puntacana

[bassn429]

has anyone been there and can u recommend a all inclusive resort. Thanks in advance

[BiXLL]

Just got back from there a week ago. I recommend you book through Apple Vacations, they have reps at airport, transfer bus, and daily at the hotel and provide a lot of really helpful info and guideance. We stayed at the RIU complex and specificly at the Bambu. It was the most amazing vacation I ever took. Take plenty of 1 dollar bills to tip, giving them $1.00 is like giving a $20.00 here and they bend over backwards for you.

[San Pan Man]

We spent a week at the Majestic resort for my son's wedding, very nice place and would highly recomend it for an all inclusive resort.
Be very careful anytime you leave any resorts in the Dominican Republic the crime rate has gotten out of control, this is from a friend who just returned from visting his family there for two weeks.

[badmoonrising]

We went there in 2008 for our 20th anniversary. We also used Apple and stayed a week and Barceló Bávaro. LOVED it. Topless beaches , lobster for dinner every night and all the cocoa locos you can drink. Best damn coffee in the world, I brought back 12 pounds in my luggage.

Be aware of the local taxi drivers, they are the worst drivers I have ever seen

And yes, stay in the resorts. The DR is one of the poorest countries in the world. Crime is out of control but the resorts are safe and Apple hires good people.

I would go back in a heartbeat.

And yes I have pics of the toplessness.

[BiXLL]

I have friends that have a condo there. We spent 2 days with them off resort and actually went around to all the local shops. We never even had a hint of trouble and in fact found the locals even off resort were extremely accommodating and nice. It looks very seedy and even scary, but first impressions are not always true. These people realize that tourism is 80% of the income in that country and if anything I felt like I was constantly being catered to, even off resort.

I would not want to ever drive down there though. Stop signs and red lights are noexistentnt, intersections depend on everybody paying attention! Small motorcycles (125 CC and smaller)are their main mode of transportation as gas is $7.50 a gallon, and it is not uncommon to see 3 and even 4 people on them.

There are places we did not venture to, but these places were highlighted by our Apple Rep at the hotel and known by our friends. These places were not really close to the resort area though.

I mentioned taking a lot of 1 dollar bills (I took $100 for the week) The people at the hotel, maids, servers, bus boys, bar tenders etc. work 12 to 15 hours per day. They work 11 day straight stretches with 3 days off after their 11 days. While on the work stretch they stay on site, separate employee building, they are provided sleeping rooms and their meals. They makequivalentvalant of $100.00 per month for this! I tipped my maid $1.00 and a pipeppermint candy each morning. Our last day there she made a point of getting to us before we left to thank us and was almost in tears telling us how much her "ninios" will love this candy when she sees them! She was almost in tears and genuin to the point it ripped my heart out. We gave her a $20 and the rest of the bag of candy. Tip your bartender of choice and he will remember your name and what you drink and you will never wait for a drink when you walk up to the bar.

[margaritaman]

Here is a website that have cheap DR vacations on sale for two days.
http://www.cheapcaribbean.com/landing-p ... OTMxNzAwS0

[Bamaman]

If the Dominican Republic is that poor, think how destitute the poor half of Hispaniola is--Hayti.

I've seen a bunch of all inclusive resorts on Booking.com and other websites, and the place looks really beautiful. The western Caribbean probably has as good of weather as there is in the world, as it's about 85 degrees every day. Now if they could just find a way to get rid of the hurricanes.

I've traveled extensively to Puerto Rico, east of the D/R. P/R is much more Americanized, however every house on the island has burglar bars, security storm doors and bars/iron gates on every carport. Seems like thievery is a national past time. It's too bad that Puerto Rico has so many unemployed, entitlement people that are such a drain on the U.S. government. And without jobs, there are as many Puerto Ricans in other places than there are on the island. Western Puerto Rico is actually where all the Dominican Republic's inclusive resorts should be located--on U.S. soil.