Amber Coast

Pros: Convenient to town, but with private beach
Cons: Overcrowded during Easter Holidays

Casa Marina is an intermediate three star resort located on its own beach right in the town of Sosua. The main complex consists of 300 rooms in a series of four storey buildings grouped around the two pool areas. These serve as the centre for most...

Pros: cheap lodging, lots of entertainment options, laid-back
Cons: vendors are sometimes annoying

I lived in the Dominican Republic for three years, and I saw lots of cool places, but Cabarete was the beach that I returned to over and over again. True, the beach might not be as nice as in Sosua, but it's MUCH less tourist-y and has lots more...

Pros: Great beach, good nightlife section though it costs money
Cons: Mediocre food, too many things are not included

My parents and sister, along with some friends and family stayed at this resort from June 1 through June 3, 2001. (We also stayed at Catalonia Bavaro Resort in Punta Cana from June 10th through June 15, see my separate opinion on that). We are...

Pros: Beautiful scenery, nice bay
Cons: at times too many tourist for such a small town

It's hard to believe that I've been to Sosua, a small little village on the north coast of the Dominican Republic known as a Jewish refuge community...

Pros: 3 Caribbean Islands in one vacation.
Cons: None

I was fortunate enough to find out about a cruise ship that has recently started to operate out of Puerto Plata. There are two options, either the 3 night to Cuba or the 4 night to Jamaica and Cuba.
My friend and I decided to take the 4 night trip...

Pros: Faceless Dolls
Cons: Growing a Tail of Children

We arrived at the cruise ship dock and immediately started to explore the town on foot. The further we walked from the port, it appeared that we were the Pied Pipers. Hordes and hordes of children came out of the cracks, and it appeared as if we had...

Pros: small, young, cool, hip
Cons: What cons?

As far as the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, I've been to pretty much everywhere, but if there is a place that stands out above the rest (at least for me) it has to be Cabarete. The summary they gave upfront is pretty accurate, Puerto Plata...

Pros: Nightlife
Cons: Watch out for pick pockets

Prior to the Second World War numerous German Jews fled Nazi Germany and sought refuge in the new world. While many nations to their shame declined to accept the refugees, the Dominican Republic did. A Jewish community soon prospered in the small town of...