Holiday Village resort

[happyholiday]

hi planner
we will still be coming to this hotel in june .
we will be bringing school supplies and such things .
would you want an english paper and what tyype of wine do you prefer ?
where and when can we meet you and how do we get hold of you ?
ohh and of coarse chocolate white ? /milk or dark ?

 

[little-n-luvly]

I cant understand why so many people are getting ill, informing otyhers that they are getting ill yet it appears nothing is being done! After the review by Superfitz, I will make sure I check my food, inparticular the chicken,(which to be fair we always do anyway) I was looking forward to the oriental restaurant, but that doesnt appear to be sounding to good. Our nurse who gave us our vaccinations told us to avoid shellfish altogrther in the DR, she explained to us that they are the "scavengers of the sea," which can lead to people being poorly and even getting HepA, wo we would avoid that anyway.

 

[Bodders]

Update

Hey, still here & despite having to resort to the Diacalm Instants a couple of times, still enjoying it! Some things to pick up on from recent postings:

1) Yes, unfortunately 'Shellfish' are the scavengers of the sea & they can be responsible for many a 'dodgy' tummy! This goes for ANY Shellfish from ANYWHERE though. One of those situations where its best to avoid fresh stuff as Freezing tends to kill any bugs off.

2) Little n Luvly, please try not to worry too much. I know some in previous postings have suffered, but the majority of us here have suffered NO illness or only small attacks of travellors tummy. I am not disputing that some have been ill, but the huge majority have been fine. There has been lots of good advice posted here & provided people are sensible & careful there ought not to be a problem.aranoid:

3) First Choice irate: are being VERY heavy handed & ruthless on the subject of excursions here. They have stopped ALL other excurion companies from collecting clients from the reception area. One has to walk out past perimeter security now to meet these tours. In their list of trips First Choice state the following too: 'we cannot accept any responsibility for illness, injury or death caused as a result of participating in a PIRATE excursion'. This comes after a long passage of text designed to scare you off all other tours & there is even the hint that your holiday insurance will be void if you don't use their tours. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS & BACK IN THE UK THEY COULD BE SUED FOR THIS APPROACH!
We booked tours through Martin Espinal. Isaira Tours - Dominican Republic & got Martin to send his list of tours, prices, etc before we left the UK. He is a very helpful & honest man who appears to have a very good reputation here for carrying out good works for needy causes. His tours are insured & I would recommend anyone to use him & boycott First Choice so far as tours are concerned

4) PLANNER - Many thanks for all your advice, support & for the good information you passed on via this & the previous thread. Thankyou also for meeting up with us & showing us around. The meal we had at the irish pub with you was one of the best we had here! I will email you later to arrange to pass on left over books!


Thats it for now. The sky is blue...the heat is building nicely again.......& breakfast is ready!


Cheers! :bunny:

 

[planner]

Bodders - good report - and you are very welcome. I enjoyed the company of you and your wife! I am happy to show you around "my city".

HappyHoliday - any English paper is always appreciated. As for chocolate - it is it's own food group - any type will work. Please don't bring me wine - I love the offer but it is too heavy. You don't need the extra weight and hassle.

The advice and info I have offered was about helping you enjoy your holiday and I enjoy doing it.

Martin Espinal - I second the endorsement offered by Bodders. His company is FULLY licensed and FULLY insured! It is interestesting that First Choice and Signature would say these things. IN FACT MANY OF THE TOURS THEY SELL ARE ALSO OFFERED BY MARTIN ESPINAL AND OTHERS AT LOWER PRICES!!!

 

[little-n-luvly]

Hey, still here & despite having to resort to the Diacalm Instants a couple of times, still enjoying it! Some things to pick up on from recent postings:
.

2) Little n Luvly, please try not to worry too much. I know some in previous postings have suffered, but the majority of us here have suffered NO illness or only small attacks of travellors tummy. I am not disputing that some have been ill, but the huge majority have been fine. There has been lots of good advice posted here & provided people are sensible & careful there ought not to be a problem.aranoid:


Thats it for now. The sky is blue...the heat is building nicely again.......& breakfast is ready!


