Our vacation was through West Jet. We took a three and a half hour drive from Puerta Plata to the hotel. We were the only ones on a bus built for six, it was low season. The driver, Adam, was very kind, great driver, which is important. The motorists are crazy. Lots of motorcycles, cars criss-crossing in a very non-Canadian fashion, lol. Got a five dollar beer midway, (220 ml), had a great time taking in the scenery and colorful towns. We were warmly greeted at the hotel, our luggage was efficiently dispatched, and the room was classy and comfortable. The food was as good or better than most Caribbean destinations, good variety. The a la Carte restaurants were a notch higher, and superior to most Caribbean experiences. A shuttle will go directly to Bahia Village, where you can buy a fair variety of items. I ran into one of the shops where they were more than willing to search the strip if an item was not present. There is a proviso, regarding "the strip" adjacent to the Bahia Village. You will likely be greeted by aggressive, but not dangerous people posing as "friendly local folks." When they start leading you to places on the strip, you have, in effect, entered into a contract with them, and they will insist on a charge for services. It would be best that you ask first if there is a "fee for services" and then negotiate the fee. The shops, as is typical, will overcharge tourists, more so if you travel in pairs. Make sure that you are very firm in your offers, walk away if necessary. A shop near the rotary sold me a defective phone charger. I returned it, and a "runner" (calls himself Hose with an accent at the end), found me a replacement that was far superior to the original piece. He tried to charge me an extra 150 pesos for the upgrade. I told him to take it from the "service" of finding the shop. He eventually relented. In short, you can't show any sign of softness. When regarding the practice of over-charging at local shops, I see it this way. I see a third of my cost as the cost of the item. I see a third of my cost as the convenience of finding an item in an area without a diversity of supplies. I see the last third of my payment as a zero sum game, karmic payment, as wages are low in this relatively poor country. In summary, the hotel exceeded my expectations, the food was just fine, the staff, though not multi-lingual, were very polite, the location was dramatic, and I will definitely come back. If you go in town, trust that it will be a favorable experience, but don't forget to mind your wallet, and know the conversion rates of currencies very well before you embark on your adventure.
