vacation help, pls

[Consilio]

Go to Panama

Check out www.AirTransat.ca

PM me if you need a few tips.

 

[babyboy]

Thanks everyone, Its looking like Dominican Republic, i like the idea of other places like panama,coasta rica, cuba etc, but its probably best to spend time read up on the forums first (plan for next year). My head is filled with DR stuff right now, hopefully I'm able to book a last min flight for 550 or so, hotel/condo for 275-350 and spending money.
whynotme, thanks for your post, is the hotel recommendable?
Mallibrook, i contacted Rockys about condo's, but wonder if they are too far away from downtown..not sure where the best place to stay is yet..
i was able to price a flight for 472 (with 1 stop in PUJ before POP) and if a hotel could be picked up for 275 thats about $750 plus food and entertainment.
say 1000 /7 days = $142 a day...(i realize the more the better)
Hopefully thats workable.
Any other tips or suggestions?
thanks

 

[babyboy]

I did check the air transit link, but it looks like there are no flights to Panama in Oct... Nov though, and ~$600 seems reasonable

 

[KBear]

You can book an all inclusive package for not much more then airfare, then rent a room as you need it. It depends on how much experience you have in the Caribbean, and how comfortable you are with going somewhere with no place to stay and no food to eat in advance. The resorts are like home, the homes you book in the Caribbean, and the food you find, could be much different. Thinking the booking airfare, and then finding a place to stay, and food to eat when you arrive is for the advanced Caribbean travelers.

I have never been to the DR, but if it is anything like Cuba, then you really want to have a resort to go to if things do not work out. It is like paying $2-300 in guaranteed comfort insurance for the week. And you can eat and drink at the resort.

 

[Malibook]

You can book an all inclusive package for not much more then airfare, then rent a room as you need it. It depends on how much experience you have in the Caribbean, and how comfortable you are with going somewhere with no place to stay and no food to eat in advance. The resorts are like home, the homes you book in the Caribbean, and the food you find, could be much different. Thinking the booking airfare, and then finding a place to stay, and food to eat when you arrive is for the advanced Caribbean travelers.

I have never been to the DR, but if it is anything like Cuba, then you really want to have a resort to go to if things do not work out. It is like paying $2-300 in guaranteed comfort insurance for the week. And you can eat and drink at the resort.

That's what I do.
It is my secure home base sanctuary.
Cabanas are very nice and cheap.
Around 500 pesos ($17 CAD) for 4 hours or $25 or so for the night.
There are plenty of cheap short-time hotels as well.
Plus place like La Passion, Cristals, Ana Miriam, Bohem have on-site action.

Do not change CAD$ in the DR.
The official rate is around 30 but you will be lucky to get 25.
Take US$.
The ATM are fine but take out as much as you can per transaction.
Western Union seems to give the best exchange rates.

I am going this Saturday or next.
Might book it today for around $670 for an AI package.
http://www.yourtraveltickets.com/

 

[babyboy]

I totally agree with the idea of booking an AI as a home base. Unfortunetly, from all the sites that I price them up on like http://www.yourtraveltickets.com/
they usually show "no availablity" as soon as you change the amount of travellers from 2 to 1. and if they are available, they seem to almost double the original advertised price.
example: Puerta Plata 3.5 star = 367 plus 274 tax is approx $650. but when you confirm for 1 person, its n/a ..... or they bump the price up about 175 -200 dollars. frustrating.. I seem to be having more success just booking the flight... example, i've been able to confirm 190 + 275 tax = $465. total.
I'll keep trying because I do like the AI option as a home base.
Thanks all, if anyone can confirm a total cost of $650 for AI for 1 person on Oct 14th -21st for Puerta Plata, pls give me a holler.
thanks

 

[KBear]

For the AI resort prices, Some tour groups/resorts charge the single supplement when you book a month or so in advance, but drop the single supplement when it is a week in advance or so. Check the package cost for this weekend coming, and see if they are charging the single supplement. Then you will get a feel for which tour operators/resorts drop the single supplement, and which ones do not. This works for Cuba packages at least.

For travel south it will be cheap and available from the beginning of September until around the middle/end of December. Then cheap again in May/June.

If you are planning to go to DR in October, you can book week/days in advance, just watch the prices and availability.

Did some quick checking and found the single supplement ranged from $100 – 300 for this weekend. For Cuba the SS is 0 at this time for many resorts. For what you are looking for DR is still the best place to go.

 

[babyboy]

i fugured it out. i was setting the room type to double and not to single, since setting it to single, i can find 682.50 for 'fun tropical' or something close with an option to buy. thats better. thanks for the help all.

 

[tightfit]

cuba over dominican any day of the week..but if mongering you should consider cancun..night life can not be beat.

 

[Malibook]

i fugured it out. i was setting the room type to double and not to single, since setting it to single, i can find 682.50 for 'fun tropical' or something close with an option to buy. thats better. thanks for the help all.

That's my home base.
They have 24 hours food and drinks.
This resort is not right on the beach but is only a short 5 minute walk plus they have a tractor shuttle going all day.
The single sup. is reasonable at around $120.
I'm going on Sept. 23 and probably again late November.
http://www.funroyale-tropicale.com/

It is in the Playa Dorada complex of 14 resorts plus a plaza.
There are 3 casinos and a few nice clubs including Mangu and Hemingway's.
The plaza has stores, restaurants, cinema, ATMs and bank.
Plus there is a nice golf course running through the resorts and along the ocean.
http://www.playadoradagolf.com/

Playa Dorada is 5 minutes drive to Puerto Plata and around 30 the other way to Sosua and another 10 to Cabarete.

Some people prefer Sosua because you can pretty well walk to whatever you want and the beach is much nicer although Playa Dorada has just been refurbished with new sand.
http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7070

 

[Malibook]

cuba over dominican any day of the week..but if mongering you should consider cancun..night life can not be beat.

The DR has strip clubs, massage parlours, car washes, various other chica bars, casinos, and discos full of freelancers.
Plus the chicas are free to go anywhere with you without the threat of arrest, unlike Cuba.

Cancun is way over-priced.
We can get that shit here.

 

[Consilio]

Panama is better value.

I did check the air transit link, but it looks like there are no flights to Panama in Oct... Nov though, and ~$600 seems reasonable

The places that I've stayed at in Panama were amazing compared to places in the DR, Cuba etc. The food was so much better and you can actually drink the tap water without having to worry about getting sick.

I usually go an hour or two outside of Panama City though.. The Decameron is pretty nice.

Panama City itself is one crazy city too. I generally would base myself outside of the city and make trips in. But the Decapolis in Panama City itself is very modern and has a large casino.

If you're really big on going in October check out this site:
www.nolitours.com

Air Transat runs through them anyways and the deals are great.

 

[mav256]

You should try Tijuana. The world sex guide has lots of good reports of cheap pussy. I figure $600 to fly there (TO to LA), $150 for a car, and about $500 for the hotel (stay in the US, just across the border), and about $250 for food. Then about $100/night for 1-2 times. So about $2000, give or take.

 

[Papi Chulo]

I was thinking of booking a trip to Cartagena

flight - $1200, apartment $35/night

ladies $30-$50 for all night

by my calculations will work out to about $100/day (flight & accomodations) + food / drink & ladies