Cheers! :bunny:

I know, Im sillyaranoid: Nice to hear you are having a good time and are still thinking of us! When are back? I hope to see pictures! Only 17 sleeps to go! :bunny

 

[brijohn]

Good Honest Review

Hey, still here & despite having to resort to the Diacalm Instants a couple of times, still enjoying it! Some things to pick up on from recent postings:

1) Yes, unfortunately 'Shellfish' are the scavengers of the sea & they can be responsible for many a 'dodgy' tummy! This goes for ANY Shellfish from ANYWHERE though. One of those situations where its best to avoid fresh stuff as Freezing tends to kill any bugs off.

2) Little n Luvly, please try not to worry too much. I know some in previous postings have suffered, but the majority of us here have suffered NO illness or only small attacks of travellors tummy. I am not disputing that some have been ill, but the huge majority have been fine. There has been lots of good advice posted here & provided people are sensible & careful there ought not to be a problem.aranoid:

3) First Choice irate: are being VERY heavy handed & ruthless on the subject of excursions here. They have stopped ALL other excurion companies from collecting clients from the reception area. One has to walk out past perimeter security now to meet these tours. In their list of trips First Choice state the following too: 'we cannot accept any responsibility for illness, injury or death caused as a result of participating in a PIRATE excursion'. This comes after a long passage of text designed to scare you off all other tours & there is even the hint that your holiday insurance will be void if you don't use their tours. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS & BACK IN THE UK THEY COULD BE SUED FOR THIS APPROACH!
We booked tours through Martin Espinal. Isaira Tours - Dominican Republic & got Martin to send his list of tours, prices, etc before we left the UK. He is a very helpful & honest man who appears to have a very good reputation here for carrying out good works for needy causes. His tours are insured & I would recommend anyone to use him & boycott First Choice so far as tours are concerned

4) PLANNER - Many thanks for all your advice, support & for the good information you passed on via this & the previous thread. Thankyou also for meeting up with us & showing us around. The meal we had at the irish pub with you was one of the best we had here! I will email you later to arrange to pass on left over books!


Thats it for now. The sky is blue...the heat is building nicely again.......& breakfast is ready!


Cheers! :bunny:

Great review so far Bodders, please keep it coming. I totally agree with your comments about first choice & there tours, Do you know how we can meet up with Martin after we get there in June as not certain what tours we would like to do. Allready done the swimming with Dolphins & Monster Truck tours before A few years ago in the DR. can you recommend any of the tours, I would like to do the Cable car ride up the mountain, Which I led to believe they is the Bottanical Gardens at the top.
Enjoy the rest of your stay. & if you get chance would you be able to post some new photos, for us all, Thanks Brijohn.

 

[MGoss]

I and my friends have traveled alot and we have only ever been sick on the "All Inclusive" packages. I would never stay at them anymore. Villa Rental is the way to go and go out and eat. We ate at some wonderful places from Puerto Plata to Sosua to Cabarete (Cabarete being incredible food everywhere) and NOT ONE of us were sick.

However, I am from the belief that you get what you paid for. Some of the poeple we talked to while there had these "all inclusive" packages for super cheap price...and they would pinch that almighty dollar and not go out to eat or drink. Well, later when we met up with them, most had a touch of something with some really sick.

I believe some also go to these resorts and just stay there, doing nothing.. I have talked to people that were in the DR and said how boring it was, etc, and as we all know, that is the furthest from the truth! Yet, quesiton them more and they never left the resort other then to shop for cheap Jewlery.

I found ALOT of Canadians were getting these cheap charters and packages but then they didnt do anything else....cheap trip but they kept the cheapness up. Thats too bad, as there were others we met that had also rented villas and they were having a ball and fun to be with.

As far as shrimp possibly causing sickness or cheese, etc.... OMG with all the Pizza and Don Alphrado a la pape shrimps we ate, we should be dead by now! Oh gosh, now I am hungry again. *giggles*

 

[planner]

Great review so far Bodders, please keep it coming. I totally agree with your comments about first choice & there tours, Do you know how we can meet up with Martin after we get there in June as not certain what tours we would like to do. Allready done the swimming with Dolphins & Monster Truck tours before A few years ago in the DR. can you recommend any of the tours, I would like to do the Cable car ride up the mountain, Which I led to believe they is the Bottanical Gardens at the top.
Enjoy the rest of your stay. & if you get chance would you be able to post some new photos, for us all, Thanks Brijohn.

