Experience The Dominican Republic.
Dominican Experience, to stay in the all-inclusive hotels in Playa Dorada would be to miss the real Dominican Republic.
You will love the people and the country when you get to see the lifestyle but most of the hotel tours don't show you the real Dominican Republic.
Most hotels have become all-inclusive and as a result the people staying there only get to see other tourists. The hotels tell the tourists that it is not safe to go outside the hotel complex at night and only with tours in the day time.
THIS IS NOT SO!!!
As for safety, it has been my experience, it is entirely safe. Although there are occasions where single men and women have had a member of the opposite sex try to pick them up, love that "Latin" culture. Or a taxi driver has taken a customer for a few extra pesos.
These incidents have been very few in number, and violent crime is much less than back in downtown Toronto.