CBS Around the World for Free visit the north coast of the Dominican Republic

Phew….well that’s been a busy week. Being a keen Survivor fan for years, I stumbled across a twitter that Ms Parvati Shallow was next door in Haiti, so invited her to the north coast of the Dominican Republic to show her the area. A client of mine kindly offered her a free villa in Sea Horse Ranch and I took on the role of concierge exploring the area between Sosua & Cabarete and a quick trip to Cofresi. A bonus, was meeting Alex Boylan (producer and  winner 2^nd season of Amazing Race / 1^st adventurer of Around the world for free) and my new buddy Zsolt Luka (camera man) who is an absolute gentlemen.

We started her weekend off gently with some paddle boarding in the Cabarete lagoon. This was followed by stand up paddle boarding in the ocean and kite surfing on Cabarete bay with my friend John from the Method Lodge on Kite Beach. In between this time the heavens opened up and it rained for about a day and a half, so we had to give ‘cock fighting’ a miss and instead made cup cakes to celebrate our shared birthdates (my mate Parv’s & mine).

Monday morning, all was back to normal with the weather and we headed out to Oceanworld, Cofresi whom kindly offered a dolphin swim for Parvati. I was looking forward to the shark encounter, but running low on time we headed back to Kite Beach, Cabarete to continue with the Kite Surfing sessions.

The following day before heading across to the monkey jungle, we visited a local charity that has excellent support from both private individuals and companies on the north coast called the Dream Project. I like Dream, it really shows how a commitment to an investment in education and tutoring can really have long term effect for the local population. It’s been great watching the success of this charity over the last years.

Stunning afternoon at the Monkey Jungle with the sun shining and nice breezes. Chuck Ritzen the owner showed the crew the medical facilities in attendance by Gerry (a dentist and client of ours) and Bob Konigsberg (a doctor and real estate associate in our office) and we then moved on to play with the monkeys and Zip line around Chuck’s gorgeous property. An added bonus of this visit, was that Chuck kindly offered to take Parvati to Santo Domingo in his plane and then pay for a ticket onward to her next destination around the world.

Never having been really involved with a reality tv crew before (except for 1 episode of ‘Place in the Sun’ about 10 years ago), I was very impressed with the production and how un-scripted the time was. It really was a case of me offering up suggestions and taken them somewhere on a moment’s notice. I also never really knew when the camera was on and being used or what would end up on-line (hence I sometimes look gormless on the show). The intensity of the editing (Zsolt Luka) is incredible so they can get it on line for you to watch asap e.g. a days footage edited in to 5-8 min overnight. These guys are working non-stop.  I don’t think a normal show works at these speeds. If any of you guys out there can tempt Parvati to your corner of the world over the next couple of months, you will really enjoy meeting the crew who are incredibly warm, fun & friendly to be with.

It also served me a reminder on how much there is to do in my back garden! Unfortunately we ran out of time for canyoning in the waterfalls (Damajagua) , whitewater rafting in Jarabocao,  snorkeling, diving, deep sea fishing or simply sun-bathing (I do not really need any more color, my color is gorgeous, but I do enjoy a book on the beach), but it gives them a reason to come back for more.

You can check out where she is on her journey now at www.cbs.com/world and see the videos on line

Arriving in to the Dominican Republic

Kite & Paddle Surfing & Face plants in Cabarete

Monkeying around the North Coast of the Dominican Republic

p.s.

 The dark rings & blood shot eyes in the videos are a result of introducing the crew to ‘Servicos’ on the streets of Sosua and late nights on Cabarete beach coupled with trying to keep on top of work and my personal life. For those of you who are questioning why I was not in the water….I have put on a few pounds in the last year and hell would freeze over before I would allow that to be captured for your viewing pleasure!

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Las Terrenas beachfront villa

Located in the sought after area of Las Ballenas on the north east coast of the Dominican Republic, this beautiful beach front villa is just steps away from the ocean and within walking distance to Las Terrenas, which hosts an international array of bars, restaurants and hotels, boutique shops, internet cafes, large supermarkets and supporting businesses of all kinds.

