Economy trip around Hispanola.

I love LT, and Samana peninsula in general. There's everything there, and attractions are all within a few miles.
I've been to several border provinces: Pedernales, nothing to see in terms of towns, but some nice places like Bahia de Las Aguilas, of course, and Hoyo de Pelempito. Elias Pi?a, not much to see, but neighbor San Juan de La Maguana has some nice towns, like San Juan itself (small, boring towns, beware). Montecristi is nice and has beaches. Dajabon, well, not really much going on there besides border-based commerce. All these towns have budget but clean little hotels.
Haiti, well, I had the bad luck of visiting just after the earthquake. What I saw then is enough for me. I don't think I'll ever go back.

Giveadog,
Google casa robinson in las Terrenas for economy lodging.

You can walk into Haiti from Pedernales to Anse A Pitres which is a very small little town which sorta dead ends at the sea. Not much to see. Ouanaminthe is just depressing and dusty.

Belledaire is older and has quite beautiful architecture and seems much bigger and livelier than Elias Pinas with a market around the old town square Don't think that Belledaire has a hotel although that would be the only place that I would be interested in staying. It is the old Capital of Haiti. but not set up for any sort of tourism. You could find a beer, but aside from the local market there not a lot to see but you can certainly soak up the difference in the culture. There is a big hospital and an old library which is, I think crumbling and closed. I went on a Market day.. lots of folks out and about. very different. very much like a trip to Haiti. But a few hours should do it. There will be folks who speak Spanish, I suppose, but you will really just hear Kreyole.

There is a one hour time difference between the two countries.

That said.. I really like that central valley - San Juan de Maguana and Matas de Farfan.. There is an old Trujillo era hotel in San Juan and another one called El Liban which had a marble type bathroom as big as my living room. There are some wonderful drives - a high sorta valley with mountains on either side. Very beautiful country. And a wonderful kinda dry desert climate.

Make sure that you have your passport as there are border guards all along the road although if you stay there, along the road, they will get to know you.

There is a hotel on the outskirts of Matas de Farfan called D'Cactus which has nice rooms and a pool. Decent food too if you give them warning. They are busy on the market days of Monday and Friday but other wise pretty empty. Musta been a narco resort of some sort -- now owned by a lovely Haitian woman.

The trip into Haiti is pretty cool - crossing about 15 minutes of sheer dirt - best done on concho (I would have preferred a mule which is how a lot of the women come into the market with their veggies but there were only conchos waiting at the border - they will change a few hundred pesos into gourdes for you) although a friend was just here and says that there is a new customs place and the road is now good from Belledaire to PauP (but I would not suggest going there- Belledaire is much nicer than PauP) and there is electricity now.

It has been five or six years since I was there and they had a binational fair there so there may be more than there was.

San Juan de Maguana has a very dark skinned population. Matas de Farfan is very light skinned. Elias Pinas is light skinned Dominicans and Haitians. A very interesting and different place.

You can check with the locals there to see how the international highway is from there to Dajabon (which I hear is a gorgeous trip but I never had a 4x4 which you need ) or the secondary roads.

All of it is quite beautiful and a very different climate. Only thing that is lacking is good food. There is a decent local comedor on the corner of the square in Elias Pinas next to the ice cream place. Otherwise, you will be at Pica Pollos unless you are in a good hotel.

definitely worth seeing in my book.

I have gone back to D'Cactus a couple of times just to enjoy the peace and quiet and high desert air.