Playa Cofresi holiday villa

Alan has done a very good job creating a perfect private villa vacation experience. He is easy to deal with, and take that from someone who isn't always easy to deal with myself. The house is new and beautiful with thoughtful touches to make it appropriate for people of all ages (ramps, gates, crib etc.).

We were 8 adults and 5 kids, and there was plenty of room for all of us to sleep, run around, and unwind.

I was not returning to the Dominican Republic for my love of the cuisine. After a week eating Lina and Francesca's cooking, I may have to amend my low opinion of the cuisine. We ate well, and they were lovely people who truly seemed to care about our experience. No hotel could provide warmer service and tastier food. We are going to miss them.

The villa is laid out on a private road which is a 5-10 minute walk to the beach. It's only an okay swimming beach, but our party stayed there for hours anyway. There is no traffic, but there are other villas right next door to you. Don't expect total seclusion.

We took advantage of the catamaran snorkeling trip and the waterfall safari. They were enjoyed by all, but we probably could have found better prices if we had bargained with other operators. We traded saving a few dollars with Gus coming right to the house and conveniently setting up the trips as well as the massages and beauty treatments.

It was a peaceful, beautiful setting for a large family vacation.

First I have to say Casa Cielo is true paradise! The pictures and descriptions of the villa did casa cielo no justice! The place was absolutely gorgeous and well kept. We loved the layout. This was our first time renting a villa and this is definitely the way to go especially if you are traveling with a large group. We never felt crowded and everyone had their own space. We were a party of 6 adults and a one year old. We stayed from October 3 - 10. We loved how each of the bedrooms had their own balcony over looking the pool and ocean in the background! The view was magnificent especially from the upper balcony while getting an hour message for $30 USD!! You definitely cannot beat that. It was well worth it. Lina and Francesca were awesome! We wanted to pack them up with us! My daughter fell in love with the both of them. Elios, was a great help as well and very friendly. The food was delicious, we are still talking about the homemade chicken salad and chicken soup. We already decided that we are definitely coming back with a bigger crowd around the same time next year! I highly recommend Casa Cielo to anyone considering renting a villa in Playa cofresi. We didn't get a chance to go to any local restaurants. However, we did go to Ocean world and swam with the dolphins and took a catamaran trip. The fellas did the ATV's. I wish to thank Alan for allowing us to have the best vacation yet. We'll be in touch real soon to lock in our dates for next October.

WOW! What a blissful vacation in paradise. Our family did not want to come home. The photos do not do it justice..much better then described. The Villa is very large. With 9 people there was more then enough space for privacy. The views are the best from every room. The pool was perfect with the waterfall. Swimming while watching the ocean with the trade winds constantly blowing was breathtaking. Our family could have spent everyday at the pool. Every need and concern was taken care of by the wonderful staff. Lina, Francesca and Elio were very attentive and truly a pleasure. Every meal was prepared for us and delicious. We were cleaned after constantly and our laundry was done on a daily bases. Believe me when I say we were truly pampered. Anything you would need, they would take care of it.

The beach and everything local was in easy walking distance from the Villa...and that included a 2 year old with a stroller. No need for a taxi unless you want to leave the Playa Cofresi area.

We arranged to have massages on the second story balcony. Imagine the view, the breeze, your favorite cocktail while having an hour long massage and it only cost 30.00 for the hour. The owner helped arrange for a local Dominican Band to come and play the evening of my birthday. It was so much fun.

The communication with the owner was excellent and any question was promptly and pleasantly responded to.

We made friends with locals and had great fun in the evenings. One of our favorite hangouts was at Ahoras. Loved drinking freshly made (real squeezed lime juice) margarita while just feet away from the waves of the ocean. Desperado's had very good drinks and Mexican food. Have kids? Do not miss Ocean World. The Casino was fun.
If you are concerned about safety, don't be. There are security guards everywhere. At nights there was a guard sitting right out on the road directly in front of the Villa. We took the catamaran trip and it was a blast. The white water rafting was also a hit.

If you plan to do any shopping exchange some of your cash for pesos. The exchange at the bank was 35 pesos to a dollar. If you want to pay in dollars, most places exchanged for 33 pesos per dollar.

Bring bug repellant spray. Early morning and evenings there are some mosquitos and some nosiums along the beach areas.
We have traveled to several areas of the Caribbean and this was one of our favorite vacations.

Thank you to the owner for sharing his home with our family.