Suggestions for places to visit?

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harrypickle

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Jul 17, 2007
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Hello all! My wife and I are visiting the DR (first time) for 12 days and will be spending about 6 days on the north coast. We want to find a good, centrally located coastal town (or towns) to use as a base for taking tours, day trips, etc. We want to see as much as possible while we are there. We do not stay in big resorts or hotels and generally, "play it by ear," as far as lodgings go. We will have a rental car. We figure we will stay in 2 different towns over 6 days. Suggestions? We were thinking Sousa for a couple days, because there are a lot of tours there....and it is so beautiful. Any cool, lesser known, well located, towns that would be nice to stay in? Also, suggestions for cool stuff to check out while we are there?

THX! :cheeky:
 

planner

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Sep 23, 2002
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THere are tours from pretty much anywhere on the North Coast. A definate must in my books is Damajagua Falls. It is just west of Imbert and well worth your time to go and climb the falls. How high you go is up to you.... go at least 7............

Sosua Bay is another must as well as the beach in Cabarete to watch the wind surfers and sail boarders!
 

CFA123

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May 29, 2004
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Personally, I'd stay in Cabarete. Hotels/condos here are typically closer to or on the beach and I prefer the ambiance here at night. You can enjoy your evening (dinner, bars, discos) actually ON the beach in Cabarete as opposed to sitting street-side in Sosua with the road noise, etc.

From Cabarete, Sosua beach is 20 minutes by car & is a nice day trip or head over there for a night out. Puerto Plata's about 40 minutes from Cabarete & another easy day trip.

Tours available in Sosua are generally also available from Cabarete. I think most if not all of the tour companies operate from both cities.

For another area to visit on the north coast - Samana and/or Las Terrenas/Portillo. About a 2 1/2 hour drive east from Sosua area.

If you want some thoughts on hotels/condos in Cabarete area - give a rough idea of price range & can give you some ideas.

As for playing it by ear on the hotels - that generally works as long as it's not a holiday weekend - then all bets are off!
 

Rocky

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I agree with Sosua as one of the choices, as it's so versatile and inexpensive.
What about Las Terrenas as the second town?
If you need suggestions for hotels in Sosua, give us your requirements and we'll make suggestions.
I guess the same applies for Las Terrenas, only it'll have to be someone else doing the suggesting.
 

Squat

Tropical geek in Las Terrenas
Jan 1, 2002
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There's another thread about Las Terrenas going on right now, but I forgot its name... Have a look with the "search" button...

Las Terrenas rocks !
 

harrypickle

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Jul 17, 2007
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You are renting a car. May we assume that you have driven before in the DR ?

I have driven in many third world countries. I fully know what to expect. Third world drivers are maniacs and the road rules are crazy. Ive seen full family on a motor scooter...Dad driving, little girl on handle bars and mother with infant sitting backwards on the back....weaving through heavy traffic. I have driven in Mexico, Nicuragua, Guatamala, Costa Rice..etc. I am sure I can adjust to any particulars of DR driving!
 

MaineGirl

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You could spend a day/night in Cabrera.

Stay at the Azul on the cliffs for 35 a night.

Head to Playa Grande for a day of beautiful beach. Eat at Choripan at night right in town for the best ribs/pizza. For lunch try El Caney's plato del dia, not bad at all....

It's on the way to Samana.
 

harrypickle

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Jul 17, 2007
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If you need suggestions for hotels in Sosua, give us your requirements and we'll make suggestions.
Hotel suggestions for Sosua would be greatly appreciated. Something reasonable with air conditioning and under 70$ for 2 people. Preferabally in a less noisy spot. The cheaper the better as long as it is clean and secure....dont want to worry about stuff getting stolen from room.
 

Rocky

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Hotel suggestions for Sosua would be greatly appreciated. Something reasonable with air conditioning and under 70$ for 2 people. Preferabally in a less noisy spot. The cheaper the better as long as it is clean and secure....dont want to worry about stuff getting stolen from room.
There are a lot of options that fit that description.
You can be right in the center of town in that price range and less, or 10 minute's walk from mainstreet in a condo, for approx. half that price.
 

Linda Stapleton

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Jun 3, 2003
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Cabrera

I was thinking of Cabrera too, for something a bit different. I went for the first time a month or so ago to a beautiful place called Laguna Du Du, or the Blue Lagoon. It's basically a very deep swimming hole, but SO blue and absolutely gorgeous, just past Cabrera. My favourite beach is Playa Caleton, just after Rio San Juan and before you get to Playa Grande. Both places are not too crowded, except perhaps on a Sunday when many Dominicans take to the beaches, and you therefore get hassled much less by vendors etc. Playa Caleton is my favourite place on the island apart from Las Galeras, down on the furthest tip of Samana peninsular.....

Happy Days and enjoy whatever you decide to do.
 

MaineGirl

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I went to Caleton for the first time a few weeks ago. I thought is was beautiful but I also thought it had a lot of trash...it was after Cabreras Ausentes so may be there was an inlfux of people that day.

Will check out Du Du!
 

Linda Stapleton

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Jun 3, 2003
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I've never known it to be dirty there, so I would guess that was the cause. However, a very strange array of white statues, looking a bit like native American Indians, have appeared fairly recently up on the rocks to the right of the beach which give it a very spooky feel....but, without my glasses, they could be anything for all I know.

It's also fun there because you can swim a long way out to the right and come upon a sand bank which means that you are only in very shallow water but a long way out. There is also very good snorkelling to the left as you swim out.

Food is freshly cooked and they will bring a table to wherever you want to sit on the beach and bring the food to you, which can be very pleasant. I've recently paid 30 pesos for a sun bed and under 200 pesos for a fish meal and I'm not really that much of a regular so you shouldn't be fleeced too much with tourist prices, but it is always best to check first.

They do charge to get into Laguna Dudu, or however it should be spelt, but that is something like 30 or 50 pesos per person.
 

sweetdbt

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Pretty much any beach in the DR will look that way on the day after a holiday. I couldn't believe how much trash was on the ground at Playa Grande when I went there on the day after Mother's day a few years ago. I have never witnessed the actual cleanup process, but they do a good job, and things are always back to normal in a few days.
 

MaineGirl

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I find the beaches in this area to be clean in general except for Diamante....

I saw the white heads at Caleton, I have a picture of them in fact.
 

NYCJourdano

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Aug 24, 2007
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If I wanted to do the laguna gri gri/playa caleton trip, what would I do first? Take public transport from Sosua to Playa Caleton or to Laguna Gri Gri...how far are they from each other?
 
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