General Info

This has not been my experience but perhaps I am lucky.

[QUOTE=Sylvester;2076633]Very well said! The more you do, the more they want, and the less appreciation you will receive.[/QUOTE]

I will e arriving in Santo Domingo next week. I need to get to Blackbeards as I have a reservation there. I can bus / taxi with no problem. But, is it worth it to rent a car? How's the driving around the DR? This will be my first trip. I speak Spanish and am a savvy and experienced traveller.

I also may plan to go to San Juan De Maguana for a day or 2 since I have a girl there who is pretty cute and wants me- she also said she has some hot friends for me to play with. Anyone know anything about this area?

Thoughts?

My plan is to stay somewhere (the night I arrive in Santo Domingo, then work my way up to Blackbeards the next day. I will spend 3 nights there, then I have Tuesday and Wednesday nights free with no plans or ideas other than maybe seeing what San Juan de Maguana is like be / see of that girl and her friends I can have.

My last night, I was thinking of a fancy night at a nice place in Santo Domingo, maybe the Embassy suites. My flight leaves a 10am on Friday.

Any ideas, suggestion, thoughts for a 1st timer to the Dominican Republic would be great.

One thing: clothes--in Colombia its jeans and nice t-shirts. Always.

In Suriname, its jeans, t-shirts and sandals with no socks. That's what all the locals wear there.

Curacao: shorts / tshirts no problem.

Trinidad is all pants, no shorts.

What about Dominican Republic: what is everyone wearing so they don't stick out too much (besides our gringo skin).

Thanks in advance!

[QUOTE=JustIncognito;2076752]I will e arriving in Santo Domingo next week. I need to get to Blackbeards as I have a reservation there. I can bus / taxi with no problem. But, is it worth it to rent a car? How's the driving around the DR? This will be my first trip. I speak Spanish and am a savvy and experienced traveller.

I also may plan to go to San Juan De Maguana for a day or 2 since I have a girl there who is pretty cute and wants me- she also said she has some hot friends for me to play with. Anyone know anything about this area?

Thoughts?

My plan is to stay somewhere (the night I arrive in Santo Domingo, then work my way up to Blackbeards the next day. I will spend 3 nights there, then I have Tuesday and Wednesday nights free with no plans or ideas other than maybe seeing what San Juan de Maguana is like be / see of that girl and her friends I can have.

My last night, I was thinking of a fancy night at a nice place in Santo Domingo, maybe the Embassy suites. My flight leaves a 10am on Friday.

Any ideas, suggestion, thoughts for a 1st timer to the Dominican Republic would be great.

One thing: clothes--in Colombia its jeans and nice t-shirts. Always.

In Suriname, its jeans, t-shirts and sandals with no socks. That's what all the locals wear there.

Curacao: shorts / tshirts no problem.

Trinidad is all pants, no shorts.

What about Dominican Republic: what is everyone wearing so they don't stick out too much (besides our gringo skin).

Thanks in advance![/QUOTE]My two cents.

Outside a tourist area (ie, as you start in SD) long pants and casual shirt / T shirt is fine. Shorts are more common in the touristy areas, pack them as well.

On driving. I would suggest as a first timer, you take the morning bus (Caribe Tours) for Puerto Plata, and a cab from there to BB.

The DR drivers are average for Latin America, but the added hazard of the motoconchos (motorbikes) is not for the inexperienced. These types have a suicidal lack of concern when cutting in front of cars, weaving in and out of traffic, etc. I promise you, if there is an accident, it will be the rich gringo's fault. Add the element of police with their hands out, and it is more potential trouble than its worth. I speak from personal experience.

If you want to gamble, get the additional insurance from a large rental chain (Budget, etc) not a local rental firm. Get the additional insurance for liability. When driving, make all lane changes, turns, changes, etc, slowly, to allow reaction time for motoconchos buzzing around your car. Otherwise, you risk one driving into the side of your turning vehicle (my experience).

Others may disagree, but I speak only from my own observations.

[QUOTE=JustIncognito;2076752]I will e arriving in Santo Domingo next week. I need to get to Blackbeards as I have a reservation there. I can bus / taxi with no problem. But, is it worth it to rent a car? How's the driving around the DR? This will be my first trip. I speak Spanish and am a savvy and experienced traveller.

