I've booked my holiday in Puerto Plata DR! Yes, it was on impulse, prompted by a very good (read Cheap -- under a thousand dollars, all taxes and single supplement included at a 4+ star resort) all-inclusive package from Toronto. Catch is, I have to be ready to travel in 10 days.
What started out as my comparing possible winter getaways to Turks and Caicos, Bermuda or Costa Rica turned into Puerto Plata. (See earlier posts for comparing air fares and Bermuda vs Turks etc. )
Bonus! This vacation package is on WestJet, a Canadian carrier with a good reputation. This will be my first flight on Westjet and I am looking forward to seeing for myself if the service is as good as others maintain.
I've been to the Dominican Republic but this time, rather than stay in Sosua, I want to check out the resorts at Playa Dorada (see Puerto Plata hotels, resorts), the large complex closer to Puerto Plata. This trip, I plan to take as many excursions as I possibly can in the all too short week I will be there.
I hope the whales aren't following their calendar as I arrive about a week before the start of the official whale watching season at Samana. I'm also early for the Cabarete Windsurfing Championships, and Carnaval. Taking my holiday a few weeks before these major tourism draws is likely the reason I was able to get such a good price for my trip.
This is a trade off I can easily live with.
