We are planning a trip to Cabrera late summer and questions arise concerning the following topics if anyone would be kind enough to assist. Thank You.

We are Americans whom have traveled around the world & are Multi lingual, including Spanish. We are beach lovers, love excellent food & wines and are young at heart, adventurous & more European in thought. We are in our late thirties & are renting a private Eco Villa in Cabrera.

QUESTIONS:

-should we be concerned of safety at villa, beach or otherwise
-flying into Santo Domingo & realize the drive, which US car rental agency do you recommend
-are the grocers in Cabrera offering good wines, meat, etc or should we shop elsewhere
-suggestions for 'special' things to do there (activities, sports, restaurants, clubs,etc?)
-any other thoughts or comments are gratefully appreciated

Thank you as I look forward to reading.

I live in Cabrera so I can help you with your questions.

- generally there is very little to worry about with respect to safety in Cabrera. This is a quiet, rural community as opposed to the other heavily touristed areas of the country. But use common sense and don't walk around with a Gold Rolex and $100 bills falling out of your pockets.

- personally I prefer the local taxi services. They dispatch from Cabrera, come to SDQ to collect you and bring you back safely. You leave the driving to them and never have to worry about insurance, fuel, driving conditions or getting lost. Then you can rent a car locally from the people in Cabrera. The taxis are mini van style and hold 6 people including luggage (lots better than most cars). But if you insist on renting at the airport, I'd use Hertz.

- there is a lovely wine store in Cabrera (Wine is Good is the name) with a very nice selection of wines. There is a great meat store just down the road from them called Don Victor's. There are a lot of smaller grocery stores and a great vegetable market as well!

- there are tons of things to do. Horseback riding, ATV rentals, deep sea fishing, scuba/snorkel, beach combing, eco-tours and the list goes on and on. I don't know where you staying but most anyone can point these places to you.

- make sure you get out and explore the area. This is one of the most beautiful areas of the Dominican Republic. There a several local beaches and each one is unique with features not seen on other beaches. Eat lunch at Playa Grande or Playa Caleton on the beach...it's awesome. Try the disco on Friday night (downtown) to 'feel' the beat of the city, it's a lot of fun! Most of all, enjoy yourselves!!

Make sure you go to Playa Diamante!!! You will not be disappointed!

If you haven't had your holiday as yet have a look at http://gocabrera.com for some information about the town and what you can do whilst on holiday.