1 week in DR, advice about plans, esp Zona Colonial

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cerulean

New member
Feb 6, 2009
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I'm traveling to the Dominican Republic for the first time and will be vacationing for about a week. I would love any advice that anyone could give me about my proposed plans of things to do, especially whether they sound feasible and about how to pack the most into each day. I would be particularly grateful for any specific advice on things to do / places to see / places to eat and drink in Santo Domingo. Any tips on cutting down on costs while maximizing the experience would also be welcome.

I'll be staying in the Condo-Parque near Zona Colonial w/ a friend from Sun Feb 22 - morning of Wed Feb 25, then going out to Boca Chica and staying there at Hotel Zapata from Wed night - morning of Sat Feb 28.

Here's what I'm thinking about doing:

Sunday:
-La Vega for Carnaval (afternoon-evening, back to SD that night)

Monday:
-Jarabacoa for rafting or canyoning, horseback riding, hiking, seeing the waterfalls, and exploring the area (morning-early evening, back to SD that night)

Tuesday:
-Santo Domingo:
-tour Zona Colonial, especially historical monuments / museums / key buildings
(any suggestions for must-see places and any tips for getting a cheap but good tour guide?)
-perhaps visit Las Tres Ojos Caves & the National Botantical Park
(are these worthwhile to visit?)
-eat local/Dominican food for breakfast / lunch, especially wanted to try mofongo, plus any good fruit that's not as easily available in the US
(any suggestions on where to go?)
-eat dinner at a nicer restaurant, was looking at El Meson de la Cava since the cave setting sounded interesting
(is this a good option for a distinct Santo Domingo dining experience ? any other suggestions? I'm willing to splurge a bit with this meal as it will probably be the only dinner spent in SD)
-explore the nightlife / people-watch
(any suggestions on places to go that are pretty lively / vibrant?)

Wednesday:
-explore SD a bit more in the morning+ grab lunch
- head out to Boca Chica in the afternoon, settle into hotel zapata
-maybe go to Juan Dolio as well

Thursday:
-snorkeling / water sports
-or dive trip at Parque Nacional Sumbarino La Caleta
-or day trip to Isla Saona or Isla Catalina
(suggestions on which option to do and where to book such excursions?)

Friday:
-perhaps do one of the options not done on Thursday (water sports or island visit)
-also thinking about going to Santo Domingo for Independence Day celebrations
(When are most of the festivities going on? What location will the most activity be at?)

Saturday:
-leave the DR & wish that my trip were longer...

I would appreciate any bit of advice that anyone would be willing to share.
I have the lonely planet & rough guide DR guides, but there's a lot options in them, and I'd like more opinions on how to make the most of the short trip.
I'm hoping for a busy, experience-filled trip vs. a more leisurely, low-key one.

Thank you!
 
D

DRob

Gold
Aug 15, 2007
8,234
594
113
First, welcome to DR1!

Looks like you're in for quite a trip. A few suggestions (see below):

cerulean said:
I'm traveling to the Dominican Republic for the first time and will be vacationing for about a week. I would love any advice that anyone could give me about my proposed plans of things to do, especially whether they sound feasible and about how to pack the most into each day. I would be particularly grateful for any specific advice on things to do / places to see / places to eat and drink in Santo Domingo. Any tips on cutting down on costs while maximizing the experience would also be welcome.

I'll be staying in the Condo-Parque near Zona Colonial w/ a friend from Sun Feb 22 - morning of Wed Feb 25, then going out to Boca Chica and staying there at Hotel Zapata from Wed night - morning of Sat Feb 28.

Here's what I'm thinking about doing:

Sunday:
-La Vega for Carnaval (afternoon-evening, back to SD that night)

If you're in La Vega, then you've traveled almost two hours out of Santo Domingo. I'd encourage you to stay there or Santiago and see the Cibao Valley. It's beautiful out there, and is very different than the big city. In addition, some of the best parts of Carnaval take place at night, and the buses stop running long before the party is over.

Monday:
-Jarabacoa for rafting or canyoning, horseback riding, hiking, seeing the waterfalls, and exploring the area (morning-early evening, back to SD that night)

If you're in or around Santiago, then Jarabacoa is a short sprint for you. If not, another two hour trip (each way). You want to be careful not to spend too much time in the buses.