Cabarete luxurious villa

This classical estate home features over 4,800 square feet of luxurious living space with 4 bedrooms and 4 baths in the main living area plus a maids quarters with an additional bedroom and bath. It is located in a first class community with many attractive amenities, such as tennis, equestrian center and beach club. Check our main website at Remax Dominican Republic real estate for more properties for sale in Cabarete and across the Dominican Republic.

3 bedroom Cabarete Condo ((tag :Investment, Real Estate , beachfront gated community, Cabarete condo, Dominican Republic real estate))

Located in Cabarete on the north coast of the Republic, this is 

within one of the best project with outstanding on-site amenities such as private beach, Gold’s Gym, International Sanctuary day spa, beach side restaurant (a la carte), children’s aqua park, adult pool area, tennis court and on-site management program.

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Affordable 1 bedroom Condo

Located right in the center of Sosua on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, close to all amenities, restaurants, grocery store etc.
The beautiful beach of Sosua Bay just minutes away… Great as vacation condo and rental investment

"Privacy Concept" Villa a Big Success in the Dominican Republic

The north coast of the Dominican Republic (the “DR”) is of course a strong residency market for expatriates, a place to spend several weeks or months a year out of the cold. 

 As such many buyer lean towards a villa purchase rather than condo as they prefer the individual residency model they are so familiar with in North America or Europe. In the Cabarete/Sosua real estate market, we are seeing this trend accelerate around “Privacy Concept” villas.

Many buyers find that building a villa in a non-gated community doesn’t suit their need to lock the door and return to their home country for a few months after winter is over, so they tend towards high quality, gated villa developments that offer the full range of villa management and rental services. That practical phenomenon now has an added dimension of privacy that is receiving great attention and proving to be one of the most successful new approaches in this area.

Take for example this extremely well

 managed development between Cabarete and Sosua. European ownership and project management, high quality building materials including energy saving designs, complete package purchase with lot, villa, pool and landscaping all included and yet with a strong eye to individual home owner privacy.

This respect for the home owner sanctuary comes in two versions, both affordable and appealing on many levels. The “Ultima” is the top of the line 4 or 6 bedroom villa for less than 400K incorporating living areas both outdoor and indoor merged into one open life style design ideal for entertaining or for just living the tropical second home experience you’ve dreamed of owning:

www.coralbayrealestate.com/search/show.php?id=1757 HG6041AB

Now, here is the same idea played out on a smaller, more affordable scale, the “Tranquila” or as I call it, “Son of Ultima.” Same concept of bedrooms and living areas surrounding the pool with landscaping filling in the open end of the U-shaped open-ended courtyard. Same high grade building materials and project oversight.

www.coralbayrealestate.com/search/show.php?id=1971 HG6067AB

The aim of creating an enclosed, personal experience for homeowners and yet situating that within a gated community with all the appropriate services represents the best of both worlds and is a winning combination. Add to that the developer’s rental guarantee for two years, rent free villa usage while your home is being built, and free shuttle service to town and beaches a half mile away then you have an amazing package that simply can’t be beat.

Contact Arthur and Sally for both the “DR Welcome Guide” and the “Info Package” for this outstanding north coast project now in its 14th year of success. There are also many other villa designs and the developer has an in-house architect so modifications to your exact needs are easily managed. This is the complete package; come and see!  Also, ask us about the developer’s “Try it, Buy it, Free Airfare” super discounted rental packages

Luxurious Sosua Villa

This new Sosua villa offers a spacious and comfortable floor plan with living room opening to a large terrace and beautiful Infinity pool.
Light and sunny modern kitchen fully equipped. The upper floor is the masterpiece of this villa… oversized master suite opening to a very large terrace, large dressing room and master bathroom… A very luxurious atmosphere. Visit our main website at Remax Dominican Republic real estate for more property listings on the north coast of the Dominican Republic.

