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Undiscovered Gem-- Sivory Punta Cana

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Undiscovered Gem-- Sivory Punta Cana

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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 01:35 PM
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Undiscovered Gem-- Sivory Punta Cana

WOW !!!–Caught up in the rat race,? Stressed out on the job? , Need break from the kids and the daily hustle and bustle?, Sivory Punta Cana is a perfect place to relax and unwind. A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the world Sivory is a little slice of heaven. Located in Playa Uvero Alto, about an hour west of the Punta Cana airport, Sivory is literally at the end of the road and away from the resort row of AI’s. If you are looking for a lot of activities, entertainment, gambling etc Sivory is not for you. It is quiet, relaxed and intimate.

Accommodations– Sivory reminds me of a fusion of southwestern US meets the Caribbean. Perhaps it is the angular architecture and adobe color nestled in a palm grove. They have 54 suites which include a villa and honeymoon suite. We were in a junior luxury beachfront suite with a plunge pool about 20 yards from the beach. Suites are large and tastefully furnished in rattan, teak and wicker. The plunge pool is about 10' by 10' and on the deck there are two lounges, two comfy chairs with ottomans and a table and two chairs. Also a shower to wash off coming from the beach. Rolled out of bed and into plunge pool, cocktails before dinner in plunge pool and into it before bed. Heavenly!! The tub is large enough for two and there is a dual shower, one with a wand and another with massage jets to massage lower body. There is a complimentary mini bar stocked daily with soda water and beer. Also a wine cooler with six varieties of Spanish wine from $7 to $13 . Flat screen TV but if you are a TV addict be advised there are only 5 English speaking channels, NBC, CBS. TNT. ESPN and Discovery. There is also a CD/DVD player. The beach is awesome–Fine powdery tan sand. Plenty of palapas for shade and lots of lounges on the beach for those wanting to work on their tan. Really large pool which is shallow enough to accommodate non swimmers. There is a putting green for those who want to putter around and a tennis court. They have snorkel gear, kayaks, windsurfers and a Hobie Cat sailboat. Other activities and tours off site can be arranged by the Concierge.

Restaurants/ Food–There are three restaurants. Laveranda serves breakfast lunch and dinner. The breakfast menu is fairly standard. One thing not on the menu but very good is the breakfast club sandwich. Lunch is a variety of salads, sandwiches and for those wanting something heavier a variety of pastas. Favorite salad was the Nordique with shrimp and smoked salmon. The blue cheese burger was wonderful. For dinner there was a choice of chicken, pork, snapper, beef and a vegetarian entree. Really liked the Tuna Tartare appetizer. Not raw tuna but cooked with Jalapeno jelly and served with mustard ice cream.
TAO is an Asian fusion restaurant and very good. Entrees are chicken, filet. lobster rolls, sea bass, and pork. The appetizer, seared almond crusted foie gras was wonderful. Sea Bass and Filet were great. They say the beef comes from the US but nothing like I can find. Tastes like beef should taste. The dessert Magical ball is a must and sinful.
Gourmand is the French restaurant.–Lovely dining experience. Entrees are lobster,
guinea hen, snapper and fillet. Although the menus aren’t extensive everything is executed very well.
The pool bar also serves lunch which is lighter. Salads and some very good wraps.
At Laveranda and Gourmand you can either eat outside or in air conditioned comfort. TAO is indoor dining.

Aguarea Spa–I am by no means a spa expert but this spa offered everything you could want. There is a sauna, jacuzzi, steam room, exercise room with tread mill, stair stepper, recumbent bike, universal weight machine and free weights. Agua implies water and there are six showers that all have different massage functions as well as a pool with three different stations to pummel your body with water. You could easily spend the whole day at the spa. I was rubbed, scrubbed, defoliated, refoliated, exfoliated from head to toe for three and a half hours and walked out felling like a bowl of jello. Best spa experience I have ever had.

General comments–Flew from Orlando via Ft Lauderdale to Punta Cana on Spirit. First time we ever flew them and it was very enjoyable until we reached Ft Lauderdale on the return. Spirit shares a terminal with the puddle jumpers that fly the islands. It took 1 ½ hours to clear immigration and customs. The line was worse than for a ride at Disney World. Only three immigration officers for US citizens and two customs officers. Needless to say tempers were short. We then had to drop off our luggage for transfer and go thru security again. Next time we will fly via Miami. The transfer from the Punta Cana airport and return was by a Mercedes Benz Van and was $80 each way. A taxi is a little less but with a wider wheel base and A/C the van was a better ride. In some places the roads are still pretty rough. If you are adventurous you can do the transfer by helicopter which takes 10 min and lands you right on the beach. $145/person.

