Dominican Republic: The Good and Bad

If staying in the southeast, definitely take a day trip to Isla Saona, a spectacular uninhabited island off the coast, with gorgeous beaches and water.

Quick Tips:

Don't stay in the Juan Dolio area; it's really inferior to some of the other parts of the island.

Best Way To Get Around:

Local buses (vans, really) are very cheap and abundant.

The Decameron Hotel and Casino really fell below our expectations, which weren''t all that high to begin with! Unfortunately, the food was pretty awful and the service was surprisingly rude and standoffish.

Our room was great, large and clean with two terraces overlooking the ocean and beach. But the ammenities in general - tennis courts, boating, dining rooms, casino and even the beach, were really under par. It''s a three-star hotel so we weren''t expecting the Four Seasons, but edible food and friendly service would have really made a difference!

We heard from many others that the resort was fairly typical of those in the Juan Dolio area of the Dominican Republic, which is in the southeast. It seems to be one of the less-recommended areas to stay in; if we rerturn, we''ll try Puerto Plata, Punta Cana or Boca Chica which are all supposed to be more beautiful and higher-quality.

Although the resort we stayed at was all-inclusive, the food was so bad that we ended up paying for dinner at an outside restaurant most nights! The Lobster House has delicious and affordable seafood with some really interesting local flavor, and the service was great. Plus, free shots of "Mama Juana" with dessert - strong stuff, but good!

We took a great, organized day-trip to Isla Saona, a small island off the coast of the Dominican Republic. This was the highlight of the trip and highly recommended! The trip to the island is on a speedboat - key word being SPEED - it's bumpy and fast but a lot of fun. The island itself is really beautiful... pure, white sand and crystal clear, warm water. They ply you with all sorts of drinks all day and try to teach you the merengue, but the main reason for the trip is to get away from the main island and enjoy the peace and beauty of Saona.