Which resorts in POP are good for first DR trip?

flip · #1 03-31-2006, 11:07 AM

Hi all! This is my first post and would like to hear from experienced DR visitors/residents regarding best of the all inclusives for my boyfriend and I.
We are in our late 30s, both musicians and plan to visit for 4 or 5 days in May or June. We have no children so "family friendly" is not a priority.
I have travelled quite a bit but this is our first trip to DR and we really are not sure which resort will be the best choice (you know, all the websites say they are the best). We have a moderate budget and the ones that we liked were Riu Bachata or Occidental Grand. Any thoughts on these two or any others?
We would also like to tour outside of the resort on our own and go dancing at local clubs. Let's face it...we don't have a clue so all suggestions are welcome.
Thanks so much.

Rocky · #2 03-31-2006, 12:00 PM

Perhaps Casa Marina Beach or Reef in Sosua would be a better choice, as most of the POP resorts are isolated, whereas Casa Marina is right in the heart of Sosua, a town that is a lot more interesting than Puerto Plata.
The POP airport is in Sosua, BTW.
The resort may not be the very best, but it is good with nice beaches and good enough food, besides, if you get tired of eating there, you can just wander out into town.

hifiman · #3 03-31-2006, 12:17 PM

I agree with Rocky
We stayed at the Jack Tar in Jan....the resort is older but very clean and the rooms were dry and moderately priced,infact it was priced cheaper than most.
However we found ourselves in Sosua most of the time.So what was saved in Hotel costs was eaten up in taxi fares.
Not to mention you are on a time schedule to get back to your hotel before you actually want to.
Sosua also puts you closer to Cabarete which you may find has more to offer in the way of activities both day and night.
Hifiman

laurapasinifan · #4 03-31-2006, 12:41 PM

if you want the bnorth coast, i think you need to make a choice as to just taking it easy and not worrying about anything....and missing the feeling of the life of the area kinda....or

trying to get a little better feel of the life and sacrificing convienence in your accomodations.....because you know that many people want and will try to take advantage of you as a tourist, when you wander outside of the Playa Dorado complex to TRY and sample the local,life.....because you cant really walk to it from the complex.

there is one hotel in Sosua that may be able to offer a beach and the ammenities of the RESORT life and still be in town to sample "life" ...ie shops, bars, discos, people ect ., but it is kinda exspensive

its the SOSUA BAY HOTEL..... there are other hotles there that are nice, but yiou have to walk to a public beach that has a ton of street vendors who will hound you( or MAY hound you)...

if you go to a resort you wont have to deal with the vendors while you kick back on the beach or at the pool.

I think there is something to be said for getting a room at playa dorado and having everything taken care of...food games, servants to go fetch things, and when you walk out on the beach , you have a mile of beach in each direction, with little if no vendors....thats nice!!!!!

Sosua beach in sheltered and small..its great for sunning and swimming, but lacks the ambiance of the carribean look

good luck

bob

Rocky · #5 03-31-2006, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurapasinifan

I think there is something to be said for getting a room at playa dorado and having everything taken care of...food games, servants to go fetch things, and when you walk out on the beach , you have a mile of beach in each direction, with little if no vendors....thats nice!!!!!

Sosua beach in sheltered and small..its great for sunning and swimming, but lacks the ambiance of the carribean look

good luck

bob

That's the whole point of staying in Casa Marina.
You get the benefits of the all inclusive resort, and the easy access to the town, when you want to go out.
Casa Marina has access to 2 beaches, and there are 4 more in the Sosua area.
Also, as an added bonus the ocean water is cleaner in Sosua.

Music · #6 03-31-2006, 12:56 PM

I myself have always stayed at Playa Dorada and I do leave the resort

I found myself at Sosua beach a lot! I didn't spend to much as I took the gua gua over to Sosua. The beach at Playa Dorada is okay and Sosua beach much nicer. I've been to Cabarete as well which is nice but yes more pricey I found.
I would suggest Sosua it's fun and the beach is great!!

I will be going in July to Breezes Puerto Plata which is between Cabarete and Sosua which I thought was perfect. My family is going as well and I wanted them to get off the resort and explore a little of the DR

Just my thoughts

joecanada · #7 03-31-2006, 01:15 PM

*ahem*
Sosua by the Sea Boutique Beach Resort
*ahem*

laurapasinifan · #8 03-31-2006, 01:52 PM

I have been on any other beach in Sosua than the public beach. It is a nice beach as far as swimming goes. the water is very clear and when the waves crashes on the beach the water is clear agin in an instant!! thats the sign of a clean beach to me!!!!

but the area is carribean looking. I think the long open beaches where the sand goes way back from the water is the most desriable .

marco: is the beach you suggest east of Sosua public beach? around the corner and past the watefront!( which is all rock cliffs!)

bob

Rocky · #9 03-31-2006, 02:00 PM

From West to East, starting at the main bay beach, then there's "new Beach/Playa Amelia" that developed a few years ago, in front of the Waterfront hotel, accessed by a staircase from Casa Marina Reef.
Then comes the main Casa Marina Beach, followed by the Larimar beach, just a few hundred feet farther, then the General's beach, another few hundred feet farther, then Playa Chiquita, approx. 1 mile farther.
I am not including Puerto Chiquito's beach, as it is not clean enough to swim in.

laurapasinifan · #10 03-31-2006, 03:12 PM

doesnt Sosua Bay Hotel have a beach?...it has to be very close if not closer to the public beach than the waterfronts!

I just went and checked a photo I have posted here...look on page 15 of the media gallery the phot rob and laura( not my gfs name!!) is me and my GF .

directly behind us in the distance is the end of the public beach and the small beach that belongs to one of the hotels. and then the non beach shoreline starts! Is that big hotel next to my head in between me and my gf the Sosua bay Hotel, or Casa Marina?...i think the hotel on the other side of my head is the waterfront.....

let me know what you think( and dont mention anything about my mug or bald head pleae!! ha ha ha)

http://dr1.com/media/cgi-bin/media.c...PG&img=224&tt=

bob