Santo Domingo On $100 A Day ?

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ChrisNYC

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Sep 6, 2011
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Hello,

New member here but not new to the DR. Thank you for reading.

It's been a while since I've been to the DR. I used to go to cabarete and sosua but I got tired of being stuck in a small beach town. I am not a big drinker so sitting around all day drinking doesn't excite me. I love to do activities like ATVs hiking exploring cultures side trips etc. but I am on a rather limited budget for those sorts of things. I don't rent cars and I love to explore and for that reason I gave up on the north coast.

Maybe SD would be the answer ? I really like latin music and my knowledge of spanish is above average. I think I might get into the vibe in SD but my concerns would be getting around by public transport and eating in decent restaurants. Paying for taxis everyday for a month is out of the question. The fried foods sold on the side of the road are not my idea of good food.

I've got a budget of $40 a day for an apartment and $100 daily for food drink and party money to spend on chicas I might meet. $120 might be an option but I'd prefer to keep it to $100

Would I be living large or pinching my pennies ?

Thank you for your help!
 
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RacerX

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Nov 22, 2009
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your entertainment budget should be lower than $100-120. $40 sounds good to me.
 
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ChrisNYC

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Sep 6, 2011
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Thanks...few more questions

Thank you both for responding.

If I decided I didn't want to do taxis back and forth is the guagua system and subway functional enough to use...even at night ? Otherwise I hear an average one way taxi fare is $6...$30/45 from the airport to most places...true or false ? Two round trip taxi fares a day can add up.

So for $100 a day pocket money I could party with a chica eat in decent restaurants and pay drink/entrance fees to a club if I so desired ?

Do you think it makes sense for a first timer to commit to a month in SD ? I would consider a few overnight trips depending on costs.

Thanks Again
 
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yacht chef

Bronze
Sep 13, 2009
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Man geting around is part of the fun you like to explor . Get in a publick car and take a ride. You can pick up a girl for the day week what ever while exploring SD. It well take you a mounth to explor all sd has to offer . Ooo and don't waste a 100 a day have fun .
 
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London_Calling

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Aug 19, 2004
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subway functional enough to use
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- Yes provided you want to go to/from Villa Mella

I personally wouldn't want to spend 1 month in Santo Domingo alone. You should check the routes of Caribe Tour buses who cover most of the island (except the South East) and are very cheap. You could spend a few days in Barahona, San Juan, Santiago, Monti Cristi, Jarabacoa etc for a change of scenery.
 
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BigLongBeach

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Feb 8, 2010
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bigbird said:
I don't believe you will be able to find an apartment to rent for $40 a day.
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There are plenty of places to stay for under $40/day. The cheapest i saw was 900rd/day ($28). I am speaking about aparta hotels, not fully furnished residential apartments.
 
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greydread

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Jan 3, 2007
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EverythingJeff said:
Bienvenido a Hotel Luis V

This looks nice for 35USD +tax (and for a month, obviously cheaper)
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Nice place.

I'd say go for the "jacuzzi suite and pay the $55. If I'm gonna be somewhere for a month I want to be as comfortable as possible but that's just me. If OP were to take the advice to travel around the South and West by bus (highly recommended) then the $35 room makes great sense since he won't spend a lot of time there.

One can have a very good time in Santo Domingo for $100/day in discretionary spending as long as they don't spend it all on taxis, eat & drink local and take time to enjoy the simple pleasures.
 
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beastwood

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Jun 30, 2011
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bigbird said:
I don't believe you will be able to find an apartment to rent for $40 a day.
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I am returning for the 2nd time in two weeks to a small apartment (clean, stove fresh linens) on the Conde in the Zona Colonial...$26 /night. They exist. Try emailing apartahotelitalia@hotmail.com.....in spanish.

It is also possible to rent rooms in Boca Chica or Juan Dolio for under $40. if the beach is your thing.

It is also possible to make friends (chatting online) with chicas before you go on sites like dominicancupid.com...I am engaged now but I have on numerous occasions lined up multiple ( 2 or 3 a trip) 21 to 30 year old girls to spend a few days with...very fun for a divorced guy like me. Not a big prostitute fan....but meeting civilian non pro girls has it's downside, r they just looking for unreasonable gifts and visas (the other oldest profession)?, or will you break a nice girls' heart? Paying for it up front is easier....but if you have time and prefer quality....make a friend or two.
 
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ChrisNYC

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Sep 6, 2011
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I appreciate these responses. So far I've gotten lots of great answers.


Regarding Transportation:

One poster mentioned " as long as you don't spend it on taxi's etc.". What is the deal with the guagua system. If I am staying in Gazque Linclon Rd. or near the Colonial Zone will I have easy access to necessary guagua routes? Until what time do they run ?

Night taxi's are roughly $6 each way inside city limits ? Can I walk any of this ? Native NYer...love to walk.

Thanks Again!
 
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BigLongBeach

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Feb 8, 2010
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ChrisNYC said:
I appreciate these responses. So far I've gotten lots of great answers.


