Unique and perfect place to stay in Cabarete if you are not a fan off turistmaskins and looking for something normal and cosy.

It`s a spesial unformal place with charm and soul. You get help to join diffrent activities. It`s easy to get know people both guests and stuff.

I went there with my 6 years old daughter and she enjoyed it a lot too, even she was the only child there.

If you want to be sosial, get new friends - go there :)
But it`s no problem either to find a peasfull place if you are in a mood for it.

I live in NYC and was looking for a closer winter surf destination than the Pacific. I found the CSC online and after reading the reviews, especially about it not being only 20 somethings, took a chance. It turned out to be one of the best travel experiences ever.

LOCATION:

Cabarete is about 20 minutes from the airport in Puerto Plata (POP) and the camp will arrange transfers from the airport for you for around $35. When you arrive don’t be freaked out, the camp is located off the main drag of Cabarete, which is a good thing as it can get quite loud at night, and you pass through a manually operated gate to get there (a guy sits in a lawn chair and raises and lowers a big beam). While the town is walkable, with its great swimming beach and bars, you are driven each morning to the surfing beach outside of town: Encuentro.

ROOMS:

The rooms are simple, but clean, and the grounds are full of tropical foliage. They have some rooms with shared facilities and even two bedroom apartments. Some have kitchenettes so you can store basics – like cold beer. Some also have AC, but unless you go in the middle of the summer, you can probably get away without it and just use ceiling fans.

FOOD:

The camp offers a meal plan, which I think is worth it. Everyone on the plan gets the same meal and the food is actually quite good. Even if you take the plan, if you’re not in the mood for what’s being served, ordering a la carte is very inexpensive, like $7 for an entrée.

BOARD RENTAL:

It was important for me that there was a decent board on hand to rent, since I hate paying those ridiculously high board fees that the airlines charge, especially for a short trip. At the beach, the camp owns a shed with many boards to choose from and the charge for the board rental is very reasonable, something like $25 per day. It’s fun because they have such a variety that you can try out different boards.

THE SURF:

The surf is a little inconsistent, but on my two visits I’ve had fun waves. The break is generally not that crowed and of course the water could not be better: blue, warm. Also, the local vibe is pretty mellow, unlike the agro scenes at some beaches. I’m an intermediate surfer, but everyone can have a good time at this break, with beginners staying on the inside.

The challenge at Encuentro is wind. Cabarete is a world-class kite surfing destination. Usually by noon, the wind kicks up and kills the waves at Encuentro, and Cabarete turns on for kite surfers. They are a blast to watch. So surfing Encuentro means getting up early (there is a run at 6 am usually) and surfing the morning. You get to enjoy the most beautiful sunrises over the Caribbean. If you stay late and surf after the camp bus leaves, the guys that run the shack will order you a motorcycle taxi - super cheap.

PEOPLE:

Perhaps the best surprise at Cabarate Surf Camp is its communal nature and the diverse people you meet there. In addition to Americans, there are many Europeans there and I’ve made friends with people from Finland, Germany and France. I travel alone and since everyone eats together and surfs together, you end up making friends fast and bonding. I’m still in touch with people from my first trip there in October 2010.

WATERFALL EXCURSION

One day when there were no waves, a bunch of us went on a waterfall tour. It cost around $30 per person. None of us really understood that we would be jumping off of the waterfalls and it turned out to be one of the best days. A very Outward Bound type of experience, where people who were skittish were supported and encouraged to make the jumps by the group. It was a rush to jump 20 feet or so into a pool of water in the middle of the jungle (there are many waterfalls/jumps – it’s an all-day thing). It feels a little sketchy, but the guides seem to know what they’re doing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But if you or someone you’re with is truly afraid of heights don’t go.

IN SUM:

It’s a convenient place for surfers on the East Coast to escape to for a long weekend or more. It works for all levels. Do not come here if you expect to be pampered, but do come if you are looking for shared good times and decent waves at a great value.

