Nikki Beach is a high end beach club that started in 1996 and has received such recognition as one of the top beach clubs in the world with recognition from  ”The Travel Channel’s” “World’s Most Sexiest Beach” list where they reached #1. The resort chain is expected to open 10 new locations starting in 2012.

Currently there are 11 cities in 9 countries with Nikki Beach resorts:

• Miami Beach, Florida, USA
• St.Tropez, France
• Cannes, France
• St. Barth, French West Indies
• Marbella, Spain
• Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
• New York, USA
• Marrakech, Morocco
• Koh Samui, Thailand
• Cabarete, Dominican Republic  (new)
• Playa Blanca, Panama

The Nikki Beach Cabarate opening is being sponsored by the huge Amber Dune Resort and Spa which is set to open in 2012.  This resort will have 13.5 acres of beach front and about 1050 feet of shoreline. The spa will include a wellness facility, tennis courts, gourmet dining with a tapas bar, conference facilities, room service, 24 hour concierge and a childrens activity club.

Both of these clubs are geared toward the more affluent traveler so it is unlikely they will be on the list of more affordable Dominican Republic travel destinations.

Windboarding in Cabarete

Restaurants
There are many restaurants to choose from along the beach. They generally have indoor, and outdoor, seating, and several are very good. Here are a few favorites:
If you’ve gotten tired of the traditional beans and rice dishes of the region, and just want a good beer and burger, Jose O’Shay’s Irish Pub is the place for you. There is also the option of pizza, cottage pie, steaks, and a few other tasty dishes. The dishes run from $10-20 dollars U.S.

My personal favorite place to eat is Casanova because it is inexpensive (happy hour runs from 4pm-7pm and gives you everything half off), and the ambiance is lovely. The most popular things on the menu are the pizzas and pasta dishes. During happy hour, a meal with a couple of beers will cost around $13 dollars.

On the main road, across from Ocean Dream Plaza is Bayerischer Hof. This restaurant offers savory pork fillets with mushroom and onion sauce, with the option of sautéed or mashed potatoes, or noodles. There is also a good Hungarian stew, Schnitzel, steaks, and other dishes. The prices run from $11-20 dollars.

Shopping
All along the Cabarete main drag, route 5, there are shops with anything you could want to buy, from ice cream and jewelry, to clothes and Dominican trinkets. All you have to do is walk along and peruse the shops as you go.

For those who want to learn how to Kiteboard, several surf shops along the beach offer classes for beginners to intermediate students. The classes are a little steep pricewise (around $249) so it’s probably best to be sure that it’s worth the time and effort to do it.

Hotels
For economy, comfort, and a good night’s rest, I really like the Casa Caribica Sanssouci hotel. A room with 2 beds, a bath, t.v., and kitchen is $20 dollars a night. There are seven Sanssouci hotels in Cabarete, but this one is my favorite. The others are nice enough, but are more toward the center of town where it is much noisier, and so I prefer to avoid them since I like a good night’s sleep.

How to Get There in Public Transportation
For those who have access to a car, it’s an easy drive along route 5. Even in public transportation it is one of the easiest beaches to reach. Any Sosua destined Caribe Tours bus will gets close. Upon arrival in Sosua, there are cars that are marked “Rio San Juan” and/or “Cabarete” and they go all the way through Cabarete.

Baia Blanca Hotel - Rio San Juan Beach - Gri-Gri lagoon

Comfort and Relaxation
Baía Blanca is a three story L-shaped building with around 30 rooms that can sleep from 2-4 people. Each room has a fan, wireless internet access, bathroom, TV, dresser and closet. Steady electricity is not a problem ether since the hotel has a generator. Most of the rooms face the ocean, with a lovely balcony area with comfortable couches for relaxing and socializing.
I prefer the rooms on the 2nd floor, especially the ones on ether end of the balcony, because I burn rather easily and the shade provided by the 3rd floor balcony shields me from evil UV rays. But, if you have skin that allows it and you prefer to bask in the glory of the gleaming sun, by all means go for the top floor. That balcony is a sun worshiper’s paradise. I’ll wave at you as you pass me on your way up…

Picturesque Seascapes
The ocean facing balconies are perfect places to sit and contemplate the serene beauty of the sea, and if you happen to be there late January to early March, it is a great spot to whale watch. Every year humpback whales travel from Alaska to Samana, DR to give birth, and Rio San Juan is en route. Many of the guests come around this time of year and sit on the couches with their binoculars and watch as the whales spout and break the surface of the water as they make their way.