Regarding Transportation:

One poster mentioned " as long as you don't spend it on taxi's etc.". What is the deal with the guagua system. If I am staying in Gazque Linclon Rd. or near the Colonial Zone will I have easy access to necessary guagua routes? Until what time do they run ?

Night taxi's are roughly $6 each way inside city limits ? Can I walk any of this ? Native NYer...love to walk.

Thanks Again!
Click to expand...

Santo Domingo isnt a walking city. Sure once you get to your location walk around but i couldnt recommend taking public transportation at night (after 10pm) and i wouldnt recommend walking back and forth.
 
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BigLongBeach

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Feb 8, 2010
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To go further on the 'Santo Domingo isnt a walking city' comment. In my experience Santo Domingo is more destination driven than exploring. By destination driven i mean you go to a event or a location and you have fun there. It's not like New york or chicago where you could walk up and down finding new places, and landmarks.

Unless you are going to be serial dating or you have family and friends to meet with Santo Domingo for a month will be too long. Start meeting people online even if just for friends. plan 4 day weekend or weeklong trips to juan dolio, boca chica. Plan to visit the beaches in guayacanes or san cristobal.

If you are going to santo domingo for such a long time i would have the mentality that santo domingo is just my starting point. Im going to make friends online or where ever and move around from there
 
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GinzaGringo

Member
Sep 29, 2010
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$100 a day is plenty, especially if you can find a place with a kitchen and if you can cook a meal or two. I assume you will not be eating in restaurants and going to clubs every single night of the week, right? Invite the chicas over to cook for you. If you go restauranting and clubbing three nights a week, you can reallocate that $100 a day so that you can spend $200 a day on club nights.

I think Santo Domingo is a walkable city, even at night. If you are not a fat schlub and don’t look like an easy target, nobody will mess with you. Despite what people think, SD is exactly like Boston or New York in this regard. Don’t walk down dark streets you aren’t familiar with. Don’t stagger around town drunk with pesos falling out of your pocket and don’t steal any tigueres girlfriend and you’ll be fine. Walk around in the morning to get a lay of the land and after a week you’ll be an expert.

As far as getting around on the cheap by vehicle, here’s how you can do it. Find a taxi company you trust. I can vouch for Popular but there are others. Then, when you want to go out, take the concho or the guagua to the club, if you don’t want to get your party clothes all sweaty walking. After you have had a bunch of drinks and it is 2AM, call your trusty Popular taxi using the $35 burner Alcatel cellphone you bought on your second day in country--guagua to club, taxi from. That saves $6 a day right there, more for beers ham sandwiches and jugos.

The guaguas and conchos are a piece of cake. There are no subway maps but you will find that everyone is eager to help you. You will make some mistakes and end up in places you did not intend but that is fun, too. After five mistakes, you are an expert. For twenty-five pesos, how can you go wrong? Gazcue has good access to the ZC and to Lincoln by gua gua and by concho.

Ummm… one question, why not wait to do this in January? The weather is nicer in the northeast USA this time of year than it is down there. Unless you like it HOT HOT HOT!
 
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ChrisNYC

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Sep 6, 2011
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You guys set me straight. I totally appreciate it.

Maybe I will go down to Baja, CA and save the DR for later in the winter.

Many Thanks.
 
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windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
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I really dislike Santo Domingo. I have to go there to renew a document soon and don't even like the concept of spending one night there despite knowing the city better than I know Boston, New York or San Francisco. Let us know how you think of how the overall experience compares to Cabarete and the north coast. Cabarete is where I live. I do understand that some people like cities, just not me.
 
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EverythingJeff

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Oct 31, 2010
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windeguy said:
I really dislike Santo Domingo. I have to go there to renew a document soon and don't even like the concept of spending one night there despite knowing the city better than I know Boston, New York or San Francisco. Let us know how you think of how the overall experience compares to Cabarete and the north coast. Cabarete is where I live. I do understand that some people like cities, just not me.
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We are the opposite.

Well, I like Cabarete at night ;)
 
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R

RacerX

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Nov 22, 2009
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beastwood said:
I am returning for the 2nd time in two weeks to a small apartment (clean, stove fresh linens) on the Conde in the Zona Colonial...$26 /night. They exist. Try emailing apartahotelitalia@hotmail.com.....in spanish.

It is also possible to rent rooms in Boca Chica or Juan Dolio for under $40. if the beach is your thing.

It is also possible to make friends (chatting online) with chicas before you go on sites like dominicancupid.com...I am engaged now but I have on numerous occasions lined up multiple ( 2 or 3 a trip) 21 to 30 year old girls to spend a few days with...very fun for a divorced guy like me. Not a big prostitute fan....but meeting civilian non pro girls has it's downside, r they just looking for unreasonable gifts and visas (the other oldest profession)?, or will you break a nice girls' heart? Paying for it up front is easier....but if you have time and prefer quality....make a friend or two.
Click to expand...

I wouldnt have mentioned that. Your girl on DominicanCupid has been passed around quite a few times I am sure. That is why she is there. Guarantee the average woman on that site has been married about 3 times.
 
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