Jerry

The wife is having 2nd thoughts about the trip I booked. Staying at Casa Marina Beach Club/all-inclusive 2nd week in April. She is a very picky eater but she loves to sit on the beach and soak up the sun. Any thoughts on what to do on the island.

Michelle

Hi Jerry: The Dominican Republic is definitely worth seeing. We have been there 4 or 5 times. We usually go to Puerto Plata to the Playa Dorado area & we went to Juan Dolio once to the Capella Renaissance. I know Sosua but I have never stayed there, just toured a bit. The best way to see the island is on a horseback excursion. We went up Isabella de Torres on horses & it was super. In Sosua or anywhere for that matter, if you go off the properties you will have Dominican kids hassling you. You can either be firm & say no or hire a kid so the rest will leave you alone. On the resorts they are not allowed to bother you. The market in Puerto Plata is a real eye-opener. It is very interesting. If you take a cab to go there bargain on a price but do not pay until you are back at your resort. If you do not wish to have a guide, be firm. Dominicans are very clean, proud, friendly people. We love it there. Have a super time. We may be going too, the first wk. of March.
Mitch

Gerald

My wife and I just returned from a vacation in the Dominican Republic. We stayed at Caribbean Village Club on the Green in the Playa Dorada complex at Puerto Plata. The weather is just great for sun seekers. We enjoyed the food although it is not exactly what you would get at home. You cannot drink the water from the tap in your rooms but the hotels provide bottled water for drinking. The only thing we didn't like was dealing with the many different languages of the tourists. There are many German and French tourists that visit the D.R. so all of the tours and announcements are repeated in four different languages so this is very confusing at times. At the airport there is confusion when departing or arriving as the people grab your luggage saying that they are with a Tour company and they will carry your luggage. They carry it across the street and then demand to be paid. If you do not want to pay someone to carry your luggage you should firmly say no and hold on tight as they are quite persistent. All in all, my wife and I would visit the D.R. again. Hope this is helpful.

Michelle

I agree with everything that Gerald said. The airport is confusing & the natives do hassle you there even though they are not suppose to. Be firm & look to you tour guide. We had 2 Dominicans fighting for our luggage. When I yelled for Jesse, our tour operator, they vanished into thin air. It is definitely a learning experience but if you get little tips from people who have been there, you should be alright.

Doreen

Request info on Sunquest Cruise MS Sundream followed by 1 wk. vacation @ Playa Dorado all inclusive in Puerto Plata Dominican Republic.

Jacqui

Jerry... you will have a blast and so will your wife... We went to Casa Marina in Sosua last year with another couple - also the first two weeks of April. We ALL had the best time... the restaurants (1 buffet and 2 ala carte) are great!!!... there is a vast array of choices and the ala carte restaurants are well worth reserving tables at.

The beach is excellent.. and the sun and weather spectacular. This was our second trip to D.R., and our fourth one to a Caribbean island... we found that the service at Casa Marina was top notch... we had never seen so many smiling, happy, eager to please waiters, bell boys, reception staff... they were second to none... we moved rooms twice and they moved our bags with BIG smiles on their faces and absolutely no complaints. The water pressure and electrical were fine too... never any problems that were not remedied promptly. No problems with water or food... they had huge containers of fresh water at all the bars that you could fill your own water bottles with.

You can easily stroll into town in 7-10 minutes... there is a spectacular 100 stall market there... you will need good haggling skills. Don't pay any more than 1/2 of the asking price... If you don't like haggling remember this... they love to haggle and actually respect you if you are good at it.

Entertainment left something to be desired... but if you like to participate in a little on stage fun... then you wont miss the quality of a good stage show.

Jerry, feel free to write me directly should you hav any further questions ([email protected]). Adios and don't worry... tell your wife to get ready to really enjoy herself!

Dr. Luis Jose Asilis

As a dominican I must say it is worth visiting our country. Safe. Inexpensive. Close to the U.S. I strongly recommend flying to Las Americas Airport or Casa de Campo in La Romana. Short drives to resorts is a good idea. Santo Domingo is worth visiting.