Viva Wyndham Tangerine:
All-Inclusive For A Bargain
By Holly Reich

It takes a few days of vacation before I feel the "click," that unmistakable feeling that I have officially left my hyperactive NYC life and entered ‘la la land.’

This time, the "click" happened in Cabarete, a surfers’ town in the Dominican Republic. My companions and I were enjoying a local beer (Presidente) and sharing a plate of excellent nachos at LAX, a trendy bar on the beach with handsome rattan couches, slow moving overhead fans and a menu to write home about. LAX is one of many small bars/restaurants, tucked under palm trees and sitting side by side on the sand where you can sip and watch the surf or dance to hip hop, techno or Latin until the wee hours of the morning.

Besides night life, Cabarete has numerous shops where you can score colorful local paintings (less than $20 apeice) or hand rolled cigars for $1 apiece, shops that sell hip surfing clothes and local grocery stores where I stocked up on Dominican coffee, cocoa, rum and organic sugar. This is what the Caribbean is all about!

We stayed at Viva Wyndham Tangerine, a ten-minute stroll away from Cabarete by beach and 20 minutes from Puerto Plata International Airport in Puerto Plata.

The all-inclusive property covers three acres on the relatively undiscovered north coast of the Dominican Republic, a legendary windsurfer’s paradise. Fronting 110 meters of creamy beach, the Viva Tangerine opened in the Fall of 2003 and is one of six all-inclusive Viva properties that partnered with the upscale Wyndham properties in December of 2003.

The small enclave consists of 223 rooms, four restaurants, a bar, fitness center, spa and tennis courts. It is built to resemble a Mediterranean village with a series of three-story, pumpkin-colored condos with individual porches and red stucco roofs. Winding stone paths lead to the swimming pool area which overlooks the beach and a main building that houses the spa and fitness center, gift shops, an internet cafe ($1 for 15 minutes!) and restaurants. If you just want to sit and talk, the lofty lobby has comfortable sitting areas and lots of ashtrays. Yes, the international crowd, mainly European and Canadian, still smokes!

The employees are a friendly, smiling, and accommodating bunch. A group called the Animation Team is on hand to lead guests through pool side aerobics, play games on the beach, put on shows at night or just keep people entertained. I spent a lot of time being entertained at the Kelive Spa, which has unbeatable prices. For example, facials run from $45 to $65, massages cost $35 an hour and a full day package will run you just $90 to $120.

Food choices include the pool side Cafe Caribe, which is open from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. and serves typical outdoor grill such as oven-baked pizza, hamburgers,hot dogs and crispy fries. The pool side bar makes potent island drinks, along with cappuccino and espresso.

Other restaurants include; La Vela, a candle-lit Italian restaurant that overlooks the beach, the poolside Viva Mexico offering mild Mexican dishes, and La Bahia, an outdoor buffet-style restaurant that serves three meals a day.

For those interested in exploring beyond all-inclusive walls, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of economical and interesting activities off-property. Although I didn’t take any trips, the guests I talked to were very enthusiastic about the trips. Examples of excursions you can purchase at the resort include a city tour of Santo Domingo ($45), horseback riding ($28 for 1.5 hours), rafting ($79), canyoning (rappelling down a riverbed on a harness -- $79) and "crazy wheels" – (off road 4 wheel motor bikes -- two hours for $40-$50).

The all-inclusive Viva Tangerine is a bargain despite the fact that I noticed some kinks that may be attributed to its start-up status. Spa services were either slow or inadequate, the choice and quality of food needed an upgrade, and there were some general housekeeping problems. (I complained and was assured by management that the housekeeping issues will be worked out by the time this article runs.)

All-inclusive package includes these features:

*All meals and snacks
*Unlimited drinks, cocktails, and wine
*Welcome cocktail
*Taxes and tips
*Unlimited non-motorized sports
*Free sports collective lessons
*Daily activities program
*Nightly entertainment
*Children's program

For More Information:

Viva Wyndham Tangerine
Sosua-Cabarete Road, Dominican Republic
1-800-WYNDHAM
www.vivawyndhamresorts.com

Also see:

Slow Down on the Riviera Maya in Mexico By Holly Reich

Holly Reich is a travel and automotive writer based in Manhattan.

All text copyright Holly Reich. No part of this article may be reproduced without written permission from the author.