Food and Drinks
The hotel serves breakfast and dinner daily. The breakfasts are simple, but good, with the option of basic morning dishes like toast, pancakes, and the like. Dinner is a bit more elaborate, with pastas, and other dishes that are pretty tasty. My favorite part of any meal is dessert, and they have the best flan on the island. But, you have to request it in advance. Lunch can be bought from several nearby cafes and cafeterias.

Observations Location and Contact Information
Most guests come to Bahía Blanca for the express purpose of quiet relaxation and don’t appreciate loud neighbors. So, if you’re looking for a good party, you might want to consider going elsewhere. However, if rest and relaxation is just what you have in mind, this is the place for you.
And don’t tell all your friends about it. I want to still be able to get my 2nd floor corner room when I go, so let’s keep this between us, okay?

Baía Blanca is located at the back of Gri-Gri lagoon. For further information, call them at 809-589-2563.

If the daily reports of bombings, massacres, and other catastrophes on the news have you down, and your work schedule has you stressed, maybe you need a little vacation. Your wallet is somewhat economically challenged you say? I know the feeling. That is why I’m taking the time out to write about my last vacation at a lovely little beachside town called Sosua, located on the north coast of this island I call home. The fact that it’s inexpensive, accessible, and a beautiful beach, makes Sosua one of my favorite vacation spots whether it be for a day trip, weekend, or longer.

Package Deals

If you are flying from overseas, a package deal is what my friends have found to be the best bargain. A flight alone is between $400.00-700.00us. But, a package deal including the flight and accommodations (for a two week stay) will cost from $400.00-$800.00us, depending on the season. Two weeks on the beach for the price of the plane ticket – not bad at all. Many of these packages even include a shuttle from the airport to the resort, allowing you to avoid the sometimes pesky negotiation process with a taxi driver on how to get there.

Public Transportation

If you are already on the island, or an adventurous shoestringer, you will find that this is your kind of beach because transportation is close. Caribe Tours and Metro, two of the most used interisland transportation lines, each have a stop within walking distance of hotels and the beach. Personally, Caribe Tours is my favorite of the two, since leaves you off a bit nearer to the beach and it has buses coming and going at hour intervals all day, making it perfect for the day trips I tend to take.

When you get tired of lying on the beach, go take a walk along the shops that line the beach and peruse their wares. You’ll find a variety of painted scenes that show the colors that characterize Dominican life in everything from the clothes they wear to the shades they paint their houses. There is also an assortment of jewelry made of silver, amber, larimar (a sky blue stone unique to the Dominican Republic), and the shell of coconut – sold at prices you wouldn’t find anywhere else. But, whatever you buy, be prepared to haggle the price down! No self respecting salesman is going to give you the bottom line price straight off.

Restaurants
The restaurants are located between the shops, and the hotels and resorts, an arraignment that is just perfect for a leisurely stop on the way to back “home” for an afternoon siesta.

If you’re hungry and don’t feel like leaving the beach to eat, you don’t have to. Feel free to stay in your lounge chair and have ribs, the “bandera” (the traditional Dominican lunch that consists of baked, or fried, chicken, beans, rice and salad), or the dish of the day (usually fish), brought out to you.

Feeling a little more adventurous? Then you should walk a block down to the main road and catch a “guagua” (bus) to Cabarete, about a 30 minute ride, and eat at one of the lovely outdoor restaurants sprinkled among the palm trees that line the beach there. I recommend Casanova as a place to start – and make sure to get there between 4-6pm for happy hour – then you can get everything for half off!

So, now you know everything you need to have an inexpensive and enjoyable beach vacation. Now all you have to do is go and have fun!

Playa Dorada is surrounded by the many resort hotels, many of them offer special “All Inclusive” rates for staying there. It’s said that there are 100,000 hotel beds in the city. Which gives you a little bit of an idea of how packed the beached can be in the main tourist season. It’s best to try and hit these beaches in the off-season.