The price range for dinner at Laveranda is mid teens to mid twenties, TAO twenty to thirty dollars and Gourmand thirty to forty dollars ( for two lobster tails). One day I had to go to the bank so we went to Plaza Uvero Alto and stopped by El Navegante for lunch. It is a seafood restaurant on the beach. Really good. Had two pounds of lobster and wife had grilled garlic shrimp. Must have been 30 shrimp on the plate. Lesson#1-Share. Skip the sides of salad and fries and just have seafood and plantains. Also went there for dinner and had grilled conch and a local fish cirrhata (sp) which was like a steak fish and delicious. El Navegante will provide transportation fron Sivory and return via taxi or for the adventurous they will take you by ATV’s along the beach.

The Sivory staff was outstanding and went above and beyond to make sure you were enjoying your stay. Didn’t have any language problems. They were all proud they were learning English and happy to teach you some Spanish. Some are being sent to school to improve their English.

Sivory offers several packages on their web site. I got our package on Luxury Link. One thing included was an early AM coffee eye opener which not only included coffee but fruit cup, juice and pastries. Since breakfast was included in our package and there was a coffee maker in the room we canceled the eye opener but it did arrive on a couple of occasions. Overall Sivory was a wonderful experience. Great place to relax and bury your head in the sand. The sun comes up and goes down and the biggest decision you’ll have to make is what to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sivory is truly a jewel.






HowardC is offline  
Old Jun 16th, 2006, 01:52 PM
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Howard,

Enjoyed your report. I saw this property on LL and it looks wonderful. Did you do any excursions around Punta Cana?
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 02:19 PM
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Welcome back Howard and thanks for a wonderful trip report...as always !

I was happy to hear that you found some conch !

I'm also happy to have some smiles in my inbox again !

It sounds like it was a relaxing and romantic place for your special anniversary.

But we always miss you here ;-) !

Marion

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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 03:43 PM
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HowardC,

Thank you for the wonderful trip report. My husband and I are thinking FS Exuma or Turks and Caicos The Palms or Somerset. Now I can't decide where to go. Would you say the Turks and Exuma have a nicer beach and better food section to choose from? Can you tell me more about the beach at Sivory. Did you like Sivory room/ambience better then Exuma or Turks and Caicos? Please share your thoughts. Thank you much.
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 05:35 PM
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Howard, I enjoyed reading that very much. Admittedly, the DR has never appealed that much to me, what with its reputation for AI resorts, but that could all change now based on your recommendation. Sivory sounds great, and I'm glad that y'all had a nice anniversary trip!
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Old Jun 17th, 2006, 05:11 AM
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Welcome back! I've been waiting for your trip report. So glad you enjoyed Sivory Punta Cana so much. Sounds like a perfect 'hot date' trip with my husband!
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Old Jun 17th, 2006, 06:30 AM
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Howard, I meant to ask you if this will be a return destination for you, and if so, will it be at the expense of either Provo or Anguilla? Or will you add it to your list of Caribbean rounds? Did you try any snorkeling there?
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Old Jun 17th, 2006, 07:51 AM
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Dear Howard C,

Good morning! Im so glad to hear you had a great experience with Sivory b/c I, too, purchased a package through LL and will be staying there this summer!! I admittedly havent done a ton of research yet but, based on trip reviews on this and similar websites, I do have a few questions that maybe you could help me out with!

Transportation
How did you set up your transfer between the airport and the hotel? Like, did you arrange it through the hotel itself or through the airport or through some other means? Also, did you arrange the transportation beforehand or did you choose a service upon arrival at the airport? I like the idea of having AC in the car so I think the MB van sounds like a good choice for me too! …Unless of course I can convince my husband to take the helicopter ride-woo hoo!

Food
Ive seen on the hotel website and also in trip reviews that there is a meal package of $150 per person per day (so $300 per couple per day) for all you can eat and drink including alcoholic drinks. I would so appreciate your thoughts on this meal plan! My husband and I arent big drinkers and I dont eat meat so I wouldnt even enjoy the delicious looking meals theyd serve (eg lobster, fillet mignon)!
Also, you mentioned in your post, and Ive seen on the website, outdoor dining. A picture on the website that I keep going back to look at b/c Im so excited is one that shows a dinner table right near the beach with the silver moon shining overhead and the waves crashing in the background-is the outdoor dining truly like that?

