As a couple we had been recommended the Dominican Republic as a lively and friendly place to visit for our August 2003 hols. We choose carefully through several travel agents and First Choice won out as being the friendliest and least pushy! The resort of Occidental Allegro is one of many beach side resorts in Playa Dorada along the atlantic sea front ; Don't let this put you off as sea was warm and calm every day ( well it was august)
AIRLINE: Travelled on an AIR 2000 plane and this was the only let down of the whole holiday as stewartdesess were very un helpful and seemed to positively un-friendly .Not what you want on an 10 hour flight! The return trip was much better
though food was awful ! Anyone for egg and brown sauce rolls? I kid you not!
On arrival in the Domincan Republic we were very relieved to be met by our transfer bus and on to our destination very smartly. Keep taking the travel sickness pills if you don't like bumpy journeys though as the roads are like being on a roller coaster ride!
Once arriving at our hotel we were offered a drink and checked in very quickly with a porter showing us too our room . All other British guests on our transfer bus were located in the same building!
THE ROOM: What can i say; we were not expecting ocean views but thats exactly what we got at no extra cost ( even though the travel agent had asked us if we wanted to pay extra for this ). The room was nice and clean with 2 double beds , assortment of bedroom furniture (drawers,bedside tablestelevision etc)and a bathroom. As an added bonus we had a double patio door leading onto a small balcony! It pays to leave something for the maid a few times a week as they don't earn much and they treat your room like royalty. Ours even left us flowers to brighten the room. So a couple of bucks goes a long way. Also tip the bar men as they get to know you and give you better treatment when the bars are busy.
THE FOOD: The hotel was equiped with four gourmet restaurants ( italian, mexican,grill ,and pizzaria) ,a main buffet restaurant and a burger/fast food bar. The food on a whole was excellent as even if there was something you didn't like there was always something else! I would reccomend booking as early as possible in your stay for the gourmet diners, as they fill up quickly and its not something to miss being serenaded whilst you eat!
THE HOTEL AND STAFF: As a whole the hotel was clean and tidy, and very well looked after, and the main bulk of cleaning done at night when your alseep ( know this for a fact after getting up at three in morning to watch the sun come up) The staff were always friendly and entertaining and went out of your way to make life as good as possible! Remember to tip where its you feel its justifyed!
THE BEACH: The beach was clean and sandy , layout with palm trees and palm huts to give shade with enough sun beds for all. And the sea was warm and calm .Very refreshing after laying in the sun. On a negative note it is a public beach and the beach sellers can be a pain but a firm " NO THANKS !" so deters them! And what ever they sell can be brought for 75% cheaper in the complex shops not five minutes walk away.
ENTERTAINMENT: Every night there was a show on the main stage following the kids disco and everybody is invited to join in the club dance on dance.Which makes for a fun evening. Daily entertainment is varied but seems to be focused around the beach side pool (2 pools on the hotel site) and other activities are laid on such as tennis , shooting etc with no pressure to take part Something not to miss out on is the weekly Managers Beach Party as its excellent! Kids are well looked after and have there own fun club daily with an evening disco!
WEATHER: As we all know the weather is unpredictable but i kid you not it was in the 30's every day with no rain , Although we were told a week previous they'd had serious down pours , sounds like the weather to me!
EXCURSIONS: There are lots of outside trips to go on and i would say to everyone at least try to go on one ( and get the best price you can BARTER!) We went to the waterfalls which was a combination of swimming; climbing and diving back into rockpools .Which was not what we expected but wouldn't have missed it for a minute as it was so much fun if a little wet! Go into the local city of Puerto Plata and shop for some bargains ( have a guide) i say this as the cities are prone to the odd riot now and then in the poorest of areas, mainly due to no electricity , clean water etc .So a guide will steer you away from these areas !
SO i would go back there again and again as its was the best place visited in the carribean so far, and we have been to a few islands.
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we have been twice to that hotel with the kids and it was brill so much to do and last year we stayed in a hotel near ocean world that was first class
craggsy23 27.04.2005 19:50
I went to Playa Dorada in May 1994 (I think it was ) , and loved every minute of it. The sea was a bit rough when we were there but our pool was well impressive.
bec55 23.02.2005 01:41
A few friends and i were looknig at going to D.Republic but we had heard a lot if bad things about the island. But your review has helped me change my mind and ill keep looking - it sounds like a great place. Picking an island will be the only problem. Bec xx
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Advantages: Beautiful place - Ideal for couples and families - very friendly place Disadvantages: Very quiet nightlife - not much to do in the evenings and evening entertainment not up to much
Feb 28th, 2004
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