| Puerto Plata Village - Playa Dorada | Nikki,Pete and Hannah | Peterborough UK |
| August 2002
we have just returned from puerto plata village after 2 weeks of luxury. It already seems so long ago ! ( we travelled 29th july-returned 12th august).I truly cannot recommend this hotel highly enough. The staff were wonderful.especially the entertainment team. There are activities laid on throughout the day if you want them, or you can just lay by the pool and chill ! I had a disaster with my passport and so had to follow my husband and daughter 2 days late, but i can honestly say that the airport was a welcoming and hassle free experience , even on my own. as was the 20 min cab ride to the hotel.it was a much more laid back experience than when i landed in jamaica. The grounds of the hotel are fantastic, it struck me each day i woke how beautiful the gardens were and how hard the staff worked to keep them looking that way. They really are very proud of it. The rooms are basic, but comfortable and anything you require appears at your door when you call ! The food was tremendous, i am the worlds fussiest eater but still managed to eat well each day. there is a huge range of choice throughout the day.So much so that come the end of our stay i had to personally thank the chefs.It was worth doing just for the smile i got in return, and then the manager was fetched to hear my comments. THE BEACH! ...wow.the hotel runs a shuttle service , which was always prompt from 8-5. the beach is like from a postcard.again, everyday i would marvel that i was actually there! there are beach vendors , but they are regulated by the hotel, and apolite, " no thanks" was sufficient. the browner you get, the less you get hassled.however, on our last few days we got some good deals, but my advice would be HAGGLE HAGGLE HAGGLE! In short , i adored the place and now feel homesick for it. I would say if you are thinking about going here book it ! we live in the uk and went with first choice, who were great and scott the rep was great.BUT ...we checked prices for going direct through the resort and we would have saved about £1,300 !!!!!!...when we return we are doing it this way! just book your flight to puerto plata airport and go..phone hotel 2 months before travel..soooo much cheaper. and transfer is easy and cheap ( about £ 8 each way) . the people of dominica are wonderful....the counrty and resort astounding......you will not find harder working staff than at puerto plata village. remember to thank them. |
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| Puerto Plata Village - Playa Dorada | Chris, Marina and girls. | Canada |
| April 2002
Our vacation to Puerto Plata Village departed March 15th, 2002 and we were back in Canada March the 29th. I know many people have already mentioned this about the DR, but this was the best holiday we have ever had. We have traveled to many parts of the U.S., but had never been to the Dominican Republic. The plane ride with Sky Service was a little under 6 hours, allowing us to enjoy a half day once we arrived. Once at Puerto Plata Village, the bell boys carried all of our heavy luggage to our room. As the room did not have a balcony and we had requested one with our package, we simply went to the front desk to inquire if a balcony was available. The people at the front desk apologized immediately and sent the bell boys back to move our luggage. They even provided me with a small fridge as I had medicine which needed to be refrigerated. The room was clean and cheerful enough. After all we only used the room to shower and sleep. Our television was maybe turned on 5 times while there for two weeks. The food was delicious at the buffet and the à la carte restaurants were superb. The waiters were fantastic, friendly and were always there to fill our wine glasses, not to mention the numerous shooters enjoyed after dinner. The beach barbeque was always great as well. The endless pina coladas and banana mama's were tasty in the morning and even tastier by evening. Not a day went by without trying a different food or drink, and most were delicious! The scenery in the Dominican Republic is absolutely breath taking. From the large pool, we could see the mountains just behind us. Our day of horseback riding in the mountains was one of our favorite tours. The guide (Victor) took the time to point out several fruit tree's and we picked some grapefruit to eat after a swim in the river. We ended up giving our hats and sunglasses off our heads to the young Dominican boys at the river for they were all so polite in asking and put on a great Tarzan Show for us while there. I was very happy that we had brought extra ball caps to hand out The ride back on horse was very exciting as our horse's were anxious to drink and raced us home in record time. Our daughters aged 14 and 16 enjoyed the jeep safari tour as well. The waterfalls were wonderful, a great experience, but I would not do it again ( my kids tell me I'm too old)! This is more for the very adventurous type, as it takes a lot of energy and nerves of steel to climb these waterfalls. We stopped in a haitian village to drop off school supplies (scribblers, pencils, pens) we had brought along with