Local point of contact:
Albe, the president of the Bahia Arena Homeowners Association is the local house manager and point of contact. He lives in the neigborhood and knows quite literally everyone. If you have any issues whatsoever he will be able to help solve your problem. We will share his contact info when you book.

Transportation/Parking:
Most everything in Cabarete is walkable. However, there is not reliable public transportation from the airport. Pickup and drop off for $75 USD each way from POP and $150 USD each way from STI if desired. You can select these as add-on options at the time of booking.  There is a single parking space right in front of the house. If you need access to additional parking, you may park in the lot at the front of the development near the guard house. No street parking in the Bahia neighborhood.

Security/Locks:
Bahia de Arena is a remarkably secure compound with full time security at the gate and beach. You don’t have to worry about kites/surf boards disappearing from the front yard. The house uses a Lockly keypad for the front door. You will need to download the app to access the door. Information on how to access your unique door code will be shared before your arrival. The housekeeper, Yakayra is the only person that would have reason to be in the home during your stay. She has her own unique access code and comes on M, W, F to clean and change linens.  .

Wifi:
Gnarnia has high speed 50mbps internet in the house. Service is generally reliable, and in the odd instance of a disruption Cable Norte resolves the issues within 24 hours. The main router may need to be reset periodically just like your home system, the box is located behind the TV. The wifi in the house is broadcast using a Deco mesh system for full house coverage with broadcast pucks in the living room and in the back bedroom.  Password will be shared before you arrive.  

Water:
Some people do drink the tap water in Cabarete, but do not recommend it since the water is fed into the house via a cistern. This system guarantees water service and pressure even when the municipal supply is disrupted. We have a cold water dispenser in the kitchen. You can buy large bottles for it for 55 pesos with a bottle exchange. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of getting water yourself, our gardener, Carlos can do it for you. Put 200 pesos ($4 USD) to cover his cost/time/gas/tip under the empty bottle on the steps in front of the house and he’ll replace it with a fresh one for you.

Electricity/Air Conditioning:
All of the bedrooms in our house have air conditioning units. Please keep in mind that electricity in the Dominican Republic is largely carbon based and very expensive. Please turn AC units off when not in the room or when leaving the house. The AC units cool the rooms very quickly, so you do not need to "pre-cool" before you enter. The rental agreement allocates 35KWh electricity allowance per day of your stay. Any overages will be charged at a rate of $0.50 per KWh and discounted from your security deposit.  The only way you will go over on this allocation is if you run the air conditioning units throughout the day. This is a new policy starting this year because people totally run the units with the windows open (forehead slap).

Blinds/ Fans & Cooling:
This home is designed to take advantage of the regular daily sea breezes coming off the coast. The lofted top windows stay open and create a venturi cooling effect when the other windows are open. Additional airflow via ceiling fans will cool the home in all but the hottest midsummer days. The hanging drapes throughout the house can be tied back to facilitate better air flow. We recommend closing them before retiring for the evening to keep the early morning sun from shining into the living room. This makes a big difference in keeping the temperature down in the house in the AM. Please be sure to close the slatted windows in the bedroom before running the AC units if you choose to utilize them while you are sleeping. During our visits as a family we find that open windows and the ceiling fan keep the bedrooms quite cool in the evenings, so rarely need to use the AC units.

Mosquitos/ Bugs:
Small sugar ants and mosquitos are the two most common nuisance bugs in the DR. The former are mostly kept at bay by cleaning up any crumbs or spills right away. We have little kids and if we dont do a quick sweep and wipe down after cracker snacks, we will inevitably have a trail of tiny black ants. As for the mosquitos, they are at the worst during the rainy season, but still largely tolerable near the beach due to the persistent on-shore sea breezes. Additionally all the windows on our home are screened, and Bahia Arena has monthly Mosquito control service. It is recommend to pack mosquito spray for any jungle outings, or for patio evenings during the mozzie witching hour if you are particularly prone to bug bites.

Cleaning:
Your rental fee includes cleaning M, W & F. Yakayra is also happy to do a load of laundry for you when she is there, the cycle usually doesn't finish before she leaves so its up to you to hang them on the provided lines behind the house.

Toilets:
Almost all houses in the Dominican Republic are on a septic system including Gnarnia. That means that neither TOILET PAPER nor sanitary products can be flushed. Please deposit those in the provided waste bins to avoid a backup. Housekeeper Yakayra will swap those for fresh bags at every cleaning.

Garbage:
There is a garbage bin out by the parking area in front of the house. Gardener Carlos will regularly empty this throughout the week. If you have any larger items that need to be removed just let him know.

Laundry:
The washing machine is on the porch behind the house. Help yourself to the provided laundry soap. There are clothes lines for drying behind the washer. As mentioned above Yakayra is happy to do a load when she is there cleaning.

Grocery:
The main grocery store in town is Janet’s. This is a great shopping experience and they are able to deliver the groceries to the house if you don’t have a vehicle. Tell them the house is in Bahia de Arena, villa 25. There is also a smaller market, Rosas, that you can walk to closer to the house. As additional services, the house can be stocked with groceries before your arrival and Yakayra is also available to prepare an authentic home-cooked Dominican meal. Contact us to arrange this.

Pool:
Gardener Carlos takes care of the pool. He works elsewhere in Bahia as well so he is around most weekdays. The pool pump is on a timer so it will cycle on and off regularly during your stay.

Early check-in or late check-out:
Regular check-in is at 4pm and regular check-out is at 11am. This allows sufficient time to for Yakayra to get the home ready between guests. With advance notice early check-in (1pm) or late check-out (2pm) may be accommodated for a fee of $50 USD. This covers the added staffing to get the house turned in a shorter period. You can select this as an add-on option at the time of booking.