My husband and I travelled to MI Feb 21/07 to Mar 7/07.

We just returned from a fabulous vacation (celebrating our 20th anniversary) on Margarita Island. The Dunes Hotel is a very strong 4*.

Room- We had e-mailed prior to our departure to ask for a room with a balcony & within close proximity to all amenities. The hotel transfer from the airport is nice & orderly. Check-in was quite informative & we were given our bracelets, safe lock and key in a timely fashion. Our room was a wonderful treat, we were given a suite! 2 bed/ 2 bath/ kitchenette w/ 2 balconies. Our room #3312 was clean, well stocked & a complimentary bottle of rum awaited us. We tipped our maid ($1US) everyday & had fresh towels, clean room & plenty of bottled water everyday. The water is highly chlorinated (piped in from the mainland) and 2 lt bottles of water are supplied everyday. As much as you want. All ice cubes & cooking water is bottled. Not 1 person during our stay had stomach problems, except for self induced.If you need face cloths then bring your own from home. They suply you with hairdryers, coffee makers & a small fridge in each room. If you want milk, you'll have to get some from the buffet to keep in your room for your morning java.

Meals- The food was plentiful, wide variety and delecious. There are 3 restaurants to choose from: the buffet 7am-1130am, 1230pm-230pm, 630 pm-1030pm beach restaurant 12pm- 430pm a la carte 630/730/830 sittings. Beef, pork, chicken & fish are offered at all meals .A large variety of salads, veggies, breads, fruits & great desserts to choose from. All the wait staff & chefs are helpful and very eager to please. Very nice white & red wines from Chile and awesome cappacino con armarretto to end your meal. From the waffles in the mornings to the hips of beef, you will have no problem filling your plates, each & everyday .

Beach- Yes it is rough, clean and uncrowded. The beach is somewhat divided by the beach bar. To the left is the beach restaurant, quieter sunbathing w/shade & along the beach is very private. To the right is the vendors area (it's as close to the pool they can come) , sunbathing, shade, etc. The waves are a blast for body surfing. If you don't get taken down a few times it just isn't worth it. We are both in our early 50's but we felt like kids in the surf. Everyone, young & old were all laughing & enjoying themselves! Out about 30' you can swim, float or whatever. Beautiful stretch of beach to walk. The beach bar gets a little busy, could use another bartender, make awesome pina coladas. You also can stay right in your chair, as they supply wait service on the beach! For a good Margarita, you must ask for Tequila Margarita. Vendors are quite respectful. They do approach you, but a simple smile & no gracis is enough, no need to be rude or abusive, they are only trying to make a living. They have some very nice pearls, massages & hair braiding. People were disappointed in the tatoos, if you don't swim or shower they will stay on, after all they are TEMPORARY. We used 45 SPF for the first few days then nothing but moisturizing gel at night. You can start your tan at 9am 'til 5pm, but it's gets mighty hot 1130-1.

Pools- Very clean, plenty of chairs, pads available to rent, alot of activities, 2 great pool bars. At the large pool you can usually hear 2 iguanas yakking at each other. It's hilarious, great weather, nice breeze- what do they have to complain about! The waiter/waitress are pretty quick. Don't forget your coolie mug, ice stays at bit longer.

Kids Activities- There is a seperate play area w/ a little pool for the kids to splash in, park area, jungle gym setup, etc. Most the time you forget there are kids at the playground. The resort is very well laid out so there is plenty of room for everyone doing their own thing.

Tipping & Gifts- Like everyonelse, the staff really appreciate a $1 tip. Whether it's the maid, wait staff, bartenders, shuttle drivers, bell hops, etc. The staff is mostly placed by 6 month contracts, tourism is the majority of work available on the Island. They work extremely hard and management makes sure their jobs are done well, as there are 10 people willing to replace the person let go. If you need smaller US $ or Bs, you can exchange dollar for daollar with the bell hops or any rep at the upstairs operators lounge. We usually gave the bellhop a $1 tip for changing our $50 bills. The staff have no problem changing the $1 (probably w/ the bell hops), so please show some appreciation. The average wage is around $75US for a 6 day week (was given the opportunity to see a staff's pay stub) If you would like to give a gift or large amount of money, you must write the employees name, list everything included in package or envelope (12 pencils, 2 books, $10 US) print your name, room # & sign it. This protects the hotel, staff member & yourself. Not too many will take the time to do this, but a few minutes time will bring the largest smile & usually a tear or two, well worth it.

