We just completed a week long trip to the Samana area. A few comments. Nice trip. A shame that the gov. cannot get their act together and fix the road along the north coast. Escott is right...the area around Cabrera was very nice and has potential although a little far from the main airports. Nagua...what is the story with these beaches. They seem to have so much potential but they sit in utter ruin. Lot of potential there. Playa Grande was beautiful. Last time I was there...the sand was almost non-existent. This time it was as if mother nature had decided to bless it with an abundance of sand. Las Terranas...we stayed most of our time here. They paved the road to Samana (the town) and that made so much of a difference. We stayed in a small hotel right across the street from the beach. The beach was great. The hotel Casa Nina was small but practical, well organized, very clean and served a great breakfast. The rate $40 per night made it even better. We stayed one night in Las Galleras at a small hotel name Hotel Moorea Beach. The new management team is making this small hotel into a very pleasant place to stay. This is a great little hotel to stay in as you explore the far end of the peninsula. Although Las Gallerias itself did nothing for me...from there you can visit Playa Rincon which is probably the most beautiful beach I know of on the island. My initial experience with the beach was to get my SUV stuck in the sand. I had this picture of myself walking back to the nearest town for help. Lucky, I did not have to wait long before two gentlemen in a truck came along and pushed me out of the sand. From the town of Samana to Las Galleras I felt like I was driving along the Oregon coast. Perhaps the most beautiful part of this country. So...the land got an A+. The hotels got an A+. The people got an A+. Much of this area is little touched by tourism and the people are just wonderful. Unfortunately the food SUCKED. I don't mind paying 1000 pesos for dinner...if the service is great and the food is great. But when I get service without a smile, lazy waiters, and food that is average, and a coffee that is warm...not hot...then I have a problem. If I order fish and you bring me out a minnow...I have a problem. The stupid bloodsucking restaurants don't have a clue and I suspect they screw up the whole tourism thing. Someone needs to organize the tourist trade here. You cannot have tourist leaving the country thinking the food was average or below average. Sure, charge good prices but deliver great service and great food. Why is that so hard. I got the feeling that all these restaurants were so desparate to survive that they were only interested in getting your money for the least amount of service and product possible. For example, I ordered a mushroom and olive pizza. When I got back to the room with it I discovered that the restaurant had placed only one slice of olive on the pizza. Here in the edge of the pizza was this one slice of olive. It was as if they placed the one slice there so they could fulfill the contract. It is just all so stupid and I am sure a big turnoff to many tourist who want to enjoy good food on their vacation. I am sure they will be going to other places in the future. I am bitching with a purpose...I would like to see them get their act together. That Samana could be a gold mine.