Hey, all. Well, I finally made it back. This time to get married! We decided to stay at the Sosua Bay Hotel, which wasn't my first choice, but they had a wedding planner and our "witnesses" (i.e. brother and sister in law) had stayed there before and said it was good. So, we went for it. I am not usually fond of all inclusives, but I would have to say that SBH was good for what we wanted and needed. They were very helpful in planning our small wedding, and everything went without a hitch. The price was reasonable ($135 per night for two people through expedia) and when they found out we were getting married, they upgraded us to a better room. The room and the view was amazing. On the downside, the food was average, but hey, it's an all inclusive, right? That is to be expected. What I liked about SBH was that it was a good location to venture out to town or to the beach, and again, the view was spectacular, especially from the pool. The staff was super friendly, and the grounds were clean. Also, at this time of year, it wasn't very crowded at all. All good things! Also, the photographer on the grounds did a lovely job, and we got 40 great pictures that we will treasure. Each picture, whether it be printed or on CD, cost $10 USD. A little steep, but considering what most people pay for wedding pics, I thought it was OK. And I'm very happy with the results. Since I had been to the DR and so had the in-laws, we had no problem venturing out. We spent days in Sosua and in Cabarete, and we enjoyed every minute. I would have to say that I enjoyed Cab more than Sosua, and I hope to spend more time there in November. Anyhoo, some highlights.....
Night dive with North Coast divers was interesting. I'll be honest....I didn't love it. There wasn't much to see, and the darkness was kind of scary. But, I'm glad I did it. No regrets.
The gambling at Sosua Bay Hotel is, well, small. But, from what I understand, they will be expanding soon into the building that houses the After 1 disco. They need more poker tables and more people to play poker! LOL.
Speaking of After 1 disco....I went to bed early one night and my brother in law stayed out late and ended up at After 1. After some guys got into a brawl, someone showed up with a gun and a shot was fired. Thankfully, to my knowledge, no one was hurt. But, from what I understand, it was chaos. And, to top things off, it took the police a LONG time to get there. Then, when my in-law went back to SBH and he inquired about what happened, some security guy told him to forget about it, that he was probably drunk and he'd not even remember it in the morning. Shady, I say.
From Sosua Bay Hotel, we rented snorkel gear and a kayak. We filled the kayak with a cooler full of beer and swam out to the floating pier in the bay. From there, we snorkeled to the Canyon and saw some great ****. The snorkeling there is fabulous.
Ate at Blu in Cabarete and had a fabulous time. The food and the ambience was awesome. Saw the fence for the leatherback turtle....whatever happened to those guys?
Went to Classico disco. Oy. What a scene. All hookers, all the time. But, kudos for good music and the occasional good man who wanted to dance (including my husband). I do not lie when I say that 90% of the women there were prostitutes. Thankfully, this did not prohibit us from staying as we had a great time.
Took the teleferico up to the mountain in Puerta Plata. Very cool. I was nauseous once I got up there, but it was worth it. The view was amazing. Ate in PP later in the afternoon....nothing worth noting. Was anxious to get back to to Sosua. I didn't like the vibe in PP for some reason. Maybe it was because I was trying to escape big city life in Chicago, and PP reminded me too much of what I hated. Noisy, dirty, etc.
Otherwise, spent a lot of time chillaxin', drinking, playing poker, swimming, etc. It was a fabulous trip. We plan on coming back with the in-laws for their 10 year anniversary. We plan on staying at SBH for a few days, then off to Cabarete, then off to the peninsula, which I've seen and they haven't. I hope this time to stay at condos or apartments more than AIs as I think one gets a better sense of what life is really like in the DR. I love the DR, and the time I spent on this trip and on my previous trip was well worth spent. I much prefer to be out with the locals, taking guaguas, going to local places, etc. I hope our next trip is an even bigger adventure as this one. Honestly, when I was going to and coming back from the DR, I pitied the people that had flown with us to and fro on the same flight who chose to stay at AIs in Punta Cana. It is unlikely that they got a "feel" for the island or the people, and my guess is that they were very insulated from what life is really like there. My guess is that they want it that way. Pity the fools. Maybe I'm being too judgmental, but honestly, why travel to another country only to see it's beaches and one hotel? Honestly, if I'm going to spend that kind of money to travel, I want to SEE things. Really see them, ya know?
