- Thread starter hahm74
- Start date
How necessary is 4WD?
Thanks. That's what I was thinking. What about the road that leads from Constanza into the Valle Nuevo Scientific reserve? The descriptions of that road make it sound almost impassible. Is that true or a bit exaggerated? We're thinking of staying at Villa Pajon. Can we get there in an SUV or do we need the 4WD?
4x4 is not totally necessary but recommended. I got there twice with my 2001 Toyota Rav 4 2x2 but it was slow with some scrapes underneath.
Awesome that you're staying at Villa Paj?n! One of the real escapes of our country. Did you find a valid phone number? You must make the reservation before heading up to the hotel. There page is down and all the numbers I see online are not working.
Remember to bring all your food as well and a large cooler with ice to store certain items in. There is no electricity.
Also, don't forget to wake up in the middle of the night and observe the night sky. I guarantee you that there are more stars to gaze in the sky of Valle Nuevo than anywhere else in the Dominican Republic.
Better Have 4WD
Unless there is a tremendous difference in price I'd get one.
When you need 4WD (and do not have it) you'd wish you had one.
donP
No matter where you go it's good to have 4WD (in this country).
Unless there is a tremendous difference in price I'd get one.
When you need 4WD (and do not have it) you'd wish you had one.
donP
4WD recommended for the entire country. The first time I rented a vehicle in the DR it was a Mitsu Lancer. When I returned it I had to pay for damages that were caused by really bad pot holes on the roads. After that always rented a 4WD jeep and I have not looked back...no issues at all.
QFT...When you need 4WD (and do not have it) you'd wish you had one.
donP
Our 4WD has bailed us out on numerous occasions...
I'd get one with a real chassis, however...g
Thanks for all the advice. I have found some contact info online. I've sent an email, but haven't received anything back yet. If you have any up to date contact info, I'd appreciate it.
Also, I would love to get a good description of what the road is actually like. My husband can't wait to drive it(he loves driving the 4WD Jeep trails in the San Juan Mts in Colorado) - I'm not nearly as excited about it! What is this road really like - how wide is it? If you meet someone coming the other way are you in big trouble? Are there sheer dropoffs with no guard rails? Dirt? Gravel? Mud? Does it ever get maintained? Is it steep the whole way? Is the whole thing a mess or just sections? We would probably be coming from Jarabacoa(There's a chance we'll be coming from Santo Domingo). I've been told it will take two hours to get from Jarabacoa to Constanza (whether you take the main roads or the "short cut"). How long will it take from Constanza to get to Villa Pajon? Are you basically driving 5mph the whole way or only for certain sections of the road? Is the road in better/worse shape at certain times of the year? It will probably be the end of August when we drive it. Any descriptions would be greatly appreciated.
THANKS!
Also, I would love to get a good description of what the road is actually like. My husband can't wait to drive it(he loves driving the 4WD Jeep trails in the San Juan Mts in Colorado) - I'm not nearly as excited about it! What is this road really like - how wide is it? If you meet someone coming the other way are you in big trouble? Are there sheer dropoffs with no guard rails? Dirt? Gravel? Mud? Does it ever get maintained? Is it steep the whole way? Is the whole thing a mess or just sections? We would probably be coming from Jarabacoa(There's a chance we'll be coming from Santo Domingo). I've been told it will take two hours to get from Jarabacoa to Constanza (whether you take the main roads or the "short cut"). How long will it take from Constanza to get to Villa Pajon? Are you basically driving 5mph the whole way or only for certain sections of the road? Is the road in better/worse shape at certain times of the year? It will probably be the end of August when we drive it. Any descriptions would be greatly appreciated.
THANKS!
Just an update on Villa Paj?n. I stopped by there office and they are supposedly updating their website. The contact phone numbers for the office in Santo Domingo are 809.412.5210/809.412.5209. The secretary's name is Lidia.
I got my hands on an excellent interactive CD about Valle Nuevo. And to correct an earlier post I made, more than 400 rivers are born in Valle Nuevo!
We've done it. Get a 4WD with high ground clearance, if possible. Road is really ruff. Time? Depends on the weather. Could take 2 hr. could take 4. Your going into the dryer season, but in the Mountains, it still rains a lot. Take a lot of water and something to munch on. You'll get there. Have fun. Oh, put you walet and passport in a plastic bag. Won't get wet.
I use a Mitsubishi Lancer or a Daewoo every month when i go to DR with no problems, and I drive off road to some fincas in Bonao regularly, I would advise the posters who state you need a 4x4 to put down the Johnie black or the grande and slowwww down.
