Colonial Zone Questions

Ok Colonial Zone would take you about 1 hour to walk around but if you intend looking at the various musems about half a day. Watch out for the many money changers and tourist guides who will divert you into their buddies shops as they get commision. Be firm but polite and they will leave you alone....if thats what you want that is?
A cab well not sure where are coming from (Country that is) but the cabs here are very different ......private taxi or public car.
PC are cheaper but you risk life and limb not to mention all your possesions. Priced per person.

PT they have to be called mostly the hotel can do this for you. They are much better but still make sure you get the price agreed before you start the journey. Priced for the cab normally but not always????
Coming back is not so bad as there are many Taxi's available. Advice try not to go alone anywhere and do not be side tracked down an alley way on your own.
Stick with the crowds and you will be ok.
Price seems a bit high to me but like I said get the price agreed before you go anywhere. You can get a bus to Punta Cana ...4 hour journey .....for less than 10 dollars so dont be taking the first price...haggle.

This goes for any trinkets you want to buy......dont be surprised if you see the same thing you haggled for and got half price somewhere else for half that price.....get the picture????

Skippy!

10$ to Punta Cana from Juan Dolio - I think not!!!! If you are feeling brave get the bus to the Colonial Zone for 70RD$. It takes about an hour and you can get it from anywhere on the main highway. Ask the bus driver for the Zona Colonial and he will take you there. It is best to get a guide when you are there and they wil approach you. Make sure you see the cathedral and the museum, maybe the amber museum too, and then walk down El Conde the shopping street. When you are ready to leave ask for Metro, Juan Dolio and the taxi will take you to the Juan Dolio bus station. Once on the bust ask them for your hotel (if Costa Caribe, Talanquera) and they will drop you at the motorway entrance to hotel or if Capella ask for Metro Juan Dolio or if Albatros ask for El Tanque Juan Dolio. The latter two you can get motorconcho to your hotel. If you need more instructions just pm me when you get here.

Matilda

Made the trip Santo Domingo to Punta Cana Occidental Grand flamenco 2 months ago by bus cost 320 pesos each. current exchange rate is roughly 10 dollars US...but if you know different who am I to argue.

Can,t believe you are recommending to use a motoconcho do you really think they are safe??

Skippy1

i've taken the guagua from boca chica (a little closer than juan dolio) many times. It usually runs about 40 pesos. very clean and good air. rather than ask for zona colonial tho i ask for parque indepencia (sp?). you are let off a block from el conde (the main strip)

I Have always felt safe in the Zona. But a word to the wise...wear long pants and try not to look like a typical tourist.

Definitely check out the cathedral and fort ozama (but decline a guided tour).

The only trick to taking the guagua (bus) is that you have to change the bus on the highway. And just find out the exact fare B4. its really not that hard and it is kinda fun.

If you plan on making a night of it...then arranging for a taxi back might be a good idea. Just have your hotel give you someone to call.

As a solo traveler i have never had any problems in the Zona. But it is always good to keep a look around just to be on the safe side.

Yor're staying at the Embassy Suites according to your prior posts. The cab to SD is very expensive. If you don't mind a min. of $100 round trip OK. If not use the public transit but take some precautions as you would in ANY city with a lot of people.There is a shuttle bus at Embassy that will take you to the main gate/hyway for no charge.
Make it a 3/4 day trip with public transit and you'll be fine and have a lot of fun.Travel after and before commuter's traffic just like in ANY other big city.

Cell phone and camera inside your bag. Small change in pesos available in your pocket. No large sum of money. The room safe is free. Use it. Passport in safe.Long pants. No Hawaian lays. No white sun block on your nose-blend it in. Leave the cowboy hat at the hotel and wear ball caps. Either NYY or Mets. Don't take a picture of the lady carrying a chicken on the bus. If you don't know the words to the songs there're singing don't sing. Go to both cafes on both ends of El Conde. Lemon ade in Paco's and Capuccino in the one in front of the park. (name escapes me).Pizza in between.
If you don't speak Spanish and get lost here are the key words/meta tags you need in English.
1) Gua-Gua
2) Boca Chica
3) Juan Dolio
4) Public(o)
5) Tourist Police(stand in front of park where you'll have your Capuccino)

A half of block from this park is a new (what is the name of the chain folks?) that is American. Never have been in there but I'm sure they have heard all of your questions for direction many times before.
Good luck
john

BTW-are you bringing your laptop? (your PM to me)

Ditto on all the previous posts. You may want to book into one of the less expensive hotels in the Colonial Zone for a night, a day trip will only leave you wanting more. Here is a great website, Complete Guide to the Colonial Zone, with all kinds of info. Enjoy!