Go to Isaira Tours - Dominican Republic for info! As for the botanical gardens at the top of the mountain - not really. But I will take you up there if you want to go....

I do recommend the jeep safari to the waterfall if you are a bit adventurous and personally I love Freestyle Catamarans!

MGoss - it isn't just the Canadians not spending money these days. Few tourists to the north coast are getting out and spending money other then on organized tours.

I can tell you that if you use your common sense it is very safe to get outside the resort!

As for seafood - be careful how it is prepared and you will be fine. I also eat it regularly. I think with all food here it is wise to be careful how it is prepared!

 

[Dolphincaz]

5 days left and then we will be in the HVGB

Oh well, FIRST CHOICE will definately be our LAST CHOICE when choosing our next holiday Their customer service stinks, they are quick of the mark to take your money, and then when people have requested (like ourselves due to the continous bad publicity since its opening) to move resorts and then choose alternative accomodation that we feel would be more suitable, we get told "Sorry no rooms available" we are very dubious about the HVGB, But we have no choice but to go as we cannot afford to throw away ?400. Our deposit. They also wanted an extra ?550 to upgrade into the Adult Only section. They can whistle.

So oh well 5 days left and then we will be in the HVGB. We intend to make the most of what we have, and be very careful with regards to the food, and if it is not what we expect as in a "4" Star rating we will be demanding to be moved. :cheeky: Who knows we may be pleasantly surprised, and have a fabulous time, I hope that we will are! (fingers crossed) Is anyone from the UK leaving next Tuesday 24th April? Or anytime during 24th April and 7th May If so please pm me and maybe we can meet up in the bar hehehe.

Caz

 

[planner]

Caz - keep a good attitude and have a great holiday in spite of them! The best revenge is a good time........

 

[Bodders]

To answer a few questions:

1) We fly back on Saturday 22nd, arriving back into Gatwick on Sunday 23rd April.
2) Martin Espinal is easy to get hold of. Email him before you leave & ask for his contact numbers. Ring him from your room, it only costs a few peso's. Martin offered to send a car to pick us up & take us to his offices so that we could check his business out for ourselves & to discuss any tours we might want to do. We did the Paradise Island tour with his company yesterday & it was superb, though a liking for Rum/Bacardi is a definate advantage! There seemed to be endless botles of it on the coach back & a determination to consume it all! One very nice touch......... Martin phoned me this morning to check that we were happy with the tour & that we had no issues to report.
3) Dolphincaz - I am sure you will have a good time, especially if you are taking kids, but if you are two adults seeking peace, quiet & laid back entertainment, you may wish you had taken the upgrade!


Thats me lot for now........

 

[ginam]

info

Hi anyone could someone give me the address of martin that does the tours outside the resort as im not prepared to pay first choice prices and also is he very safe and reliable as iv not booked tours with anyone else other than fc so a little nervous thanks

 

[planner]

You can contact Martin at Isaira Tours - Dominican Republic or if you call his office 1-809-320-1433. His office is located in Plaza Cariatides, directly in front of the Coral Marien and Iberostar hotels. He is about 4 minutes from Playa Dorada and the HV hotel. He will send a car to pick you up at the hotel and bring you to his office!

I spent 2 hours with Martin yesterday talking about business and his charity work here. Anyone with school supplies can rest assured that he will get them to the right people!

 

[Hammer_Up_North]

Hi everyone, i am going to holiday village on 21st may for 14 nights. Im really excited but i really do want to do a few excursions. Ive checked on martins website but cant open the tours. Is there anything that you could recommend for a 20yr old couple.

Also what is the weather like at the moment in DR & does anyone have any info on what the weather was like last may/june.

 

[planner]

Isaira Tours is in the middle of updating their website. Hang in for another day or two and things will be connected.

I recommend the jeep safari to the waterfalls, Freestyle catamarans day trip. These are two of my favourites.

If you go to the weather forum and check the Puerto Plata thread you can see daily weather reports. Currently it is beautiful! May and June tends to be nice but you can expect rain showers later in the day, not every day though.