Hotel Hints- There is a small mini mart in the lobby, but very expensive. For juice, milk, chips, cigarettes, pop, beer & your rum to bring home, walk out the main gate to the left. Down the street (3 minute walk) is a corner store. Madalaina (owner/operator) is as helpful as possible. She does not speak any English, just understands whether you want to pay in bolivars & dollars. Very reasonable, our rum to bring home was 9900 for a litre. To change money without leaving the resort & without paying the service fee & to get a good rate, there is a beach vendor (rt of beach bar, tent w/ t-shirts, hats, etc.) was giving 3000 last week. By the way, they have a nice variety of beachwear & clothing at a great price. Building 18 is the nicest guy (Klaus) with the best priced, quality pottery, gifts, trinkets & art work around. He speaks 5 languages, has been a resident of MI the last 2 years & his wife runs the boutique in the lobby. Stop by & just have a look around, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Head to the front gate complex around 630pm, walk around the back of the buildings & make sure you have fruit or bread to feed the capybaras. These large docile rodents look like a beaver head w/pig body & ostrich feet. They love bananas the most & will eat peel & all. The largest will even sit for you, to take pics, while you scratch behind their ears. The smaller ones & babies will scurry, so you'll have to toss them some food. Feed them like a horse, flat hand & walk around the lagoon thru the day to hear them (sounds like hippos) splashing about. Behind the main rooms is a nice road leading up to the light house. This is a must around 6pm. The most awesome sunset can be seen or go earlier to get the best pics of the resort. There is a more challeging path from the far left of the beach if you feel the need to pull your hamstrings(lol).

Excursions- Marcos Tours! I know the previous post praised John-John, we met him, had lunch with him, etc. but did not use him for any tours. Marcos was considerably cheaper on all tours & went with you around the island & personalized your tours as much as possible. We contacted Marcos (marcostours@yahoo.com) before our arrival, he called the night we arrived (please ensure you give him your hotel registered name so he can call you), met us on the beach the next day to arrange your tours to fit your schedule. He is prompt, a true gentleman and as accommadating as humanly possible. We went horseback riding, island tour, swim with the dolphins, fishing, lobster dinner , etc. Basically you let him know what you are interested in, he then arranges everything. I am not saying that John-John is not to be used, I am just stating what I experienced. He is a tour operator for Innovations Tours, a large company, he tells you what is available, calls his office for availablity, you pay him, he tells you the arrangements, transportation, etc., which is his job. Marcos arranged for the ranch to pick us up for horseback riding (only tour he did not drive us), Geraldo (ranch manager) arrived at 2pm as scheduled at the front desk, 3 of us were booked thru Marcos, 4 were booked thru John-John, 4 paid John-John $60pp, 3 of us paid $50 @ the ranch to Geraldo. That is just 1 example. John-John is personable & professional but I do tend to be a bit squeaky when I'm spending my money. Both tour operators are fully insured and licensed, it's your personal choice, your holiday & your money.

My Family and I have just got back in febuary from our stay at dunes hotel and beach resort on margarits island.We had a great time the weather was beautiful and so was the beach...

The food at the hotel could have been better but it was not that bad.....

Venezuela is a beautiful place and there is alot to see.That is why we went on alot of Tours organized by the "Innovation" tour guide named john john ,he was great he help us with whatever we needed and he plan all our beautiful tours that we did such as the safari jeep tour which takes you too see the whole island which is beautiful, we also went to see the angel falls which is something you can't miss ...it was breath taking what you got to see.We decided to go with innovation company which works at the hotel...tour john john because it is a more safe thing ...there a guy marcos on the beach which also books tour but not as efficent as the innovation team.

John john really took care of us and we had no trouble gettin in touch with him by phone or by email(yonven@hotmail.com)he open to any question ...what helps is he also speaks 5 languages and very good in english!!!which was a plus .......He did more then his job to keep us happy!!!!

Recommended by many travaliers John john(innovation team)

A group of 12 of us went to the Dunes Resort in Margarita Island, over Christmas and the New Year of 2006.
This hotel was picked based on reviews and price.

This was one of our best holidays in which we enjoyed all aspects.
1 - Hotel was clean and well kept
2 - The service was excellent and the staff at the hotel did everything possible to make our stay enjoyable
3 - Food was good. Lunch at the beach restaurant was just excellent.
4 - Breakfast and evening meals were good
5 - Christmas and New year the food was just so much better. Lobster and more lobster was served at New years eve and with such a variety you would wonder how they did it.

My only complaint was the entertainment was in Spanish and if more English was spoken, it would have been better for us the English speaking crowd.

The beach was amazing and the sand was beautiful.

Our best bar tender worked during the day serving drinks on the beach. Charlie was his name, and he was so pleasant and just kept the drinks coming every 15 minutes. We tipped him, but nothing out of range and even when we did not, he still kept the same pace.

The waves were big on some days. I had an accident in which a wave hit me and took my shoulder completely out. This required me to go to the local clinic. Again the hotel provided Marcos Delli Carpini to accompany me to the hospital and to stay with me until I returned. This service was in my opinion the best, as I did not speak the language and having him at my side, made my bad experience a very comforting one.

The General Manager Juan Carlos Baez was very active making all the guest happy and making sure their needs were looked after. When I got injured he was there and made sure I was fully looked after. On many occasions you will see him around making sure everything was in order.

The pool was just great. Very large and clean.
Going to see the sun set at the Lighthouse is a must and the walk is only a short distance.
While we were their the disco burnt down. They provided a make shift disco. We were told they will be re building the disco. It was a nice place for us to spend the late evenings at.

