1st Timer w/ Logistical issues

Jentzsch said:

Hello, all! Your forum has been most helpful so far. We are coming to DR in Nov 09 for the first time. We are a family of 5, with children ages 11, 13 and 15. We arrive and depart from SD. I have not booked a place, but am looking at Villas. My issue is whether to book in the Puerta Plata area (Confresi), or Samana.You are arriving into Santo Domingo,You are a min 4-5 hours away from Puerto Plata or even farther for Samana. We have to visit a friend in the Juan de la Manguana area, and I'm wondering:

a.) how long would it take to get to that area from Samana? Samana to San Juan De Maguana will take you at least 8-9 hours on a bus,Samana is in the North east most part of the country and San Juan De Maguana is in the Southwest.You would need to take one bus to the capital then switch to another smaller bus in the capital to San Juan De Maguana.
b. ) could we take a bus?Yes it would be at least 2-3 busses.
c. ) approx cost?Not expensive but very time consuming.

And finally, if we rent a villa in either of those two areas, how easy is it to do things like grocery shopping, or should we just plan to eat out all the time?Grocery shopping not a problem in Samana or Puerto Plata.

Thank you so much for any advice!
Sincerely,
Tracy

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I hope you are spending a few weeks in the DR with all the traveling you will be doing.

I think you are confusing the Dominican Republic with one of the small Caribbean islands! This is a big island, as the previous poster writes. From Santo Domingo it will take you at least 3 hours to get to San Juan de la Maguana. You will be going west. From there to get to Samana you will have to come back to Santo Domingo and then you can take the toll road to Samana. From Santo Domingo to the tourist places in Samana will take you about 3 hours, even if you take the toll road. Otherwise it will be 4.5 hours. If you go to Puerto Plata, you have to return to Santo Domingo anyway. To Puerto Plata consider about 4 hours. For the most part it is fast driving, except the half hour you need to cross Santiago city to take the road to Puerto Plata.

Regarding eating out -- there are grocery stores all over. But you would have to have a hotel or a furnished apartment where you can cook.

Check out DR1 Directories - Dominican Republic
Also Dominican Republic Rentals

In my experience what you are trying to do will eat up a lot of time on the road. Especially if you use public transportation, and we never recommend a first-timer to drive in the country.
However, that said, there is something to be gained from traveling across the country in both directions. North SOuth and East-West. You can see the countryside and marvel and the beauty of the places and how much the vegetation and the people change from place to place.
BUT: I would recommend somewhere on the North Coast (Puerto Plata, Cabarete, or some such place), rather than Samana, for your travel convenience. You can catch a very good bus there to Santo Domingo and another one in Sto Dgo to SJMaguana. If you get a good head start, you can do the trip in the first part of the day. I particularly like SJM, but it is way off the beaten path.

You are to be congratulated on being so adventurous.

HB