A 4x4 with a high clearance is a wise choice. When you are traveling and adventuring through new and most locations within the DR you have a reasonable comfort level knowing you will arrive to your destination in a 4x4 without having to be thwarted by bad road conditions that would be impassable by a standard highway vehicle.
Regards,
PJT
Regards,
PJT
Patrick, there is "off road" and then there is Off Road.I use a Mitsubishi Lancer or a Daewoo every month when i go to DR with no problems, and I drive off road to some fincas in Bonao regularly, I would advise the posters who state you need a 4x4 to put down the Johnie black or the grande and slowwww down.
While it's possible to go many places in the DR with few problems in good conditions, there are also many places and conditions where non-4WD vehicles won't make it.
I speak from direct experience.
We have a chassis-based 4WD and I wouldn't have anything else.
While I am sure there are some specific places you probably shouldn't try to go without a 4wd, from a vacationer's standpoint, there have been only a few occasions in my 20 or so DR vacations (rented a car each time) when I would have liked to have had one, and even fewer when I felt I really needed one. I have covered virtually every corner of the country, have always driven a compact car rented from a major company at the airport, and have never had a road-related breakdown other than a flat tire. For me, the cost is a major factor. If you check cost comparison sites like expedia or travelocity, for the same length of time at the same airport an SUV will cost an average of well over double a compact car, and in some cases triple. Add to that the fact that they tend to guzzle a lot more of the $5/gal gas, and for me it isn't worth it. For what it costs just to rent an SUV at the SDQ airport for 2 weeks, I can pay my airfare, rent a compact car, and have some beer/meal $ left over.
There is no reason to go that far off road because there will be no electricity to keep the beers cold,so hence no reason to travel that far off road.
Cooler+ice+beer=reason :classic:There is no reason to go that far off road because there will be no electricity to keep the beers cold,so hence no reason to travel that far off road.
But what about the road to Valle Nuevo???
I understand that for most of the DR there's really no need for a 4WD. We live in Antigua, where the roads are full of potholes and you have to watch out for cows/goats/horses/half dead stray dogs crossing the road. We have a Nissan Almera and have no troubles whatsoever. Once you know how to avoid the biggest potholes and how to steer through the ones you can't avoid, it's not really that big of a deal. Also, people here often think that high clearance is the same as 4WD. When people say, you need a 4WD for that road, what they really mean is that you need high clearance. From what everyone is saying, I'm thinking that is also the case in the DR. However, Antigua has no mountains and no mountain roads. We have been on a number of 4WD jeep trails in Colorado. The reality is, many of those roads all you need is clearance as well. However, if it's been raining, or you have to cross a stream, the 4WD is actually needed. We're planning on renting an SUV when we come. We're a family of 6 and don't fit in a compact car anyway. However, it's sometimes hard to tell if the SUV you're getting will have 4WD or not. The only road I'm really all that concerned about is the road that goes from Constanza to Valle Nuevo. The impression I have of this road is that it is a rugged mountain jeep trail. There's no way you're going to drive it in a mitsubishi lancer. However, if it hasn't been raining, you should be able to make it in an SUV, even if the SUV doesn't have 4WD. 4WD would be better, but may not be absolutely essential. Is that a correct assessment??
I understand that for most of the DR there's really no need for a 4WD. We live in Antigua, where the roads are full of potholes and you have to watch out for cows/goats/horses/half dead stray dogs crossing the road. We have a Nissan Almera and have no troubles whatsoever. Once you know how to avoid the biggest potholes and how to steer through the ones you can't avoid, it's not really that big of a deal. Also, people here often think that high clearance is the same as 4WD. When people say, you need a 4WD for that road, what they really mean is that you need high clearance. From what everyone is saying, I'm thinking that is also the case in the DR. However, Antigua has no mountains and no mountain roads. We have been on a number of 4WD jeep trails in Colorado. The reality is, many of those roads all you need is clearance as well. However, if it's been raining, or you have to cross a stream, the 4WD is actually needed. We're planning on renting an SUV when we come. We're a family of 6 and don't fit in a compact car anyway. However, it's sometimes hard to tell if the SUV you're getting will have 4WD or not. The only road I'm really all that concerned about is the road that goes from Constanza to Valle Nuevo. The impression I have of this road is that it is a rugged mountain jeep trail. There's no way you're going to drive it in a mitsubishi lancer. However, if it hasn't been raining, you should be able to make it in an SUV, even if the SUV doesn't have 4WD. 4WD would be better, but may not be absolutely essential. Is that a correct assessment??