We had lovely weather, the food is ok, there were no bugs in the room, the staff were friendly. The beach can get busy with cruise ship people. Highly recommend Marcos to organize your Tours, you can tour the island in a Jeep or a van, the van doesn't go off-raod. Do either of the cattamaran tours, you are well looked after. Don't change your money with Hotel or John John you get a better rate from the beach vendor Try the Steak at Cheers in Porlamar, the seafood is very good in Haun Grecho. Taxi rides anywhere are quite cheap.

Bring immodium, a number of people in our group suffered from vommiting and the runs.

My husband, son and I returned from 2 fabulous weeks at the Dunes Hotel and Beach Resort on February 12, 2007. This is the third time in as many years that we have come to this resort on Margarita Island and, once again, were NOT disappointed!!

This resort offers a beautiful tropical setting on a clean unpopulated beach; delicious food and drinks, clean rooms, activities to suit any age group, and friendly staff that are wanting to accommodate anything that you want!! We stayed in a suite in the older section close to the main lobby and were very, very pleased with our accommodations!!

The only negative comment that we had was in reference to the "innovations" rep. at the hotel. Once he found out that we had booked our excursions with another company he acted rude and very unprofessional. This does not reflect on the resort, however, as he is employed with thee tour company and NOT the resort.

We took several excursions again this visit all booked through Marcos Ochoa of "Marcos Tours". Marcos is efficient and professional and gives everyone that deals with him personalized service. We took the Jeep Safari again, Coche Island catamaran excursion, Cubagua and it's mudbathes, Horse back riding at Cubatucan as well as a personal tour with Marcos. On this personal tour we visited the "Tropical Labyrinth". The mazes are fashioned out of ficus bushes and the park also has displays of the local flora and fauna.

You can visit with monkeys, amazon parrots, tarantulas, toucans, pelicans, a display of snakes and even hold a boa constrictor if you dare!! This park takes and and cares for injured wildlife from the island and although small is very much worth the time to stop and visit!! If you are coming to Margarita be sure to contact MarcosTours via yahoo.com!!

The Dunes surpassed our expectations!

We are a couple in the 40/50-year-old range who spent two wonderful weeks at the Dunes Hotel and Beach Resort with our 14-year-old son from 25 December 2006 to 8 January 2007.

THE CHECK-IN
Part of the check-in was done at the airport where the Nolitour representative distributed bracelets and information pamphlets on Margarita. It was then a 40-minute drive to the Dunes where we were rapidly given our room keys as well as our towel coupons and a key to the in-room safe. No deposit was required. We were then escorted to our room.

THE ROOM
A week or so before our departure for Margarita we had sent an email to the Dunes requesting a large room with balcony on the second floor. Hotels usually ignore such requests but this time the customer service manager, Irene Cadenas, responded to our request and we were assigned exactly the type of room we had asked for. But on our very first day at the resort, our son injured his foot while playing in the ocean. He was carried to the infirmary by the beach staff and from there Irene arranged for a doctor to come to the hotel. Since our son had difficulty walking, she offered to move us to a ground floor room closer to the hotel facilities. Unexpectedly, we were upgraded to a Junior Suite for the remainder of our stay. Thanks to Irene and Mayra for assisting us.

It was heaven! The room was clean and spacious, towels were changed regularly and an ample supply of bottled water was provided every day. Twice during our stay we notified the chambermaid that the shower was dripping heavily and on both occasions the problem was solved within hours. The staff well deserved the US$5.00 we left in the room once a week.

THE FOOD
We took all our breakfasts and dinners at the main dining room and we always sat outside the dining room where a few tables were set and where we could enjoy the view in the morning. The food was good and plentiful. Nothing fancy but enough variety to satisfy most appetites. The service was the best we have ever experienced in the Caribbean. The staff was efficient and seemed happy to be doing their job. At dinner we rarely had to ask for our wine glasses to be refilled and the waiters and waitresses went out of their way to please us. We usually left a $1 or $2 in the evening.

We fell in love with the beach restaurant where we had all our lunches. What a view of the ocean! Every day we had the choice between the buffet and the menu. We mostly ordered from the menu but, on occasions, we did enjoy the buffet. Good selection, good food, excellent service. The staff got to know us and after a week we didn't have to order our beer anymore. Upon sitting at a table two beers would come right up. We didn't tip everyday but the service was always the best.

We didn't try Luciano, the Italian restaurant located just below the main dining room. Every day, hot dogs and hamburgers were available at the bar by the main swimming pool from 12h00 to somewhere around 17h00. A light snack was served around 16h00 behind the bar located between to main swimming pool and the smaller one. Then a midnight snack could be found at the same location. There was always food and drinks somewhere.

