Review of the Dominican Tree House Village: A Travel Diary of the Dominican Republic

When my cousin announced his wedding would be held in the Dominican Republic, I was immediately on board. I'd been to the Dominican Republic once before, to Punta Cana in 2012 -- but I knew that this trip would be a brand-new and unique experience, as we'd be staying at a treehouse village in Samana. 

Looking down the path from my room!

Staying in a treehouse village in the Dominican Republic in June was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Our group visited some beautiful beaches, rode bikes and drove ATVs, and learned about the culture from locals. It certainly felt more authentic than what I had experienced in Punta Cana.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase after clicking on a link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

tips and general info:

• We had a blast at the Dominican Tree House Village, though it's important to understand what you’re signing up for. It is truly a lovely little village of treehouse huts in the middle of the jungle, with no cell service or WiFi. We learned from the staff that sometimes people come expecting a different experience, but luckily I'd pored over the website in advance and knew exactly what to expect.
• The website has a ton of helpful information on what to expect, what to bring, and frequently asked questions on amenities and travel information.
• What I found most helpful knowing: The resort is about 2.5 hours from the Santo Domingo airport (SDQ). Every room has a fan above the bed, which made a huge difference -- I slept under the sheet and blanket, in June! There's also mosquito netting around the bed, though there weren't too many mosquitoes. Nearly every hut has its own private bathroom attached, and the showers are cold water (except in the VIP Suites). However, there are communal (private) showers around the property that have warm water, so since I personally love my showers as hot as possible, I chose to use the communal bathrooms every time.
• Since we went in June, it was definitely toasty! Other months may be more comfortable in the Caribbean with no air-conditioning.
• If you want to head to the nearby beach, it's about a 25-35 minute walk. However, the resort includes bikes in your stay, so I'd recommend grabbing a bike from the resort if it seems too hot for the walk.
• Meals are planned in advance, made at the resort, and served at specific times, so if you want anything else, you need to run to a nearby store or ask the resort staff if they can pick up your requested items and charge you for it.
• Bring comfortable shoes! Even walking from the entrance of the resort to the huts is a 5-minute walk; some of the huts are as many as 40 feet off the ground; and there are plenty of stairs and uneven paths. (So be sure to request a room closer to the main building in advance if that's your preference!)
• There is no cell service that the resort, but a small local restaurant at the entrance to the resort offers WiFi for the duration of your stay for a total of $10.
• The resort is all-inclusive, which includes meals and rum drinks, though beer, wine, and other drinks are available for an additional cost.

what i packed:

• Maxi dresses and short dresses (but since it was summer in the Caribbean, I would have done better to pack only short dresses!)
• Jean shorts and tank tops
• Swim suits
• Swim suit cover-ups
• Workout clothes (while there wasn't an exercise facility, the resort does offer yoga, as well as excursions like ziplining and ATV-riding)
• Flip-flops, including for showering
• Closed-toe shoes for biking, zip-lining, and other activities
• Bug spray
• Beach towel
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Clothes pins if you want to hang your clothes up on the mosquito netting cords -- the huts have a trunk (with a lock) for your valuables, but they don't have closets or armoires; I also positioned my suitcase under the bed as if it were a drawer that I would roll out and open.
• Tumbler -- I personally am uncomfortable bringing glass around the pool, beach, or any other place where people are barefoot!

itinerary:

• We left D.C. for the Dominican Republic on Wednesday and returned home on Monday.
• We arranged our transportation to and from the airport through the resort.
• The resort served breakfast from 7-10am, lunch around noon, and appetizers at 5:30, soup at 6:30, and dinner at 7pm. My favorites were the guacamole, tomato soup, and beef stir fry!
• Of our 5 days there, we spent one day at the beach; one day on a catamaran that my cousin rented using the resort ($90 each); and one day riding ATVs around the area ($90 each). We also made use of the resort's board games, cards, and Jenga! And we even got a salsa lesson one night!
• The catamaran included snorkeling gear, so we made two separate stops (one out in the water, one near a beach) for folks to snorkel and sunbathe, then headed to another beach to have lunch, go in the water, and visit a local market.
• The ATV tour included stops to see volcanic rock and an arch, to learn about Dominican Republican food and drink, and to visit a beautiful beach.

photo diary:

View from the main building of some of the huts!

Rope bridge and stairs to some of the huts

The room! You can see the trunk at the end of the bed, the mosquito netting, and the two chair hammocks. We kept our drapes closed at night and opened them during the day.

Some of the seating options in the main building, where the bar and kitchen were.

Our first full day!

Bandana: Amazon (affiliate link) | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban (affiliate link) | Swim suit cover-up: Amazon (affiliate link) | Flip flops: Rainbow (affiliate link)

The beach near by the treehouse village. The water felt so good!

Hat: Nordstrom (affiliate link) | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban (affiliate link) | Swim suit: Amazon (affiliate link)

Wedding day! We're standing in the main building of the resort, and you can see the bar behind us to the left and the kitchen behind us to the right; directly over my shoulder is where the food was served every day.

Sunglasses: Illesteva in tortoise/pink (affiliate link) | Dress: Pink Lily

Wedding on the beach! I ended up asking my mom to braid my hair back to keep me cool :)

With family on the catamaran on Saturday!

Hat: Nordstrom (affiliate link) | Sunglasses: Illesteva in tortoise/pink (affiliate link) | Swim suit cover-up: Victoria's Secret

Walking through the local market

The beach we went to during the catamaran experience

ATV riding on Sunday!

Part of our ATV experience on Sunday

Bandana: Red Dress (affiliate link) | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban (affiliate link) | Tank top: Brick House in the City | Shorts: Champion | Shoes: Brooks (affiliate link)

Bandana: Red Dress (affiliate link) | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban (affiliate link) | Swim suit cover-up: Amazon (affiliate link) | Shoes: Brooks (affiliate link)

The beautiful beach we went to during our ATV experience

Filling up the ATVs before heading back to the resort!

Earrings: Bauble Bar | Dress: Vici Collection

This was one of the communal (but private) bathrooms directly underneath the main building -- the shower is to the right of the mirror.

Dress: Vici Collection (affiliate link) | Shoes: Tory Burch (affiliate link)

Back home! I wore this on the last day and for the flight back.

Dress: Flying Tomato

what to do:

• The Dominican Tree House Village offers several activities and excursions for an additional expense, including ziplining, snorkeling, horseback-riding, and ATV-riding.
• Swim at the resort pool or visit the beach.
• Visit the spa -- I got 2 massages, and both of them were among the best massages I've ever gotten! The best part was that the proceeds went entirely to the masseuses. 
• Sit in one of the hammock chairs and read.
• Play board games -- the resort keeps some on hand for guests to use.
• Relax in nature!

links I used or recommend:

• International Language Programs: "The Tree House Village Is Our Favorite Place To Stay In The DR"
• Insider: "What life is like for a family quarantining in an empty treehouse village that usually accommodates 52 people"
• Tour de Lust: "Dominican Republic: 6 Day Bachelorette Itinerary"

The staff told us that the resort is very popular for yoga retreats, which I could definitely see! Plus the area was gorgeous -- I loved sitting in the hammocks and just looking out at all the green, everywhere you could see, and riding ATVs provided a great way to see all the natural beauty of the area, from the beaches to the mountains!

love from