I was wondering if anyone out there may have ideas for me? I am traveling with a group of 6 and wanted to know if anyone has rented a car and driver for a day? I will be staying in the Puerto Plata area and would love to arrange a day trip from there to other parts of the island. What are recomendations of places to see within reasonable driving times. I did this in Jamaica and had a wonderful day. I've been to Santo Domingo already as well as Sanoa Island.
- Thread starter Rachael
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Seeking ideas and information
POP Driver
Hi Rachael,
Greetings from Atlantic Canada.
The driver I recommend is Martin Espinal. His e-mail address is: ESPINAL30@MSN.COM . He is an excellent driver in a country of madmen. He has a clean, air-conditioned minivan in good condition and he speaks excellent English. While we had five in it, it would handle six quite well also. Martin is very personable and knowledgeable and is extremely reliable in a country where many people run on "Dominican Time". You can read more at http://www.debbiesdominicantravel.com/martin.html
Please e-mail him (if you are interested in hiring him) detailing what you expect from him and he will get back with a price. Depending on the complexity, time and distance involved a full day trip should be in the range of $70 - $100 US and a half day $40 - $50 US. Obviously if you want to go lay on the Sosua beach for the day it would be on the low end and if you want a full day trip to Santo Domingo it mighteven be around $125 US due to very long distances and very long times (3+ hr. drive each way). These are just guidelines as I don't set Martin's prices but this is what I think is fair for all. Prices are good for 1 - 5 people but he will quote you based on your number of people.
Some examples are:
1) For the tour to Puerto Plata, Damajagua Falls , Rum factory, the San Felipe Fort and the Cable Car - $80 US approx.; 1 - 5 people; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
2) For the Haitian village, the Sos?a beach , Monte Llano and Cabarete - $80 US approx.; 1 - 5 people; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Be sure to mention if you want to take the Teleferico (cable car) up to Mount Isabel de Torres and any other things you might want to cover. You might want to go to the clothing factory (Dinorah's Sportswear) for some great buys. This is where many of the local beach vendors get their wares to sell. A couple of pointers 1) Make sure you have reached an agreement on price before you use any Taxi 2) Pay ONLY when you return to your hotel 3) Ask about any additional costs such as entrance fees (Fort & Amber Museum), guide cost (Falls), Teleferico & Botanical Gardens, etc. Tipping is customary only if you feel the service has warranted it.
When you e-mail Martin tell him that you are being referred by Gregg. Just for the record this is to ensure you get the best pricing as I do not receive anything for these referrals and I pay for Martin's services when I visit the D. R. He is simply a driver I grew to trust when we hired him as he is both a safe driver in a country known for crazy drivers and a very nice guy.
Gregg
Hi Rachael,
Greetings from Atlantic Canada.
The driver I recommend is Martin Espinal. His e-mail address is: ESPINAL30@MSN.COM . He is an excellent driver in a country of madmen. He has a clean, air-conditioned minivan in good condition and he speaks excellent English. While we had five in it, it would handle six quite well also. Martin is very personable and knowledgeable and is extremely reliable in a country where many people run on "Dominican Time". You can read more at http://www.debbiesdominicantravel.com/martin.html
Please e-mail him (if you are interested in hiring him) detailing what you expect from him and he will get back with a price. Depending on the complexity, time and distance involved a full day trip should be in the range of $70 - $100 US and a half day $40 - $50 US. Obviously if you want to go lay on the Sosua beach for the day it would be on the low end and if you want a full day trip to Santo Domingo it mighteven be around $125 US due to very long distances and very long times (3+ hr. drive each way). These are just guidelines as I don't set Martin's prices but this is what I think is fair for all. Prices are good for 1 - 5 people but he will quote you based on your number of people.
Some examples are:
1) For the tour to Puerto Plata, Damajagua Falls , Rum factory, the San Felipe Fort and the Cable Car - $80 US approx.; 1 - 5 people; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
2) For the Haitian village, the Sos?a beach , Monte Llano and Cabarete - $80 US approx.; 1 - 5 people; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Be sure to mention if you want to take the Teleferico (cable car) up to Mount Isabel de Torres and any other things you might want to cover. You might want to go to the clothing factory (Dinorah's Sportswear) for some great buys. This is where many of the local beach vendors get their wares to sell. A couple of pointers 1) Make sure you have reached an agreement on price before you use any Taxi 2) Pay ONLY when you return to your hotel 3) Ask about any additional costs such as entrance fees (Fort & Amber Museum), guide cost (Falls), Teleferico & Botanical Gardens, etc. Tipping is customary only if you feel the service has warranted it.
When you e-mail Martin tell him that you are being referred by Gregg. Just for the record this is to ensure you get the best pricing as I do not receive anything for these referrals and I pay for Martin's services when I visit the D. R. He is simply a driver I grew to trust when we hired him as he is both a safe driver in a country known for crazy drivers and a very nice guy.