sunglasses and candy for the children. Our maid was also left a gift every day for the great service of flowers in a vase or in the towels. Our girls enjoyed the para sailing, but we found the price of $100 American a little too steep for the 20 minutes they were up there We also took a tour to Paradise island to snorkel in the coral reef. Another fantastic experience. All of these tours were booked through the locals and cost much less than through the signature vacation tour guide, but really the very same tour. We spent a day in Puerto Plata visiting several sites and spent a half day at the market. The people in town are just as friendly as the staff at the resorts. DR people are wonderful. If only the entire world could be as pleasant we would have a pretty awesome world! I cannot say enough about the staff at Puerto Plata Village. The activity staff members were second to none. These people work 10 14 hrs per day and always have a smile on their face, wether they be dancing, singing, serving tables at lunch and dinner, instructing aerobics, playing volleball/waterpolo/basketball, meringue or salsa lessons. I have never met such an energetic bunch. Most of them even stayed for the disco which was open until 2am every night. A special thank you to José Arminderez as he was definitely the most energetic of the bunch, not to mention very good looking! He was great with the mini-disco and the children were as crazy about him as a bee is to honey! Iris was also wonderful with the kids. Our days were spent at the beach with music playing, banana boat riding and just relaxing on loungers while trying to tan. The weather was superb, with only one night of rain at 11pm the night before our holiday ended. Many of the reviews we read prior to our vacation were false. NO need for face cloths, beach towels, thermal cups, but DO bring a lot of sunscreen/lotion/bandaids as well as evening wear. Most of the day we spent in our bathing suits, but it was nice to dress up for dinner. And for you ladies, bring a 2 piece bathing suits as all shapes and sizes are welcome. I would say 90% of females wore bikinis regardless of their size or age.. That was really great to see. Our trip to Puerto Plata Village was so fabulous that we are planning to go back in December. As we cannot afford for all of us to go again so soon, our daughters have agreed to find part-time jobs and earn their own money for a second holiday. We can hardly wait to return to Puerto Plata Village at Christmas time, and hope to see some familiar faces upon our return. We give this resort a 9 out 10. Thanks Puerto Plata Village for the fond memories! |
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| Puerto Plata Village - Playa Dorada | Johnson Family | England |
| April 2002
My family and I stayed at the friendly Peurto plata Village in playa dorada, for a fort night last year. We went during July 2001. Well, I have to say that this was one amazing experience! We travelled with going places on the Air 2000. Our flight was at 8 am, meaning we were all up at 3 am, but even being totally half asleep and exhausted, we were still absolutely buzzin' about going to the caribbean island of the Dominican republic. There were 2 familys of four, and 2 couples of 2 who went together, and my family was one of the two families of four. Well, the flight was a 9 hour flight and very tiring as you can imagine, but no'one let this tirdeness spoil the first day of our holiday experience. As soon as we arrived to the resort, we were absolutely amazed. We had never seen anywhere as amazing as this place. I have read reviews of other people reporting that the Dominican is full of rubbish, but what a lie that is. All the way from Peurto Plata airport I don't think i can say that I saw even 5 pieces of litter on the floor. Poeple who have ever complianed about this country are obviously just looking for something to complain about, or they were on another planet. I am only 15 years old and my cousin and I shared our own room as our parents had given us a bit of their trust. Well, when we arrived to our rooms after the lovely (and good looking) dominican men had helped us with our bags, our room was not ready yet, as the maids had a lot of rooms to clean before all the English invaded this lovely hotel. So, we unpacked quickly and got on our costumes as we wanted to make the most of the hours left during our first day. We went down to the pool but before we got in it we looked around. This place was absolutley gorgeous. Honestly. We had been to many, many places around the world before and I can honestly say that no where I have been in my 15 years of living and going abroad each year has ever been as good as his holiday. Having our own room (my cousin and I) was of course great! We had more privacy, more room and more trust from our family. When our room was ready about 3 hours after arriving to the hotel, we were pretty impressed with the rooms. During this holiday, we met lots of Dominicans. How charming are they?!? Everywhere you go, you get a nice smile and compliment from the men if you are a lady or girl ( how good do they make you feel!). They get you up doing their famous dance, the Merengue. Now that is