staying in Boca Chica- travel to SD, recc's?

margherita

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Apr 8, 2003
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Hi, I am back! Now that I've done some more investigation on SD and the area, I am thinking that it might be a good idea to stay in Boca Chica, and then hop a guagua into SD if I want to go there for the day. Would y'all recommend that? How long does it take to get to SD-- 1/2 hr? Cost? The hotels in BC are so much cheaper, and I would like to take in some sun, R&R. Also, could you recommend anyplace to stay in Boca Chica? Ideally, I want a place which has characater and is not a chain. AI might be ok if there is scuba diving, bike trips, pickup from Las Americas, etc. Really, I am not interested in eating institutional food and ignoring the local culture. Thanks again for all of your help.
 

Mcinbrass

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Jan 2, 2002
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You are much better...

...doing it the other way around. Youll find far superior hotel accomodations in the Capital itself as well as restaurants, nightlife etc. The guagua back and forth costs 20 pesos. Please email me if you need any more information.
 

CMS

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Jan 28, 2003
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Boca Chica

The most quiet and charming place in Boca Chica is Meson Isabella. A small 6 room hotel with pool. Check it out, you won't regret it.
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
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margherita said:
The hotels in BC are so much cheaper, and I would like to take in some sun, R&R. Also, could you recommend anyplace to stay in Boca Chica?

Go to www.bocachicabeach.net which has excellent info, prices and pictures of both AI and non AI in Boca Chica.

I'd recommend the Costalunga (up the hill from the beach) or if you are family oriented and like being on the beach, non AI would be Zapata.

If your Spanish is adequate the gua-guas are much cheaper than a car service. Which is in the 1000 RD$ range for round trip plus three hours waiting time in SD.
 

dale7

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Apr 18, 2002
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I recommend the Costa Lunga. A couple of minutes of walk to the beach with an internet center right there. Trust me, you will want quiet at night and this is a nice tranquil place and not as noisy or heavily traveled as other areas right near Duarte Ave. A taxi round trip costs 1000RD as previously stated to the capital and depending on where in Santo Domingo you are headed around 35 minutes on average travel time and if you need to go from the airport to Boca Chica, 15 minutes approximately by Taxi expect to pay about 350RD. I personally would split my time between SD and BC. A few days at BC and a few days in the capital. While there in the DR a month or so ago, Presidentes generally 30-35RD, and a typical tourist meal at a midrange restaurant will cost about $100-150RD, but you can eat cheaply for 50RD or less at a cafe, for 250-350RD you can eat very extravagantly. Gua Gua's or publicos/busses are what I use to travel usually. Both are reasonable in price. Gua Gua's are usually very crowded, warm, with loud bachata music, hey that is why I like them, lol. In BC you can walk anywhere to get where you need to go or hop on a back of a motoconcho(motorbike) and they generally will take you anywhere in the town for less than 30RD. Have fun, wherever you decide to stay.
dale7(Howard)
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
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Ask for a poolside room

I stay at Costlunga 6 times a year, wonderful place, the walk to the beach is only minutes and it is less hectic than Duarte ( although there aren't any hotels ON Duarte other than 200 peso rooms for hookers).

Still on Avenida del Sur there is no shortage of motoconchos at all hours so if you book ahead ask for a pooside not streetside room. 900% quieter.

In BC a truly extravagant meal is a lot more than 250 RD$ though, e.g. Neptunos maybe RD$ 700 with drinks, the Swiss fondue place RD$500 , and ther eis one place whose name escapes me but it faces Calypso on one side and the Hamaca road on the other is fixed price at the RD$ 650 range.

You supposedly can get day passes for Hamaca including meals but I think it is farr too expensive for what you get but you can do that once if you want.
 

Arve

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Oct 13, 2002
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dale7 said:
Gua Gua's or publicos/busses are what I use to travel usually. Both are reasonable in price. Gua Gua's are usually very crowded, warm, with loud bachata music, hey that is why I like them, lol. In BC you can walk anywhere to get where you need to go or hop on a back of a motoconcho(motorbike) and they generally will take you anywhere in the town for less than 30RD. Have fun, wherever you decide to stay.
dale7(Howard)

30 RD???!!! 30RD?????!!!! :) I suppose prices may have risen
since my last stay there, Sept. 2002, but I never paid more than
a tenner when going from the park to my "Dominican family" up
there in Monterey and beyond. Everything has become so
expensive these days..

I don't know about hotels as I've always used private
accomodation/lived with Dominicans when I've been there.

Guaguas from Boca Chica to SD are cheap. Make sure to use
the ones with air condition. On the way to SD, swap buses in
Andres and pay only on the bus departing Andres for SD. I
usually jump off in SD when the bus makes a turn off 27. Feb. or
when the bus stops in Parque Independencia.

Going back one might jump on from Parque Ind. but the easiest
might be to take it from Jose Marti, which runs paralell to Duarte
in SD. On the bus to BC you don't get off to change buses in
Andres.

