.
Unless that is fixed I would not stay there......