I also may plan to go to San Juan De Maguana for a day or 2 since I have a girl there who is pretty cute and wants me- she also said she has some hot friends for me to play with. Anyone know anything about this area?

Thoughts?

My plan is to stay somewhere (the night I arrive in Santo Domingo, then work my way up to Blackbeards the next day. I will spend 3 nights there, then I have Tuesday and Wednesday nights free with no plans or ideas other than maybe seeing what San Juan de Maguana is like be / see of that girl and her friends I can have.

My last night, I was thinking of a fancy night at a nice place in Santo Domingo, maybe the Embassy suites. My flight leaves a 10am on Friday.

Any ideas, suggestion, thoughts for a 1st timer to the Dominican Republic would be great.

One thing: clothes--in Colombia its jeans and nice t-shirts. Always.

In Suriname, its jeans, t-shirts and sandals with no socks. That's what all the locals wear there.

Curacao: shorts / tshirts no problem.

Trinidad is all pants, no shorts.

What about Dominican Republic: what is everyone wearing so they don't stick out too much (besides our gringo skin).

Thanks in advance![/QUOTE]I flew several times to Santo Domingo Airport. I took a taxi from airport to a hotel or bus station for about 1300 pesos depending on the time I arrived. I prefer Metro Bus over Caribe tours because Metro is faster and has less stops than Caribe. It takes about 31/2 hours and generally a comfortable ride, Taxis are available at both bus stations at Puerto Plata to go to BB. I wear shorts, t-shirts and sneakers (sometimes sandals) in Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata without any issues.

[QUOTE=JustIncognito;2076752]I will e arriving in Santo Domingo next week. I need to get to Blackbeards as I have a reservation there. I can bus / taxi with no problem. But, is it worth it to rent a car? How's the driving around the DR? This will be my first trip. I speak Spanish and am a savvy and experienced traveller.[/QUOTE]I would add to what the other poster (s) have mentioned. I almost always rent a car while in the DR but I did not do it the very first time. Indeed, I waited for several trips to be over with, to get a hang of the place. Your driving distance is long and while highway is not bad, it is the local roads that are dicey to navigate, pot holes aplenty and because a motorcycle rider often pass on the right side, you can understand the risk if you are also trying to turn right. I personally have had no issues so far but I drive during the day only, and hardly ever drink.

San Juan de Maguana is in the boondocks and mostly a rural area. Motor cycles abound, but car drivers anywhere are no better, what with alcohol and a big SUV.

I never rent cars in the DR It can put a target on your back. There is not much difference between Carib or Metro accept Carib runs much more often. I stay in the Colona zona because it is very convenient. You have everything you need in walking distance. There also SW availab, e almost all day. The massage girls will go back to your room with no problem. You have been given some good advice. Catching a cab to one of the malls can be a good time as well.

[QUOTE=JustIncognito;2076752]I will e arriving in Santo Domingo next week. I need to get to Blackbeards as I have a reservation there. I can bus / taxi with no problem. But, is it worth it to rent a car? How's the driving around the DR? This will be my first trip. I speak Spanish and am a savvy and experienced traveller.

I also may plan to go to San Juan De Maguana for a day or 2 since I have a girl there who is pretty cute and wants me- she also said she has some hot friends for me to play with. Anyone know anything about this area?

Thoughts?

My plan is to stay somewhere (the night I arrive in Santo Domingo, then work my way up to Blackbeards the next day. I will spend 3 nights there, then I have Tuesday and Wednesday nights free with no plans or ideas other than maybe seeing what San Juan de Maguana is like be / see of that girl and her friends I can have.

My last night, I was thinking of a fancy night at a nice place in Santo Domingo, maybe the Embassy suites. My flight leaves a 10am on Friday.

Any ideas, suggestion, thoughts for a 1st timer to the Dominican Republic would be great.

One thing: clothes--in Colombia its jeans and nice t-shirts. Always.

In Suriname, its jeans, t-shirts and sandals with no socks. That's what all the locals wear there.

Curacao: shorts / tshirts no problem.

Trinidad is all pants, no shorts.

