Our Cabarete trip

[cork2win]

10 days in Cabarete after Thanksgiving. Sorry for the link to another site but I hate to have to post this all again.

Trip Advisor Trip Report

[KeithF]

Certainly an interesting trip report. There must be two places called Cabarete though, as yours isn't the same as the one I visit! Perhaps it's based upon expectations? I find the people generally very friendly and certainly would disagree with you regarding advice to learn Spanish before staying there. I don't speak anything beyond, please, thank you and hello. But I find a smile and a bright cheery 'hola', makes a follow up much easier in English. I've also not had a problem with the porters... I just say "no gascious" (I spell Spanish even less than I speak it?) "We spent nearly $40 in tips at the airport when leaving because they kept grabbing our bags and we couldn’t fend them off fast enough" $40!! How many bags did you have? At a dollar a bag, you must have been loaded down! And "I’m not into doing full restaurant reviews but I do want to mention a few things. All of the reviews we read about Jose O’Shay’s are true. It’s an expensive tourist trap, but if you long to catch some good old American football, this is the place. If you’d like to avoid $45 lunches, steer clear." A $45 lunch? From memory, the 'really big' burger was about RD$260, that's about $8? The tortilla with chese, chilli, dips etc is about that price but fees two easily. So for a balanced view, it might be worth pointing out that $45 is if two of you eat the most expensive things on the menu and have a few beers, it might be $45 (about RD$600 for a pound of shrimps?) Don't get me wrong, I agree with you about it being a tourist trap and that area of the beach isn't the cheapest, but it's not fair to give the impression that a burger & chips ("lunch") will be $45 IMO. And it's a great place to watch "real" football (that's the one you guys call 'soccer'!)

PS I agree with you about the bites. I *think* they are sand flies more than mozzies, although there are a fair few of them in some parts. Don't know how the little buggers fly with so much of my blood in them!

[abe]

I too was surprised at the depth of feeling on the part of these visitors. On the other hand, I cannot imagine how badly they were screwed over by the maleteros, for example. 40 pesos would have been getting off easy, but $40 !! That sounds almost like criminal extortion or total misunderstanding or....

With all due respect, there is something that doesn't ring true in some of these examples. I don't get it.

[KeithF]

either they were tipping WAY too much, or they were ripped off and didn't check, or they exagerate somewhat.

$40 in tips at the airport is barking mad.

Perhaps they need to learn the Spanish for 'no'?

[MommC]

KeithF.....wouldn't that be "no" in Spanish????

[oriole100]

When we go back, My wife takes back 150 lbs of coffee. I know it's a lot but all the family and friends ask for it. Anyway The 4 bags are really heavy so i give the porters $8-10 USD. I don't want to lift there. We live in Cabarete. The report is what you make of it. We've been riped off in Sousa, because we were domb. We have also gone to tourist traps, but we knew it. O'shey's is expensive but the tell you the prices outside. On the whole Cabarete is friendly and safe. We've been in the States and had problems. I think if you don't travel much, you sometimes don't understand what's going on. Sorry about the spelling, I'm just not good at it.

[MommC]

As for the diving, one must realize that they are diving in the Atlantic, in winter so shouldn't expect much.
A more knowledgeable diver would head for the Carribean where the water is warmer, calmer, more reefs and coral and fish to be seen , not to mention unbelievable clarity. There are also many more dive sites including numerous wrecks as well as caves and caverns for those interested in such.
A well worded post on this board BEFOREHAND would have garnered tons of pertinent info for the poster BEFORE they planned their off AI experience.

There is a reason Caberete is a well known KITE SURFING beach......might have something to do with the wind and the waves (not really condusive to good diving!!). As Sosua is nearby I'm sure the same factors come into play there. Also the fact that it is on the NORTH coast next to mountains guaantees more 'rain' days with poor visibility.

To poorly plan an adventure then blame the location and the locals for a lack of satisfaction in the outcomes shows a persons lack of knowledge and foresight.

[KeithF]

Originally Posted by MommC

KeithF.....wouldn't that be "no" in Spanish????

Was I being too subtle? It was a reference to the need to "learn Spanish" before going on holiday to Cabarete...

[bob saunders]

Quote "We were at leat a foot taller than any Dominican we saw" While it is true that many Dominicans are short, there are certainly many 6 feet and taller. Perhaps it was your superior attitude that made your Altitude seem higher. Unquote
I think that your impressions, after all they are yours, are not inaccurate. I could concur with many of them. I've have seen Dominicans unfriendly looking in some places, but found the majority very friendly. Also in Tourist areas you will be taken advantage of, if you let them.
My wife, who is Dominican, has a harder time saying no to porters, vendors...etc, than I do, BUT she can do it with a smile, a joke...etc. I've found that food/drink prices are reasonable. Buying a meal a beer in many states or provinces is much more expensive.

[Dragonfly32837]

Originally Posted by bob saunders

Quote "We were at leat a foot taller than any Dominican we saw" While it is true that many Dominicans are short, there are certainly many 6 feet and taller. Perhaps it was your superior attitude that made your Altitude seem higher.

Yeah. And they probably wanted everyone to be kissing their feet and that is why they found the Dominican people to be so cold. ha ha hah a