THE POOLS
The Dunes has three pools: the L-shape main swimming pool where most activities are held throughout the day, a smaller and shallower round-shape pool and the little kids' pool. The pools and surrounding areas were cleaned regularly and we could always find some chairs except in late afternoon when people would move from the beach to the main swimming pool. A bar was strategically located at each end of the main pool which made it a short walk from anywhere within the pool area. There were always towels available when you needed to replace your dirty ones, even when you showed up a few minutes before closing time.

THE BEACH
The beach is about 1½ km long, very clean with strong waves most of the time. There is a lot of chairs, lots of room and you can choose to sit in the sun or under the palm trees. This is definitely a much nicer beach than playa El Agua where we were last year. There is a bar right on the beach but you don't even have to leave your chair to get your drinks because they can be brought to you by a friendly staff with a smile.

THE STAFF
The staff at the Dunes is probably what makes this hotel so special. From the chambermaid, the security people, the waiters and waitresses, the bartenders, the entertainers, the front desk staff to the general manager, the staff and management is always smiling and helpful and above all, they make you feel like a friend rather than a guest.

ACTIVITIES FOR TEENAGERS
The recreation room is the meeting place for teenagers and it is where our son made new Canadian, Venezuelan, British and Scottish friends. They would meet after breakfast and then divide their day between the beach and the pool area. We would have dinner with our son and he would soon escape again to the recreation room to meet with his friends. What a group they made!

IN SUMMARY
Overall, we would rate the Dunes a 4 star hotel, ideal for families as well as couples. It is spacious and clean and the grounds are well maintained.

This is for any USA travelers who may have stumbled onto the Dunes through RCI Time share, as we did.

If you are like me first you had to get out an atlas, then,ask around if anyone had ever gone. We would get one of 2 answers; "yes, we loved it" and "why are you going to Venezuela?"

We wanted a nice beach, peace and quiet, casual atmosphere and good weather....we got it all.

Although it is rated 3 or 4 star...the accomodations are for time share and it is a different standard. The people are so accomodating and friendly it certainly makes up for any room limitations, and who stays in their room when it is sunny and 95* with zero hhumidity and a breeze?

If you go to the Dunes, the rest of the non- RCI guests will be from Europe and that is fun too.

The all inclusive couldn't be easier. You can select on a day-to-day basis and there is something for everyone. The beach is fantastic; quiet, clean and unspoiled. The pools and grounds are well kept and the game room and activities kept my two teen- age girls happy.

The ONLY way to plan is to contact Marcos tours run by Marcos. He is at marcostours.com or marcostours@yahoo.com. He contacted me via e mail befor the trip, helped us with the airports and gave us two very nice, personal tours. we spoke with others who had equally great things to say about Marcos.

We flew the round about way on SA airlines LaTaca....it was fine, but then we learned others went through Miami, straight to MI...I would definitley do that if I went again.

We wpoke to many people to ask how this island compared with others they have been to and all but one said they liked better. This was our first trip to islands so we have no comparison point.

I did learn that they do not get hurricans because of thier location. Good to know if you plan to travel during the season.

My husband and I traveled to Margarita Island with my parents and we stayed at the Dunes Resort.

Flights
From Calgary we flew WestJet to Toronto and stayed overnight. We flew Club Class on Air Transat to Margarita, what a relief! Upgrading is highly recommended and made for a comfortable flight with excellent meals. There were no line ups and our bags were the first off the plane. Also, by upgrading your baggage allowance is doubled from 44lbs total per person to 88lbs. It was nice to not have to pack using our weigh scale!

Hotel
The Dunes surpassed our expectations. We were a little concerned after reading some reviews that this hotel would not be 4 star quality. The pictures on Dunes own site do not do it justice. The resort is beautiful! We were welcomed with a cocktail drink and a show demonstrating local dances. The check in was the fastest ever! We received our bracelets and information package on the bus on our way to the hotel, so all we had to do was pick up our key. There was no charge for the in room safe, and no deposit was required. Our rooms were in the 3500 block, there is a shuttle from these rooms directly to the lobby. Our rooms were in the section closest to the front gate. At first we were disappointed to be so far away from everything, but then we realized that the shuttle was just for us! The shuttle stopped in front of our complex, and took us to the lobby. This was it's only stop and main purpose. If you missed the shuttle, it only took a few minutes for it to go to the lobby and come back again! To catch a taxi, you could just walk to the front gate and the security guards will call one for you, or you could do so from the lobby. Ask for Ramone! Ramone took us to a great place to buy Rum.

