We stumbled onto Casa Lotus and staying there turned our trip around - what a wonderful, magical place!

It was a holiday weekend in the DR and there was serious partying in the unit next to ours where we first stayed in Las Galeras, going at it hard and loud until 2:30 am. Two more nights of no sleep was not for us, so we moved on. Fortunately, we found Casa Lotus and we just loved it there.

A charming, comfortable room, porch with rocking chairs, yummy breakfast, beautiful garden with hammock and lounge chairs next to the ocean, a short walk to town along the water or along the road, a lovely little beach next door for swimming and all at a reasonable price. Our room was $75 for two and our neighbor paid $50 for just herself. There is also a cabana behind the house that has a budget room and an apartment, as well as a kitchen that can be used for $1.50/day. Worth it to keep the Presidentes cold. We had a potluck dinner the last night and the kitchen worked out quite well.

There are a couple of things to consider: the mattresses are foam and the sheets are not particularly high thread count, although we slept just fine. The water pressure is variable and the temperature rarely gets above warm. These were non-issues for us and I only mention them in the spirit of full disclosure.

Teresa, the owner, designed and built the house more than 20 years ago when she arrived in Las Galeras and it is a true labor of love. She was a great help finding a boat captain and taxi and recommending beaches and hikes.

Everyone we brought to Casa Lotus wished they were staying there. Trust me, you will love it!

Things not to miss - walk to La Playita, boat to Playa Fronton and whale watching, horseback ride to Playa Madama with Karin of the Hacienda, dinner at El Cabito and - just enjoy paradise...