Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is my number 1 travel destination. That’s why I visited the country 2 times in a short time frame.
Immediately I felt at home. The climate, nature, atmosphere and music suited me so well. When I arrived at the Santo Domingo airport and walked outside there was already bachata music playing!
On this page I will share the hidden gem places in the Dominican Republic for an authentic experience.
What To Do
Where To Stay
Accommodation In Las Terrenas
This Airbnb is centrally located in Las Terrenas. Everything is within walking distance and everything felt safe. The hosts are friendly people and arranged a taxi for me to get from Santo Domingo to Las Tarrenas late at night.
The price is between €37/€50 per night depending on when you book.
Click here for the Airbnb.
Accommodations In El Valle
This is a beautiful lodge, a 3 minute walk away from the beach. The public spaces are shared and you will have a private bedroom with mosquito net. The owners are very friendly American people and made me feel very welcome.
The price is around €65 per night.
Click here for the Airbnb.
A basic appartment with a private bathroom. The bedroom has airconditioning. Otty and Mayra are super friendly people. They also speak a little bit English so if you can’t speak Spanish it’s easy to communicate. They made me feel very welcome. The have their own little supermarket and a place where you can eat. Of all the places I ate, Mayra made the best Dominican food! El Valle has more expensive accommodations than the rest of the country, so this is definitly a good value for money.
The price is around €38 per night.
Click here for the Airbnb.
Accommodations In Las Galeras
A spacious appartment located in a quiet neighborhood. The ground floor and first floor are rented seperatly. Everything is within walking distance, Playita beach is about a 5 minute walk. I felt safe here, also when walking alone during the night.
The price is around €36 per night.
Click here for the Airbnb.
Beautiful appartment located within walking distance from everything. Airconditioning and all the basic kitchen equipment is there. Affordable nice place to stay.
The price is around €33 per night.
Click here for the Airbnb.
Accommodation In Santo Domingo
I only stayed here 1 night because the plane landed at midnight and I wanted to take the bus to Samaná the next morning. It’s a good place to stay if you want to take the long distance bus to Samaná, because it’s close to the airport and close to the busstation. The communication with the hosts were good. I got picked up on time at the airport and got dropped off at the busstation the next morning.
The price is around €31 per night.
Click here for the Airbnb.
How To Get Around
To get around the island you can rent a car, although depending on where you’re driving it can be chaotic. There are long distance buses, guaguas (minibus), motoconchos and taxis. The best option to use depends on the area where you’re staying and where you’re going to.
For long distances the cheapest option is to use the El Caribe Tours bus, or the Asotrapusa bus. The Asotrapusa bus is only for when you travel to the Samaná region. These buses are reliable, have airconditioning and some of them have wifi. They drive on scheduled times and have specific stops, so you can’t get on or off anywhere you want.
The other option for long distances is to rent a taxi, but this will be very expensive. The journey from Santo Domingo airport to Las Terrenas by taxi cost me €160. And the journey from Santo Domingo to Las Galeras by bus was €7. So that’s a big difference. For more information about the costs of transportation click here.
For short distances, guaguas and motoconchos are used. Guaguas are minibuses. This is the cheapest way of transportation and you don’t have to go to a busstop to get on. Just wave one down when you see one on the road. Keep an eye on the road, because when you have reached your destination you need to shout to the driver to get out. I usually say: Aqui por favor! Which means: Here please!
You can also use this type of transportation for the longer distances, but than you would need to change guaguas. You pay de driver when you have reached your destination. Make sure you confirm the price with the driver before getting in. Tourists usually get overcharged…
The buses can be overpacked, so it’s a lot easier when you travel light. Also try to have the exact amount of money, because the drivers don’t carry a lot of change.
The other option for traveling short distances are the motoconchos. You hop on the back of a motorbike and tell the driver where you want to go. Here too, confirm the price with the driver before you get on. It is possible to use this way of transportation with 2 people, or even more if you dare. Even the motoconchos can be packed. Also with a little suitcase for handluggage it was no problem to travel with the motoconcho. The driver put my little suitcase in the front and everything was fine. You can recognize the motoconchos by the drivers who wear reflector vests.
Besides the options above it’s also possible to hitchhike. I didn’t actually hitchhike, but when I was walking around I got offered rides all the time. By car and by motor, on a daily basis I got to different places this way. It always felt safe for me, the people were genuinely nice.
Costs
Accommodation:
Budget: €18-€30 per night
Midrange: €30-€50 per night
Luxury: €50+ per night
Restaurants:
This will range between €6 and €30. Unless you’re in a super touristy restaurant, than it could be more. The local Dominican restaurants will usually cost €13 more or less including basic drinks. Expect to tip around 10%/15%.
Transportation:
The long distance buses have fixed prices, the guagua, taxi and motoconcho prices can vary depending if they give you the tourist price…
Here are some of the costs I made during my journey to give you an idea about the prices of transportation.
- Long distance bus from Santo Domingo to Samaná: 450rd (€6,60) This is a fixed price, you’ll have to buy a busticket at the busstation. – Time: 2h30m. 157km.
- Guagua from Samaná to Las Galeras: 150rd (€2,21) – Time: 1h30m. 28km.
- Long distance bus from Las Galeras to Santo Domingo: 500rd (€7,35) This is also a fixed price. There is no busstation in Las Galeras, you wait along the main road and pay the busdriver when you get in. – Time: 4 hours. 200km.
- Motoconcho from Samaná to El Valle: 500rd (€7,35) Should be around 300rd, I got overcharged here… – Time: 30 minutes. 12km.
- Motoconcho from Playa Las Terrenas to Playa Bonita: 300rd (€4,40) – Time: 20 minutes. 5,1km.
- A 13 minute taxi ride to Santo Domingo Airport: 700rd (€10,30) – 9,1km.
- Taxi at night from Santo Domingo Airport to Las Terrenas: 10885rd (€160) – Time: 2 hours. 140km.
What I spent on my trips:
Trip 1 – 10 days
- Plane ticket: €733
- ESTA: €41
- Taxi Santo Domingo – Las Terrenas: €160
- Whale watching excursion: €65
- Accommodations: €423
- ATM (for food, drinks and public transport): €350
I went out for dinner every evening.
Total: €1772
Trip 2 – 14 days
- Plane ticket: €740
- Accommodations: €538
- ATM (for food, drinks and public transport): €306
I ate at a restaurant twice, the rest of the days I cooked myself.
Total: €1584
Practical Information
Language: Spanish
Currency: Dominican Peso
Travel documents: Passport, E-Ticket, when transferring through America you will also need a ESTA.
Water: Not drinkable
Electricity: 110/120 volt
Best time to travel: December to April is the dry season. When I traveled at the end of April the weather was great and there weren’t too many tourists. I also visited the country at the end of March/beginning of May. There was a little bit more rain and cloudy days, but still a nice time to visit to avoid the crowds and have lower prices. Hurricane season is from June till November.