Solo travel to DR_Is it safe ?

bogdan_r

Newbie
May 29, 2017
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Hi, guys. I am planning to go on a one-month solo trip to DR, touching upon several cities.

1. The main question would be if it's safe to go on such a solo-backpacking kind of of travel in DR, considering that: (a) I will not stay at major/all-inclusive resorts and (b) I also plan on using public transport (bus/guagua) to get from one place to another.

2. Given that my general itinerary would go through Punta Cana-Sabana de la mar-Las Galeras-Las Terrenas-Cabrera-Puerto Plata-Santiago-Santo Domingo, I was wandering if such route would be fairly achievable by public transport.

Thanks in advance for helping me with the above and also with any other related tips you may have

Cheers

Bogdan
 

ju10prd

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Nov 19, 2014
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Welcome.

Well though out itinerary imo. And the first half should be a safe trip using common sense and guaguas. The trip around the East Coast all the way to Sabana de la Mar is much better these days with the new and improved highway and opens up some great places to see. Macao, Laguna de Limon, Laguna Redonda, Montana Redonda, Miches untouched beaches, Parque Los Haitises, Bahia de San Lorenzo with its 'mangroves, bird sanctuaries and caves all visited with a stay at the unique Paraiso Cano Hondo hotel, the ferry trip across to Samana and way too many good things to see and visit in the Samana Peninsula and plenty of threads on this forum giving advice. Your travel from Samana to Nagua and onto Cabrera won't be difficult(our Cabrera resident WW had a thread about his guagua journey to Nagua a few weeks back) nor onward travel to Rio San Juan.
But do check out some of the points of interest and quieter beaches in this part of the coast.
Beyond RSJ, you will get plenty of advice travelling onwards along the North Coast and down to Santiago, the capital and beyond by members who live and frequent these parts, but the cities may prove the more unsafe places to travel if you go beyond the normal tourist visited areas.

I live in Santo Domingo and a couple of days in Zona Colonial is enough imo.

Final thought. I trust your Spanish is half decent.
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
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Can you speak Spanish well enough to ask the locals where to catch a guagua, where to transfer to the next one and discuss pricing and schedules?

It's pretty hot these days, summer is coming. Local transport can be crowded and is sometimes known to turn your hair gray prematurely. By the time you work your way to Puerto Plata, you'll welcome the opportunity to ditch the guagua for a real bus as you move southward.

Keep the plan loose enough to deal with the slow pace of things here and the inevitable delays. Consider topping up your cash supply in the bigger cities/towns along your route so you don't have to carry a wad with you all the time. Use the banks instead of the street changers. You're not here long enough to get all worried about a peso here or there difference in the exchange rate from one place to the next.

Have a good time, but not enough of a good time to lose control or common sense. Try to avoid going to places or getting into situations where you look around and see no one else. A greater degree of safety is being within earshot of other people. Be wary of new found friends. Resist the temptation to take friends back to your accommodations.

It's doable. I'd suggest you try to get to wherever you are going to spend the night by about 4 or 5 pm each travel day. Traveling after dark is not advisable either is wandering around with all of your worldly possessions on your back. You should be relatively safe if you keep your wits about you and remember everyone will want something from you. If not just a smile, certainly your money and anything else they can reasonably expect you to part with. Having a cellphone that works here is probably a good idea.

Check in with someone by email, txt msg or some such each day so someone always knows where you are, where you are going next and how you are getting there.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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Hi Bogdan

You should not have any issues at all. When in the las Terrenas area I suggest you stay at Dan and Manty's guesthouse which is specifically for back packers and you can probably meet up with others going your way.

https://www.facebook.com/danandmantyshostel/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...renas_Samana_Province_Dominican_Republic.html

There is also a great hostel in the Colonial Zone in Santo Domingo

http://islandlifebackpackershostel.com/

The DR is turning into a major backpacking destination. You will have no problem on public transport and everyone is very helpful. Remember if your back pack won't fit under the seat or in the racks you may have to pay for a ticket for it. You need to consider the different types of transport. There are the posh buses with aircon, toilet and tv which you can get from santiago to santo domingo and puerto plata to santiago. Posh but still cheap. Along the north coast you can get guagua (local bus) or publico - public shared taxis. The latter will put your back pack in the boot (trunk I think in American).

Chill it will be easy and have great time.

Matilda
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
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Speaking as a guagua user........

here's a recent experience
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had occasion to ride a guagua today..... busy times on the roads

El Breton to Nagua (buscandoing my car at the mechanic).

Uneventful start...I got a nice seat in the back of a nearly empty one.

