One Month in Sosua/ Stir Crazy ?

ChrisNYC · Dec 29, 2017

I am totally missing the DR and the local flavor. Love the music, the people, and the food. I need somewhere to spend the month of Feb and the DR is back on my radar.

In the past I have usually done 2 week trips. During that time I have taken little side excursions to Puerto Plata or Santiago. Every now and then I go visit Cabarete.

Eventually I run out of things to do and I walk back and forth on Pedro Clisante a few times a day.

I don't rent cars when I travel but I am open to public transport. I speak spanish and have lots of experience in 3rd world countries.

I just get bored really easily.

Would consider spending time in Santo Domingo but I think the issue with getting around and not being able to walk places would drive me nuts. Also prices for everything seem to be much higher.

Been to Puerto Plata on little days trips but didn't really see too much going on. Better to be in PP for the month versus Sosua ?

My budget would be $125 pocket money per day after room is paid for. This would need to include entertainment , food, transportation and anything else paid for during the day.

I do have interest in improving my dancing skills....bachata and salsa.

Can anyone add to this or make me see things in a different light ?

Greatly Appreciated.

PS. I have no issues going into barrios or mixing. Born and raised in NYC, currently living in Tijuana/San Diego.

Many Thanks

bigbird · Dec 29, 2017

ChrisNYC said:
........... Would consider spending time in Santo Domingo but I think the issue with getting around and not being able to walk places would drive me nuts. Also prices for everything seem to be much higher.......

You can easily spend a week in Santo Domingo, at least I think so. Getting around would be really easy using Uber. A decent small hotel can be had for $45 a night.

dv8 · Dec 29, 2017

i would stick to SD only. it has every "flavour" available on pedro clisante and a lot more to boot. museums, cinemas, theaters, shopping malls. it's not walkable for the most part but uber is easy and cheap.

diario libre website has subsection called tiempo libre. every saturday they announce a bunch of events in SD, from concerts to sports. on FB you can find clubs, bars and associations for every legal activity in the capital from salsa dancing to running and cycling. big cities rarely get boring.

william webster · Dec 29, 2017

Think of the 4-5 million people aspect in Sto Dom... big doesn't cover it.

Everything you want in a city that size ... capital'V'.. Variety...

What you might need is a companion to point you in the right direction
if you haven't already got one.

Beaches are near enough... bus out to the eastern beaches if you desire.

From your POP.... take a trip to Samana.... easy bus trip
A week there will fly by...

have a good time !!

RV429 · Dec 29, 2017

Forget SD, do as Willy says and go to the Samana Peninsula. A cheap bus trip to a place with so much to do.
Unless you like big smelly cities, oh you're from NY, avoid SD.

RV429 · Dec 29, 2017

Also, consider going to Cabrera for a few days.

william webster · Dec 29, 2017

Now there's a snoozer..... Cabrera...

Whew.... pretty dull,

good food - no
activities- no
beaches - nearby , not in

Rio San Juan is actually livelier.... better food, more to do... small beach & Playa Caleton nearby

cobraboy · Dec 29, 2017

SD has become a gigantic parking lot...

bigbird · Dec 29, 2017

RV429 said:
Forget SD, do as Willy says and go to the Samana Peninsula. A cheap bus trip to a place with so much to do.
Unless you like big smelly cities, oh you're from NY, avoid SD.

You know thing is maybe not everyone is looking for the beach thing. Some folk really do enjoy the big city. Myself I doubt I could enjoy a week on Samana Peninsula whereas in SD I never, ever run out of things to do.

dv8 · Dec 29, 2017

and it's easy to get out from SD to samana for a few days. or to punta cana. or even west to barahona.

william webster · Dec 29, 2017

Yes -- a better hub than POP

ChrisNYC · Dec 30, 2017

I appreciate the responses.

The problem with doing these little side trips is reservations. I assume FEB is high season and people book way in advance ?

I guess the issue is " How to keep occupied in Sosua for a month? ". I like the town and what it has to offer but I just need to add to it.

