First Time in the DR.

[Lonniee]

Hello All,

I have several questions regarding travel in the DR. I appreciate everyone taking the time to help. Thanks in advance.

1. Accomodations: Does anyone have any personal information on these places to give me an idea what they are like.

Barcelo Naiboa Resort
Barcelo Colonial Tropical
Barcelo Capella Beach

2. Tours: Does anyone know of a tour company that offers a variety of tours from the south coast Juan Dolio area and or Bayahibe area?

Also does anyone know of any tours to Haiti from the south coast?

3. Scuba Diving: Which coast is better for diving, which has calmer seas and clearer water. What dive oporations would people suggest and particular dive sites etc.

thanks for all your help!

Lonnie

[tired_boy]

The only thing i can say in reply is that i have been scuba diving to about 6 different sites in Sosua. Visibility was good and i enjoyed it every time. Unfortunately i can't compare it to the south because i have never been, but i give Sosua a thumbs up.

[Lonniee]

Never been to either coast. I don't think we will get to the north, but it is nice to hear it is good there.

thanks again

[dulce]

Originally Posted by Lonniee

Never been to either coast. I don't think we will get to the north, but it is nice to hear it is good there.

thanks again

1. Accomodations: Does anyone have any personal information on these places to give me an idea what they are like.

Barcelo Naiboa Resort
Barcelo Colonial Tropical
Barcelo Capella Beach

2. Tours: Does anyone know of a tour company that offers a variety of tours from the south coast Juan Dolio area and or Bayahibe area?

Also does anyone know of any tours to Haiti from the south coast?

3. Scuba Diving: Which coast is better for diving, which has calmer seas and clearer water. What dive oporations would people suggest and particular dive sites etc.

I have never known anyone who said anything good about Barcelo Naiboa Resort so stay away from there. It is not on the beach and the food is not edible.
Barcelo Colonial Tropical
Barcelo Capella Beach I will put these together as they are across the street from each other and if you stay at the Barcelo Colonial Tropical you will enjoy all of the benefits (all inclusive) for Barcelo Capella Beach . You will get more personalized service at the colonial but pay less for it. I would recommend either of these places. You can book tours from any tour operator set up at the Capella or the Colonial.
NOBODY should be taking any type of tour to Haiti at this time. There is too much political unrest and it is not safe!
You will find several dive operators in Jaun Dolio. There is a shop right around the corner on Calle Blvd. They offer dives in Jaun Dolio and can set you up for anywhere you want to go. They are a group of very qualified and professional divers.
The town of Jaun Dolio has a lot to offer for anyone looking to mix with the locals. Have fun!

[Ken]

Re tours to Haiti. Do you watch the world news? This is not the time to be planning a trip to Haiti. It is probaly safer in Iraq.

[Lonniee]

Thanks again everyone. I appreciate the help, keep the information coming if you have anymore. Also, what about fishing trips etc? Are there any places to book online prior to arriving, this goes for tours too. And the Haiti thing, yep I watch the world news and I know its dangerous. I guess I am just crazy, don't want to spend much time there. I just kinda would like to go for the day and see what it is like. Thanks again though! For the naiboa, Yeah, I havnt heard to many good things, except I read a review on tripadvisor.com where some guy had just got back, booked through expedia.com and said good things about it. he is about the only one though. Just wanted to get a few more peoples advice. how close are the colonial and capella? will it be a hassle to use the AI at the capella when staying at the colonial? We kinda like the smaller more personal service. We stayed at a nice little AI in cancun called the Sunset Lagoon. Not very big, the rooms were just ok, but the service was great and so was the drinks and food.

[dulce]

Originally Posted by Lonniee

Thanks again everyone. I appreciate the help, keep the information coming if you have anymore. Also, what about fishing trips etc? Are there any places to book online prior to arriving, this goes for tours too. And the Haiti thing, yep I watch the world news and I know its dangerous. I guess I am just crazy, don't want to spend much time there. I just kinda would like to go for the day and see what it is like. Thanks again though! For the naiboa, Yeah, I havnt heard to many good things, except I read a review on tripadvisor.com where some guy had just got back, booked through expedia.com and said good things about it. he is about the only one though. Just wanted to get a few more peoples advice. how close are the colonial and capella? will it be a hassle to use the AI at the capella when staying at the colonial? We kinda like the smaller more personal service. We stayed at a nice little AI in cancun called the Sunset Lagoon. Not very big, the rooms were just ok, but the service was great and so was the drinks and food.

Another bad point about the Naiboa is that it is not close to anything.
The Capella and Colonial are across the street from each other. The All inclusive that you pay for at the COlonial is for the Capella. The only meal included at the Colonial is breakfast. Breakfast is ok there but any other meal you will pay for and te food is not good there. Capella is probrably where you will eat and of course go to the beach there. There is no hassel to use the Capella when at the Colonial and you will enjoy quiet nights if you wish. You are much better off waiting until you get there to book your excursions and take a couple of days to check out your options of tour companies to get the best deal. Jaun Dolio is not the hot tourist spot right now so bargins should be easy to find.

[Lonniee]

Thanks again,

Just wondering if anyone has other suggestions too for hotels. We kinda like the best for the money. Something in Juan Dolio, Bayahibe or Santo Domingo too. We will probably be staying in all three locations.

As for scuba, has anyone used Neptuno Dive? I have been emailing them with no response. Any suggestions on good dive shops?

Thanks,

Lonnie

[Lonniee]

We noticed there are a lot of tours from the north and not so many from Juan Dolio etc. What types of tours are we going to be able to book once we get there? We would liket o go on some waterfall hikes, river rafting, things that get us out of the tourist area and into the country. Also maybe something that gets us into some smaller towns where we can just enjoy and get away from the tourist traps. Will any of that be available?