As time passed, it filled up.
Upon entering Nagua we had 18 people, driver and friend counted.

Remember that last row?... now a bit squished but all women... one skinny too!!

I felt out the window to see if I could find a roof rack.... yup!

Yell to el chofer..... a la bomba.

Ask my fellow passenger Ayudame...
And slip out the window via the handle provided by the roof rack.

The faces on all those passengers..... the Driver's was the best..

Paid my fare
Adding 'loco Gringo...... o inteligente?'

He laughed.....and drove off

It takes a lot to shake these people
I had a laugh doing it....

Hahahaha..... que vida!!!
 

santiagodude

Member
Nov 25, 2012
513
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Traveling long distances by Gua gua can be a miserable experience. I did it between Puerto Plata and Las Terrenas.   Once was enough for a lifetime. Every time you think the Gua Gua is full,new seats are magically created. Sardines come to mind. That said, metro bus or caribe tours have air conditioning and your own reclining seat. Some offer wifi and movies. Highly recommended. 
 
Mar 1, 2009
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I've been back for about 4 weeks now and it is very calm. I've been walking and going everywhere and the crime situation is under control. There is still crime like anywhere but overall, I am very pleased so far with how things are developing. I think you'll be fine. Wear no shiny stuff and do wear your bummy clothes without looking like a total grub or slob. I hope you have a great time.
LC
 

Fulano2

Bronze
Jun 5, 2011
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Traveling long distances by Gua gua can be a miserable experience. I did it between Puerto Plata and Las Terrenas.   Once was enough for a lifetime. Every time you think the Gua Gua is full,new seats are magically created. Sardines come to mind. That said, metro bus or caribe tours have air conditioning and your own reclining seat. Some offer wifi and movies. Highly recommended. 



Don't backpack in Guatemala then. That's the real stuff in their "escolares", still feel it, although it's 18 years ago.
 

bogdan_r

Newbie
May 29, 2017
3
0
0
Thanks a lot for all your replies, they've been very helpful. One aspect seems recurrent, namely mastering to a certain degree the Spanish language. Since I'm not fluent in Spanish but I could deal with some basic stuff (ie, asking for/understanding directions etc) I hope I could make it. That is if communicating in English is really such a problematic aspect in DR. As for traveling with guaguas, since it appears that it may be a bit of a challenge, I intend to travel very light (small backpack, max. 5-6 kilos).

Again, many thanks for all the very useful info.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
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Thanks a lot for all your replies, they've been very helpful. One aspect seems recurrent, namely mastering to a certain degree the Spanish language. Since I'm not fluent in Spanish but I could deal with some basic stuff (ie, asking for/understanding directions etc) I hope I could make it. That is if communicating in English is really such a problematic aspect in DR. As for traveling with guaguas, since it appears that it may be a bit of a challenge, I intend to travel very light (small backpack, max. 5-6 kilos).

Again, many thanks for all the very useful info.

What you have planned is doable but without any Spanish language skills it could be problematic. Most of the "locals" and especially the Gua Gua drivers will most likely not speak English. Yes communicating out in the countryside in English with Domincans is problematic. Can you get by with a few phrases, yes, but just remember you are not in Kansas anymore. A fun trip could easily become a disaster very quickly. Good luck and good travels.
 

mofongoloco

Silver
Feb 7, 2013
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I bumped into a video travel log of a young Asian American kid who spoke about three words of Spanish. He wanted to hitchhike. Ended up using guaguas, staying in crappy hotels. Looks like he had a lot of fun. 

Search you tube and you'll find tons of young adventurous people doing what you plan. 
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Use the banks instead of the street changers. You're not here long enough to get all worried about a peso here or there difference in the exchange rate from one place to the next.

You can also safely use Caribe Express branches or Banco Caribe (same company) which always has better exchange rates than banks, and alternatively Vimenca/Western Union also has good rates (better than banks but not as good as Caribe Express/Banco Caribe).
 

Fulano2

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Jun 5, 2011
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I bumped into a video travel log of a young Asian American kid who spoke about three words of Spanish. He wanted to hitchhike. Ended up using guaguas, staying in crappy hotels. Looks like he had a lot of fun. 

Search you tube and you'll find tons of young adventurous people doing what you plan. 



Lonely planet is your friend. In my days a book, don't know now, an app? 
 

Bronxboy

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2007
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I do not see anything out of hand in this thread.

Re-opened.................
 

Fulano2

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Jun 5, 2011
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Travelling alone is not unsafe, but you have to use common sense. Don't go into barrios at night. Don't even think of
sleeping on the beach. For instance.