Dominican Republic - La Romana/Bayahibe area

[Lucia]

My husband and I are divers trying to help plan a trip with several non-divers. For a group like ours, it's probably easiest to go to an all-inclusive and our group is leaning toward DR (we've never been but some others in the group have).

From reading some other threads it looks like Bayahibe area is one of the best for diving in DR and that Scuba Fun is a good operator.

Our group was hoping to keep costs relatively low for the resort. Any suggestions on resorts in the area from which diving would not be too much of a hassle? Hoping that Scuba Fun can pick us up - or maybe another shop if they don't??? We were also hoping to stay somewhere with decent on-site snorkeling - others in the group would like that also.

Any recommendations would be appreciated!

 

[CathyE]

My husband and I have made a few trips to the Dominicus beach area near Bayahibe. I don't think the snokling is great off the beach, but I am a diver and spoiled.
The diving is easy from all resorts in the area. Everyone seems to pick up from everywhere. This us not going to be a problem.
My best suggestion is to choose a dive operation that will dedicate the whole boat to your group so that all your divers and snorklers go to a spot that works for both.
We dove with GoDive Bayahibe and this is a service that they offer.
We stayed at Weare Cadaques and Dreams Dominicus.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

The Bayahibe area has the best diving in the DR. We stayed at Dreams La Romana in April 2016 and are returning next May. It is about a 10 minute walk from the village of Bayahibe. This is where all the local dive shops and snorkel tours are out of. I highly recommend John from ScubaFun | Dive Center Bayahibe I dove with them last time and will be diving with them again this time. Scuba fun will pick you up and take you back to your resort and they are very quick to respond to emails. The snorkeling in front of DLR is supposed to quite good. I was diving , so I didn't get a chance to try it.

 

[jaque88]

I recommend staying with and diving with the all-inclusive resort Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach/Palace (same resort, essentially, with two conjoined campuses). Nice beaches and pools; good food options, open bars. (The clientele is majority European, mostly Italian.) The on-site scuba operation is well-run, with competent and accommodating instructors and divemasters. Their excursions go out twice daily: two-tank morning; one-tank afternoon. I think they do night dives occasionally, for lessons and/or request by a group. I have stayed at this resort and have dived with them several times, and I always have been satisfied.
Unfortunately, it has been approx, 5 years since my last visit, so I'm guessing and hoping there have been no drastic negative changes. Would love to return, when I can scrape together the $$ and time, coming from the West Coast. But I strongly recommend this place: good for divers and non-divers.