a laugh! There was great entertainment almost everynight. Two nights while we stayed at the Peurto Plata Village, there was an English buffet on the beach! Now that was unbelievable. It was so amazing that it brought a tear to your eye. We ate on a sort of platform thing onext to the beach, with candles lit and then later they had a proper bonfire on the beach. then we did the konga around it. You would never expect a bonfire on the beach, would you! We just couldn't believe it. It was paradise, honestly, I am not lying or Exaggerating, it really was like something you would imagine and would actually think it could never really happen! We went on several trips while we were ther. We went on the Catamaran trip, this was fabulous. We had fun while actually on the boat as it goes really fast and is always splashing up and down and feels like a ride! On the catamaran trip we stopped for a swim in the sea and people were jumping in from the boat which was fairly high, especially to say you are jumping ino the sea! Also we stopped for dinner and we ate on a beach on this long table. Now that really was something. We then went ino the town to see what people lived like. This can really upset you as the children there are so poor. they literally live in sheds and some of them walked around naked as they could not afford clothes. A little boy about 4 years old greeted me with a shell for me as a present. Then he held my hand all the way to this beach. That was so touching. We went snorkelling in the sea and saw allsorts of different fish! Snorkelling was really fun! One day we went go karting! That was one fun day out I tell you! We also went to the water park! I definately advise yo go there! It was a small park but it was good being small as it just had enough slides and each slides was about 2 minutes between eachother. We had a great time there! Some of my family went on the Quads through the sugar canes and up through the mountains! They came back absoultely covered in dirt! haha! They loved it! We also went to the rum and cigar factory, which was okay if you are into all the educational stuff, but personally I found it quite boring and a waste of time. The children including myself wanted to go and swim with the Dolphins but there wasn't a tank in the Dominican Republic where we could go to do it. We asked about this and they said that a tank was going to built and should be ready for summer 2002! Thank God that we are going back to th Dominican republis this year! But we are staying at the Iberostar Costa D ordada this time! The food at the hotel was lovely and very filling. Well, our holiday was a truly amazing and wonderful experience and I just wish we could live there!! I reccomend this hotel to anyone looking for the best holiday of a lifetime. If anyone has ever complained about this country or hotel then they are so wrong and just don't listen to them!! TRUST ME!!! The country is so hot and beautiful. It is like a drean come true when you got there! I just wish the people over here in England were like the Dominicans! GO TO THIS PLACE WITH NO HESITATION! We are going back to the Dominican in Juve of this year and I simply can't wait! Have a great time people!! |
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| Puerto Plata Village - Playa Dorada | Lisa and Chris | Leicestershire, UK |
| January 2002
Xmas and New Year at Puerto Plata Village was great and the weather was superb! The layout of the hotel was very spacious and with a relaxed feel. Rooms are set out in blocks throughout gardens in either bungalows or 3 storey blocks of 24 rooms, all brightly coloured exteriors, none too far from all the amenities. The grounds were well maintained. Rooms were cleaned everyday and clean towels. The rooms are clean and basic, certainly fine for a two week holiday. I would suggest if you book, you do request a balcony. Food was plentiful, Breakfast scored the best, then lunch, then dinner. In the main restaurant, there were always seats available and plenty of room. Not so hot on re-laying tables though. Evening meal being the worst. The beach food was also good. Hot dogs and pizza also readily available almost 24 hr on the complex at the side of the main bar area. The mexican rest was good, the international was reasonable, the italian was closed. So do visit both for a change. Drinks were also plentiful - 24HRS!!!! - and there was the piano bar, in the reception were you could also get a drink in a proper glass which was nice sometimes, rather than the plastic tumblers. There was a buggy to the beach which was regular, but its also a nice 10 minute walk to walk off the breakfast. The beach was ok. Breezy in the afternoon so you think its cooler but sun still catching you! There is a little market at one end of the beach for some souvenirs which was handy! You have the odd beach seller tempting you but a little nod and they leave you alone. The darker colour you get, the less you are pursued.! Its also a nice walk to the shopping plaza with shops, a couple of bars and restaurants. This makes a nice break from the hotel every evening. The Jack Tar casino is fun, visited there several times, well worth a little walk across the road.! The evening