the website is totally misleading the owner offers no assistance in gaining employment as stated on the website the atmosphere is not good the rooms are dirty and fleas live in the beds there is no possible way to travel out of munoz at night as transport ceases the actual village of munoz is very nice and the haitians and dominicaqans are very friendly to foriegners while at the camp three people left early due to their bad experience

Tropical House is a horrible place to stay. The Canadian owner is a very sketchy woman and her website is VERY misleading. The places had concrete, dirt floors and were full of bugs. The worst part was that the places are in the middle of a Hatian barrio where taxis will not travel after 8 PM. Kinda puts a damper on the nightlife. My friend and I went down to the DR after graduating from college for a few months to practice our Spanish. We ended up finding a MUCH nicer place in Sosua. It was a little more expensive but was in a gated community and had a pool!! If you are going to Puerto Plata, I would reccommend staying in a hotel for a couple days and then finding a place in Sosua or Cabarete. They are much safer areas. Stay away from Munoz and the Tropical House.

Tropical House, is now called Sunset Dream, and the stay there is the worst ever. I travel alot, lived both good and bad.. This place is located in the bush at the end of a mudroad, passing a dangerous Haitian village. The apartments were dirty, no walls just steelbars. (The child of the owner, 12-13 years ) could pass between the steelbars!!). There were many spiders and lizards, and even rats in the apartment. I did not pay much, 200 US for 1 month. The owner, Ms Pellerin, promised me work in Playa Dorada in tourism sales, said that she coperated with the businesses there and that the earning was up to hundreds or thousands of US a month on commission. She have no contacts there, she has no work positions and the employers of the businesses in Playa Dorada does not even want to hear her name. It is easy to get a work in a bar or in tourism by yourself, but the earning is more 50-100 US a month, or nothing if you work in lowseason and sell nothing...
At Tropical House, aka Sunset dream, aka Suncamp, aka Dominican horseranch.. there is nothing to buy to eat or drink, there is no public tranportation, the place is not safe. I do not recommend this place to anyone, and if you plan on going anyway, at least visit the place and do not pay in advance as Ms Pellerin asks you. You will not get your money back if you change your mind. There is alots of drinking at this place, including the owners that are drunk everyday. There are also Haitians living on the property, both lovers to the owner, and workers and people in general.
Watch out and be aware!

I have stayed at Tropical House for 3 month, I came January-03. It is a great place, located 2 km across Playa Dorada.The surroundings are just beautiful with tropical garden and the river floating by.The apartment I stayed in was a 1 bedroom apartment. It was furnitured, had a kitchen and a private bath. It was very nice and clean.I made many friends, we spent time exploring Puerto Plata.Carina & Diane at Tropical House helped me to find work in tourism, I worked in sales. In this way I could stay a month longer than I had planned.They were the greatest, and so helpful.The village, where Tropical House is, was a wonderful experience and genuine Dominican.I loved the small shops, to chat with the locals...Sometimes, when I wanted a part of the world I am used to, I went down to Playa Dorada, had a few beers with the other people staying at Tropical House. I will travel to the DR again, and I have already made a new reservation for "my" apartment for this summer.