Food
What a treat! This hotel prides itself on its quality and variety of food. They strive to be the best that they can as they are trying to earn some prestigious food awards (they have won one already). At our orientation, the food service manager was there to make sure that if we had any questions or concerns about the food that he was always available to us. His name is Luke and he is from Montreal. Luke turned out to be a lifesaver for us, literally. My mother is EXTREMELY allergic to pork and all pig products, and we learned very early on that the Venezuelans put pork in absolutely everything. They put it in their beans, rice, fish..everything. It's for subtle flavor and not very noticeable at all times. Anyways, after a couple scares, and quite a few antihistamines later, my mother contacted Luke and he was very helpful. At every dinner thereafter, Luke or his head chef Miguel would personally escort my mother through the buffet and describe every dish and show her which ones she should not eat. They would even offer to cook her a special meal if the buffet didn't offer her what she wanted. They are very accommodating. Luke even told us that they refuse to put french fries in the buffet because they can not ensure they quality for very long. Instead, they cook them up by request to make sure you get something fresh. The theme changed every night, and literally every dish would follow that theme. There was always the pasta bar to fall back on, but the we founds the meals a great treat. If you happen to catch Arabic night, WOW. Of course not all nights were our favorite, but we were impressed with the variety and effort. They put out a great curry. The bread is baked fresh daily, warm croissants for breakfast. It is the first time we have seen all the desserts and fruits in a cooler. This minimizes waste. Their coffee was better at breakfast, my father got hooked on cappuccino's.

Beach Restaurant
A mix of buffet and a la carte. We enjoyed ordering up their hamburgers (great buns!) Dunes special burger comes with ham and cheese, and the catch of the day. I hate fish but this I liked. Fresh catch grilled up nicely. If they have avocado, you must try it, nothing like we get here. Try the Big Banana drink, delicious with or without alcohol. And the pina coladas were wonderful because they were made with real coconut. Be careful though as coconut is a laxative. It was nice to have a grill when you didn't feel like buffet.

Luciano's Restaurant
This was a strange one. This restaurant is a la carte, which you can reserve once a week. The waiters are dressed up with vest, however the music and atmosphere were unique! The attempt to make it classy, but the music is Alanis Morissette, Cranberries, an odd mix to say the least, as the upstairs buffet is playing Italian music. The food was ok. A nice mix for everyone. We liked the cheese sticks, seafood crepes, beef tenderloin. Not spectacular or as good as expected, but not bad. We dressed up for the occasion, but overall it is a casual resort and few dressed up much. Our first visit took two hours to get all our food, a bit long, but we had nowhere else to be. Our second visit was faster. This restaurant, you could take it or leave it. We booked it on the nights when we weren't interested in the buffets theme.

Food overall was great. We could have stayed a third week, because we still hadn't had the same food twice. There is always room for improvement of course, but there was nothing to be negative about. We didn't get sick from it and we enjoyed the various flavors.

Pool
The main pool was spacious and never crowded. Plenty of sun and shade. We brought our own floating mattresses and we had plenty of room without disturbing other swimmers. Our favorite pastime was when we found the little frogs (el sapos) in the overflow ledge of the pool. We counted 17 total that lived in there. Most people would never know they were there. No worries though, the pool is very clean. The depth ranged from 4 feet to at least 10 feet. The quiet pool was shallower, 3-4 feet. Not as much shade there. As well there is a kids pool with a slide and other playthings in their kids club. the kids seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. Was impressed with the size and attention given to the kids there. The animation team was at the large pool and they were polite and not nearly obnoxious as we have found others to be. They arranged various games and water aerobics. Try the early morning stretching, as it ends with a massage! If I may offer some advice, don't be tempted to stay at the pool for your whole vacation, try the beach or you'll miss a lot.

Beach
Lots of shade and palapas (grass huts), never a shortage of chairs. A couple times a week there were people who would come from a cruise ship and spend their day at the Dunes beach. Up to 200 people at a time, and the staff were their with plenty of extra chairs so you wouldn't have to worry about losing yours. The beach is wide and long, lots of space. You can also rent a chair pad to be used at the pool or beach for $1 US per day, well worth it. The water was rough, we went in a couple times but then it got too rough. The security were a strong presence as they watched everyone in the water and pulled some out who got over their heads! We were content to lay on the beach, and walk to the pool for a dip when we needed. It's a nice long walk to go the stretch of the beach, some locals go surfing and the extreme end close to the Hisperia. You can also walk from the beach up a sand dune to a light house, spectacular views and sunsets. From the light house you can see a stretch of beach at the fishing village of Pedro Gonzales. Don't expect to snorkel at this beach until Spring we were told. It was still fun jumping in the waves, and there were jet skis that looked a lot of fun as well. When the waves got HUGE it was relaxing to watch and listen and feel the spray in your chair.

Beach Vendors
My favorite part! Please, give these guys some respect. The are nice people making a living, they are not beggars. All the vendors on the Dunes beach have to be approved by the hotel manager. It almost like they receive a license to be able to sell there. If they are not approved, the security kick them out and take their goods. We had a blast. My recommendation is to see what these guys have to offer and see for yourself who has the better quality goods. We bought loads of necklaces and pearls. Robert (#12 vendor) had the best quality pearls. Enrique (#5 vendor) had good stuff, and so did Ramone. We did all our business with them. Enrique made us earrings that we had specially requested and Robert lengthened and knotted pearl necklaces for us right there beside us. These guys make the necklaces and earrings themselves. They made for great gifts and good conversation (some Spanish vocabulary helps). There is also a painter, Edwin. Edwin paints scenes of Venezuela on mirrors, they are the best I have ever seen. We bought a lot. He is an electrical engineer, so he shows up on the beach around noon after he finishes his regular job. You can buy 6 -4x6 size paintings for $20US what a steal! We bought them and put magnets on them to give away. Also there is a group that makes stone sculptures. We bought from Carlos, they are unique and will do special requests if you develop a relationship with them. Carlos made a pelican specially for us. These vendors were all very polite and will do anything for you if you respect them. They do not approach you unless you call them over or make deliberate eye contact. We did meet up with one vendor who was pushy and a bit obnoxious, but we made it clear for him to go away. We picked our favorites and they were good to us.