enterainment and surrounds were the only really 'not so good' part of the holiday. It finished around 10pm. There was little on the 'get all involved' side, just the staff show for an hour each night which gets a little tedious and the area for this is the same as the 24 hour pool bar, which is not comfy for a night nor really inviting. BUT you make the most of this. The pool area was great, large pool, always beds available, and a swim up bar. You neednt take your own towels, they supply towels daily for you for the beach/pool which is really handy. We used to spend 1/2 day on the beach and then pool in the afternoon. It would get busier around 3-4pm when they served afternoon teas, cakes, this was obviously a favourite. All of the staff were very friendly. Also saw a couple of weddings which was nice. A trip out to Puerto Plata town is worthwhile and Sosua too. Having stayed at the Riu Merangue before, I think I was spoilt, but we certainly enjoyed our stay here, had a fab xmas and new year and met some nice people. We would return to another hotel in the Playa Dorada complex. |
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| Puerto Plata Village - Playa Dorada | Dave and Wendy | Birmingham, England |
| October 2001
We had a wonderful two weeks at Puerto Plata Village. The westher was very hot 126 degress most days, which we didn't expect as the brochure only stated high 80's. It was a littel difficult at times, but well worth it. Puerto Plata Village is a lovely site like an old Colonial Plantation. It is spotlessly clean, the staff never seem to stop, they are so friendly and always smiling. We had no problem getting into the A La Carte restaurant or the Italian restaurant, in fact we visited both at least three times each during our holiday. These are well presented, and the food is good. The staff once again are very cheerful, helpful and polite. The beach Barbeque is very good offering a wide variety every lunchtime, pork chops, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, jacket potatoes, chips salad, pasta, plenty of fruit and tea and coffee, of course there is the bar for alcoholic drinks and juices. The beach gets quite windy after around 11.00a.m. each day, but when it is hot it is the best place to be as on the actual site, there seems to be no air, and there is little if any shade around the pool. This is one complaint I had no shade around pool at all. The only other complaint was the rooms. They are very nice, t.v., telephone balcony etc, but the decor is very drab. The walls are a medium yellow but the bed spreads and curtains were a very dark burgundy and green colour which was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be very caribbean with bright yellows, greens, blues etc., quite disappointing really. However, we did really enjoy ourselves, we went on the Catamaran trip (through the locals not the tour rep) much cheaper, but very good. We also went on the Jeep Safari (with the locals). The Jeep Safari is a great day out but beware the waterfalls. They are not what you think water falls are, you climb up and have to slide down where the rock has worn away. Me not being very good going under water and with water in my face, had a panick attack at the second falls, and found it very difficult to come down again. The only way down is the way you go up!! We would recommend Puerto Plata Village to everyone as a really good holiday resort, and if you like weddings (we saw nine whilst there) you will love it. The reception staff are great, if you need to call home, or have a problem, and the resort manager is always on hand to book you for a special occasion (birthday, anniversary etc) into one of the restaurants, (you get a cake as well!! and the staff sing to you) we found this quite amusing. We were there for our 30th Wedding Anniversary and had a really good night. Between 9.00.p.m. and 10.00p.m. there is a show on the stage above the pool, this is put on mainly by staff (with the help of some profesionals) and I must say that we really enjoyed this hour the effort put into it and costumes was excellent. We also visited the casino at Jak Tar Village down the road, were made very welcome and had a good couple of hours fun. I had six hundred five cent coins come out of one machine, didn't work out to much but it was great watching them come out. We would definitely go again, but not yet as we have many other places to visit first. Highly recommended. |
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| Puerto Plata Village - Playa Dorada | Dori |
| October 2001
I spent the week of Oct. 5-12 at the Puerto Plata Village. After staying six times in Punta Cana at the Bavaro Beach Resort, I must admit that I was apprehensive. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The rooms were the only real indication of a three star hotel. They were small and basic, with no amenities (such as shampoo, body cream, etc,) However, the housekeeping staff was superb - clean sheets and towels every day. We ate in all of the restaurants. The food was outstanding and the servers couldn't do enough for you. At dinner, your wine glass was kept full and after dinner liqueurs were offered. The pool with the swim up bar was delightful. Like most places there, there was a lot of topless, which is merely a way of life for the Europeans. The beach was nice and the lunch there was good. The fact that the hotel is not directly on the beach is a minus, but a shuttle runs continually so it is really no big deal. The entire staff was extremely friendly and most spoke English. To sum things up: This is not a fancy hotel, but is one of the best bargains for the money I have found in my travels. |
