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Dominican Republic
(Formally Eden
Bay Resort) |
We need your trip reports from Caliente
Caribe. |
| February 2008 - R.K. |
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My wife & I visited Caliente Caribe in
late February, 2008. We were a bit leery because of the horror stories we had
heard about the old Eden Bay, but were pleasantly surprised by what we found.
In a nut shell the place is fantastic! I would match the resort
layout, grounds and scenery among the finest places we have ever visited.
Everywhere you look is another postcard scene. Breathtaking views in every
direction. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Bar staff was a hoot.
Wait staff were perhaps the weakest link. Always pleasant enough, but would
occasionally forget to bring someone's food or would bring a wrong drink. Not
complaining though, overall, they really are great.
The rooms and
casitas are huge! We were kidding that we thought ours used to be a bowling
alley. The maid was always nearby and would go in and straighten up almost
every time we left the room. We had a maintenance issue early one morning, but
by the time we returned from breakfast the problem had already been resolved.
Try that in Mexico! Hot water for the shower was limited, that was a drag.
Lasted maybe 5 minutes, max!
The pool & the beach are perfect for
a sunny afternoon buzz with 20 - 30 nude friends, and the long walk was enough
to keep us physically fit for the week. The food was good... not great, but not
bad. Limited menu choices, but for the price it is quite adequate. They need to
improve their liquor choices. Very few premium brands, and no blended whisky or
bourbons. Mostly rums and a sweet stuff. I did see some Jim Beam once and I
think the "premium" vodka was Stoli. One suggestion; when ordering a mixed
drink with vodka, for example, they will always use their local bar brand
unless you specify the "premium" alternative (if they have one). So always
mention the brand you want, if they have it.
The only other minor
disappointment was the ocean access. The beach itself is stunning. But if you
want to go into the water, there are a ton of rocks & obstacles that
prevent you from doing any body surfing or just leisurly swimming (until you
get past that part of the ocean bottom). But then again, that's what the pool
is for.
Over overall rating is an 8.2 out of 10, and we will most
definitely go back! |
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| January 2008 |
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What fun! January, 2008 thirty travelers
from clubs and nudist resorts all over the USA joined James & Champagne for
a resort inspection trip to Caliente Caribe in the Dominican Republic. This
terrific adventure was designed to see what improvements have been made since
new management and financial backers from Caliente Tampa launched an upgrade
program about 18 months ago.
Without a doubt, they have succeeded.
The resort labels itself as "3 star deluxe." Caliente Caribe has the
service, look and feel of a more upscale property although you won't find fancy
dining and specialty restaurants there. Considering the price they charge, it's
a bargain. Spacious, air conditioned hotel rooms and villas total 126 on 120+
acres right on the beach and it's adults only, all inclusive,for couples and
singles. And, all rooms and villas are really huge. Most guests elect to be
nude during the day but choose to wear clothing for dining, for theme nights
and for evening entertainment.
Although there's plenty to do, the
resort is so big, it feels more laid back instead of expecting guests to meet
an hourly schedule to have fun. Water volleyball, games, language lessons,
sunning, "adult beverages" and visiting seem to fill the day for most guests.
Two swimming pools, two hot tubs and a water volleyball pool offer guests lots
of choices. It's really a perfect place to do as much as you want or get away
from it all. With so much acreage, you can choose a secluded palm tree to lay
back and enjoy the scenery or take a nap. Themes every evening, surprisingly
high quality entertainment and a night club/disco fill the "after dark" hours
for guests who are night owls. A neat treat: Free WiFi in the rooms and main
hotel building...but try to leave your lap top at home. And there's plenty to
do off site including scuba, golf, casinos, adventure tours, whale watching,
white water rafting, mountain biking, sail boarding and kite sailing, tennis
and bar hopping at beach towns close by such as Rio San Juan, Cabrera, Sosua
and Cabarete, arguably the sail board capital of the Caribbean.
