Hello from Luperon in the Dominican Republic!

If you’re new to our blog, we’ve been based here for a couple of months now together with our 2 cats and our sailboat, S/V Empress. We didn’t really plan on living here. We just went here for a Caribbean trip until we found it to be nothing less than dazzling. We just fell in love with this place– it’s such a beautiful country with beautiful and warm people. The bonus is that it’s a very affordable here. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months until we finally decided to just settle here for a while.

My family is in the Philippines and Jonathan’s are in the UK. To see them, it’s either we come home to each of the countries every 2 years or so, have a vacation and meet somewhere in another country (like what I did with my sister Krista who I met in Europe), or if we’re lucky, they’ll be the one to visit us wherever we may be based.

It’s one of those lucky days because Jonathan’s sister and her boyfriend visited us for 2 weeks and of course, we had to show them around. We were kind of busy catching up with work so good thing Dominican Expert helped us to prepare for our itinerary.

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ABOUT DOMINICANEXPERT.com :

They are a company based in the Dominican Republic which offers customized vacations to the most beautiful spots in the country, featuring pristine beaches and plenty of sunshine. This tour was organized by the Dominican Expert which is obviously an expert on self-drive tours and tailor-made itineraries in the Dominican Republic.

Honestly, it was like driving yourself to hot destinations at your own pace and time minus all the nitty-gritty details as they will be the one taking care of it! Here’s a list of the lovely places around that we visited (thanks to the Dominican Expert) and here’s what you can do in case you come here for a visit too 🙂

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LUPERON

Number of days: 2 days

Luperon is considered as a shelter from the hurricane season for sailors like us due to its locations, shape, and cheap construction costs. Other than that, we have nice and pristine beaches all over which makes it ideal for swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing. A day trip to Cayo Arenas aka Paradise Island (which is only a 90-minute drive to Punta Rucia where you can catch a boat to Cayo Arenas) made our guests experience the true beauty of the Atlantic– white fine sand, clear blue waters, and of course, lots of sun!

You can also go on a road trip to Cambiaso where you can ask this local family for their fresh catch! We had a massive lobster for 900 Pesos which included the grilling and side dishes (rice, fried plantain and salad).

Your stay in Luperon wouldn’t be complete without sailing. There are friendly pirates everywhere so I’m sure you’d find one to take you out for a sail. Too bad the waves were crazy when our visitors were here so we couldn’t set sail!

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PUERTO PLATA

Number of days: We stayed here for 4 days. There are plenty of things to do here so if you have more time, then extend your stay as you wish!

Travel time from Luperon: Only 30 minutes by car

Where we stayed: We stayed in 2 different hotels here. One is Garden by the Sea centrally located between Sosua and Cabarete and the other one is VH Atmosphere Adults Only Resort & Beach Club which is located at the center of Playa Dorada Golf Course. They are totally different– the first one being cozy and the second boasting with luxury. Both equally worthy for a stay and both worthy of a separate review.

What to do: Puerto Plata is Dominican Republic’s Ninth Largest City. For 4 days, you can do the Canyoneering Activity at Damajagua aka The 27 Waterfalls, Walk around the City Center, Go on a Rum Tour, Take the Cable Car to get a birds-eye-view of the city and to reach the top of Mt. Isabel de Torres, Go Horseback Riding, and Visit the Monkey Jungle where you can also go ziplining. Here, you can also enjoy Puerto Plata’s nice and pristine beaches– our favorite is the Plata Sosua where the sand is fine and the waters crystal blue!

For those who love water activities, Cabarete Beach is the place to be. You can go Surfing, Kitesurfing, and Windsurfing– all for an affordable price compared to other countries. I was supposed to do Kitesurfing but the wind didn’t cooperate. Good thing we live here now I can always come back here to do it! 🙂

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EL VALLE & LAS GALERAS in SAMANA

Number of days: 4 (Please extend your stay for months!!)

Travel time from Puerto Plata: More or less 4 hours by car but there are plenty of things to see along the way so it might take you longer.

Where we stayed in Samana: We one night at Unique Exotic Eco Hotel which silently screams zen and relaxation in El Valle and we spent another 2 nights at Samana Ocean View Eco Lodge in Las Galeras whose pool overlooking the mountains and the ocean instantly captivated us. We absolutely loved our stay in both hotels! We got what we all wanted: Tranquility.

Depending on your starting point, Dominican Expert highly recommends stopping at Laguna Dudu for a quick bath at their freshwater lagoon surrounded by lush forests and caves or get a glimpse and swim at the majestic waterfalls of the Salto El Limon.

After these quick stopovers, head on to El Valle where you can go see the less touristy beach called the Plata El Valle which is famous for its fine and golden sand. In Samana, expect to be surrounded by all the greeneries. It’s a very peaceful place to relax and take a break.

The next day, head towards the harbor of Santa Barbara de Samana where you can take a boat to the lovely Los Haitises National Park. It’s a park home to diverse mammals and birds, some of which are endemic to the island. It’s a beautiful place to go cruising, caving, and hiking. This is definitely a must-visit in the DomRep! On the way back to your hotel, stop by at this famous hotel called the Cayo Levantado where you can have lunch and relax by the beach.

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PLAYA RINCON in SAMANA Province

Number of days: 1

Another must-see beach is the Playa Rincon known for its nearly white sand beach and the multicolored waters from clear to green, to blue. The backdrop of the mountain from the beach makes this a picture perfect site. Playa Fronton is another beach but with a completely different atmosphere. This one will make you feel as if you’re in the Philippines’ famous Palawan because of the towering cliff surrounding it. Las Terrenas is another charmer for its fine sand lined with huge palm trees and of course, the turquoise blue waters.

That’s the end of the trip, so from Playa, you can always make your flight back home or move forward if you have time. I highly suggest coming in February to catch the Humpback Whales in Samana. It’s something you don’t usually see and I bet you’ll love it! I hope we’ll still be here by that time :p Anyway, that’s it for this post. Let me know if you’re coming over and who knows? We could just meet! Positive vibes, everyone! 🙂

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