Safety
We will be in the same type of room that you described (plunge pool on the ground floor). I know we need to take normal precautions and stuff but, aside from that, did you feel totally fine and comfortable hanging out on your patio at night?

Water sports
My LL package says the water sports like snorkeling, windsurfing, kayaking, and sailing are available for one hour per person per day. I guess I was sort of thinking Id spend several hours each day doing this kind of stuff…do you by chance know whether they were enforcing this restriction? Please, Im not trying to break any rules, I was just thinking that maybe they impose those restrictions only when the resort is crowded and there is a large demand for the equipment…Im thinking maybe we should bring our own snorkel gear and boogie boards “just in case” but, still, Id appreciate it if you shared your thoughts!

Some other questions I was wondering about have already been posed (eg description of the beach, whether you went snorkeling). Thank you in advance for your help and I look forward to your responses!!

Sincerely,

Carrie

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Old Jun 18th, 2006, 06:16 PM
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Howard C or anyone else?
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Old Jun 19th, 2006, 06:18 AM
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Sorry I haven't gotten back. Spent yesterday trying to post pictures to no avail but when I do will let you know where to find them.

To Mah--No we didn't do any excursions while there although there are a lot like horseback riding, ATV trips snorkeling/scuba etc which can be arranged by the concierge.

To Clear--ON Exuma we normally stay at Club Peace and Plenty. Have been there about 25 times. Last visit did go out to Four Seasons for lunch with a friend. Very nice property. Didn't see rooms. Lunch with two drinks amd two iced teas was $120. Food very expensive. You're pretty much stuck with eating on site. Four Seasons is out in the middle of nowhere The beach Ocean Bight is very nice. Golfers stay there to play the Greg Norman golf course. TO go to "Town" it is a $75 cab ride round trip which a lot of people at FS complained about.

Turks and Caicos is completely different. Our favorite place to stay is Coral Gardens but not sure I can recommend it now. Grace Bay beach is awesome. Probably the best we've found. Some very good restaurants on Provo. Most accomodations are suites with kitchens. Unfortunately construction is rampant on Provo and it's getting built up. Still one of my favorite islands. At Sivory there aren't a lot of places to go to dinner off site but not a big problems with three restaurants. The accomodations were very nice. The beach is powdery tan sand very wide and long. I think I would pick T&C or Sivory.

To Caribtraveler--Great spot for a "Hot Date", First second third etc Honeymoon, Birthday, Anniversary or any other getaway excuse you can think of.

To Nature Girl--Arranger airport transfers through Sivory. Don't know who your Sivory contact is but Norberto is no longer there and it is Carmen. They use Prieto Tours. When we exited customs. there was a guy there with a sign with our name. Before Immigration you have to pay a $10/person tourist tax. The transfer was $80 each way and I tipped him $20.
Food-- Since you have the package we had I wouldn't go for the all inclusive food plan. You already get the eye opener. breakfast, and a four course dinner. You can get by a lot less than $300/day. Drinks teng to be expensive. Rum and Tequilla drinks are cheaper than Vodka. We brought some liquor with us. One couple did do the dinner on the beach. Very romantic and there was a full moon. Wish we had done it. There is a $100 set up fee though and you have your own private waiter.

Security--Never felt insecure. They have a security patrol at night. Safe in closet for valuables.

Water sports. Don't think they really enforce the one hour rule. Hardly anyone was using anything except kayaks. Resort wasn't crowded. Ten couples max. The sailboat was being repaired as some guests who thought they could sail tore it up pretty badly. I did bring my snorkel and mask. Don't need fins. Feet are big enough. The beach is protected by a reef and snorkeling is pretty good although the water can be rough at times. Ramon who owns El Navegante said the snorkeling is very good off the beach there but didn't get to try it. Next time




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Old Jun 19th, 2006, 10:32 AM
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Hahah-Thanks so much to you, Howard C, and your "big feet!" Youve been very helpful and have provided very useful information!