Anyhoo, it was a great trip and a great wedding. I am so glad I chose the DR as the place I would get married. It was so beautiful and so unforgettable. By the way, it was my husband's first trip there, and he loved it, too. I am so glad. I fell in love with the country on my first trip, and I believe he did, too. It makes me love him even more
Night dive with North Coast divers was interesting. I'll be honest....I didn't love it. There wasn't much to see, and the darkness was kind of scary. But, I'm glad I did it. No regrets.
The gambling at Sosua Bay Hotel is, well, small. But, from what I understand, they will be expanding soon into the building that houses the After 1 disco. They need more poker tables and more people to play poker! LOL.
Speaking of After 1 disco....I went to bed early one night and my brother in law stayed out late and ended up at After 1. After some guys got into a brawl, someone showed up with a gun and a shot was fired. Thankfully, to my knowledge, no one was hurt. But, from what I understand, it was chaos. And, to top things off, it took the police a LONG time to get there. Then, when my in-law went back to SBH and he inquired about what happened, some security guy told him to forget about it, that he was probably drunk and he'd not even remember it in the morning. Shady, I say.
From Sosua Bay Hotel, we rented snorkel gear and a kayak. We filled the kayak with a cooler full of beer and swam out to the floating pier in the bay. From there, we snorkeled to the Canyon and saw some great ****. The snorkeling there is fabulous.
Ate at Blu in Cabarete and had a fabulous time. The food and the ambience was awesome. Saw the fence for the leatherback turtle....whatever happened to those guys?
Went to Classico disco. Oy. What a scene. All hookers, all the time. But, kudos for good music and the occasional good man who wanted to dance (including my husband). I do not lie when I say that 90% of the women there were prostitutes. Thankfully, this did not prohibit us from staying as we had a great time.
Took the teleferico up to the mountain in Puerta Plata. Very cool. I was nauseous once I got up there, but it was worth it. The view was amazing. Ate in PP later in the afternoon....nothing worth noting. Was anxious to get back to to Sosua. I didn't like the vibe in PP for some reason. Maybe it was because I was trying to escape big city life in Chicago, and PP reminded me too much of what I hated. Noisy, dirty, etc.
Otherwise, spent a lot of time chillaxin', drinking, playing poker, swimming, etc. It was a fabulous trip. We plan on coming back with the in-laws for their 10 year anniversary. We plan on staying at SBH for a few days, then off to Cabarete, then off to the peninsula, which I've seen and they haven't. I hope this time to stay at condos or apartments more than AIs as I think one gets a better sense of what life is really like in the DR. I love the DR, and the time I spent on this trip and on my previous trip was well worth spent. I much prefer to be out with the locals, taking guaguas, going to local places, etc. I hope our next trip is an even bigger adventure as this one. Honestly, when I was going to and coming back from the DR, I pitied the people that had flown with us to and fro on the same flight who chose to stay at AIs in Punta Cana. It is unlikely that they got a "feel" for the island or the people, and my guess is that they were very insulated from what life is really like there. My guess is that they want it that way. Pity the fools. Maybe I'm being too judgmental, but honestly, why travel to another country only to see it's beaches and one hotel? Honestly, if I'm going to spend that kind of money to travel, I want to SEE things. Really see them, ya know?
Anyhoo, it was a great trip and a great wedding. I am so glad I chose the DR as the place I would get married. It was so beautiful and so unforgettable. By the way, it was my husband's first trip there, and he loved it, too. I am so glad. I fell in love with the country on my first trip, and I believe he did, too. It makes me love him even more