Gregg
When we stayed at Sofy's B&B, we arranged to be driven around by a guy named Benny. His English is great. (He is often called upon by Dominicans to translate letters to and from their American "lovers." He had a van, and we went to the Brugal factory tour, the plaza and Amber museum. He showed us some upscale residential areas, and some not so upscale areas. We went to the Spanish fort and to La Isabella. He took us to a place where we ordered Dominican food (we fed Benny too). This was a leisurely 8 - 9 hour day. We ended the day at an outside bar on the malec?n having large Presidentes for only a fraction more than the small ones. His price was US$100 at that time. Divided by 6, that's pretty reasonable.
Hope you have a great time.
mk
Hope you have a great time.
mk
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Prices for Rachael
Hi Rachael,
It's only for one person if you want to be alone in the vehicle. lol
The prices are a flat rate for 1 - 5 passengers. There may be a slight extra charge for a sixth person but it shouldn't be much. Keep in mind that these are just guidelines; you have to e-mail Martin and agree up front based on where you want to go and what you want to do, so there are no misunderstandings.
Gregg
Hi Rachael,
It's only for one person if you want to be alone in the vehicle. lol
The prices are a flat rate for 1 - 5 passengers. There may be a slight extra charge for a sixth person but it shouldn't be much. Keep in mind that these are just guidelines; you have to e-mail Martin and agree up front based on where you want to go and what you want to do, so there are no misunderstandings.
Gregg
The cable car ride up the mountain in Puerto Plata is well worth doing, but not the same day you hire a car and driver. You will be spending much of the day on top of the mountain, so it wouldn't make sense to have your hired car waiting for you to come down.
Also, as FireGuy mentioned, the prices quoted are for the van and driver. Same if there is one passenger or a group.
As mkohn mentioned, there are some interesting things to do in Puerto Plata. The cable car is one, the tour of the Brugal rum factory, the old fort and the Amber Museum are others. But doing these things will also tie up your car for a day.
While you have the car, you might make a short visit to Sosua, including taking a look at the Sosua Beach. Then go on to Cabarete and take a walk through the town and check out the beach. If you are in to wind surfing, this is one of the best places in the world. Also take a look at Kite Beach at Cabarete and see the professional kite surfers training. You will see the best kite surfers in the world training in anticipation of competing on the international circuit during the summer. When you finish with Cabarete, you could continue along the North Coast as far as Playa Grande. If any of your group are golfers, they will be very interested in taking a look at the outstanding golf course there. The beach is also very nice.
Ask the driver to point out any places of interest between Puerto Plata and Playa Grande.
If what you see at Sosua (the beach, for example) or Cabarete look interesting to you, you can easily return to them by public transportation for a lot less money than you would pay for a hired car for the day.
Also, as FireGuy mentioned, the prices quoted are for the van and driver. Same if there is one passenger or a group.
As mkohn mentioned, there are some interesting things to do in Puerto Plata. The cable car is one, the tour of the Brugal rum factory, the old fort and the Amber Museum are others. But doing these things will also tie up your car for a day.
While you have the car, you might make a short visit to Sosua, including taking a look at the Sosua Beach. Then go on to Cabarete and take a walk through the town and check out the beach. If you are in to wind surfing, this is one of the best places in the world. Also take a look at Kite Beach at Cabarete and see the professional kite surfers training. You will see the best kite surfers in the world training in anticipation of competing on the international circuit during the summer. When you finish with Cabarete, you could continue along the North Coast as far as Playa Grande. If any of your group are golfers, they will be very interested in taking a look at the outstanding golf course there. The beach is also very nice.
Ask the driver to point out any places of interest between Puerto Plata and Playa Grande.
If what you see at Sosua (the beach, for example) or Cabarete look interesting to you, you can easily return to them by public transportation for a lot less money than you would pay for a hired car for the day.
Thanks for the info, any restaurants/bars you would recommend visiting in the while in Sousa/Cabarete area?
Also Ken, what is in the area of Playa Grande aside from golf courses?
Do you know how far it would be to the cable car as I am staying at the Riu Bachata?
This is my first time staying in this area and I get the feeling it is quite removed from the downtown Puerto PLata area.
Is this location closer or further away from downtown versus the PLaya Dorada complex?
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions.
Also Ken, what is in the area of Playa Grande aside from golf courses?
Do you know how far it would be to the cable car as I am staying at the Riu Bachata?
This is my first time staying in this area and I get the feeling it is quite removed from the downtown Puerto PLata area.
Is this location closer or further away from downtown versus the PLaya Dorada complex?
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions.
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Sosua / Cabarete
Hi Rachael,
This is a cut & paste of a posting on another board in response to a question about Sosua; so it is from that perspective.