Dining, bar drinks, day time meals and mid night snacks satisfied most
palettes. The main restaurant serves breakfast and dinner while the beach bar
and grill offers mid day lunch, snacks and great drinks.
The resort
includes a luscious 3-bedroom Grande Villa atop a bluff that overlooks the rest
of the resort. The private Grande Villa is absolutely perfect as headquarters
for a group trip. With huge bedrooms and full amenities, hot tub, kitchen and a
bathroom big enough for a sports team's locker room, three couples can rent the
facility for less than the cost of three separate villas.
The resort
is on the mild side instead of wild. It should satisfy most guests and is
especially suited for a group trip. A resort "takeover" can be created with
only 60 rooms minimum.
The service was impeccable. The employees,
management and staff will rival any other resort you're used to visiting.
Everyone loved it and many plan to go back individually or with a group of
friends. It's a secret you have to know about. And airline service has recently
increased: Choose between Puerto Plata or El Catey Samana airports. Samana is a
brand new airport, only about 45 minutes away. Jet Blue, American, Delta and
charters have frequent or daily service to one or both airports.
If
you love to drink, dance on the table and be wild and crazy, this may not be
your place. If you enjoy a relaxed pace, intelligent and fun conversation with
other guests who are as friendly as you, try it. Frequent specials such as 7th
night free, early booking discounts and relatively low cost per diem rates for
all inclusive features produce a very affordable adult, clothing optional
holiday.
In our opinion, Caliente Caribe is now the biggest and best
bang for your buck in the Caribbean. |
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| December 2007 - John + Barbara |
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The resort was not crowded,the staff were
friendly and helpful.The people of the DR in that area seem frendlier than the
Jamaican's and the resort is very relaxing because of the size compared to the
number of occupants. The resort may not appeal to those that have a problem
with stairs due to medical conditions as they may have to wait for a golf cart
to take them to the upper or lower level. The beach is small and rocky and has
many black urchins. Even if wearing shoes you can get banged up by the rock
being pulled in and out by the surf.
If you are one who can get
seasick,I would not recommend going snorkeling with Collin off site. He took
out a load of us and dropped the sick ones at a beach to wait until we got done
at the other two dive sites. I felt he should have called a cab to take the
sick ones back to the resort since there was a parking lot behind the beach,but
he refused to call for them. They ended up borrowing a cell off of a local and
called their own cab. They got back ok, but I thought he would have known
better which cab was safe to call.
The food and entertainment were
fantastic and the hot tub location on a starry ,moonlit night is just the best
we've ever seen. The beach activities were well organised and well conducted.
The crowd was mostly over 40 and the disco was cozy and fun. The on site gift
shop has some great bargains and all prices are very comparable to those off
the resort. If you don't see it, ask, they will get it for you. Van is also
very friendly and helpful with anything you need. |
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| November 2007 - TR |
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First of all, we were very pleased in our
dealings with your agent Tammy. We also have a trip booked through her to Hedo
II over Easter.
The resort – Caliente Caribe - - was perhaps one
of the best surprises ever. It is its own little town. The main room, dining
room and cliff side rooms are on top of the cliffs, the ocean villas, one pool,
hot tub and beach bar, duh, are on the beach. There is about a 57 step climb
from the beach to the top of the cliffs, but there are golf carts running. It
is a great, expansive place. Our room was a mini house!!
The staff
here was outstanding. This was our first trip to the DR and we were amazed at
how helpful the people were. They are beautiful and very friendly. It is a
compliment to Van and Sinclair how happy the resort people were and how much
they went out of their way for everyone.
The resort was dazzling, very
mature and eloquent. The entertainment staff at the beach kept things lively
with many of the games we’ve experienced at Hedo II and Desire, of course
with daily prizes of coffee or rum. It really was the best of all worlds, very
fancy, and had opportunities for lots of fun. The guests were real naturalists,
very mature, kind and comfortable to be around. I did not feel unsecure at any
time.
The only downside was being on the Atlantic, perhaps it was the
time we were there, but it was not a good swimming or snorkeling experience for
me (I’m a real land lover, but like to get in the water).