I might make it sound complicated but it is quite easy. Any other
way of traveling between those places is a waste of money in my opinion and deprives you of an experience. That bus journey is among the most enjoyable things I do when over there, and though I do admit to be a rather sad and boring sod, that should not take anything away from the journey itself. :)

The trip should take anything from 45 min to an hour.
 

dale7

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Apr 18, 2002
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I thought I would clarify my prices

In BC, meals are more expensive on average than in Santo Domingo or in the north. I always pay 20 pesos for a motoconcho but sometimes have paid 30 pesos late at night, intoxicated with a lady riding back with me, so two passengers and I don't care about haggling. For meals I didn't include drinks. For example in BC, a normal size Presidente is usually around 35RD, 5 pesos either way. In Santo Domingo and in the north, they are a little cheaper usually around 30RD on average. For me, an extravagant meal is a great steak dinner, or seafood dish that would cost 30US plus in the states, not including wine. Everyone knows wine is expensive and I don't drink wine. But for 300RD you can get a great meal and you can get more value for your dollar in Santo Domingo. There are no hotels per se right on Duarte but there are several on side streets right near Duarte, hell a minute walk will get you to Duarte. FOr example, the Hotel Europa is nice but it is too loud at night so I wouldn't stay there again but have no complaints against the Hotel at all. I am from the country and I am a nonfrilly type of guy but I seriously recommend the Costalunga. They have a nice little Italian restaurant there at the hotel as well. I eat there quite often.
I also use the internet center and I think it was 60RD for an hour. That is what I remember but I could be wrong.
dale7(Howard)
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
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Re: I thought I would clarify my prices

dale7 said:
I seriously recommend the Costalunga. They have a nice little Italian restaurant there at the hotel as well. I eat there quite often.
I also use the internet center and I think it was 60RD for an hour. That is what I remember but I could be wrong.
dale7(Howard)

Good points - as for hotels off Duarte it is really just Europa and that little Italian place kitty corner from it on the same side street.

A GOOD steak dinner maybe at el Tuca is going to set you back 300 RD$ for the steak alone plus drinks and ancillary, you are still closer to the RD$500 mark than RD$250.

Except for a few places finding a GOOD steak is tough (as will be a low cost steak).

Keep in mind that is barely US$20 so it is still affordable, but if you stroll about Boca Chica looking for fancy RD$250 meals you'll wear out shoes.

The Italian restaurant at Costalunga has a new proprietor - you better know Italian to eat there as there is no English/Spanish menu, they only speak Italian and ordering is interesting at best. Best tip is the proscuitto and cheese grilled sandwich and a bottle of water which they will bring to the pool for RD$50.

Presidente are RD$35 only at clip joints. You can get one at a colmado for RD$20 and they have a new tiny 1/2 beer for RD$12. For RD$35 you can get a king size one.

The internet cafe has DSL and is a peso a minute, minimum 20 pesos.

I was supposed to be there today for 10 days but had to cancel until May 17th. At leat it is above freezing here for the first time in 2 weeks.
 

dale7

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My favorite restaurant in BC

I am horrible with names but I really enjoy the restaurant which serves great German food on the corner of Duarte, the end facing towards the direction of the Hamaca. It is open air with a gallery next to it. They have Heineken umbrellas and I have found their steaks to be very good. Behind the restaurant heading towards the beach is the Isla Bonita bar. It is a moderate restaurant but have a variety of great food in my opinion.

dale7(Howard)
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
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Watch out for the time of day you go....

That German place has really good schnitzel as well but its frontage open to Duarte when the motoconchos, beer trucks and the worst, the Boca Chica garbage brigade makes the noise and the smell horrible.

Sit wayyyyyyy back from the street.

Also the breakfast may be the most awful in the town.

One of the few places to get other than the usual Presidente, Miller GD and Heineken beer though and it has draft which you don't find very much. I don't drink beer but a few companions were impressed.
 

CorletoLovesDR

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Jul 8, 2002
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Hi,

Last summer I stayed in Hotel Burbujas in Boca Chica, which is right on calle Duarte, for only 25 dollars a night. It's a small but clean hotel with A/C rooms. One or two blocks away, in the central park, you can take a "guagua" or bus to Santo Domingo. When I was there it costed $17 dominican pesos. Now it might have gone up to $20. On the trip to Santo Domingo, the buses stop in the town of Andres (which is only about 5 minutes away from Boca Chica) and there they guide you into another bus (you don't have to pay again) and then continue your trip to S.D. It takes about 25 to 30 minutes to get to Avenida Duarte, S.D., depending on the traffic. On the way back, you can take the bus in Avenida Duarte, near the parque Enriquillo (Enriquillo Park). The trip back to Boca Chica is continuous, non-stop.

I hope this has been informative. Enjoy your trip!

Corleto
 

CorletoLovesDR

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Jul 8, 2002
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Avoid guagua trip at night!

Oh Margherita,

One more comment: AVOID taking a "guagua" trip from Boca Chica to Santo Domingo or viceversa at night. If you need to go back and forth, and it's past 6 PM, please take a taxi. The area around Parque Enriquillo (where you take the guagua back to Boca Chica) is not very nice. There could be pickpockets around. So, if you travel at night, especially by yourself, take a taxi. A cab to or from Boca Chica could be anywhere between 200 and 300 dominican pesos, depending on where in the capital you're going, but your safety is much more valuable.

If it is daytime, it's pretty safe. But don't display valuables. Keep your purse safe.

Enjoy! Have a safe trip!
 

margherita

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Apr 8, 2003
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thanks again

Thanks again. You all are great! I feel like I am almost there already. This forum is such a wealth of information. I appreciate your generosity of time and ideas.