Technically I think Sosua is good for 4/5 days tops but I am not paying a few grand to stay a few days. It has to be one month.

Some guys do it. Maybe they play golf or wife up ?

I wonder if food would be a huge expense for that amount of time ? The restaurants aren't cheap in Sosua.

Salsafan · Dec 30, 2017

Chris, you think too much. Just take a guagua in any direction with a bottle of rum, and have fun.

william webster · Dec 30, 2017

SD won't give you that problem - booking - and the variety of restaurants keeps prices in line.

Samana is just a keyboard away from answering the booking issue...
I have not found it to be too expensive.

Sosua can be expensive... preponderance of tourists

Timotero · Dec 30, 2017

Cheap eats on the street!

ChrisNYC said:
........... ?

I wonder if food would be a huge expense for that amount of time ? The restaurants aren't cheap in Sosua.

Breakfast at Rockys: 205 pesos for the #38. 2 eggs, bacon, home fries, toast and coffee (I leave 250 pesos)
(MontRoyqle next door on the corner offers a 99 pesos breakfast, but I’ve never tried it,)

Lunch: 50 pesos for a big styrofoam container of fresh fruit from the fruit cart guy. He’s usually on the corner of PC and Dr Rosen from morning till early afternoon. Then he moves over by Baileys.
Alternative lunch: “la bandera” (plate of the day) at any of multiple places in Sosua. Rice, beans, salad, and meat (usually chicken, pork or beef slow cooked in a “criollo” sauce. 150 pesos.

Dinner: a half “pollo carbon” (chicken grilled over charcoal) served with yuca, special salsa, and red onions simmered in vinegar) 200 pesos. A whole charcoal chicken w sides: 300 pesos. Again, offered at many spots in Sosua. (Look for them on your daily walks).

So three meals a day for around 500 pesos total (less than $10 US) That shouldn’t take too big a “bite” out of your $125/day Budget, right?

Eat like that maybe 5 Days a week and you’ll have plenty of pesos left to splurge 2 nights a week at the more “touristy” places in Sosua, Cabarete, or PuertoPlata. (But IME, most of the “tourist restaurants” in Sosua aren’t really that expensive. Maybe 200-300 pesos for a pasta entree. 500 or so for a meat/fish dish.

Enjoy your trip.

Harleysrock · Dec 30, 2017

I don’t think restaurants in Sosua are expensively at all. Cabarete now that I find expensive.

What do you like to do?? I’m a fan of Sosua, for my peeps mostly but if you don’t like drinking all day at bars or the beach or ****ing hookers it can be a bit boring.
Lost of easy trips from there though and really I love Sosua for the people not stuff to do. If you can find some fun people to hang with it would make a huge difference!

You can usually find places without reservations even in the high season, really it’s pretty easy here just to go with the flow travel around and find cool places IMO but I drive. Personally I would rent a car but some can’t deal with all the weirdness and dangers of driving here but busses, guaguas will be almost as good.

Good luck and have fun wherever you decide. To me SD has the colonial zone and that’s pretty much it other than the wonderful malls but I doubt the malls would interest a tourist.

ChrisNYC · Dec 30, 2017

Thank You for taking the time to respond.

Much Appreciated.

monfongo · Dec 30, 2017

Been to Samana a number of times and every time I've gone there I asked myself "why did you come here". Boooring.

bachata · Dec 30, 2017

I want to spend a week vacation in Punta Cana next year, in a nice resort, just to see what people is talking about... Here in the US PC is a boom, every body wants to go or have been there. but the North coast is my favorite Dominican destination because in this area you can combine different tourist environments...

Yo conosco la RD de Cabo a rabo!!!

JJ

Harleysrock · Dec 30, 2017

bachata said:
I want to spend a week vacation in Punta Cana next year, in a nice resort, just to see what people is talking about... Here in the US PC is a boom, every body wants to go or have been there. but the North coast is my favorite Dominican destination because in this area you can combine different tourist environments...

Yo conosco la RD de Cabo a rabo!!!

JJ

PC is the only place in the Country I tell people not to go to lol
But you know the drill here you are no newbie

.

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