Another great reason to think about going to Playa Dorada or Costa Dorada in a off season it the rates. Often “All Inclusive” hotels drop their rates from about $120 USD per person per night to as little as $30 USD per person per night. A that rate it is cheaper to go to an all inclusive then it is to get a normal hotel room and buy your own food. “All Inclusive” are exactly what the name implies. All food and drink is included with the price of the room making it a great deal.

Parents will small children should be advised that these beaches are topless beaches so it is common to see topless women on the beach.

As with most of the Dominican Beaches there is a very active nightlife on Playa Dorada, much of it being centered in the motels themselves. No doubt added to by the All Inclusive including free alcohol.

Along with beaches and resorts there are several world class golf courses with in a short distance of the hotels. There are also a number of great places to eat. You will find local Dominican food as well as American and European food.

Activities include Scuba Diving and snorkeling, golf, windsurfing, kiteboarding and deep-sea fishing. The ocean world adventure park is a great place to bring your family along with cable car tours.

Now while I missed this tour on my last trip to Puerto Plato, I’ve heard one of the must see tours is the Brugal Rum Distillery. Personally I feel Brugal beats any other rum I have tasted. Rumor has it that after a short tour they give out samples of the many different types of rum that they offer. If you have anyone at home you want a unique gift for, what could be better than a bottle of the local rum?

From All Inclusive Hotel

Calypso Beach Hotel

The Calypso Hotel is a smaller hotel located about a 5-minute walk from Boca Chica’s beach. While walking to the beach from the hotel you walk down streets lined with some of the local artwork most of it having an island flavor to it and also quite good.

One of the advantages of having the hotel a little ways away from the beach is that it is also a little ways from the very noisy Calle Duarte (Duarte street) where most of the Boca Chica nightlife is centered around. It would be hard to call anywhere in the Dominican Republic “quiet” but the small distance from the particularly loud areas help.

One of the main highlights of this charming little hotel are the employees. We got to know several of them pretty well in our stay; all are friendly and do their best to make your stay enjoyable. If you stop by, say hi to Andreas, Rafael and Rosa for us! The staff also goes to great efforts to make sure that the hotel is clean at all times. The pool and the patio areas are well maintained and comfortable.

Calypso Pool

The building itself is an older building that they appear to improving regularly, at this point the rooms are not in the same state of repair that you would find in a new building but the design and age of the hotel is part of what gives it it’s charm. While clean, expect the bathrooms to be a little worn with an appearance of age. The beds were comfortable and each room had air conditioning, color TV with cable, and Wifi.

Each room (that I seen) has it’s own balcony overlooking the pool or the street in front of the hotel. Personally I like the ones overlooking the street. There always seems to be something going on out there and it is usually rather entertaining to us foreigners. Don’t forget the mosquito repellant though. You will want it whenever you go out in the evenings and likely when you go to bed at night.

The security is good, there is always a guard outside the front door and watching over the cars. There is also an eating area where you can relax at the table and snack on something you picked up at one of the local mercados or stores.

This hotel review was based on my last visit to the Calypso Hotel on 12/20/09.

Calypso Beach Hotel
Caracol Esq 20, Boca Chica,
República Dominicana
(809) 523-4666

View From Room

Calypso Hotel Patio

Boca Chica Beach Sunset

Boca Chica beach is located on the southern coast of the island of Hispaniola. It’s a unique reef-protected lagoon of tranquil blue waters and powder-white sand. It is perfect for families with children as it is only waist deep even up to a mile from the shore and hardly ever there are waves. The crystal clear and shallow water are great for swimming and snorkeling, paddle boating, kayaking, especially around the coral reefs. Boca Chica has two small islands, Los Pinos and La Matica (later there maybe something more about those two islands).

Boca Chica has a many Hotels and all inclusive resorts within walking distance of the beach. For a list check out our Boca Chica Hotel Reviews.

Boca Chica is the most crowded beach of the Dominican Republic especially on weekends and holidays because it is only 19 miles away from the capital city – Santo Domingo. Only Monday morning the beach is empty and cleaned up of any trash left from the day before. It is so close to the capital that it pays off to go there even for one day. It is small and basically everywhere you can get on foot. You can always take a motoconcho for 10 pesos and they will take you whenever you want to. If anyone gets tired of the beach, it is also close to other places such as a small horseshoe bay that offers great boogie boarding or if you are interested in playing golf, there is San Andres Caribe Golf Club in the area.