Marcos Tours
Everybody loves Marcos! Contact: marcostours@yahoo.com or www.margaritaisland.com.ve
I emailed Marcos before we left and he phoned me the next day! Marcos is very helpful with any questions you may have. He gave me some pointers about traveling to Margarita and told me about his tours. When we got to the Dunes he phoned us in our room the next day. Apparently he was waiting for us to arrive at the hotel but our plane was late. Marcos is a clean cut gentleman with a friendly face. His is a little soft spoken, and is anxious for you to enjoy your visit. We were very impressed. He can usually be found at the Dunes beach if he is not on a tour. He went above and beyond for us. I would highly recommend him, the personalized service and attention was well worth it. All the tours below were booked with Marcos. jeep tour
Marcos picked us up at the front gate of the hotel at 9. Our day lasted until after sunset at 6:30. We toured the whole island! Pedro Gonzales was quaint and we were able to go inside a gentleman's home. Wonderful sights. I told Marcos that I am a photographer so I was interested in taking photographs, and we wanted to shop for pearls. He kept this in mind and took us to all the right places. He even waited for us for over an hour, maybe two, as we shopped in a gorgeous jewelry store. Lunch was a treat. We went to a local restaurant (not tourist restaurant) and had a traditional meal. Cuchapas and coconut drink. Yummy! I even forgot my sunglasses at one of the stops and Marcos raced back to get them himself. Great day! Must see. Canaima one day
Marcos got us on a nice little 16 seater plane. What a thrill. We went to a national park and walked behind El Sapo falls, it was incredible and exciting. Seeing angel falls from the plane was incredible and we had four passes to be able to take pictures. The tour guide spoke fluent English and was very knowledgeable. Lunch was another local treat, excellent chicken. Advice for this one, waterproof camera and water shoes. You walk in a lake and over some rocks to get to the falls, you need footwear that can get wet. It can be very slippery and we had one guy take a fall. He was ok, but you need good footwear. And you must have a camera to capture it. They put everything that isn't waterproof in a bag so your regular camera would be protected. Great day. Marcos picks you up and drops you off on this one.

Los Frailes
This is a snorkeling tour. Marcos arranged this one as well, personally he only does the jeep tour himself. We didn't enjoy this one so much. The weather was not good. Rainy, rough water. We had a rough time. But I talked to other couples that did this tour with Marcos and they said it was the best one. It all depends on the weather and it has been really unpredictable lately. It is an hour boat ride there and back, Los Frailes is a different island. The boat ride was not relaxing as we thought we'd tip over. But I guess it's not always like that! All in all, we would use Marcos again and wouldn't consider anyone else because you know he'll do his best to be the best and make you happy.

Various Tidbits
The Dunes is the best. We had locals telling us that it is better than its neighbor Hisperia. It's downfall would be the actual rooms. My parents room was musty, ours was not. The beds were hard and you could feel the springs, a bit uncomfortable for awhile. They were clean but the floors were not swept regularly, that would have been nice. But we got a big bottle of water everyday, and I'm sure they changed the sheets everyday as well. As for currency, our tour reps told us that we could not use US$ and would have to exchange to Bolivars for all purchases. Do not believe them! You want to use US$ on the beach because the vendors want US$. Marcos wants US$. It will cost you more to use Bolivars. We were told that we could not pay our departure tax in US$ any longer, that was not true. Although, why take the risk? The departure tax went up the day before we left, it went from 99,000 BV to 115,000 BV. Take US$, you have to pay more if you use BV or credit card.

We will be going back. This was a great holiday. We explored Margarita and Venezuela by land, air, and sea. There is still so much more to do. The people are friendly and the palm trees are inviting.

This is our second trip to Margarita Island and also our second stay at Dunes. Of all of the resorts that we have viewed on this beautiful island, we know that we made the best choice! From the limmaculately kept, tropical grounds to the friendly, entertainly fun staff...Dunes exceeds all expectations of a 4* resort and would be well deserving of a 5* rating!!

The food is delicious with plenty of variety, both in the buffets and the a la cartes.

Last year we took 4 excursions: The jeep safari, Canaima, Coche Island, and Horse back riding in La Restinga. This trip we tried a new excursion to Cubagua and were not disappointed!! This trip involves a catamaran sail to the island of Cubagua, complete with snorkelling around a sunken boat, sunbathing on the beach and ending with a theraputic wallow in a mud bath!!