The Complete Guide to Colonial Zone, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Tourist Information, Restaurants, Night Life, Hotels, History, Monuments, Maps, Music, Businesses, Folklore, Calendar, Language and So Much More.

the previous posts are very accurate in their advice about the Col. Zone ...I would second the reccomendation about getting dropped off in the Parque de Independencia ...then you can see that and start out on Calle Conde, browse the shops on that street and end up (just by walking to the end of the street) at the cathedral. If you can get a basic map you will easily be able to find the Panteon (gaurded flame), museums, sun dial, and fort Ozama ...those are all within very close walking distance and could easily be done in an afternoon. I think the fort costs 30 pesos, while everything else I mentioned has no admission costs. Unless you are interested in thurough explanations of everything you are seeing and someone to answer all of your questions, I would not recommend a guide. But, I am the kind of person who prefers to wander around and see things on my own without being on someone elses time (and money). Its just a matter of personal preference.

Another option on how to get to the Colonial Zone is to ask at the hotel if any of the staff offer taxi services on their day off. I have done this often. The price is reasonable and they will stay with you and take you anywhere you want to go. They will take you back to JD when you want also. It works out for both parties. You get a personalized service and they get to add income to the small pay they get at the hotel. Plus they will probrably speak good English and take you to the good places for bargains.

Dulce suggests a good option. One of the best things that I did when I first visited the DR was to find a taxi driver that I negotiated a good price with and let him know that I would use him to take me around the city and when I returned to the airport at the end of my visit. The expectation of future employment is a good negotiating tool and I have developed good relationships with some of them over several years and count on them to pick me up at the airport, transport me to and pick me up from some of the sites that aren't within walking distance, and, in some cases, to negotiate sales at Dominican, as opposed to Gringo, prices from merchants.

RonS said:

Dulce suggests a good option. One of the best things that I did when I first visited the DR was to find a taxi driver that I negotiated a good price with and let him know that I would use him to take me around the city and when I returned to the airport at the end of my visit. The expectation of future employment is a good negotiating tool and I have developed good relationships with some of them over several years and count on them to pick me up at the airport, transport me to and pick me up from some of the sites that aren't within walking distance, and, in some cases, to negotiate sales at Dominican, as opposed to Gringo, prices from merchants.

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Very good advise Ron. I always have the indi spirit and like going it alone on the guaguas. but then i do speak "some" spanish and feel comfortable. (And i am usually on a very strict budget jejeje).

If one has the $$$ to spend tho...most definitely get a guide. You lose money tho...cuz what you save in haggeling you will paying him for gas and lunch etc.

The OP has a couple of months. He should pick up a good english to spanish book and would do fine on a guagua.

I personaly really like the guagua...everyone singing along to the radio etc. I have not ever had one remote problem. As a gringo tho....you just have to know the fare and have the EXACT fare in your hands. Then you have to know how to change the bus on the highway (its easy) and then you have to know where to get off the bus. (again...just ask anyone for parque indepencia).

Just one word tho. One goes thru complete culture shock from going to juan dolio into the city.

you are going to have a BLAST! just be aware in the CZ as in ANY tourist area that there are scammers. You have done well by finding DR1 and getting some really good advise.

I'm like Jrzyguy, I love to travel using the guagua. You get a wonderful exposure to the Dominican people that you don't get in a private taxi. And, its less expensive. But if you're a first time visitor, you may be a bit intimidated, although there really isn't any cause to be. After my first few visits and I adjusted to being in the DR, I quickly learned that the guagua and Caribe Tours Bus/Metro are the way to go.

Highly agree with the Guagua's for Boca Chica, Juan Dolio to C.Z. trips, My last trip was in march, trip out was on a large a/c US style bus with video included. It was $RD 80. The trip back was one of the EXPRESS guagua's and the costs was $RD 60 ($RD34 = $US 1.00 or thereabouts) whats not to like?? Get to the Main Highway in Juan Dolio, find the bus stop and take the first EXPRESS to Santo Domingo, some will take you to the Duarte neighborhood and others may take you right to Independence Park at the foot of the zone. Depends on time and traffic from my experience. Ask for the zone and sometimes you win and sometimes you loose. Even from Duarte it's $RD 150 to the zone.

Have fun, mix with the locals, look and see what they are paying if your unsure.

Karlheinz

Feel free to contact me if you want a Gringa to show you around the Zone.