What about Dominican Republic: what is everyone wearing so they don't stick out too much (besides our gringo skin).

Thanks in advance![/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=JustIncognito;2076752]I will e arriving in Santo Domingo next week. I need to get to Blackbeards as I have a reservation there. I can bus / taxi with no problem. But, is it worth it to rent a car? How's the driving around the DR? This will be my first trip. I speak Spanish and am a savvy and experienced traveller.

I also may plan to go to San Juan De Maguana for a day or 2 since I have a girl there who is pretty cute and wants me- she also said she has some hot friends for me to play with. Anyone know anything about this area?

Thoughts?

My plan is to stay somewhere (the night I arrive in Santo Domingo, then work my way up to Blackbeards the next day. I will spend 3 nights there, then I have Tuesday and Wednesday nights free with no plans or ideas other than maybe seeing what San Juan de Maguana is like be / see of that girl and her friends I can have..
[/QUOTE]You don't need to drive in DR, (most locals don't have cars) Just take a trip through PP or SD to see how crazy the drivers are, especially at night. There's a kind of road ballet that takes some time to get used to.

You can pick out mongers by their caps, Ts, shorts and trainers / sandles, while locals wear long pants, leather shoes (if they can afford them) and often a collared shirt or polo.

If you are going to San Juan de Maguena dress like a local, as there are virtually no mongers there, and the entertainment / bars etc cater strictly to locals. I have stayed there a couple times. From Sosua, t's a long trip that takes you through SD. A Taxi can be had for about $200, and it's 5 or 6 hours. Alternately, the bus then taxi, then bus, then taxi to Sosua can take up to 10 hours depending.

I have a regular chica from there, and I usually give her bus fare one way up to Sosua and a cab back home.

Good luck!

[QUOTE=JustIncognito;2076752]I will e arriving in Santo Domingo next week. I need to get to Blackbeards as I have a reservation there. I can bus / taxi with no problem. But, is it worth it to rent a car? How's the driving around the DR? This will be my first trip. I speak Spanish and am a savvy and experienced traveller.[/QUOTE]If you never do it then you will never learn. You will not learn shit sitting in the back of a bus or a taxi. I know plenty of DR chicks that have been doing that their entire lives and they do not know how to put the car in reverse, much less drive around their country (there was the chick in Santiago that did not know how to get to her own house). My first few times in DR I did not rent a car, but those times I was like the average monger. I went to stay in Boca Chica twice. Then I went to stay in Sosua maybe 3 times. So doing only that there was not really a need for a car.

The turning point was that next visit when I went to both Boca Chica and Sosua. I left Boca Chica at 8am on one uncomfortable exhaust filled minibus. I went to the station to change minibuses. I got to downtown Santo Domingo and had to take a taxi to the bus station. I took the bus to Charamicos (right outside of Sosua). Then I took a mototaxi (all I had was a backpack) into Sosua, getting there about 4 pm. After going through all of that shit it was renting cars from then on. And that was before GPS hit the cell phone and before there was the new toll road going from the Santo Domingo airport to the northern part of the country. Now that you got GSP on your cellphone, shiiiiieeeeettttt; it is easy breazy.

Nowadays there is no way I would be there without a car. You get to spread your wings more. You can hit more places faster. You can pull in to Blackbeards, Field of Dreams, or Sosua and if you do not like either one you can jump in your ride and bone out to go see some chick in Rio San Juan or Hato Mayor without having to wait for someone to come pick you up or worry about whether you are getting ripped off by taxis or worrying about a bus schedule. You do not have to sit on the bus hungry or having to take a leak while riding past the rest stop and only pulling into the bus station in a hurry to eat crappy bus station food. You can stop whenever and wherever you damn well please. That includes pulling over to give single chicks that are hitch hiking a ride. One thing that really got me was that I was paying a taxi $20 from the airport to Sosua when I could rent a car for $23/ day. Even if I would have left it parked it would have been fine by me.