First
of all, we were very pleased in our dealings with your agent Tammy. We also
have a trip booked through her to Hedo II over Easter.
We are going to
plan a return trip here next February, 2009!!! |
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| December 2007 - Beverly |
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This resort is outstanding. They cater to
your every whim. Dinner is served very eloquently, exact portions and a good
variety. If you want something else, they will stand on their heads for you!!!
Excellent staff and the grounds are fantastic!! |
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| February 2006 - F & L |
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The most beautiful place we have been.
Staff was cheerful and helpful. Activities director, Peggy, made a big
difference - she is superb. We made the suggestion that the resort put in a
giant chess board like the one at Grand Ledo Negril. The clientele was a bit
more professional than what we have experienced at Jamaica on our visits to
Negril, Braco, and Sans Souci, and I think the chess board would be a big
hit.
The accomodations (villa) near the pool were very nice, but
without A/C in the summer, sleeping would probably be brutal. (NOTE: Air
conditioners are being installed in all units). The facilities were excellent
and laid out very well. The pool/beach area is configured to make for intimate
contact with other guests and promotes getting to know people and encourages
participation in fun activities. I liked the pool volleyball and the bocce ball
play, as well as the Texas Hold em tournament. The food was very good, and it
was nice to be served at table. It was a very romantic place, which is nice
because my wife and I still have a great romance going.
Downside - the
bartenders are poorly trained and miserably equipped. I asked for a dry
martini, and the girl made it with about a half a cup of red vermouth. Wife
asked for a marguerita, and the result was something that tasted like soap.
Nobody knows how to make a BLOODY MARY! One bartender knew how, but did not
have the fixings. He tried with the DR version of tomato juice, but it was a
bust. If you wanted a drink that most bartenders can fix, but was not on the
specialty list, they either did not have what was needed, or did not know how,
or you just couldn't get through to them because they speak absolutely no
english. There was no shortage of desire, though. They were very friendly and
tried their best to please. All in all, it did not matter that much, because
the whole experience was wonderful, but it is definitely an area in need of
major improvement. The only other thing was that you can't walk into the water
from the beach because you immediately encounter rocks and coral. It looks like
a perfect place to cultivate like the artificial lagoons that were done at
Grand Lido Braco.
We have taken many naturist vacations in the
Caribbean and Mexico. They have all been very nice, but this was one of the
nicest. We are already planning to go back, and were disappointed to see that
when we went on line, the rates have already gone up over $100/day, but we will
go again anyway. Once again, it was the most beautiful and romantic place we
have been to.
The wife said it was healing, and I agree. The ride from
the airport, with the pot holes, was not pleasant for 1 1/2 hours, but that was
balanced by the countryside, the populace, and the towns we went through. We
really enjoyed seeing that. We could not learn anything from the driver either
getting there or getting back at the end, because they have no english skill,
and my spanish is rudimentary. I would say that if drinking is high on your
list for having a good time, you will be disappointed. Otherwise, it was all
that we hoped for and more. We found out that most of the staff work for $6.50
per day. Theye were all so nice that we left a $50 tip as our share of saying
thanks and trying to help out. We understood that the tips that are collected
from departing guests are divided among the workers. It was nice to be able to
leave them something from us, because they gave so much of themselves for us. I
think that about sums it up. F & L |
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| February 2005 - J & M |
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All in all, we had a real good time at Eden
Bay. When you compare it to Hidden Beach or Grand Lido, that is where it falls
short.
On the positive side, the place is very clean. They have done a
great job in keeping the grounds and the rooms as clean as anywhere that we
have been. They have wonderful spa and massage packages. The people who give
the massages are quite good, and the prices are very reasonable. Mike and Peggy
(the activities people) do an outstanding job with things to do. They have
limited resources, and they make the most of everything they have. They also
have very great personalities and give attention to everyone. The airport
pick-up was nice. The van that took us to the resort was supplied with
beverages, which is something that we do not get at some other resorts.
