Looking for advice on where to stay in DR

altgrrl

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Apr 11, 2004
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I'm planning a trip to the DR in August, and am looking for some help on places to stay, activities, costs, etc. I don't want to stay in one of those touristy resorts per se as I've lived in Central America and enjoyed much more modest accomodations...simply put I want to get a feeling for the DR, not be a tourist. Cost is an issue as i'm a student so i don't have a lot of money to spend. Any help you all can offer would be greatly appreciated.
 

dale7

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I don't know what you are looking for, beaches, rural, etc. There is a little place I like to stay at in the middle of the country, Santiago Province located right on La Ventana River. It is a new hotel, about 1.5years old and costs about 15US a night for a single room and is frequented by very few tourists. It is called Hotel Sajoma outside of San Jose de las Matas(Sajoma) owned by Mariana y Miguel Pena. I have 2 telephone numbers plus a cell number: 939-4223, 578-8234, and cell number 914-7763.
I have stayed there on two separate occasions and is about 30 minutes from Santiago and about 2 hours from Santo Domingo. It is a few minutes by vehicle to San Jose (Sajoma), I would say that Sajoma is a town of about 50,000, I am just guessing, I am horrible with estimates. That is if you appreciate local culture, beauty of nature and getting up and swimming in the river, etc. The town has a happening bar/club on the weekend called the Igua Bar where they usually have a Bachata/Merengue singer perform and last I knew the cover charge was either 50 or 100RD. There usually is about 500 people there on the weekends. This is if you like hiking, experiencing local culture, and not concerned about the beach. You could always head to Santiago on the bus from Sajoma and see the historic sites there, go to Cascada (sp) Water Park there, etc. I mean there are so many great places in the DR like Jarabocoa (sp), Santiago, etc I believe the best part of the country in the south is Santo Domingo for culture, nightlife, etc and El Cibao region if you love mountains, local culture where few tourists travel, and nature. I always spend a few days at the beach in Boca Chica, then hit Santo Domingo, and then head up north and see my boy and family in Sajoma.
dale7(Howard)
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Rough Guide and Lonely Planet do DR guidebooks that focus on the budget options.

This site and its forums are also an excellent resource, and in many cases more up-to-date than the books, so do some searching. Apart from the Punta Cana area, most touristy parts of the DR have budget options, and the parts that are off the tourist trail like the far southwest have basic local hotels that are very cheap indeed.

If you are interested in unspoilt beaches, I would recommend the Samana peninsula and Las Galeras (Playa Rincon) in particular.

Chiri
 

altgrrl

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Apr 11, 2004
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Info on DR and places to stay

I guess I should be more specific on where exactly I'm looking to stay...I've been looking at areas on the North Coast...Cabarete, etc. The most important things i'm looking for are access to beaches (my gf likes to surf) and places to stay that are inexpensive and not too touristy (i don't want an AI or some gated resort). Thanks for all your help! :bandit:
 

dale7

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Cabarete will be the place for you. Cabarete is awesome for water sports(surfing, etc). Usually a younger crowd there and I am sorry but I don't have info on places to stay there that are budget/moderate and non AI. If you get the chance though, Santiago is about 1.5 hours away and would make a good day trip to see the city there. Just do a search on here for "Cabarete hotels" and I am sure you will find a lot of info.
dale7(Howard)
 

emendoza

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Mar 16, 2004
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We are taking our first trip to the DR next month & considered Cabarete. There are budget accomodations, but from what I've heard, it is entirely a tourist destination. We opted for Samana (Las Terrenas specifically) instead. Also, I heard Cabarete is good for wind surfing but is it too calm for regular surfing? Maybe check into that (I don't knwo much about what kind of waves you need for surfing--never done it). Here's a hotel listing for Cabarete if you decide to go there.

http://www.cabareteguide.com/index24.html