 

[brijohn]

Martins Tours

To answer a few questions:

1) We fly back on Saturday 22nd, arriving back into Gatwick on Sunday 23rd April.
2) Martin Espinal is easy to get hold of. Email him before you leave & ask for his contact numbers. Ring him from your room, it only costs a few peso's. Martin offered to send a car to pick us up & take us to his offices so that we could check his business out for ourselves & to discuss any tours we might want to do. We did the Paradise Island tour with his company yesterday & it was superb, though a liking for Rum/Bacardi is a definate advantage! There seemed to be endless botles of it on the coach back & a determination to consume it all! One very nice touch......... Martin phoned me this morning to check that we were happy with the tour & that we had no issues to report.
3) Dolphincaz - I am sure you will have a good time, especially if you are taking kids, but if you are two adults seeking peace, quiet & laid back entertainment, you may wish you had taken the upgrade!


Thats me lot for now........

Thanks again Bodder's will be in contact with him in the next couple days. enjoy the rest of your stay, hope the sun stays shinning.

 

[dec_bro]

HVGB Sickness

having followed threads over the last 6 months i wondered whether i should sign up or not but most of my questions i found answers for so never felt the need to sign up.
Me & my family have just returned from 2 weeks at the HVGB and my husband and children became ill during our stay.
My family suffered severed stomach cramps and vomiting with the runs.
I however experienced nothing and can only assume it is because I am vegetarian (no meat or fish) we ate at the same buffets,restaurants as a family.
This is not the typical travellers tummy upsets.
I have had my family at the doctors who thinks it is food posioning and we are awaiting results
My advice to you waiting to travel is watch the meats and fish

 

[GROGAN]

I leave for the HVGB in 9 days for my wedding. This should be a very exciting time for me but with the way things are at HVGB I am more than a little apprehensive.

I really do not understand with all the publicity over severe illness that is going on at the hotel that something isn't immediately being done about it.

From what the majority of people are experiencing it certainly doesn't sound like ur usual travellers tummy. if there was an outbreak like this in the UK the place would be shut down until the cause was found and sorted out.

I really am dreading the thought of my wedding party all coming down with this sickness.

Oh dear

Kelly

 

[garyc]

hello everyone after reading pages of reports its only fair that i report back. We arrived on Sunday for our honeymoon anyone that has booked dont worry you will be fine its not bad but it certainly aint 100% 4 star. We have previously stayed at the Holiday Village Viva in Majorca and the Holiday Village Sun Tropical in Lanzarote its not as good as those. Right we are in the Royal Suites too be honest apart from a dressing gown and a dvd player I cant see how the rooms are any better unless we are just unlucky the room we are in has had no modernisation at all however it is clean the batroom is very dated but for ten mins a day everyone can live with that. The only good thing about the royal suites is if you dont have kids you can escape them too be honest you would not know the resort was full of kids. all the Dominican staff are amazing they cant do enough for you they really are special when you see how they live and what they have got it makes you appreciate things. The food is average we havent done any of the pre bookable restaurants but the main buffet restaurant is fine. However just my opinion for the midnight snacks I would give this a miss in the Mexican restaurant if you want a burger or a hot dog there is a grubby basket of stale rolls on the counter which you have to pick out by hand not hygenic and they then put a pre cooked stone cold burger or sausage in it. YUK not nice. We have done two exscurions so far we swam with dolphins which was really good and today we done the out back sarfari which was excellent our tour guide was name Rudey if you get him you will haave an amazing time he was so much fun. Right like I said it aint all bad but the entertainment is total **** none of the entertainment staff have a clue what they are doing, there is no management skills you get the impression that no one wants to be here. Last night the assistant entertainment manager got a telling off in the restaurant for picking food out with his hands and not using tongues really he should know better Like I said ive stayed in othere holiday villages I know the format but these just dont have that and please bear in mind this is supposed to be four star the area that you sit has a mixture of hard wooden chairs with no cushions and not enough tables and a mixture of cheap white tacky garden furniture. Six weeks ago I was in a four star RIU complex what a shock but hey a holiday it what you make it the weather has been good except for one day but thats no ones fault look come here and enjoy yourself there are no real serious problems if I can answer any of your questions I will do my best take care everyone and if your coming to this resort shortly have a great time

 

[ginam]

complain

Hey guys if the resort is that bad why as no one got in touch with some sort of food hygeine people or maybe even the press or watch dog that seems to get things up and running come on then someone be brave and do it i cant say anything as iv not got there yet demind that someone goes to investigate cause if someone really is very very ill and dies you will wish you had gone to the investigation squad dont mone do it