Trip tp the Mtns.

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mccabe8006

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we are staying for 1 week in La Romana at Dreams Resort in Aug. and would like to take a trip to the highest Mountain in The Dominican Republic.
Is there a service that can take us? Such as a tour of private car?

Thanks! Bruce & Elaine
 
Hillbilly

Hillbilly

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HAHAHA....the trip to the highest mountain is a three day horseback ride, if the weather is good.....

Next trip, come in the winter, book a tour with Campingtours.com and do the trip...it can take up to 6 days if it gets rainy...

Oh yeah, stay on the North Shore, not the Southeast shore....you'll be a lot closer..Or go to Santiago or San Juan de la Maguana or one of the mountain towns...

It is not all that accessible

HB...
 
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mccabe8006

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Thanks!

Thanks for the info. Is there a service that can just take us up into the Mtn area by Car or tour bus for a 1 day trip?
It would be a nice break from the beaches and let us see some of the Dominican's Beautiful interior. How far is it from the La Romana area?
Could we rent a car and do the drive ourselfs?

THANKS!!
Bruce
 
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mccabe8006

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Thanks!

We were just wanting to get away from the beach for the day and see some of the high country that IS accesable by road.
I guess that is not a popular idea by guests to your country?
 
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bigbird

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mccabe8006 said:
We were just wanting to get away from the beach for the day and see some of the high country that IS accesable by road.
I guess that is not a popular idea by guests to your country?
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It is a great idea, but not if you are staying in La Romano. It is a long, long drive to Pico Durate. For a one day trip to get away from the resort I would suggest not traveling any further than Santo Domingo.
 
AlterEgo

AlterEgo

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mccabe8006 said:
We were just wanting to get away from the beach for the day and see some of the high country that IS accesable by road.
I guess that is not a popular idea by guests to your country?
Click to expand...

You're just so far from everything in La Romana. If you were staying in Santo Domingo, Santiago or Puerto Plata it would be a different story. There are amazing views on the mountain roads up to San Jose de Ocoa and Constanza, as well as to Jarabacoa, which has been suggested. But the distance is a problem, and so are the roads. Some stretches are unpaved, without guard rails to protect from huge drop-off, etc. You have to know where you're going, not for the average tourist. I would drive through Manhattan with one eye closed, but you couldn't pay me enough to drive the mountain road to Ocoa without a Dominican driver - and I'm not a tourist, we own property up there and go there all the time. When it rains there are landslides too, which sometimes block the mountain roads. You need a 4x4 to be safe.
 
bob saunders

bob saunders

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AlterEgo said:
You're just so far from everything in La Romana. If you were staying in Santo Domingo, Santiago or Puerto Plata it would be a different story. There are amazing views on the mountain roads up to San Jose de Ocoa and Constanza, as well as to Jarabacoa, which has been suggested. But the distance is a problem, and so are the roads. Some stretches are unpaved, without guard rails to protect from huge drop-off, etc. You have to know where you're going, not for the average tourist. I would drive through Manhattan with one eye closed, but you couldn't pay me enough to drive the mountain road to Ocoa without a Dominican driver - and I'm not a tourist, we own property up there and go there all the time. When it rains there are landslides too, which sometimes block the mountain roads. You need a 4x4 to be safe.
Click to expand...

The road from La Vega to Jarabacoa is paved the whole way, lots of climbing but reasonably wide and an easy drive.
 
AlterEgo

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bob saunders said:
The road from La Vega to Jarabacoa is paved the whole way, lots of climbing but reasonably wide and an easy drive.
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Hi Bob, I wish the road to Ocoa was. There are long stretches that are unpaved when you get higher up, chunks of the road have fallen away into the abyss, and the lack of guard rails is often unnerving. The views, of course, are outstanding. They are actually putting up electric poles and transformers up by our property, hopefully some road paving will follow.
It's been a long time since we drove up to Jarabacoa, my suegro loved it there. Since he passed away 7 years ago we haven't gone back.
 
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mccabe8006

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Thanks everyone for your replys! We did not know it was so far a drive.
This will be our 2nd trip to the DR and we wanted to try another resort area, We stayed in bavaro last time at the Barcelo Golf Resort. Liked it but to crowded a resort.
My wife picked the Dreams Resort this time. So we were looking for a 1 day trip away from the resort to see some of the DR countryside.

Thanks !
 
Hillbilly

Hillbilly

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Look at your left hand.
The bottom of your pinky finger is where you are
If you fold down your thumb alongside your index finger the bulge is where the mountains are. Also the heel of your and and the index finger.

In other words, all of them are a long way away.

You could get a car and driver--do not drive!--and go to some place like El Seibo...or, now that Ithink about it, maybe Sabana de la Mar...it is on Samana Bay...out of the way, rural, very Dominican and not touristy (well Sabana de la Mar is a little touristy now, but not much) at all. Sort of difficult drive but doable in one day.

Eat local...Fried fish or filete and tostones are good everywhere. Beer is cold and cheap. Have your driver find out where to eat.

Do not dress in shorts. Long pants, collared shirt, shoes and socks. Jeans are best for you both. T Shirts are cool, too. hats sunglasses, bug sprayand sun block...

You will have a blast!!