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| Puerto Plata Village - Playa Dorada | Kelly. B | Ontario, Canada |
| October 2001
Hi, for a graduation trip from high school 7 other girls and I decided to take the trip to DR, and boy what a trip it was. If you are looking for fun, sun and excitment this is the hotel for you. The staff was nothing less then friendly and that made us feel a bit at home, being 8 17-19 year old girls from Canada we were scared at first, but all those worries soon faded. Our flight out of Toronto was delayed so we arrived late, but there was still a comp drink upon arrival. We went on the 17th of March 2001, and when we got there, tones of other students had been and were still there for a few days, although they had caused large amounts of trouble on the resort, we were never treated poorly. We met a group of friends while down there and still keep in contact they live only 30 min away, that also made our stay more enjoyable. 24hr snacks and drinks also added to the excitment. Many other resorts closed their bars around 1am, however the snack bar and drinks at one of the bars were open all night, which we defintally took avantage of. There were pool tables, foosbal, and ping pong along with TV's and lots of tables in the "loungey type of bar" which we spent alot of time it. The disco was small, but very fun and very load. They had karokee night which was alot of fun too. As for food, alot of us are very picky eaters, however the food was not too bad. The buffets grew a little repetive even though there were theme nights. We also ate at the Italian and mexican restraunt which were very tastey. We didnt have time to eat at the International one, but heard good things.We defintally ate our moneys worth of pizza (YUM) and drank out moneys worth of drinks. The countrys beer was very tastey, a little less strong then the drinks (look out). If you got sick of the food on the resort in a mall just down the road (also with in the playa dorda complex) there was a hemmingways cafe and a pizza hut! Along with many american shops as well as dominican ones. One day half of us even vertunted out alone into the city to hit up the Burger king for lunch (not remconding leaving on your own, not knowing where you are going, it was rather scary getting home). On a last note while we were down there I was hurt and needed medical attention, the people were a bit confused and scared at first, but the man at the beach club helped by putting alcohol on my injury and pointing me in the right direction. After a little bit of confusion, the beach buggy man drove me and two friends to the tourist hospital where i recieved proper treatment. Even after recieving needles and ansetetic I felt secure and good with the medcal treatment I recived. The hospital was about a 3/4 min bike ride away, and the staff was very friendly to me, I had to go once a day for the rest of my trip to have the bandage changed. All in all this trip was the time of our life, and the resort, staff, and features were the reasons for that. We defintally would recomend it. Oh ya the view from the clock tower was amazing too. |
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| Puerto Plata Village - Playa Dorada | John Siddle | UK |
| September 2001
The flight from Manchester took just under 8.5 hours the day flight appearing to go quite quickly. On arrival at the airport, the first and hopefully only rip off took place. US$20 to get the bags loaded onto the coach. Future attempts will be met with a ‘get lost’. Entry into the airport was past a local band that was collecting for some local charity but the effect was worth the £1. (Not compulsory though) The trip to the hotel was ok, fairly short and uneventful the scenery
was interesting. Check in at the hotel was well organized, because of
the number of guests, the disco was used and the welcome drink cool and
appreciated even if we did not know what the flavour was. It is here that
you get fitted, what you later refer to, as your handcuffs, your ID bracelet. On the question of guest security, there are security guards on the gate and all around the perimeter of the complex and also the beach area. The beach is also patrolled by Tourist Police who ride (fairly quickly) up and down the beach on quad bikes. Venturing into the town one had a feeling of being very safe. So generally any previous fears that the DR is not a safe place, are perhaps not true or over stated. You have to take reasonable precautions in London, probably more so. The ‘All inclusive’ concept is a bit strange at first however, in the
Puerto Plata Village it works well. The thought of food being available
all day before arrival in the DR, gave rise to thoughts of food poisoning.
