ACTIVITIES: Macao Surf Camp - 2 years later

I Wanna Go Surfing from openmiQ on Vimeo

December 2009 was the first time I went to Macao Beach and had Macao Surf Camp take me for a lesson.  Back then there was absolutely nothing on the beach.  Rafael would come and pick you up in his car, surfboards strapped on the top of his car and off you went.

We recently just visited Macao Surf Camp last week and boy have things changed!  Business is booming! They now have a Shack on Macao Beach which is their headquarters, they have staff that give you one on one instruction in a group lesson, they have Jack the surfing dog that joins you during your lessons, they have a photographer that takes photos of you which you can purchase and burnt on CD! The vibe here now is awesome!  It has become an amazing community and it's great to watch something grow this much from the very beginning!  I'm so proud of Rafael and his partners for doing this! It's a big hit amongst tourists that come and want to surf.  It's just absolutely amazing what they have done and I can't say enough good things about them! If you really want to learn how to surf with a non intimidating atmosphere and friendly instructors, look no further than Macao Surf Camp.

Contact Information:

Macao Surf Camp
Rafel Ferreras
macaosurfcamp@gmail.com

Address: Macao Beach
Bavaro Punta Cana
Dominican Republic

Tel: (809) 430-9017

For more reviews go to Macao Surf Camps Tripadvisor Review Page

RESORT REVIEW: Blue Bay Villas Doradas

Trip Date: September 2008

Location: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Beach Junkies Rating: (based on 5 stars)

Beach: 3 / Food: 5 / Rooms: 4 / Pools: 3 / Snorkeling: n/a

Playa Dorada

My buddy and I stayed at the Blue Bay Villas Doradas from Sept 20-27, 2008.  Long story short, we were suppose to go there for a stag, but plans got screwed up so we just made it into a surf trip.

I never had a desire to go to Puerto Plata but at this time, the price was so reasonable we couldn't refuse.  It also was the one place where we can get some surf lessons without paying an arm and a leg so we decided to give it a shot.

Blue Bay Lobby

The first impressions of this place is really good.  You walk into a nice fresh white balcony with modern furnishing, it kind of reminds you of a Miami style hotel.  This hotel also has free wi-fi in the lobby so I saw a bunch of people sitting there just doing their own thing.  The hotel also supplies 2 laptops for the guests to use.

The overall feel of this hotel is comfortable.  I didn't mind staying at a small resort.  It's nice to be able to walk somewhere from time to time and it's a good way to meet people.  The animation team were very nice and worked really hard at keeping everyone entertained.

The shows however were a disaster.  A real disaster!  They were soooo bad that I felt embarassed for them as I watched it.

Peking Duck

Food here was great!  It was at least 2 years since I had visited the Dominican Republic and let me tell you, when I took that first bite, I felt like I was home again!  For a small resort this place had EXCELLENT food!  We didn't try any of the a la cartes but we did try the asian one and opted for a peking duck which was $20.  This was an UNBELIVEABLE meal!!  They gave you the whole duck and basically prepared it for you 3 different ways.  Needless to say I was FULL by the time I came out of this restaurant.

The one thing that alot of people didn't like was the amount of vendors walking the beach.  Honestly I didn't care.  In fact I found alot of them to be entertaining!  They really don't bother you.  All you got to do is say no NICELY and they will go away politely.

If it wasn't for the beach I would've had this resort up there, but since I'm a big beach person I'm a bit partial to it.  The resort itself however was AWESOME and I'd recommend this place to anyone that is thinking of going to Puerto Plata.

Still not convinced?  See what other people think here.

RESORT REVIEW: Sol Luna y Mares

Trip Date: September 2007

Location: Holguin, Cuba

Beach Junkies Rating: (based on 5 stars)

Beach: 5 / Food: 3 / Rooms: 3 / Pools: 2 / Snorkeling: 5

The beach at Sol Luna y Mares

Let me start off by saying that the first 3 days of my vacation at this resort, I had a problem with my bathtub and sink not draining, the AC in my room was leaking and one night I came back at 11pm to my room only to find that there was no power in it. Did I get pissed off? No, you're on vacation. All it took was a phone call or a visit to the front desk and it was fixed in a hurry.

So with that being said, I have every reason to trash this hotel with the experiences I had with my room but I won't do that. I don't know about you, but when I go on holiday, I pick a resort for it's beach, not the room. The one thing I can say is that the bathroom fixtures really need a cleaning.

I must admit that this resort is smaller than what I usually visit when I go down to the Caribbean so you can say I've been spoiled. From what I can tell the Mares side is the better of the two in this resort but that was under construction, which I never heard the whole week I was there btw. The rooms are in a definate need of an upgrade but that will of course take time. Once both sides have been renovated this will be a 4 star in my eyes.

lunch at the beach snack bar

The food was good for Cuba. I didn't try any of the a la cartes so going to the buffet got boring every night for dinner. The beach restaurant has some good food for lunch and breakfast was fine as well at the buffet. Really no complaints about the food besides the fact that it got boring. Again, my fault since I didn't book the a la carte restaurants available for you to break up your meals during the week. Make sure you try the fried banana at the buffet with ice cream!

The beach is wonderful! Soft sugar white sand, clear turquoise blue waters, palapas everywhere! It was just magnificent. There wasn't one complaint. They even had the regular beach loungers and not the hard white plastic ones you usually see in pictures.

The place to snorkel is more of the east side of the beach towards the Paradisius. If you want bigger coral and fish, just diagonal from the wedding gazebo at the Paradisius is where you will find this. Make sure you try to go in the morning so the tide is low and calm. If you don't want to venture out that far, there is some rocks right in front of the Paradisius beach you can go to. I would suggest bringing your own snorkel kit. I did and I was glad I did. My friend had to walk all the way to the other side of the beach just to get fins and basically walk back and forth everyday. It can be tiring in the heat.

Underwater Love from openmiQ on Vimeo.

Really nothing to do here at night ,like nothing at all! Good thing they had excellent tv channels to keep you entertained if you want to stay in your room at night.

If you're looking for a resort that will fill your basic needs, this is it. If you are looking for more luxury, stay at the Paradisius next door.

Still not convinced?  See what other people think here.