This is a full day tour and is both relaxing and entertaining!! We were glad we went!! Another day, we had an island tour with Marcos from Marcos Tours....truly the best guide that you can get!! Marcos has started his own tour company and is great to deal with. He is very knowledgable, less expensive than the Innovations group and extremely efficient. We would reccommend anyone visiting the island to look Marcos up on his website: Marcostours@yahoo.com.

Oh yes...they have great deals at the flea market in Porlamar...this is a MUST VISIT place! You can buy anything there...great for local clothing and crafts!!

Now, back to the resort!! The beach, with its waves, can somtimes be a little rough for inexperienced swimmers, but, just down the road from the resort is a little beach named Zaragosa...and it is wonderful for swimming.

This beach has warm, calm waters and is quiet every day except Sunday(Family day). The people are friendly along this stretch and there are small restaurants and shops along the beach.

Once again, our trip was wonderful! Margarita has so much to do and see, 1 week is not enough!!

Just returned from a 2 week holiday to the Dunes Hotel (pronounced like Doonez), which is situated in Pedro Gonzalez.

Flights
We upgraded to star premiere plus for the fights and would recommend this to anyone. First on the plane, better leg room, great food, free films, unlimited alcohol and fab service from the 4 hostesses (there to serve only the 30 people in star premiere plus). Plus first off, first bags off to the baggage carousel - well worth the money - oh.... and my favourite - NO QUEUES to check in - when we arrived at Gatwick, there were approx 200 people in the line for the flight, and NOT ONE in premiere line, so we were checked in and through within minutes- HEAVEN !

Rooms
Hotel - clean and basic - the maid service was daily and all sheets and towels were fresh every day, also maids are helpful and sweet (eg; would fold clothes left on bed etc)

Food
A vast variation of foods, lots of fresh crisp salad, breads and a whole range of main meals, from fish to pork, beef and chicken - something to please everyone. The main restaurant is split into smoking and non smoking halves, but non-smokers need not worry - its all open - so plenty of fresh air. Waiting staff are unbelievable, very efficient, glasses are filled, plates cleared etc very quickly and always with a happy smile. There were an abundance of calorie laden tempting deserts (which I avoided like the plague of course) but also available is fresh fruit as a desert or a nice cappucino. Breakfast was a little difficult for me as I didnt like the venezuelan type breakfast, which could be beef, pork or potatoes, as well as bacon, eggs, and salad. You also have the choice of hams and cheese - which may appeal to the europeans travelling to The Dunes. I tended to go for the pancakes, which are delicious and cooked to order, so fresh and tasty but watch out for the waistline. Children have a choice of cereals too and there is always the traditonal toast and juices.
For lunch, there was a choice of the beach restaurant, (very cooling in the hot weather as you have the sea breeze through the open windows) and a lovely view of the beach and sea. Note for families, this restaurant is the only place where you can get a burger and chips (sometimes welcomed after the endless meat and salads in other restaurants). By the pool there is also a hot dog / burger vendor who serve the BEST hot dogs in Margarita - these are all included in the price of your hotel too - so gorge and enjoy !

Pools
There are three pools here, plenty of sunbeds in the shade and sun. We tended to stay by the larger pool as the other two, one was very shallow (paddling) and the third was a kiddies pool - not that we didnt have a go in all three of course ! The pools were relatively clean, thats to say there was someone every day cleaning. The deep end tends to stay cooler, as in the shallow end, by midday it felt like bath water - not great when you are boiling hot from over a 100 degrees.

Entertainment
Was disappointed with the evening entertainment, although we were there in low season, I was not expecting to find all of the shows in spanish - and not speaking or understanding spanish too well - meant that I could appreciate the effort, dancing and flair of the show but didnt really know what was going on.
During the day by the pool there is aerobics, darts on a huge dart board, and volley ball - all good fun and the day entertainment staff are funny and sweet.

Bars
There are plenty of bars to choose from at the Dunes. The beach bar was my favourite day time bar, with fabulous waiters and an idyllic spot looking out on the caribbean sea. At night time there is entertainment in the form of karaoke 3 x a week - which may be some peoples idea of a nightmare but it was good fun and esp as some of the english got right into the swing of things. For the first week - we spent most of our evenings in the music bar as its the only air conditioned bar. Santiago runs the bar here and a FAB waitress called Cecilia who can not do enough for you. Frozen Margaritas were the order of most evenings and we spent many a night drinking and listening to the great live music.