Most people that advise against renting a car are people that do not rent cars themselves. I was even in an accident where I totaled the car. The tow truck dropped me and the car back at the rental car place and they gave me another one, no problem. Just remember that the big guys there such as Budget (they are franchises and do not have to follow the corporate guidelines) have started making it mandatory that you buy insurance from them because that is how they make their money. The cars themselves are cheap to rent. And most people do not know that the credit card company covers the car, but the companies there said screw that. You buy our insurance or you can not rent our cars. That is why I started going back with the company called Ace / Nelly. The last few times the car has cost me $14/ day.

I have decided to listen to most of you and take the bus / taxi combo. I splurged for a fancy room in Santo Domingo and will head up to Puerto Plata the morning after I arrive.

After a few nights at Blackbeards I have 3 nights free.

I only have a small backpack I am travelling with, and $ isn't too tight right now.

It looks like my original plan to go to San Juan de Manguana might be a little ambitious.

Any suggestions for 2 nights. I'd like to get a good hike or 2 in--and am in great shape / a real hiker. Multi day backpack trips are pretty normal for me.

Ideally, I'd love to find a chica that can also be a guide for me and get me off the track into some nature.

My last night I will spend back at the fancy schmancy hotel I picked out in Santo Domingo.

One week:

1 night nice hotel santo domingo.

3 nights blackbeards.

2 nights? (nature, girls, something unique to the DR? I want to learn something and get some booty while appreciating something different on our cool planet).

1 night back at the nice hotel in Santo Domingo to make it easy to get to the airport in the morning.

Any ideas?

Again, I am semi-fluent in Spanish, well travelled, and open.

Thanks Team!

Personal anecdote.

First let me say that my observations can be perceived as stating the obvious to many who have experience in the Dominican Republic, but in this case I am simply sharing my anecdotal experience.

Casual sex or NSAS (no strings attached sex) in the United States is common. All of my sexual experiences in the United States before living in the Dominican Republic were either NSAS or in some level of committed relationship up to and including marriage. However the Dominican Republic is a totally different animal.

In my 3 years of experience living here I have discovered that most Dominican women want 1 of two things from an extranjero. Either they want a committed relationship that brings stability and possibly status to their lives to include everything up to marriage; or they want some type of relationship that is financially beneficial. The financially beneficial relationship can take the form of the straight pro where you pay after every encounter or the semi or soft pro who expects some type of compensation immediately or long term depending on the arrangement and the people involved.

In my experience what is uniquely different for extranjeos and my experience is having casual sex. Obviously there are Dominican women who will have casual sex with extranjeros but in my experience that is the exception to the rule. I would say maybe 5% of my sexual experiences with Dominican women can be considered NSAS the rest have either included some type of commitment or some type of financial transaction.

Recently I have met a few women who have shown great integrity insisting they were NOT going to have sex without a commitment from me. The problem I have is not so much the commitment but the "commitment to what?

Commitment to children and a family that is not my own? Commitment to a woman who at the end of the day would prefer a Dominican man over me but the only reason she is with me is because I am her best option? Commitment to a woman who has the physical appearance of a model but the mind of a child? Commitment to problems of their own creation that could have easily been avoided with common sense?

Yes there can be a successful committed relationships between Dominicans and extranjeros but when I meet a woman who wants a commitment I aske her "commitment to what?

Yeah, as a very experienced traveller this is all exactly what my instincts are telling me. I imagine driving in the day is okay, but as a 1st timer, I should taxi at night. But, for just getting to / from Santo Domingo to Blackbeards, with maybe a stop in between, and for the freedom to do random things: I love renting a car. I live outside the US, near Curacao: and am used to driving in random countries and islands.

I appreciate and respect the concerns offered here about safety and being a robbery target, though having a small car may be less tourist looking than walking to from taxis and busses with my small backpack (on a one week trip: all I travel with is a small backpack).

The rental car companies even offer GPS in the car-so, navigating the main roads should be easy: but the small ones could be a bit of chaos. Part of them thinks: if other people can drive this place so can I, part of me thinks, no dumbass, you could have more problems than its worth! LOL!

I am leaning toward the bus / taxi combo based on everyone's thoughts, and it being my 1st trip there: but there is that part of me that really wants to rent a car like I did in curacao or Tobago or Australia or countless other places.