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Sosua building lot

Large Sosua building lot in one of the most exclusive residential communities in the mountains of Sosua on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. It is only a 5 minutes drive from town but a complete tranquil environment. Build your dream villa with an ocean view and enjoy the amenities of an upscale community and the cool breeze of the Atlantic ocean All services available.

Cabarete beachfront condo $US140,000

What a deal on a large front row condo just east of Cabarete

 with all the amenities Stone floors and wall accents and talk about an amazing stone shower! Really beautiful, well built, great beach and perhaps one of the nicest pools around this place is meant to be enjoyed.

Sosua villa close to the beach

Big nicely planted and mature yard surrounds this very private villa just seconds to the beach. Nestled in a quiet area just on the edge of town, this Spanish Colonial design is for those who like room, open space living, and the freedom to kick back and relax. Come spend your retirement here and enjoy your own tropical paradise.

Sosua Condo for sale

Very nicely decorated two level studio apartment located in Sosua. Ground floor has open feeling with inviting terrace for outdoor Caribbean living. Bedroom is situated on the second floor. The pool area is well maintained and is surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens. Only 5 minutes’ drive from the beach and center of Sosua town. Shopping, restaurants, bars and great international schools are very close by. Cabarete town is 10 minutes away and the airport 15 minutes, great location! For more information on this amazing opportunity don’t hesitate in contacting us.

Cabarete beachfront condo

Talk about drop dead fabulous, this is like “Fantasy Island” all over

 again. Huge, delicious condo with everything. From the moment you enter the beautiful lobby you think you’re in a villa, then the winding entrance to the main apartment which opens into sprawling light, comfort areas, gigantic windows to the ocean, and a feeling that you’re arrived at the place you’ve always dreamed of. This my friend is paradise. Visit our main website at Remax Dominican Republic from more properties for sale.

Sosua Ocean view villa

Set back from the highway #5 Puerto Plata-Cabarete into a slight slope with views to the ocean and the mountains of Puerto Plata, this oceanview villa provides a very tranquil living not far from either sunny beach town Sosua to the east and Puerto Plata to the west. Puerto Plata airport is just minutes away.

Diving in the Dominican Republic

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, March 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Discover the endless underwater world of the Dominican Republic (DR), a diver’s paradise with nearly 1,000 miles of breathtaking coastline that features colorful marine life and intriguing shipwrecks from when pirates sailed the Caribbean. Located roughly 800 miles south of Miami, the DR boasts numerous sea grass beds, vibrant coral reefs, mysterious underwater caves and some of the region’s most unique sea creatures. Simply put, divers should expect the unexpected.

“We are a top-notch diving destination amid turquoise waters so clear and blue one has to see to believe. The DR offers diverse marine life, excellent certified diving schools and accessible dive sites along our amazing coasts,” said Magaly Toribio, DR Ministry of Tourism Vice Minister of International Promotion. “The DR has it all with developed tourist areas boasting world-class hotels and more off-the-beaten-path options for adventurous, independent divers.”

With the Atlantic Ocean on the north and the Caribbean Sea on the south, the following underwater treasures await you in the DR:

Sheer Exhilaration in the South

The DR’s South-central Coast is home to illuminating coral, technicolor fish, an underwater national park, mysterious caverns and is well-suited for both beginner and experienced divers.

East of capital city Santo Domingo near Boca Chica, La Caleta Underwater National Park delights beginners and experienced divers alike at 600 square miles and 600 feet deep. With fascinating reef and wreck diving, La Caleta is known for attracting multicolor fish and the park will soon introduce the first underwater museum of submerged Dominican themed sculptures.

Nearby, divers can explore the 69 foot wreck of tugboat El Limon embedded with coral reefs and 144 foot wreck of Hickory, surrounded by hundreds of yellow tube sponge clusters that swim among this treasure salvage vessel.

Also hidden in the DR’s southern waters is El Catuan, a sunken ship buried 60 feet underwater, and Barracuda Reef, a natural underwater mountain thriving with barracudas. Here you will discover mysterious underwater caves like Cueva Taina, El Hipodromo and El Tildo.