Tours
We flew with first choice and went to the "welcome meeting" and met Jose - the first choice rep for the area, who is very nice, extremely welcoming and always available. I had already contacted Marcos Ochoa (who came highly recommended by other travellers to the Dunes Hotel). I met with Marcos on the first day I arrived and he talked us through some of the many tours he can offer, incl Jeeop Safari, Angel Falls, Coche Island etc etc. Marcos is friendly, welcoming and so very helpful. We decided that we would book all of our trips via Marcos. He took us out on a number of occassions and the trips were well organised and he is a great font of knowledge. He was well informed, fun to be with and very punctual. Marcos knew where to take us where "usual" tours would not have bothered, we saw so much of the island, went to the flea markets, saw Juan Griego in the evening. Marcos also organised the angel falls trip for us, collected us on the day and after a FABULOUS trip, we came out of the airport and there he was again. I could not fault Marcos - and would highly recommend anyone who is travelling to the Dunes Hotel to speak to Marcos - we was half the price of First Choice and the hotel tour guides. Marcos is fully insured and has all relevant certificates - I checked all of these.

Contact Marcos on marcostours@yahoo.com or www.margaritaisland.com.ve

DONT BOTHER TRYING THE REST - Marcos IS THE BEST ! You will not be disappointed.

Just got back from the Dunes on the 31st March 2005. We had a fantastic holiday and would be happy to return in the future The check in at the airport was slow and tedious. A Venezuelan lady checks your boobies upon arrival which I found strangely pleasant! The coach ride is about an hour from the airport to the hotel.

The hotel rooms are scattered over the large resort in small blocks, they are well maintained and attractive to look at. We were in a large block on the right hand side as you go through the entrance to the resort, this is well away from the main reception area but there is a mini bus constantly ferrying guests to & fro. My only complaint about this holiday is that we were on the groun floor of this block and the rooms are not well soundproofed, the maids and guards made a lot of noise and everything echoed in the corridor. Our friends on the 2nd & 3rd floors did not have a problem with the noise. Im sure the hotel would have moved us had we complained but I just couldnt face packing up again for a family of 4 so I kept quiet. The rooms are very clean and adequate, its not the Ritz but they are nice and well maintained.

The pools are clean and there is plenty of shade to be had. Beach towels are provided and you get clean ones every day but theyre not very big or thick. You can hire a soft matress for your sunbed for $1 a day, well worth it!

There is a varied entertainments programme and the team work very hard, they are very friendly enthusiastic people, infact all the staff at the Dunes are remarkably well mannered and helpful, nothing seems too much trouble for them.

The beach is sandy, the sea is rough and there was always a very strong breeze.WARNING This breeze fools you into thinking that the sun is not as strong as it is. THE SUN IS FIERCE!!! You will burn to a crisp in half an hour if you are not careful. I have never in my life seen so many people so badly burned..... sunblock for us pale skinned Brits... you have been warned! There is plenty of shade on the beach too, and a bar. Next to the beach is a grill bar restaurant they have a good selection of food, the grilled fresh fish steaks are lovely, it's usually grouper fish.

The main buffet restaurant is airy & clean. The food always looks fresh and is well presented. There is not a huge choice of food but you shouldnt go hungry. They do good pancakes at breakfast, have a good choice of cereals, yoghurt and fabulous fresh fruit juice. Not sure about the veg & fried chicken for breakfast though!

Lucianos is the restaurant that requires a reservation. Its lovely and the staff wait on you hand & foot! They serve a nice Cabernet Sav there too. The beef in Roquefort sauce was v tasty.

There is a burger/hotdog bar by the pool, my kids loved it. The alcohol is varied and the cocktails are fab, try a Big Banana then you know youre getting your daily vitamins as well as getting tipsy. We took a mix of $us and travellers cheques $us. We changed our money at the hotel, the rate last week was 2300 bolivars to 1 dollar.

I just returned from spending two fabulous weeks at Dunes Resort on Margarita Island. I would highly recommend this resort to anyone. The resort is very spacious and well laid out.

The rooms were very clean and comfortable ,equipped with a small fridge, coffe maker and hair dryer. Large bottles of drinking water were left every day. My maid, Ines, was quite gifted in the art of towel sculpture, and most days a lovely surprise awaited me on returning to my room.

The food was excellent. There was a very large variety to choose from at the buffet . The restaurant on the beach also had a smaller buffet at lunch time along with a la carte service. Hamburgers, hot dogs and grilled ham and cheese were offered at the poolside snack bar for lunch. The hamburgers were absolutely delicious. Lucianos, the a la carte restaurant is a must. The food and service were exceptional. Bar service stretched out onto the beach. You didn't even have to leave your beach chair!

The Animation Staff made our stay so enjoyable. A special hello to Edgar ( my surrogate son),an amazing young man , so full of life and energy. The shows at night were unbelievably professional. The dancers are amazing.

We took the Jeep Safari Tour. Lots of fun and beautiful scenery. The Catamaran trip to La Coche Island was also a very pleasant experience . A very relaxing day. We were escorted by about 25 dolphins to the island , where we enjoyed a peaceful day on the beach, a delicious lunch, and total relaxation before heading back. The highlight of the trip, however , was the trip to Canaima and Angel Falls. We took a 14-seater plane to Canaima, a nature reserve. There was a boat trip, treks up the hill, walk behind waterfalls, followed by lunch. Finally the highlight of the trip. Not one, but two passes by Angel Falls. It was absolutely breathtaking!