However, once you realize that if its cold it is in a chill cabinet and
if it is hot, they are usually cooking it whilst you wait, soon dispel’s
all doubts. The hotel has four restaurants one which is almost 24/7, buffet style
and is excellent. A Hotdog/Pizza bar is open during the day, then it opens
when all other restaurants close until about 7am. The hotel is fairly spread out with roads, speed bumps and pavements;
the impression of a sleepy Florida timeshare complex came to mind. The
USA influence in the concept and planning is very apparent. Not a bad
thing. This concept is maintained throughout. The hotel activity host’s do a good job organizing various activities
such as pool aerobics, archery, football, and darts. Some of them arrange
outside activities such as Horse riding and Quad biking. The start of the first full day brought a tropical storm, which lasted about 10mins, was heavy, but did nothing to cool the temperature, and soon, was forgotten. We sampled the international bar El Cupey, this a'lacarte restaurant
made a nice change. I was a bit surprised by the lack of people in the
restaurant after being told it was nearly full. The Italian restaurant
was sampled and although I am not a lover of pasta dishes and would not
normally go to an Italian restaurant I enjoyed the meal very much. The next day we went to the beach. The hotel golf buggy/bus runs continuously
takes about 10mins. Each night there are semi professional shows staged they were basically good and catered to different tastes there was an occasional professional act included and usually the main pool area fell quiet-ish about 2330hrs apart from the one hot dog bar. The disco (all inclusive) is situated near the entrance to the site and although small has, all that is required for a hot nite out, although not visited at night I am sure it is popular. The thing you notice whilst in Puerto Plata Village is the attention to cleanliness; someone is always cleaning, picking up glasses (plastic) around the pool and elsewhere. The pool water quality appears to be tested several times a day. I was surprised by the lack of mosquito’s and flies, Tourist’s from the Jack Tar Village, said that everyone was bitten there. Perhaps we were lucky we saw hardly any. . So far the only thing that appears below par is the shop, a little limited in scope and possibly staff enthusiasm, punctuality in opening might be a problem if you need to change travellers cheques before going on an early morning trip. The answer is do not believe the published opening hours. Perhaps Dominican time is different. Definitely closed on Sundays though. The room service is second to none almost to being too much. The chambermaid comes in every day, towels will be changed each day if required, the beds are made up and the room cleaned and tidied. Not sure how often the sheets were changed but they always appeared to be clean, so maybe everyday. The lady we had looking after our room was excellent and very trustworthy. I understand that during Saturday and Sunday the hotel is open to the general public (for a fee) and gets very crowded. This appears to cause some annoyance to residents due to the limited sun bed availability for such a large influx of people. The residents in the know opt for the beach on these days. Since writing the first part of this paragraph, I have found out that it is mainly August that this happens, due to the local school vacations being taken at this time. The schools go back on September 1st. The second weekend was particularly busy and troublesome. Tried a Snorkeling trip from the beach, however just as we set off a storm blew up, I am sure the little boat spent more time in the air rather than in the water. The snorkel site was some way away and on arrival, we found the water quite cloudy although the coral reef was reasonably clear, with quite a number of small fish. During the swim, one of us got a bit seasick (not saying who) and was quite glad to return. Returning to the main complex we found the place fairly crowded as expected,
the place now resembled Disney land mid summer. The restaurant operators
clearly favour the weekenders when serving the queues even to the point
of ignoring the holiday guests; these queues do not exist during the weekdays. I heard a guest saying that there was not enough for the children to do, I am not sure what goes on at the kids club but I do know that all the pool activities are really adult oriented apart from aerobics, dancing and water balloon fights. Some of the slightly older children who feel that kids clubs is not for them might prefer a chance at say Archery or maybe Darts etc. Perhaps some children’s versions of the adult games could be devised. We suffered a rainstorm during one of the nights apparently it was quite heavy the balcony flooded but was only a minor inconvenience. We slept through it. On the last night there was a major break in a water main cutting the water to the entire site, this prevented showers prior to departure but the pool served the purpose of cooling and refreshing us prior leaving. Pickup on leaving is a little confused and complicated. You have to
take your towels back to the pool area and get a receipt, you need to
take back the hire agreement you signed when you got the towels on day
one. You then have to queue at reception to sign out. If you travel with
Unijet, you keep your bracelets on until ready to board the coach, you
then have to queue again to get your coach boarding pass. I think you
should be able to hand the bracelets in as you board. One per person.
