My intrepid friends prove that it can be done - a budget backpacker trip to the DR.
Cheap flight-only deal from the UK with Thomsonfly - ?250 per person for a two-week stay.
Of course, it helps to have friends with a spare room a few minutes away from Punta Cana airport. They spent the first few days with us here and we made a couple of day trips to Bayahibe/Saona and Playa Macao. They thought they might hire a car, but after one minute of driving in Ver?n they changed tactics.
They set off for SD on the Expreso B?varo which is about RD$320 (US$9) per person.
Armed with the Rough Guide, they looked for a moderately-priced hotel in the Colonial Zone. They tried Casa Elvira (which has been highly recommended in the past) which the Rough Guide (published Jan 09) put in the US$30-US$50 price range. They found that the price was actually US$140 and were shown a very small cramped room for US$110 so they decided to try elsewhere.
So, they ended up staying at El Refugio on Meri?o for RD$1,000 (US$27) a night. They ate traditional Dominican food at Mimosa's on Nouel and had breakfast at La Cafetera del Conde.
After a sightseeing in the Colonial Zone and shopping in the Mercado Modelo, they travelled to Samana on Caribe tours and spent one night at the Hotel Docia (RD$ 1000 per night). After whale watching with Kim Bedall (US$55 per person and worth every penny) they continued to Las Galeras.
In Las Galeras they stayed at Gri Gri's (also RD$1000 per night) and ate at the local comedores/on the beach. Took the boat from LG to Playa Rinc?n for RD$600 per person. On their last day in Saman? they took the guagua or camioneta to El Lim?n and went to the waterfall from Parada Do?a Nega. RD$500 per person including lunch and horses.
They returned to Punta Cana via ferry to Sabana de la Mar and took guaguas to Miches (against my advice because the road is so bad, but they made it OK) and then on to Higuey and then on to Punta Cana.
This information is incomplete when it comes to some of the prices, because it's a second-hand account posted with their permission.
Cheap flight-only deal from the UK with Thomsonfly - ?250 per person for a two-week stay.
Of course, it helps to have friends with a spare room a few minutes away from Punta Cana airport. They spent the first few days with us here and we made a couple of day trips to Bayahibe/Saona and Playa Macao. They thought they might hire a car, but after one minute of driving in Ver?n they changed tactics.
They set off for SD on the Expreso B?varo which is about RD$320 (US$9) per person.
Armed with the Rough Guide, they looked for a moderately-priced hotel in the Colonial Zone. They tried Casa Elvira (which has been highly recommended in the past) which the Rough Guide (published Jan 09) put in the US$30-US$50 price range. They found that the price was actually US$140 and were shown a very small cramped room for US$110 so they decided to try elsewhere.
So, they ended up staying at El Refugio on Meri?o for RD$1,000 (US$27) a night. They ate traditional Dominican food at Mimosa's on Nouel and had breakfast at La Cafetera del Conde.
After a sightseeing in the Colonial Zone and shopping in the Mercado Modelo, they travelled to Samana on Caribe tours and spent one night at the Hotel Docia (RD$ 1000 per night). After whale watching with Kim Bedall (US$55 per person and worth every penny) they continued to Las Galeras.
In Las Galeras they stayed at Gri Gri's (also RD$1000 per night) and ate at the local comedores/on the beach. Took the boat from LG to Playa Rinc?n for RD$600 per person. On their last day in Saman? they took the guagua or camioneta to El Lim?n and went to the waterfall from Parada Do?a Nega. RD$500 per person including lunch and horses.
They returned to Punta Cana via ferry to Sabana de la Mar and took guaguas to Miches (against my advice because the road is so bad, but they made it OK) and then on to Higuey and then on to Punta Cana.
This information is incomplete when it comes to some of the prices, because it's a second-hand account posted with their permission.