Delights of the Dominican Republic North Shore

Beaches that we saw in DR were superb and surprisingly quiet. Some of the best surfing and Boogie boarding waves in the Caribbean can be had between Cabarete & Sosua. For windsurfers Cabarete is a mecca.

Scuba diving is well catered for, boats go out from Sosua to a good variety of dive sites. At one location we went, fish ate bananas out of our hands.

Quick Tips:

Try to avoid the rainy season (Oct to Early Dec). Don't forget the Mosiguard - they DO bite!! Most important of all - hold your luggage tightly when you come out the airport arrivals hall. It's unlikely to be stolen but it will be loaded onto a taxi for you and then a tip will be demanded. In spite of initial appearances though the locals are very friendly & welcoming.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walk when you can, we heard some scary stats about the low percentage of drivers who actually have a license. Taxis are O.K. though and prices to various destinations are well published.

Best Things Nearby:
Near Sosua for Dive trips, and near Cabarete. Good Beach onsite, superb beaches nearby (see entry for El Encuentro). Some photos to follow soon!!

Best Things About the Resort:
Accommodation was spacious and clean. reception staff coudn't possibly have been more helpful.

Resort Experience:
Nice clean resort with plenty to do. We were in a ground floor 2 bedroom unit. The unit was tiled throughout and was clean. The bug count was extremely low considering the climate & surrounding vegetation. There was the occasional butterfly the size of a cow in the porch but that was about it. The kitchen wasn't very well appointed but in an all inclusive resort that didn't really matter. The fridge worked sufficiently well to cool our bottled water. In the main resort area there is a Large pool with plenty of sunbeds for everyone, an entertainment area, a nightclub, 2 shops, 4 restaurants and a beachside snackbar/bar. All inclusive was good value at $23 pppd for breakfast,lunch, dinner & drinks. Plenty of choice and the waiters were polite and friendly. The beach was fairly sheltered but the sea could get rough, there is a lifeguard on duty most of the time though and a red flag goes up when the sea is either too rough or the lifeguard vacates his post.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Best Things Nearby:
The beach

Best Things About the Resort:
Onsite entertainment was superb but if it's a quiet time you want, this is probabbly not for you.

Resort Experience:
This resort really had it's work cut out. We arrived after a superb week at another resort only to find the resort we were originally exchanged into was CLOSED (two days before Christmas and you find you have no accommodation for Christmas week!!). We were not impressed but were offered the Paradise Club as an alternative.

We didn't get off to the best of starts because the all inclusive was more expensive than originally quoted. We also had to move rooms after the first night because of a leaky roof. There was only one tv in the apartment and it was an antique, a bit like the cooker.

Once we settled in though the food was superb and the entertainment, especially poolside during the day was hilarious. The entertainment staff was easily the best we've encountered anywhere. The evening entertainment as well was fantastic.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Fair
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Fair

Fabulous stretch of beach and virtually empty even though it's known by the locals as the best surf spot on the island. It's about a 20 minute walk along the coast from the LTI Sol de Plata resort. I would guess it's a similar distance from the eastern end of the town of Cabarete.

There is plenty of golden sand, but there are a couple of rock shelfs just offshore before the reef. Surf wise I was told we caught in on a small day (the waves were about 6 feet!!). The paddle out was surprisingly easy due to a good channel. Coming back in I spent most of the time on a looooong left hander (El Canal) which places you right in the channel for the next paddle out. I left the main part of the break (to the right of the channel going out) to the locals.

The few locals seemed friendly enough but the wave looked really really heavy. Surfers & boogieboarders if you go to the North Coast of DR. you must try this beach. For non surfy types there is some nice shelling to be had at the eastern end of the beach.