Tuesday:
-Santo Domingo:
-tour Zona Colonial, especially historical monuments / museums / key buildings
(any suggestions for must-see places and any tips for getting a cheap but good tour guide?)
-perhaps visit Las Tres Ojos Caves & the National Botantical Park
(are these worthwhile to visit?)
-eat local/Dominican food for breakfast / lunch, especially wanted to try mofongo, plus any good fruit that's not as easily available in the US
(any suggestions on where to go?)
-eat dinner at a nicer restaurant, was looking at El Meson de la Cava since the cave setting sounded interesting
(is this a good option for a distinct Santo Domingo dining experience ? any other suggestions? I'm willing to splurge a bit with this meal as it will probably be the only dinner spent in SD)
-explore the nightlife / people-watch
(any suggestions on places to go that are pretty lively / vibrant?)

Wednesday:
-explore SD a bit more in the morning+ grab lunch
- head out to Boca Chica in the afternoon, settle into hotel zapata
-maybe go to Juan Dolio as well

Been to Boca Chica. It's ok, but there's not much to see or do on a Wednesday. The North Coast complex (namely, the towns/resort areas of Puerto Plata, Sosua, Cabarete) are far nicer. If you're already in Santiago, then it's a short 90 minute trip to an area with better and cleaner beaches, highly diverse ecotourism (scenic Duarte Peak and Laguna Gri Gri, a mangrove park/lagoon are nearby)


Thursday:
-snorkeling / water sports
-or dive trip at Parque Nacional Sumbarino La Caleta
-or day trip to Isla Saona or Isla Catalina
(suggestions on which option to do and where to book such excursions?)

Friday:
-perhaps do one of the options not done on Thursday (water sports or island visit)
-also thinking about going to Santo Domingo for Independence Day celebrations
(When are most of the festivities going on? What location will the most activity be at?)

Saturday:
-leave the DR & wish that my trip were longer...

I would appreciate any bit of advice that anyone would be willing to share.
I have the lonely planet & rough guide DR guides, but there's a lot options in them, and I'd like more opinions on how to make the most of the short trip.
I'm hoping for a busy, experience-filled trip vs. a more leisurely, low-key one.

Thank you!
Click to expand...

Here's a link of some of the readily available ecotourism offerings available on the North Coast, some of which were mentioned above http://www.dr1.com/forums/trip-reports/66534-so-youre-bored-sosua.html?highlight=bored+sosua

Hope you have a great time,

DRob:glasses:
 
S

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
Do not take a horse and buggy through Zona Colonial unless you get the price FIRST (or if your like me and have a fake police officer husband;))
SHALENA
 
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frank617

Member
Jan 12, 2009
43
5
8
As one who has attempted agressive itineraries such as yours in the DR, just be aware that everything in the DR moves a bit slower than back home. Allow extra time for everything. In my opinion, excursions to La Vega and Jarabacoa on back to back days is a bit too much. The travel time will eat up your day. And travelling back to SD at night is treacherous. I would combine Jarabacoa and La Vega into one trip. Sunday is good for La Vega, however, I would stay overnight there. Or you could stay in Jarabacoa. If you choose to stay in Jarabacoa, I recomend the Jarabacoa River Club. The horseback riding in Jarabacoa is awesome. You'll want to head for La Confluencia to rent a horse. The price includes a guide, who will lead you across both rivers and head up into the hills for some of the best views in the DR. And for short money. After, the horseback riding, you can do some self guided hiking. I recomend El Salto de Jimenoa as a nice waterfall to check out. I have never been to Boca Chica, but from what I have heard, it doesn't hold a candle to Puerto Plata/Sosua/Cabarete. I would consider staying up there instead of Boca Chica. Lots more to do and see.
 
D

dymmach

Member
Feb 9, 2007
135
8
18
WOW!
What a great itenary.
It resembles mine on my first trip ( did'nt quite work out as planned ), I can see you've put alot of thought and planning into it.
Jarabacoa and La Vega are not easily done in a day.
Don't stress over a schedule because as you will soon find out things just don't run that smooth in the DR.
If you try to cram all that traveling into a week you might miss out on the real beauty of the island!
"tranquillo"
 
A

amparocorp

Bronze
Aug 11, 2002
900
86
0
call a local real estate person and tell them you are interested in buying a house/condo for around 1/2 million plus. take a camera as it will be a great tour and then you will realize how poor you are.
 
