Fun Royale and Tropicale boast one of their many restaurants and bars will be serving food or drinks 24 hours a day. A Brazilian rodizio is open in the evening for meat lovers, but the early-dinner action is at the open-air buffet restaurants. Miranda’s at Occidental Club on the Green also features Brazilian food, but it’s the people-mingling that have the guests returning to El Pilon terrace restaurant night after night.

Finish up dinner early and you have time to do a little relaxed shopping, thus allowing time to catch the evening show. Several shops in the commercial arcades of the hotel will remain open to give you that extra time. In addition, local handicraft vendors are invited to the hotels one evening a week to display their wares and explain how they are made, bringing the market directly to you. Otherwise, Playa Dorada Plaza has many handicraft shops to choose from.

With dinner behind you, a different mood sets in as vacationers gather for the in-house evening shows. Some hotels will offer early shows for the children. There may be a live band playing slower Latin beats, as tourists warm up for the night ahead. Shows are usually put on by the staff, who sometimes rely on the natural ability of the tourist to make a fool of himself and share laughs with all, proven shows.

Until 11 pm, you will notice that the discos remain empty. At Tops at Playa Naco, everything is under preparation. Animation chief Rafael Dominguez is distributing sheets to guests who will attire themselves as Romans. Be it a Toga party, dance competition, fire show, banana party (where all decoration is related to plantains and bananas), coconut theme party, Mexican night, or even a night in jail (wacky fun), “el caminante” as he is known by fellow staff is one of many devoted Playa Dorada staff members whose job it is to keep you laughing and dancing.

At Crazy Moon in Paradise Resort, a group of 25 are honing their salsa and bachata moves under the skillful instruc- tion of the animation staff there in preparation for the night. Admission to Crazy Moon and the hotel casino are open to all hotels. The action takes off there at midnight, as those who have learned the steps put them to practice. For the uninitiated, international beats are also played.

At Puerto Plata Village, the Ambrosia Discotheque is reserved mostly for Latin beats, old style. Its neighbor, Jack Tar Village boasts the newest night spot in Puerto Plata, the Mangu Discotheque.