Thanks again and have a wonderful day!!
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Old Jun 19th, 2006, 11:10 AM
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thank you Howard. I apprecitate it. Which resort would you choose for us in Turks and Caicos? The plams, Somerset, Royal West Indies, Turks and Caicos Club, Villa Renaissance and etc? We want nice comfortable bed , modern room/bathroom and a beautiful beach with comfortable beach chair. We don't want to pay $400 a night either. Willing to pay up to $350 per night. I heard a lot about Point Grace resort. Please advice.
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Old Jun 19th, 2006, 12:00 PM
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Clear--Tough question because I don't know all the resort rates. Doubt if you can do The Palms or Point Grace for what you want to pay. You could probably do a studio suite at Royal West Indies but I'm not big on that location or Mango Reef restaurant. Villa Renaissance is very nice==no restaurant on site and there is construction next door so don't know how bothersome it would be. Within walking distance to several shopping plazas and restaurants. Somerset is new and I understand very nice. Turks and Caicos club is further away from the main resorts and close to snorkeling at Coral Gardens. The suites are nice but found them rather dark. If you stay there ask for an end suite on the second floor--think 12 or 17. Sometimes T&C Club has a package for auction on Luxury Link. The Restaurant Simba is not one of the better ones on Provo and nothing else is really within walking distance, On Provo you basically need a car. You might also look into Ocean Club West some restaurants and shopping plaza within walking distance. There is a recent review of OCW on Trip Advisor. If you want a vacation to really Jell and don't need shopping or entertainment don't rule out Sivory. If you're fine with a book and don't get bored easily it's fine. Just bid on the Sivory 7 day package again on Luxury Link and won. Will probably go in Nov
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Old Jun 20th, 2006, 05:42 AM
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To Clear--Can Probably get you into a one bedroom Ocean Grand suite at Coral Gardens depending on when you plan to go for around $350 which is a good deal. It is about 1500 Sq ft with kitchen, living/dining area bedroom, 1 1/2 baths, wrap around balcony on second floor with great views. We have stayed in this suite and it is very nice. Check out www.coralgardens.com.
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Old Jun 20th, 2006, 03:09 PM
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Howard--I enjoyed your trip report on the Sivory. I had noticed that on luxury link, but have never used it. The last package I looked at was at $570, but I was not near a computer close to the bid closing to get an idea of what it actually went for. Would you mind sharing an approximate price of what the Sivory packages go for in the end? Thanks!
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Old Jun 20th, 2006, 03:17 PM
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HowardC: Love that you already won another package to Sivory Punta Cana! Enjoy it again. Until then, do you have any other trips planned?
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Old Jun 20th, 2006, 07:36 PM
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Howard, I have read previous posts of yours and I think we may have the same or similar tastes in islands/resorts, so I am thrilled to read this positive report on Sivory Punta Cana. The DR has never appealed to me because of the mega-resorts but Sivory sounds great and certainly worth a try. I am going to check out luxury link to see what packages I can find.
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Old Jun 21st, 2006, 05:49 AM
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To Perdue 74--Not sure what you were looking at but the opening bid on the 7 night Sivory package is $1648. It normally goes for between $2400-$2600. I really don't think it would be fair to Sivory to reveal what I got it for but check out how to do a Dutch auction and you can probably figure it out. There is a way to bid and win at a low price. Belive Luxury Link does provide a bid history on the resort. If not you can call them and ask.

Caribtraveler--No nothing else planned in the immediate future but the BVI's and Anegada are definitely on my list.

Orangetravelcat-- From reading your reports I would say we have similar tastes in Carib resorts. We went to Paridisus Punta Cana about 8 years ago. Nice accomodations but big. Like vacationing with 1000 of your closest friends. We really don't need all the activities and entertainment. Food was pretty good for an AI and I really don't like AI's. Wasn't really looking at the DR until I found Sivory. Once you get there away from the mega resorts you really don't even feel like you're in Punta Cana. Definitely a different world. If you have questions fire away.
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Old Jun 21st, 2006, 07:06 AM
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Hi Howard,

Thank you again . It is still hard for me to decide between Ritz in Grand Cayman, FS in Exuma, Turks and Caicos OR Sivory. Is the beach water clear and calm at Sivory? My husband wants Luxury. I want somewhere that has beautiful lush grounds,beach, modern room and good seafood. It doesnt'have to be like Ritz or FS? Any suggestions?
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Old Jun 21st, 2006, 08:12 AM
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HowardC: Oh I'm going to be so jealous if you do go to Anegada. We ALMOST booked it for our upcoming anniversary in October but the 2 'resorts' we looked into still had not decided if they'd be open at that time. We almost did one of those cottages on Loblolly Bay (?) but then ended up picking T&C. I'll live vicariously through you if you go.
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