More adventurous divers can explore the DR’s extreme southern coastal area near Barahona-Pedernales. This less-traveled coast features warmer waters and well-protected dives due to the reef structures and coastal curve.

Adventure along the Southeast Coast

With a wealth of marine life, the DR’s Southeast Coast has one of the Caribbean’s largest sunken ships, the 266 foot long St. George, where you may come face to face with grouper, barracudas, dolphins, morays, and mackerel, to name a few.

Southwest of La Romana, the idyllic Catalina Island offers 15 to 140 feet deep dives in reefs like La Pared (The Wall), or caves like Hoyo Azul (Blue Hole) and Padre Nuestro Cave (Our Father’s Cave). Catalina Island is also home to the aquarium, a large coral formation inhabited by toad fish, sea horses and the lion fish. Just off Catalina Island is a spectacular wall dive of a coral slope running 130 feet deep to a sandy bottom, with an abundance of fish, corals and sponges along the way.

Adrenaline Rush on the North Coast

Offering 225 miles of amazing coastline from the Samana Peninsula to Montecristi, the North Coast is filled with colorful coral, rich marine fauna, unrivaled caves, tunnels and reef abysses.

Waters surrounding Samana are known for more challenging dives, especially around Las Galeras. A quick boat ride away, divers can journey 120 feet down and swim around the coral tower Cabo Cabron and other coral landscapes like Las Tres Puertas (The Three Doors) and La Piedra (The Stone).

For exploration on land, be sure to visit the Deep Blue Marine’s Shipwreck Museum in Samana with cool exhibits of artifacts recovered from ancient shipwrecks. Exhibitions have included artifacts from Le Scipion, a French warship that fought in the American War of Independence, as well as several other major historical wrecks.

Hidden in the protected waters of Sosua Bay, northwest of Samana, are underwater gardens, wall and reef diving, and shipwrecks, all swimming with an array of marine life. Divers can travel west of Sosua to Montecristi and observe a variety of coral reefs, such as Cayo Arena, as well as the remains of nearly 230 shipwrecks, including one from the Spanish fleet that sunk in 1563.

For more information and scuba diving brochures, visit www.GoDominicanRepublic.com.

Cabarete beachfront condo

Young + Fresh + lots of Light! Come and see this nicely furnished apartment in Cabarete. It is located on the 3rd floor. It’s a corner unit so you have additional windows on the long side of this pretty home. Excellent 180 degree ocean view and an expansive balcony facing beachfront lets you wake up with the soothing sound of the surf. Visit Cabarete real estate for more property options on Cabarete beach.

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Nothing beats front row Sosua

If you want a Stunning Ocean View from a truly impressive, fully furnished beachfront condo, this is it. For the discerning taste this residence is safe, quiet, convenient, and ultra-nice. In Sosua but out of the noise, this one is convenient with class. For more property options, visit our main website at Remax Dominican Republic real estate.

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Cabarete beachfront perfection

Perfect 2 bedroom beachfront penthouse in the center of Cabarete, close to all water activities and charming shops and restaurants. The condo complex is managed like a hotel with daily maid and laundry service. Extremely well managed rental pool with positive cashflow which makes of this property not only a perfect vacation spot but equally a great investment in the Dominican Republic.

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Best deal in Cabarete!

Beat this on price! $US105,000 !!! Short Term Price Only—this baby will sell. The last one I listed was 135k AND IT SOLD quickly.
For in town Cabarete accommodation you can’t beat this price and talk about rental!!!!
This one has awesome potential. Property purchase is straight forward and involves a purchase contract, obtaining a certificate of clear title and title transfer. For information on the work flow, please visit our real estate law in the Dominican Republic page to see what’s involved.

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2 bedroom beachfront Cabarete condo $US220,000

Incredible view in this established, residential beachfront complex. A classic in Cabarete real estate, this building exacted to true earthquake standards has been thoroughly re-modeled and retains its status as one of the more desirable places to live in this area. Gated complex, semi-private beach, really a great buy at this price. For more great opportunities on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, visit our main website at Remax Dominican Republic real estate.

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