There are a number of things that could use improvement. The food
service could use some help. The food at the meals was very good, but they do
not have food available as much as most other all-inclusive resorts. At most
other resorts, there is some type of food service almost every hour of the day.
When they have a good number of guests, the food service gets a little slow. As
they continue to expect more guests, they need to be prepared, especially since
it is all "sit down" service as opposed to buffet.
It would be great
if they could develop a way to have early morning coffee more available. There
is supposed to be coffee at the pool bar, but it was sometimes there, sometimes
not. Coffee pots in the rooms are an option, but predictable availability at
several locations on the resort would be better. The bars in general need a
little attention. The choice of liquors and mixers at the bars is very limited.
They carried only a very small and basic stock. They could not make a lot or
drinks that I would consider routine.
The rooms could use a little
mechanical attention. I know the lamps in our rooms had questionable electrical
connections. We could have used a clock and telephone. I carry my own travel
alarm, so that was no big deal. I mention the telephone situation because there
is no means to contact someone from your room if you have a real emergency.
People need to know that the resort is not air conditioned, especially when it
gets very warm in the summer.
I know that the resort is aware of some
of these concerns. They are able to offer a cheaper price than other places to
try to attract more people. As they get more guests, they need to consider
upgrading to keep people coming back. We would love another option to add to
our Hidden Beach and Grand Lido rotation if it would be closer to the five star
package from those resorts. |
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| Dec 2004 - Joni |
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Wow! What a beautiful resort! If you're
looking for a laid-back, relaxing vacation, this is the place. If you're
looking for a lot of action, this is NOT the place, although there are side
trip options. On site activities are pretty much limited to the pool, hot tub,
volleyball, shuffle board, a game called snake, and horse shoes. (The pool
table/dart board are pretty worn out). An exercise/fitness room would be
nice--perhaps some time in the future. Just walking up and down the (54!) steps
from the main level to the beach area is pretty good exercise, however.
(There's also a sloping path that is less strenuous).
Eden Bay seems
not to have been "re-discovered" yet as a great destination after having been
closed for a couple of years. This was good for me as a single person, because
there were only 35-50 people there during this peak period. This was small
enough for me to get to know people. Most were from the U.S. and Canada, with a
few Europeans and one family from Russia. There were only four of us singles
there during my week stay. I have to admit I felt uncomfortable with the open
nudity with the one child who arrived before I left (about 10 years old), but
that is my personal issue. If there were a lot of kids and/or full capacity, I
would not have enjoyed the visit as well.
Eden Bay really doesn't have
much of a beach. The water was a bit cold and the surf choppy, so only a few
people ventured out. One couple tried the kayaks, but nearly sank.
The
nightly disco didn't really open until the arrival of the social directors on
the 28th, and because the room is small, more than 20-25 people really can't
fit.
The food was very, very good. Every meal is off a menu, with
daily specials. I would have liked a little more flexibility in dinner time
(you pretty much have to eat when they get it ready--7:30 to 8:00 p.m.). A tip:
If you can't decide among dinner entrees, you can ask for half of one and half
of another.
Patricia and the staff were SUPERB! Service could not have
been better (O.K., dinner one night was a bit delayed, but overall, they go out
of their way to serve/assist you.)
The four hands massage was not the
best I've had, but certainly worth $65 (Note: if you pay for spa services and
in the gift shop in dollars, you don't have to pay the 18-22% tax.)
Be
sure and bring lots of small bills if you want to buy souvenirs. While you are
not required to tip staff, several certainly deserved (and got) an extra thanks
at the end of my stay. I had also brought school items/toys to share with the
staff as well--much appreciated.
The only side trip I took was to
Ocean World outside of Puerto Plata. The down sides: $90 taxi, 3 hours round
trip, poor management, crowded. The up side: for extra $$$, you can interact
with the sea lions and even swim with the dolphins. Reserve in advance.
What do you need to take to Eden Bay? Sun tan lotion and a book to
read. Then just lay back and relax with a Presidente, sante or cuba libre, or
other beverage of choice! |
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