People call it “shopping beach”, because you don’t have to worry about spending your free time shopping – here the goods come to you. Vendors trying to sell coconuts, sunglasses, silver jewelry and paintings are everywhere on the beach. What is more, while getting a tan, for a few dollars you may have your manicure or pedicure done or even get your hair braided. Just make sure you agree on the price before they give you a treatment.

Beach Restaurant

History
Boca Chica was originally developed by the president and a dictator of Dominican Republic – Juan Bautista Vicini Burgos in the early twentieth century. However, it became really famous when the dictator Raphael Leonidas Trujillo decided to build the first hotel on the coast – Hotel Hamaca. There, Trujillo provided asylum to Fulgencio Batista, Cuban dictator, former president, after the Cuban Revolution. Soon later Hamaca Hotel became something of an icon. It welcomes guests until today. After Trujillo’s death in 1961 Boca Chica transformed to an exclusive resort called “Playa Saint-Tropez”. Since then it became a popular resort destination for wealthy Dominicans coming from Santo Domingo and tourists from all around the world.

Calle Duarte – night life in Boca Chica
Calle Duarte during the day is a busy street full of souvenirs stalls, little cafes and really good restaurants. One of the best things to take home is rum, artwork or crafts. There are several discos that play of course merengue and bachata, making boca Chica one of the better “singles” beaches on the island. However, you may find there a bar with an extravagant name “Route 66” that brings to mind the highway that runs across the USA. Unlike in other bars, rock and roll fills the air there. Yet, after dusk Calle Duarte has a notorious reputation. It becomes the place of party bars and prostitution. You have to be careful not to get close to the prostitutes, because very often even if you don’t accept their offers, they may try stealing your wallet.

Even during the day prostitution is very common in Boca Chica. Usually the girls target single men, so men with their families are usually not bothered. You will often also see men taking a prostitute up to their hotel room, this is accepted by most of the Hotels. Prostitution is one of the major draws or drawbacks of Boca Chica depending on your viewpoint. Except for the occasional minor cleanup of the situation, the city doesn’t seem to really view this as a problem to be dealt with.

Boca Chica Ocean View

Boca Chica Beach

View Larger Map

The Dominican Republic is an amazing a place to visit and have your next holidays, I personally know that because I live there and I perfectly understand why this is a natural paradise in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic is the main destination in the Caribbean and a top exotic destination in the world. In regards to beaches –most of them are located in all-inclusive hotels and resorts are a natural marvelous with white sands and crystal water.

If you visit the eastern provinces of the Dominican Republic you can take a boat to the Catalina Island which is a very colorful paradise and is part of the territory of the Dominican Republic. While you are moving over there, it takes about 30 minutes or less, you start realizing that in the middle of the sea between the Dominican Republic and Catalina Island crystalline parts where you can clearly see the button of the sea. It is incredible the way you can see that and the beauty of this place. When you arrive to the Catalina Island immediately you see you are experiencing a marvelous delight.

I think the beaches of the Dominican Republic are the most beautiful beaches of the world. Definitely are the best in the Caribbean and are visited every year by tourists from Europe, Canada and United States but its beauty and exquisiteness are incredible. Beaches in the Dominican Republic are basically divided in those which are located in the north of the country –touristic zone of Puerto Plata-, those that are located in the south of the country –basically in provinces such as San Cristobal, Bani and Barahona- and those that are located in the eastern zone of the Country such as Bavaro, Juan Dolio, Boca Chica and more.

-Wonderful paradise with white sands: Sand is so white in the beaches of the Dominican Republic that you will be enticed to eat it.

- Dazzling sun: This is one of the greatest attractive of the beaches in the Dominican Republic. American, Canadian and European girls love make topless sleeping in the sand and exposing their bodies in the sun.

- Secure place even in the water: Beaches of the Dominican Republic are very secure places and police is everywhere controlling the perimeter of the beaches and preventing any kind of difficulties. That’s why visitants of the beaches in the Dominican Republic feel fine and they are protected for enjoying their holidays.

- Moderate waves: In the Dominican Republic you can find beaches that despite its beauty are amazing for water sports such as surfing, but there are also beaches where you can enjoy a lot for water and are perfect for swimming.

- Very clean places: The government of the Dominican Republic is making a huge endeavor to provide always a safe and clean place.