C

cerulean

New member
Feb 6, 2009
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0
Thanks for all of the suggestions!

I was thinking about staying in Santo Domingo vs. Jarabacoa/La Vega in order to reduce the hassle of bringing luggage on the buses / having to find safe places to store it at each destination.

Anyone have transportation suggestions for getting to Jarabacoa by 9am (or earlier) from Santo Domingo? I was thinking about taking Caribe Tours, but I heard that the 7am bus leaving from SD wouldn't get to Jarabacoa until 10am. Any other fairly inexpensive options available?
 
C

cerulean

New member
Feb 6, 2009
8
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0
I returned from the DR and thought I'd update on the forum with my experiences!

I had an amazing trip, so thanks to everyone for their advice and suggestions.

I stayed in Santo Domingo for Sunday night - Tuesday night and Boca Chica from Wednesday night - Friday night, and relied upon Caribe Tours + taxis for a lot of transportation.

Sunday:
-La Vega for Carnaval; TONS of people, super-festive and fun (though also painful! watch out for the guys with the rubber "bladders", some of them hit pretty hard!)
-great dinner + drinks in Zona Colonial (a lot of people watching near Parque Colon)

Monday:
-Jarabacoa for rafting, saw some of the surrounding area on the drive to the river, saw the Baiguete waterfall,
-it was a lovely day trip, though wished I had more time to explore there since the area is so beautiful

Tuesday:
-leisurely morning in Santo Domingo with breakfast from the fruit market (mangos, avocados, oranges, bananas, and assorted other fruits) eaten on the rooftop "patio" of the hostel
-afternoon outside of Santo Domingo:
-visited Las Tres Ojos Caves, Faro a Colon & the National Botantical Park
-ate at El Meson de la Cava for dinner (food was alright, setting was amazing!)

Wednesday:
-Zona Colonial tour in the morning; was amazed by the abundance of historic buildings and can see why it's named a UNESCO world heritage site
- headed out to Boca Chica in the afternoon
-dinner on a platform on the ocean at Neptuno's

Thursday:
-snorkeled around the Boca Chica area
-relaxed on the beach (yay pina coladas!)
-bought coffee & my 2Ls of rum to take back w/ me: got bottles of Barcelo, Bermudez, & Brugal!

Friday:
-went to Santo Domingo for the day
-spent a lot of time leisurely exploring the Museo de las Casas Reales which was wonderful, especially the free tour of some of the upper rooms given by a friendly elderly tour guide who was nice enough to work with my broken Spanish to explain things to me
-went shopping for gifts of amber, larimar, cigars, paintings
-checked out the Independence Day parade (not nearly as many people there as for Carnaval, but still good to check out)
-experienced the pre-Lent mass that was held outside the Cathedral at Parque Colon, it was a wonderful experience
-went out for drinks at various places, ending at Doubles Bar which got fairly busy later in the evening

It was a great trip overall, just too short! I'm still missing the 85 degree weather, the reggaeton music, the tostones as a side order w/ meals, and the grande Presidentes!

thanks again to people on this forum for all the useful advice that I've gleaned from this thread and from the many other threads on this forum that I used in trip-planning. This forum is a wonderful resource!
 
A

apostropheman

Guest
Thanks for the follow up!

Glad to see you have a great and busy trip! :D:bunny::bunny:
 
P

pauliebaby

New member
Mar 6, 2009
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i just missed you, i was in hotel zapata from the 6th to th 16th! nice family ran place, but extremely slowwww, lol! too many beggers in boca chica! the girls are ok, but too pushy. i hear sousa is good, i would like to check that place out next time. do you know if its good over there or not? 85 degrees is so nice!!! wish i was still there!
 
M

Mason3000

Active member
Aug 2, 2008
363
46
28
It's always nice when people who ask for tips/advice come back afterwards and give a little recap.

Thanks for sharing!
 
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