Being a solo traveler myself, this camp was exactly how I hoped for it to be. You immediately get in contact with the other people (be it guests or employees) from the camp. It's a friendly atmosphere where you pretty much get to know everybody by name. On top of that the camp itself is a very nice place to stay. It's visually appealing and perhaps more important than that it is clean. Furthermore the camps very own restaurant has a very good kitchen. I've been there for three weeks and was always very satisfied with the food. What speaks for the kitchen is that also the locals go there to eat for dinner. And last but not least the surf classes are also good too. Ok, I've just did regular surfing so I can't say anything about kite and wind surfing but from what the other guests told me, those are supposedly good too. All in all it's definitely the place to go if you're in Cabarete and aren't fond of Hotel tourism.

Never having been to the Dominican Republic before, I set out on my usual quest to Google all accommodations major areas in addition to asking around for any personal recommendations. I knew of the more populated and tourist areas, but I was looking for a much more authentic Dominican experience. A friend of a friend had recently returned from Ali’s Surf Camp and I felt it really fit in with what I was expecting and looking for in my trip and accommodations. I had the BEST time, and although I read reviews before I went, I came back raring to write my own. After the experience, I then got sucked into re-reading all the former reviews.

Some of these negative reviews are CLEARLY the fault of the traveller, who just simply did not do enough research in finding accommodations that were representative of the kind of trip CULTURE they wanted. Ali’s is not a mint-on-the-pillow resort, where staffers have lips glued to their client’s buttocks and wait to hear their butler bell being rung. I called them quite a few times before even booking to ask questions, and Elena was always extremely courteous and helpful and the process was simple. I was promptly received at the airport by a very friendly driver who took me a short 20 minute ride into Cabarete -can’t beat that! I was set to rent a bungalow but since some were being renovated, I was upgraded to a better room. I then chose to upgrade further (only $10 more/day!) to a studio apartment, equipped with AC (although never used it because the ceiling fan was totally adequate), a kitchenette and a fridge. Décor was simple but colourful and had pieces of local Dominican art. Most rooms have lock safes for important belongings which is nice.

Granted, Ali’s is just off the main drag of Cabarete and the beach; however I never once felt this was a downside. In fact, I felt the opposite because being set back from the main road meant that it was very peaceful and quiet. I went to surf, therefore coming back after a morning session and lounging by a nice quiet pool was the perfect way to spend a couple of hours re-energizing. It was also down a gated road with security at the entrance, which was re-assuring in its own way. Immediately upon exiting that road to the main street you have Janet’s Supermarket at your fingertips for anything you need. The grounds were lush and overgrown with beautiful tropical plants flowers. If you sign up for surf lessons, you’ll get breakfast and dinner included in the accommodations. Breakfast was usually a choice of eggs/fruit/toast/pancakes and was great surfing fuel, although sometimes we didn’t get our food until close to leaving for Encuentro. Despite this, I never went hungry and usually they would wait a few minutes for us if needed. Dinners were AMAZING –the famous churrasco and tilapia were to-die-for! They’re also a super fun way to instantly bond with all the solo travellers staying in the camp. When I first arrived and saw no guests, I became a little nervous that no one was really staying there that week. Then I met a few people, was instantly welcomed into the group. Just show up at the restaurant around 7:30, order your Presidente or Capirihna and commence good times! After dinner and a couple more drinks, everyone heads into town to hit up the beaches and party into the early morning. Although you tend to frequent the same places a lot, it never felt OLD in the time that I was there. Is always a good idea to buddy up with someone for the walk home at night, but generally I felt very safe there all the time.

Surfing at Encuentro was amazing! They have great instructors, most of which we ended up hanging out with at night as well. They do both AM and PM sessions, but I was usually so wiped after the mornings that I never returned in the afternoon to surf more – but I now wish I had so take advantage as much as you can!

All in all, if you’re looking to be fed grapes and fanned with a palm leaf – go elsewhere. If you want to be surrounded by good food, good vibes and a respectful and courteous staff then this is THE place for you, lone travellers and people who are social / outgoing! The owner, Ali, actually drove me back to the airport for my departing flight which really rounded out the “family” vibe I got from everyone. I am ITCHING to get back to surf, pet the camp dogs, listen to the chirps of the birds, eat the delicious food and meet more amazing (and eclectic) people from around the world. Thank you, Ali for the time of my life!