HB
 
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cobraboy

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mccabe8006 said:
Thanks everyone for your replys! We did not know it was so far a drive.
This will be our 2nd trip to the DR and we wanted to try another resort area, We stayed in bavaro last time at the Barcelo Golf Resort. Liked it but to crowded a resort.
My wife picked the Dreams Resort this time. So we were looking for a 1 day trip away from the resort to see some of the DR countryside.

Thanks !
Click to expand...
It's not that it is a far drive.

It's that the mountain is inaccessible. The road ends many, many miles from the peak. You have to hike/camp. A mule is recommended.
 
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bigbird

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mccabe8006 said:
............So we were looking for a 1 day trip away from the resort to see some of the DR countryside.

Thanks !
Click to expand...

You won't see the countryside but you will see Dominican lifestyle off the resort if you take a 1 day trip to Santo Domingo. Someone on the board may be able to give you contact info for a responsible driver you can hire for the day.

Hire a driver and when you pass the toll plaza near the airport take the service road to Santo Domino Centro. Stop at one of the colmados and have a cold one while watching the daily going ons of Dominicanos. Walk El Conde and the Malecon. With a small map you can't get lost in Zona Colonial. If your wife likes to shop get the cabbie to take you to one of the larger malls. On the way back you can stop off in Boca Chica for dinner.

You can get all this done in a day and still be back at your hotel before dark.

Santo Domingo has a million and one things to do but with just a few hours you will only be able to look...........

Just remember if you see something interesting just tell the driver to pull over and stop........
 
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mccabe8006

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Wow! THANKS Everyone for all the great info!
We will try the 1 day trip to Santo Domingo, Can someone suggest a good driver we can hire for the day?
I would rather give our money to someone that can use it rather than a tour Co. that pays a driver very little to do the same thing!
My wife and I are both Evangelists and would like to see the Church's in the D.R.
I hear that there is a big one in Santo Domingo.

Thanks Again Everyone!
 
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suarezn

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mccabe8006 said:
Wow! THANKS Everyone for all the great info!
We will try the 1 day trip to Santo Domingo, Can someone suggest a good driver we can hire for the day?
I would rather give our money to someone that can use it rather than a tour Co. that pays a driver very little to do the same thing!
My wife and I are both Evangelists and would like to see the Church's in the D.R.
I hear that there is a big one in Santo Domingo.

Thanks Again Everyone!
Click to expand...

I think even a trip to Santo Domingo is a bit too far for a one day trip. You'll spend at least 8 hours driving round trip. I would at least stay overnight. A more realistic approach tome would be to go out to somewhere in La Romana or El Seibo (to see "Real Dominican life") and then next time you come back to The DR stay in the north coast or Samana Peninsula.
 
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sweetdbt

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mccabe8006 said:
Wow! THANKS Everyone for all the great info!
We will try the 1 day trip to Santo Domingo, Can someone suggest a good driver we can hire for the day?
I would rather give our money to someone that can use it rather than a tour Co. that pays a driver very little to do the same thing!
My wife and I are both Evangelists and would like to see the Church's in the D.R.I hear that there is a big one in Santo Domingo.

Thanks Again Everyone!
Click to expand...

After reading the highlighted sentence, I would strongly recommend visiting the Basilica in Higuey. It is rather impressive, and people come from all over the country to see it. Higuey is only about a 30-40 minute drive from La Romana. On the same trip, you could visit the beach in Bayahibe and Altos de Chavon, both of which are on the way to Higuey.

Contrary to prior information, Santo Domingo is only about 90 minutes one way from La Romana by car, so a day trip there is doable.
 
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bigbird

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mccabe8006 said:
......We will try the 1 day trip to Santo Domingo, Can someone suggest a good driver we can hire for the day?
.....
and would like to see the Church's in the D.R. I hear that there is a big one in Santo Domingo.
Click to expand...

You might want to start a new thread looking for a driver if you decide on Santo Domingo.

There is a very large cathedral in zona colonial which is absolutely beautiful, proper attire is required to enter.

For information on Zona Colonial visit this site:
The Complete Guide to Colonial Zone, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Tourist Information, Restaurants, Night Life, Hotels, History, Monuments, Maps, Music, Businesses, Folklore, Calendar, Language and So Much More.
 
AlterEgo

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bigbird said:
You might want to start a new thread looking for a driver if you decide on Santo Domingo.There is a very large cathedral in zona colonial which is absolutely beautiful, proper attire is required to enter.
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The cathedral in Zona Colonial is the first cathedral built in the Americas. Columbus's tomb was there when I first visited it many years ago, until they built the huge Faro di Colon (Columbus' Lighthouse) and moved his tomb there.

The Sanctuary of the Miraculous Virgin of La Altagracia (Patron Saint of the Dominican Republic) in Higuey is lovely and many Dominicans make pilgrimages there, especially on January 21st (feast day). The Cathedral, displays the famous painting of the "Virgin de la Altagracia", brought there by Spaniards in the 15th century.
 
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ExtremeR

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suarezn said:
I think even a trip to Santo Domingo is a bit too far for a one day trip. You'll spend at least 8 hours driving round trip. I would at least stay overnight. A more realistic approach tome would be to go out to somewhere in La Romana or El Seibo (to see "Real Dominican life") and then next time you come back to The DR stay in the north coast or Samana Peninsula.
Click to expand...

La Romana is not that far away, is a 4-hour drive at most, round-trip. Hell I've done Santo Domingo-Punta Cana in 2 hours 15 minutes and La Romana is just halfway that.
 
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