Decisions decisions! 1st world traveller problems to the 3rd world. Wow cars are cheap- and I always get the full insurance when renting in other countries. Its worth the peace of mind- even if my credit card may cover the damage anyway. Its just easier to do it right!

Field of dreams. Interesting--how has this place escaped me? I know nothing about it. Is it Blackbeards redux? Time for some more research!

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2077622]If you never do it then you will never learn. You will not learn shit sitting in the back of a bus or a taxi. I know plenty of DR chicks that have been doing that their entire lives and they do not know how to put the car in reverse, much less drive around their country (there was the chick in Santiago that did not know how to get to her own house). My first few times in DR I did not rent a car, but those times I was like the average monger. I went to stay in Boca Chica twice. Then I went to stay in Sosua maybe 3 times. So doing only that there was not really a need for a car.

The turning point was that next visit when I went to both Boca Chica and Sosua. I left Boca Chica at 8am on one uncomfortable exhaust filled minibus. I went to the station to change minibuses. I got to downtown Santo Domingo and had to take a taxi to the bus station. I took the bus to Charamicos (right outside of Sosua).[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=JustIncognito;2077747]I have decided to listen to most of you and take the bus / taxi combo. I splurged for a fancy room in Santo Domingo and will head up to Puerto Plata the morning after I arrive.

After a few nights at Blackbeards I have 3 nights free.

I only have a small backpack I am travelling with, and $ isn't too tight right now.

It looks like my original plan to go to San Juan de Manguana might be a little ambitious.

Any suggestions for 2 nights. I'd like to get a good hike or 2 in--and am in great shape / a real hiker. Multi day backpack trips are pretty normal for me.

Ideally, I'd love to find a chica that can also be a guide for me and get me off the track into some nature.

My last night I will spend back at the fancy schmancy hotel I picked out in Santo Domingo.[/QUOTE]Cabarete, a few minutes away from Sosua is noted for it's world class kiting beach, and great restaurants, and there are several dive shops around the Sosua area that will take you out and teach you scuba. Snorkeling is always fun and free.

One thing about the bus / taxi option is that you will be free to indulge the Island's popular pastime of tequila, Presidente, or something a little stronger, without having to worry about where you parked the car, or if it's stlll there!

The downside? No "learning" experiences with totaled wrecks, the cops and unscrupulous rental agents! :)

Have fun!

[QUOTE=JustIncognito;2077747]
I'd like to get a good hike or 2 in--and am in great shape / a real hiker. [/QUOTE]Try the Damajaqua Cascades (27 waterfalls) when you're in Puerto Plata.

[URL]http://www.tripadvisor.com/627325?m=19905[/URL]

[QUOTE=JustIncognito;2077747] Any suggestions for 2 nights. I'd like to get a good hike or 2 in--and am in great shape / a real hiker. Multi day backpack trips are pretty normal for me. Ideally, I'd love to find a chica that can also be a guide for me and get me off the track into some nature.[/QUOTE]I think going to a place called Jarabacoa might suit you. Look it up and read about it. I think they even have white water rafting. It is also closer to Santo Domingo as you make your way down.

Whether you can find someone by fluke who would be a guide is a difficult one to answer. I know a person who lives close by and so could be good company but doubt anything more. Should that idea sound interesting, send me a private message.

Finally, I agree with what Mr. Enternational said. About car rental. It allows you the freedom and I have been surprised positively, carnally speaking, many times. However, as he too apparently did, it is important to wait and have a clear idea of the place and its perils, that way you are going with your eyes wide open.

[QUOTE=Parkinsons;2077852]Try the Damajaqua Cascades (27 waterfalls) when you're in Puerto Plata.

[URL]http://www.tripadvisor.com/627325?m=19905[/URL][/QUOTE]Exactly what I am looking for. Only I want the scene that must exist, just like this one, but without the tourists. I bet the locals have a similar waterfall / hike combo place more remote and away from the general public's ability to get there. Everyone who goes to Jamaica goes to Dunns River Falls. But if you live there, you go to Reach falls not far from there: no tourists, more natural. Its like that everywhere in my experience. Thee's the hotposts for gringos, and the cool spots for locals.

I will look for it and find it! (along with some hot spinner Dominicans).

I wonder where the sexiest cutest women in the DR. Really are?