"The town of Sosua is about a 20 minute drive from Puerto Plata but there are also resorts in and around Sosua - depending on what your expactations are, one of them might do quite well.
At Sosua there is a very nice public beach with good snorkeling at a reef about 100 yd. offshore. There are several dive shops in the area and there are many things to do off-resort: Rocky's Blues Bar, Eddy's Sports Bar, Britannia Pub all run by Canadians in the El Batey section of Sosua and Michael's Pub and Central Restaurant (lobster for about $140 RD approx. $7 US per person) in the Los Charimicos section of Sosua. El Batey and Los Charimicos are at opposite ends of the Playa Sosua.
In addition Cabarete is only a short guagua or publico ride away and is the home of surfing, kite boarding, wind surfing and boogie boarding on the North Coast. It has a younger crowd and an active nightlife.
Also because of the proximity to the larger resorts in Playa Dorada, Cofresi and Maimon you have access to all of the pre-arranged excursions which are available.
But the best is to hire a driver for the day and see some of the real D.R. It is very, very interesting. I recommend this the most.
If you got the impression that we prefer the North Coast; it is no mistake. We like getting off-resort whenever possible and trying new and exciting things - just not possible if you stay behind those gates."
Gregg
Hi Rachael,
This is a cut & paste of a posting on another board in response to a question about Sosua; so it is from that perspective.
"The town of Sosua is about a 20 minute drive from Puerto Plata but there are also resorts in and around Sosua - depending on what your expactations are, one of them might do quite well.
At Sosua there is a very nice public beach with good snorkeling at a reef about 100 yd. offshore. There are several dive shops in the area and there are many things to do off-resort: Rocky's Blues Bar, Eddy's Sports Bar, Britannia Pub all run by Canadians in the El Batey section of Sosua and Michael's Pub and Central Restaurant (lobster for about $140 RD approx. $7 US per person) in the Los Charimicos section of Sosua. El Batey and Los Charimicos are at opposite ends of the Playa Sosua.
In addition Cabarete is only a short guagua or publico ride away and is the home of surfing, kite boarding, wind surfing and boogie boarding on the North Coast. It has a younger crowd and an active nightlife.
Also because of the proximity to the larger resorts in Playa Dorada, Cofresi and Maimon you have access to all of the pre-arranged excursions which are available.
But the best is to hire a driver for the day and see some of the real D.R. It is very, very interesting. I recommend this the most.
If you got the impression that we prefer the North Coast; it is no mistake. We like getting off-resort whenever possible and trying new and exciting things - just not possible if you stay behind those gates."
Gregg
HI RACHEAL,
I'V gone on many day trips while visiting the north shore and understand why most like to be there...here is a place I haven't seen anything written about...Rancho Nazdrowie,http://www.popreport.com/Nazdrowie
The lady that runs it is a wonderful person,in the true feel of making your dreams come true .So let the world just keep on runing full speed ahead," I'm here right now and loven it."
Well I hope you have a great trip.... I'v been 11 times and still haven't seen all there's to see. Enjoy
JUDY
I'V gone on many day trips while visiting the north shore and understand why most like to be there...here is a place I haven't seen anything written about...Rancho Nazdrowie,http://www.popreport.com/Nazdrowie
The lady that runs it is a wonderful person,in the true feel of making your dreams come true .So let the world just keep on runing full speed ahead," I'm here right now and loven it."
Well I hope you have a great trip.... I'v been 11 times and still haven't seen all there's to see. Enjoy
JUDY
Hi Rachael,
Near Playa Grande besides golf
- Playa Grande (beach)
- Playa Caleton (beach)
- Rio San Juan (town)
- Gri-Gri Lagoon (boat trip through mangroves)
Riu Bachata to Teleferico (cable car) to Pico Isabel de Torres
- maybe 5 - 7 km.
- you can hop a guagua for 10 or 15 pesos; ask at the front desk
Riu Bachata to downtown POP
- maybe 8 - 9 km.
Playa Dorada to downtown POP
- maybe 4 - 5 km.
Public transportation is cheap and frequent so it is only as remote as you allow it to be. Travelling in a group is, as anywhere, preferred to a lady travelling alone. Use small bills as they will NEVER have change.
Gregg
Near Playa Grande besides golf
- Playa Grande (beach)
- Playa Caleton (beach)
- Rio San Juan (town)
- Gri-Gri Lagoon (boat trip through mangroves)
Riu Bachata to Teleferico (cable car) to Pico Isabel de Torres
- maybe 5 - 7 km.
- you can hop a guagua for 10 or 15 pesos; ask at the front desk
Riu Bachata to downtown POP
- maybe 8 - 9 km.
Playa Dorada to downtown POP
- maybe 4 - 5 km.
Public transportation is cheap and frequent so it is only as remote as you allow it to be. Travelling in a group is, as anywhere, preferred to a lady travelling alone. Use small bills as they will NEVER have change.
Gregg