Hi all - I'm back from my Cabarete vacation. It was one of the best I've had. It had been about 4 years since my last visit but Cabarete hasn't changed much. That cool vibe has not gone away. Here's some highlights.
Hotel - El Magnifico - Absolutely fabulous! One of the coolest places I have ever stayed in. We rented the Presidential Penthouse in Building 5. It's a steal at $128 US. It has two bedrooms w/contemporary decor. I'd describe it as a higher class IKEA-style. We were oceanfront and every view from the 3 balconies to the rooftop deck (complete w/outdoor shower) was beautiful. They have a jacuzzi right off the beach and it made a long day soo relaxing. The staff was great. Angela, the receptionist, is a sweetheart. She helped us plan a last-minute wedding which went off without a hitch.
Weather - It was sunny and hot every single day. It rained once but we were sleeping so it had to be sometime after 2:00 AM.
Beaches - We alternated between Cabarete and Sosua. The beach service in Sosua was awesome. We rented chairs from a great guy named Lobo. He was very attentive so we kept going back. He ordered our food from El Chiringuito and the fried fish w/tostones was out of this world. We also bought oysters, shrimp, and empanadas from the beach vendors. Everything was good and cheap! The guys got a great deal on the snorkeling equipment. They even got it free one day because we kept consuming so much.
Restaurants - We did not have a single bad meal the entire trip. We had comida tipica at Sandro's, German breakfast at Friendly Amigo, seafood at D&D, Ho La La, ice cream at Helados Bon (the mantecado [Dominican vanilla] was still as buttery as I remember it). Our nicest meal was at On the Waterfront in Sosua. It was the most expensive meal of the trip but we were celebrating the wedding afterall. The tab was about $400 US for 9 people complete w/champagne and a small cake. I think that's more than reasonable. You can't get that price in Jersey.
Nitelife - Oddly, the Monday we arrived was off the hook party-wise. Tuesday thru Thursday were a lil dead. We went over to Voodoo in Sosua on Thursday and it was dead too. It's a nice place though. The nitelife picked up on Friday and Saturday. We were told that Sunday was the best nite but we weren't in the area by then. The bars that got the most attention were Bambu, Onnos, Las Brisas and Crazy West. Esthetically, the prettiest is D&D.
Car Rental - We rented a Honda CRV for $45 US from Enterprise (their business cards read Interprise) on the main road in Cabarete. Gasoline was expensive! We paid about $34 US to fill the tank.
One last thing, Continental overbooked our flight and we volunteered our seats. We were given a travel voucher and a hotel night at the all-inclusive Playa Naco in Playa Dorada. It was a little rundown but we were told they're renovating. When we arrived at the airport the next day, Continental offered us another deal; this time a stay at Sosua Bay and another travel voucher. I couldn't accept it though as I had to get back to work. Someone could really make out like a bandit w/all that free travel. Anyway, they flew us back first-class. It was my first time in first-class and it was just like the Seinfeld episode. They really do give you sundaes! I'll savor the memory for years.
Hotel - El Magnifico - Absolutely fabulous! One of the coolest places I have ever stayed in. We rented the Presidential Penthouse in Building 5. It's a steal at $128 US. It has two bedrooms w/contemporary decor. I'd describe it as a higher class IKEA-style. We were oceanfront and every view from the 3 balconies to the rooftop deck (complete w/outdoor shower) was beautiful. They have a jacuzzi right off the beach and it made a long day soo relaxing. The staff was great. Angela, the receptionist, is a sweetheart. She helped us plan a last-minute wedding which went off without a hitch.
Weather - It was sunny and hot every single day. It rained once but we were sleeping so it had to be sometime after 2:00 AM.
Beaches - We alternated between Cabarete and Sosua. The beach service in Sosua was awesome. We rented chairs from a great guy named Lobo. He was very attentive so we kept going back. He ordered our food from El Chiringuito and the fried fish w/tostones was out of this world. We also bought oysters, shrimp, and empanadas from the beach vendors. Everything was good and cheap! The guys got a great deal on the snorkeling equipment. They even got it free one day because we kept consuming so much.
Restaurants - We did not have a single bad meal the entire trip. We had comida tipica at Sandro's, German breakfast at Friendly Amigo, seafood at D&D, Ho La La, ice cream at Helados Bon (the mantecado [Dominican vanilla] was still as buttery as I remember it). Our nicest meal was at On the Waterfront in Sosua. It was the most expensive meal of the trip but we were celebrating the wedding afterall. The tab was about $400 US for 9 people complete w/champagne and a small cake. I think that's more than reasonable. You can't get that price in Jersey.
Nitelife - Oddly, the Monday we arrived was off the hook party-wise. Tuesday thru Thursday were a lil dead. We went over to Voodoo in Sosua on Thursday and it was dead too. It's a nice place though. The nitelife picked up on Friday and Saturday. We were told that Sunday was the best nite but we weren't in the area by then. The bars that got the most attention were Bambu, Onnos, Las Brisas and Crazy West. Esthetically, the prettiest is D&D.
Car Rental - We rented a Honda CRV for $45 US from Enterprise (their business cards read Interprise) on the main road in Cabarete. Gasoline was expensive! We paid about $34 US to fill the tank.
One last thing, Continental overbooked our flight and we volunteered our seats. We were given a travel voucher and a hotel night at the all-inclusive Playa Naco in Playa Dorada. It was a little rundown but we were told they're renovating. When we arrived at the airport the next day, Continental offered us another deal; this time a stay at Sosua Bay and another travel voucher. I couldn't accept it though as I had to get back to work. Someone could really make out like a bandit w/all that free travel. Anyway, they flew us back first-class. It was my first time in first-class and it was just like the Seinfeld episode. They really do give you sundaes! I'll savor the memory for years.
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