Riu Bachata

[howarthz]

Hi Everyone

I am going to the Riu Bachata in 2 week time with my partner for a 2 week stay we are 27 and 28 years of age.

Some reviews are really good and some are really bad, I am getting a bit worried now as to what to expect, also with the current hurricane warnings.

Has anyone stayed at the Bachata? If so what am i to expect, what did you think of the hotel?

I have never been to the DR before what is the weather like in Sept

Hope someone can help

[ilovehols]

I stayed in the RIU Mambo last sept-oct which is one of the hotel you can use during your stay at the bachata. Personally i think the mambo was better even though it was the older of the 3, it was'nt as busy and there more more english. We had lunch i the bachata one day and we went in the main resturant and because ti was so busy they tried to sit us with other people which i refused to do and went to the snack bar instead, we found that the tables we left with other diner stuff on where as the mambo they cleaned up innediately.
Also the mambo has the beach bar whcih means you can enjoy your drinks without having to walk too far.
As for thr weather...well we had everything except snow!!
around 3 each afternoon it went dark then chucked it down, sometimes just for a few hours on a few occasion all night. But it was still warm and close.
But twhen it rains they do put entertainment on.
Im a few years older than you and found the night time entertains aimed for children. We use to walk to other hotel (carnt remember if it was bachata or merangie) whcih had a outside terrace away from the stage. Pacha night club was ok, had air con and was nice for a late drink and a dance.
any more questions just ask!!

[howarthz]

Hi

Thanks for your information, it is helpful, I cant change the hotel now so hopefully it will be ok, I have had some good feedback aswell.

It dosent bother us that it will be busy, we are bit of party people so im hoping the Pacha disco will be open. Did you go to the Casino at the Bachata if so what was it like?

Do you have photos you could email me it would be great if you did and could you send them to zoe@temploy.co.uk

Thanks

[ilovehols]

I do have picture ill email you tonight as im at work.
Didnt go to casino. Pasha was open every night except 1, was nice to go in for the air con.
You will have a great time i'm sure, buy busy i ment you cant get a sun bed or table etc.
You do have the other hotels to use freely.
The carnival on caribean street is fab and best night we have, they had a pop corn man and bars set it, there was also a beach party with bon fire on beach and some days they came down to beach with a BBQ and cooked food thats was nice.

We did the monster trucks trip....Defo an eye opener and worth doing.
Take plenty medicine of your prone to the runs and bad stomach, i had holiday stomach and vomiting and they wanted to charge me $100 for a few tablets which cost a few quid here.

[howarthz]

Thanks for that, look forwarding to having a look at the pics, where else have you been in the carribbean where would you recommend we are planning our wedding at the moment and very undecided where to it is in 2010.

Thanks

[pineapple]

Hello
We went in August 2008. I would advise you to cancel and get your money back if you can. It was a dreadful holiday. The tourists are totally out numbered by local people who dominate the hotel and facilities. Their behaviour is gang like and we were thoroughly intimidated. The resturant was like a rugby scrum, the pool was filthy with children peeing in it and people being sick due to the vast amounts of alcohol being consumed at the poolside bar. The staff were rude unless you offered large tips eg the man unloading our suitcase from the coach demanded 30 dollars (approx £15) ... we refused and he was then very rude to us. there were several robberies from the rooms and we were warned not to venture out of the gated complex (security guards all had guns!). We all had sickness and diahorrea. I am still poorly and honestly wish we had never gone. It was terrible and I was so pleased to come home.
We had four days of rain and 10 days of sunshine.
Best of luck to you if you do go
Kind regards

[ilovehols]

Hi Zoe i tried to mail yous some photo's but the email has been returned!!!
Im on facebook and have some pics on there if you are a member.
Dont let pineapple (above) put you off going.

[howarthz]

Hi Pinapple

I cant cancel the holiday now we are going in 2 weeks, what did you not like about the place? Is there anything good to say about it?

What is the entertainment like? Is it a big complex? Did you go to any of the other 2 hotels?

Thanks

[pineapple]

hi
I dont know where your other responder actaully stayed but we stayed for 2 weeks at the Bachata. After the first week suffering there we would walk up the beach to the Merengue and Mambu to spend our days here as although they were very busy the atmosphere and overall culture was much better. You asked for positive things so here goes, our room was spacious, do walk along the beach and go to the water sports centre situated on the beach infront of the Merengue/mambu. The canoes and pedalos are free to book and it was lovely to take them out each morning and ride the waves. The palm trees on the beach are lovely and take a snorkel as the tropical fish are beautiful and swarm around you if you throw a little bread in the water. Bright blue fish and stripy yellow and black fish.. really lovely to watch. The fresh fruit, mangoes, pineapples and guavas are delicious.

The thunder and lightening was beautiful to watch and very exciting to see from our balcony.

We went to Ocean World and swam with Dolphins, a lovely day....

Hope this has given you some positives and i hope you have a lovely holiday. I guess we were just totally shocked at the huge numbers of locals who swamped the Bachata and created a 'Butlins' culture (sorry butlins) and put enormous number pressure on the pool, facilities and resturants at bachata. You may be lucky as you will be going outside of the local school holidays. We were told by the Reps that because the hotel prices were very expensive for locals they tended to exploit them to the full, and this perhaps explains the rugby scrums etc at mealtimes.

Kind regards

[pineapple]

Hi again
Have you read the latest reviews from the thomson website, just follow their review section, someone has recently posted a review who stayed at Bachata in August 2008 and they have put some positives and some negatives,
kind regards
pineapple