July 19, 2005
08-19-2005 8:54 pm
July 19, 2005
color=#0000ff> Iberostar Message BoardMy husband and I visited the Iberostar Bavaro July 2 - 8. It was our first trip to the Dominican Republic, our third stay at an Iberostar resort. We booked our trip with Apple vacations. Our flight was with USA3000 and was the best Charter experience yet. We left on time, had a friendly crew and arrived safely. They showed a movie (Hitch) and provided a meal during our 4 hour flight. As we all know, one of the more frustrating parts of flying is the waiting for everyone infront of you to get their carryon luggage out of the overhead compartment and exit (why does it seem to take so long, argggh!) We were seated in the back of the plane and just as our legs were having enough of the cramped space, they opened the BACK door and we were free! Once in the Punta Cana airport we stepped in the line that was formed, where we waited to have our picture taken with 2 girls dressed in festive clothing (the picture will be waiting for you as you leave). Then it was off to the counter where you are charged $10 a piece to fill out a form with the smallest print possible and then to customs. Frankly, it was a quick and smooth process. We had a bit of trouble finding our luggage as the pieces were seperated and one piece ended up on the carousel of a different flight. There are only 2 carousels, so don't get too worried :) We bypassed the luggage guys - as we read on here that the walk is short to the buses. The Apple reps were easy to find and are spread out along the path to the bus.
Our transportation to the hotel was at 9:00pm - we did not see a lot of the 'landscaping' of town but there were a lot of people out and they seemed like they were having a good time. They ride numerous people on 1 motorcycle and sorta on the road/shoulder next to the buses. The roads are bumpy and narrow. I guess initially you might think it looks like the ghetto/hood, but frankly it is just they way they live. Everything is the same - nothing highclass until you hit the resort area.
We arrived safely to the hotel and checked in with no problems. While at the front desk we were brought Bahama Mama drinks and then given a brief orientation. We did not have to pay for our safe. The staff are very friendly and you can tell they want you to have a worry-free stay! We had a short walk to our room. The layout of the grounds is very easy to navigate - even in the dark.
Our room was nice. No complaints about the air conditioner, refrigerator (or it's stock), the view, etc. We had a little 1 1/2 inch silverfish-like bug on our wall when we arrived. The bellman who brought our luggage got him for me and gave me an extra assurance there is nothing poisonous in the D.R. I never saw another bug and the first one really didn't bother me that bad, I just prefered him gone :)
The next day we went to the gym - it overlooks the ocean and is open air. They have free weights, some weight machines, about 4 stationary bikes, 3 treadmills (but only one worked by day 3). They have cold bottled water there, so you don't need to bring any from the room. It was crowded every day (we were there early when they opened).
Now on to the important stuff - the food, LOL (why do you think we work out, LOL). The buffet is decent. For breakfast, if you go to the back buffet, there is a guy who makes the greatest french toast and is thrilled to do it! There is also a little gal who makes very good omlets at the first buffet; she has to be burning up hot, but just sings and smiles all the time! For lunch we found the pool area to have more American style food. There were two days they had little parties to introduce some of the dominican culture. One day was Sangria and Paella - YUMMY! Dinner - We ate at the Gourmet, Mexican, Japanese, Steak, and Mediterranean resturants. We liked the Gourmet the best - the menu is fixed and the main dish is grilled lobster! The Mexican (where you choose your main course) was our second favorite. Our service at the Japanese wasn't great but the food was good! We had very very slow service - but in their defense they had 2 very large groups that seemed to throw them off a bit. When you get there you can make 3 reservations, and then at 3pm (do not wait) daily you can go to reservation desk and check for cancellations. So if you really like a resturant, you could go every night if there are cancellations. I will also note that while the resturants are air conditioned, they are still kinda warm. We ate at the buffet (open air, not bad in the evening) a couple of nights - and it's a buffet that feeds people from all over the world - so it has some varied stuff. It was fun to try stuff you don't regularly eat, but if you aren't like that you will still find plenty to eat. We ordered room service once - not a lot of choice - but it was timely and good.
I mentioned before that this is the third Iberostar we have stayed at. So, we didn't work too hard to see the shows as they seemed the same as the ones in Mexico. They aren't bad - but we prefered to walk on the beach.
Speaking of...the beach is beautiful! The water is warm, the waves are calm, the sand is soft, the seaweed is not bad and cleaned up every am. We had no problem finding chairs or palapua's. It also seemed the beach cleared out by around 2. We saw some topless women - so be aware if that bothers you. On the flip side - if you are looking forward to it, you will be disappointed - it's not the hotties that are topless, LOL! The beach has little crabs that scurry around at night - they are fun!
We did 2 excursions - the aquatic tour, you get in 2 person speedboats and cruise through the ocean, stop and snorkel a bit (feed fish) and then cruise back. It's a 1/2 day and was GREAT fun. We also took the safari tour. That was a whole day and worth it! You get lunch and baptized drinks ;), and boogie board at the end (can you believe it, we were boogie boarding while H. Dennis was hitting Haiti, and we had no waves to speak of!)
Our return flight was delayed 1:45 hours (extra beach time complients of the weather back home). We gave our luggage to the bellboy and they locked our carryon in a room. We showered and changed in the area they provide in lobby! (BTW - that bathroom and the one by the Gourmet resturant are the most air conditioned) The wait in the air port was longer than I would have liked, but that is how they schedule things! Our return flight was as smooth as the first. We saw the movie Fever Pitch - and had dinner - on a 10:20pm flight home, LOL! Most amazing was how smooth customs was at home (our last US customs experience almost resulted in...well a different story and not related to the D.R.). We did, however, still have the experience of the dreaded "WHY DOES IT TAKE YOU SO LONG TO GET YOUR STUFF OUT OF THE OVERHEAD COMPARTMENT" and at 1am - well...people move slower than you would think, LOL.
So, here is some other helpful stuff that we hadn't read before we went...we hear your cell phone will work there, but to call America is cheaper from the hotel than on your phone. Our Apple rep. advised against using a calling card or credit card - he claims it is more expensive than direct calling. We called home twice - no problems. When you are in the Punta Cana airport on your return day they will check your bags, not your carry-on. They will take your hairspray and batteries - or at least they are supposed to. Some of us kept our hairspray - others lost it. We were told and read that the people are hard to communicate with. We did not find that. What we did find is that they are some of the friendliest poeple we have found - singing, dancing, happy! If you've been to mexico - the language barrier is not any different.
The only other thing I will add is that this is rated a 6 golden apple, and it is very nice. BUT, if you have been to the Iberostar Lindo - it is not the same. We had a great time, we were celebrating our 10th anniversary - they treated us with surprises a couple of days. We would definately go back and have no complaints.
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