Iberostar Costa Dorada (ICD)
Hi JRSYCOLL,
Greetings from Atlantic Canada.
ICD is a great resort. We spent two weeks there in April 2002 and plan to return some day.
The most important thing to remember about your all-inclusive visit to the D.R. is that while it is a great experience - it isn't real. You have to get outside of those gates to truly experience the D.R. and say you have visited a Caribbean paradise.
The two organized day trips I recommend are the Freestyle Catamarans and the Outback Jungle Safari.
Here is the website for Freestyle Catamarans
http://www.freestyle-catamarans.com
It is an all-day trip. They will pick you up at the hotel and drive you to Playa Dorada where they moor the boats. You will be ferried out to the "Cat" and then a leisurely sail along the coast to Sosua where they will anchor off the beach. Here you can snorkel on the reef and feed the fish (be sure to take bananas and bread to feed the fish). There is a ramp they lower and you just walk into the water & back out when you are finished. A crewmember will dive deep and feed the fish and be completely swarmed so you can't tell there is anyone there. Then a lunch buffet is ferried out to the "Cat" and you eat on board. At some point they open the bar and they do mix a strong Cuba Libre - be careful (I suggest you ask for the light rum, not the white because the white is probably "Dominican Gasoline" - 151 proof). After lunch you go just past Sosua and swim and snorkel some more. Finally they head out to sea and parallel the coast back to Playa Dorada. Because they get away from the shore you "might" see dolphins (or porpoises - I'm never sure which is which) or more likely some flying fish. Finally you arrive at Playa Dorada and the tee shirt sales begin before you are ferried back to your hotel. Take LOTS of sunscreen if you burn because salt air only heightens the effect of strong sun and be careful of the RUM - I really mean it. That is how it will be IF they do the same thing now as they did with us in April.
The Other excursion I recommend is the Outback Jungle Safari
http://www.outbacksafari.com.do/ which is an eye-opening trip through some Dominican back country followed by lunch on a riverbank. Here you can swim in a cool, clear river. After lunch you get to see a bit of local wildlife followed by a meandering trip down the Yasica river coming out at La Boca de Yasica where you go boogie boarding just east of Cabarete. It's a great day.
However my personal favourite outing is hiring a driver and customizing a day trip. If you are interested the driver I recommend is Martin Espinal. He is an excellent driver in a country of madmen. He has a clean, air-conditioned minivan in good condition and he speaks excellent English. It will hold five easily and comfortably. Martin is very personable and knowledgeable and is extremely reliable in a country where many people run on "Dominican Time". You can read more at
http://www.debbiesdominicantravel.com/martin.html
Please e-mail him
ESPINAL30@MSN.COM , (if you are interested in hiring him) detail what you expect from him and he will get back with a price. Depending on the complexity, time and distance involved a full day trip should be in the range of $70 - $100 US and a half day $40 - $50 US. Obviously if you want to go lay on the Sosua beach for the day it would be on the low end and if you want a full day trip to Santo Domingo it might even be around $125 US due to very long distances and very long times (3+ hr. drive each way). These are just guidelines as I don't set Martin's prices but this is what I think is fair for all. Prices are good for 1 - 5 people so you can see the advantage of sharing if you are a couple only.
Some examples are:
1) For the tour to Puerto Plata, Damajagua Falls , Rum factory, the San Felipe Fort and the Cable Car - $80 US approx.; 1 - 5 people; 9 a.m. - 4: p.m.
2) For the Haitian village, the Sos?a beach , Monte Llano and Cabarete - $80 US approx.; 1 - 5 people; 9 a.m. - 4: p.m.
Be sure to mention if you want to take the Teleferico (cable car) up to Mount Isabel de Torres and any other things you might want to cover. You might want to go to the clothing factory (Dinorah's Sportswear) for some great buys. This is where many of the local beach vendors get their wares to sell. A couple of pointers 1) Make sure you have reached an agreement on
price before you use any Taxi 2) Pay ONLY when you return to your hotel 3) Ask about any additional costs such as entrance fees (Fort & Amber Museum), guide cost (Falls), Teleferico & Botanical Gardens, etc. Tipping is customary only if you feel the service has warranted it.
When you e-mail Martin tell him that you are being referred by Gregg. Just for the record this is to ensure you get the best pricing as I do not receive anything for these referrals and I pay for Martin's services when I visit the D. R. He is simply a driver I grew to trust when we hired him as he is both a safe driver in a country known for crazy drivers and a very nice guy.
Regarding Cabarete and Sosua. Sosua is nice and has good snorkeling off the main beach (that's where the Catamarans moor) and there are tons of beach vendors. There is also Eddy's Sports Bar (Eddy), Rocky's Blues Bar (Marco) and the Britannia Pub (Barb & Linden), all operated by Canadian ex-pats.
Cabarete is a younger crowd with lots of beach front bars & restaurants. Windsurfing, kite boarding, surfing and boogie boarding are the main activities here. It is a fantastic town. See
http://www.activecabarete.com
Have a great trip and if you have any questions just click on the EMAIL button below and send me an e-mail.
Gregg
P.S. - If you haven't already found it you might want to look through Debbie's Dominican Travel website
http://www.debbiesdominicantravel.com/
