Hey guys – I hope you’re having a fabulous weekend 
I promised that I would share the fabulous, eco-friendly home that I rented for my stay in Dominican Republic, so here it is! You know that I have a huge passion for traveling on a budget (check out my last post for 16 tips & tricks on how I travel for less). Because of my love for deals (and authentic experiences), I never, ever stay in hotels. I’ve used AirBnB in every country I’ve stayed in so far and it’s the best decision I’ve made. If you’d like to use them too, you can get $20 off your stay with this link – that goes for this DR house, too! Let me know if you’d like to see a list of all my past AirBnBs and which countries I liked best.
First off, this house was HUGE! The mini-house on the left is a guest house with a gorgeous pool. The guest house has a huge bedroom right where that top balcony is, so that you can do some morning yoga to the sunrise. Downstairs is a living area, and in the back you have the most amazing open shower complete with a floor made out of stones and a tree. Yes, there is literally a tree inside of the shower (see photo below). On the right is the main house, which has 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms. The master bedroom was to die for; the bed faces that huge window you see at the top. Every morning you awaken to the sun peaking through the palm trees.
^ This is the tree/outdoor shower I just mentioned! And below is a picture of what it looks like when you wake up to the beautiful master bedroom window:
While I was waking up to that window in the main house, here’s what my friend Doug was seeing from the guest house balcony:
So besides these views, why is this house so amazing? Well, the layout is built completely open so there is no need to waste energy with an AC. When I say open layout I mean it – there is an entire section of the roof that’s exposed in order to let air in, and also to allow rain to water the plants.
The best part is, that hole is on the same floor as the master bed. When it rains at night, you hear it coming down next to you and it’s SO calming.
Everything else in the house is wind/solar powered and the lights are yellow instead of fluorescent/blue so that your brain’s melatonin production is not interrupted!
Even the pool lights and pool filter are solar powered. How amazing is that?
This is probably my favorite part. The master bedroom and bathroom kind of collide as one, and the bath is right in front of that sunrise window I was telling you about. That means that every single time you take a bath (in their fluoride/chlorine free water), you get to watch the palm trees sway in the backyard. Oh yeah… did I mention the backyard?
This is where the back porch/backyard begins when you’re looking out from the living room sliding door….
And THIS is your backyard view! You have a huge area of grass to lay out and read on, and endless palm trees to look at as you take in the nature and relaxation around you. My morning ritual was eating a big plate of fruit as I watched the trees sway in the wind.
This was our cow friend that came to visit us every morning at the fence of our backyard. He ate breakfast with his little bird friend and we made sure to say hi whenever he came up.
This was the sunset. Not a single chemtrail in the sky, for those who know the deal. The air was so clean and my stress levels/inflammation dropped dramatically. I would recommend this place to absolutely everyone I know that is in need of relaxation.
The Area:
I made it a point to stay somewhere that was not touristy in the least bit. I wanted an authentic experience and a true getaway – not a stay in a resort where everything would be handed to me. The town was called Cabrera and it is on the north coast of DR. There are at least 3 beaches within a 10 minute drive, a lagoon with freshwater swimming and thrilling jumps, a gorgeous cafe that I would visit every day of my life if I could, and tons of small fruit shops/supermarkets. If you come here, you must rent a car to get around. We rented a car right from the airport and drove up to the house using the GPS on our phone. It was an absolute breeze.
The cafe in town that I’m obsessed with is called Flor Cafe. Best cappuccino and Dominican breakfast of my life! Everything is 100% homemade and grown without pesticides, like all other produce in the town. You don’t even have to ask – you can tell that the fruit has been touched by pests (as it would be growing wild in nature!) There’s none of that waxy, too-perfect, fake fruit around here.
A 10 minute drive down the road, you’ll find Laguna El Dudu. It’s the most amazing, clear, blue lagoon where you can jump from a zip line if you dare! We spent hours here exploring the land, caves, and just watching people take the plunge. It was so fun!
This is SO much higher than it looks. I was scared out of my mind.
The water was so clear and beautiful.
Also 10 minutes down the road you’ll find a secluded, wild beach called La Entrada. This was our sanctuary, and we came here for sunrise as well. There is nothing more beautiful and peaceful than this palm-tree lined coast. There’s also a shack where you can eat lunch and grab a coconut water.
This is a picture of the boys saying hi to the beach dogs at sunrise. You can pull your car right up to the sand, as many locals did to listen to music
And lastly, this was probably our favorite beach, Playa Grande. It was definitely touristy, but the water was so clear and the waves were a ton of fun. Get the limon + chinola juice mixed together. You will be addicted!
Where We Stayed + Coupon
And finally… what you’ve all been waiting for. Here is the link to the AirBnB listing so that you can stay in the solar/wind powered “Casa Luna” too! We flew into Santo Domingo airport and drove our rental car 2.5 hours up to the house, but realized we should have flown into Puerto Plata instead. That would have made it a 1.5 hour drive.
The house is $125/night if you stay for a week, which we did. We were a group of 4, which means it only cost $31.25 per person, per night. The fruit/food in town is incredibly inexpensive, so eating on a budget will be a breeze too. Your only major costs will be gas, the rental car, and the flight. I always use Student Universe or Kayak, so I got my flight for less than $450 round trip.
The best part is: with this coupon, you can get $20 off your AirBnB stay anywhere in the world – including this fabulous house!
Let me know if you stay here, and if you’d like to see a list of my all-time favorite eco friendly, nature-centered AirBnBs. xx