Verdict on the hotel, Excellent. Excursions sampled. Thursday we sampled an organized trip The Outback Jungle Safari, This was excellent, the guides being both informative and entertaining and above all pleasant and courteous. The planning meticulous and the attention to safety excellent. The whole day was continuous banter an awful lot of knowledge was imparted in a fun way, which was good for both adults and children alike. Highlights were a native village house visit, a local shop for cheap
booze, a stop by a river for a cool swim and lunch, a river boast ride
down to the beach where the finale was 45mins of boogey boarding in the
ocean. Then a fast drive along the coast back to our hotel. The next excursion is on a Catamaran snorkeling, Freestyle Catamarans. Arrived at beach around 8.45, then waited around a little time to be taken to the Catamaran. The trip to the chosen bay was good even though about half of the guests succumbed to the dreaded ‘mal d’mere’. However, I can testify that the travel sickness tablets obtained on Sunday from the Farmacia, worked well. The bay where we anchored was great, calm and a nice reef with millions of fish of all colours and shapes. Lunch was served on the boat, salad and cooked meats, cool drinks flowed all day. After the swimming was finished, the two catamarans moored side by side and the crew staged a little entertainment. The trip back was fairly smooth and in much less time than the outward trip. Again, excellent value. Another day we took a cab to the base of the nearby mountain where they run a cable car to the top. The top is being setup as an Arboretum type of setting it’s a little run down in places but still worth a visit. The cab ride back was the same as going, driving is like being part of the Wacky Races, Indie 500 and Road Runner all rolled into one. Good though! Overall verdict on my visit to Puerta Plata Village in the Dominican Rebublic Brilliant can not wait until the next visit. As a footnote to this report. I understand that these are woefully under funded with the poorest village schools suffering the most. Anyone who reads this and is interested enough in giving back something
in return for the amazing holiday they will have had, are invited to visit
the following web site. |
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| Puerto Plata Village - Playa Dorada | Paul | UK |
| September 2001
Our family of 2 adults and 2 children (4 and 8 yrs) travelled to this hotel from the UK in July 2001. We had a fabulous time, the hotel room was basic but clean. The food was good, both varied and plentiful. Entertainment was very good during the day, not so family orientated at night but you must remember that it is the same staff entertaining during the day who also entertain at night, so on the whole they do a pretty good job (if you like shows!). The pool is big and the swim up bar a Godsend in the hot Dominican sun. The weather was very kind to us, we expected many tropical storms and downpours but only saw about two during the whole two weeks. The staff are very friendly and cannot do enough for you. The only downside was that at weekends the locals were allowed in both to stay and on a daily pass basis. This proved to be a nightmare so I would strongly recommend checking with the travel agent if this is still the case, apparently we were told it only happens for so many weeks during the summer holidays? The locals came in, in their droves and it seemed like there were about 20 to a room, with reports of many belongings going missing! However, once Sunday had passed the hotel again returned to tranquility and harmony. |