My three weeks in La Republica Dominicana was the essence of why I love backpacking to a new country with almost no plan. That is how I met amazing people and went to places I did not expect to visit while creating unique experiences I wouldn’t of had otherwise.
I flew into Santo Domingo and needed to get to my hostel in Zona Colonial. I asked around for a bus to the city centre and after being sent down a direction I asked one more guy and he pointed to an old run down mini van which had no signs or markings on. Naturally I got in and waited for departure. Once the van filled up with passengers we headed off. A local girl next to me spoke decent English and explained to me how these “guaguas” work across the country as public transportation by picking up people on the street for regional transport. Once I got off near my destination one lady from the van was telling me to watch my backpack and walked with me some of the way even though I was adamant I’ll be fine. We did walk through a hectic market filled with people. Eventually I reached Zonal Colonial which is the more relaxed historic centre by the water which is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the Americas. I enjoyed this area as it had weekly bachata dancing on Sundays in the square with live music and loads of people dancing the night away. I also played basketball with the locals on a beautiful court surrounded by colonial buildings. Shout-out to Island Life Hostel which is a great hub for all travelers in the DR. I stayed there on three separate occasions as I navigated across the country. Each time I met great people to explore the city with and travel together further on. I even met @passaporte201 at the beginning of his trip to every country in the world and he was a big influence on me to start writing about my travels.
I met two travelers in Santo Domingo who had also just met and the next day I joined them to go to Santiago de los Caballeros. I knew nothing about this place other than it was the second largest city in the country. However, the girl I met had set up a couchsurf host and let us all stay at his house. Since I was the last one to join our group and the host was only expecting one person to begin with I had to sleep on a yoga mat. Definitely worth it. We were there for only one night and man did we get an experience. The host was friends with the city’s minister of tourism and they drove us around the entire city explaining everything. Luckily one girl in our group spoke Spanish very well and translated for us. The minister even took us to a popular bar which had pictures of famous people who have been there which included a picture of Hillary Clinton with a Presidente beer.
The next morning we took a bus to Cabarete on the northern coast. We found a hotel to stay at once we got to town and then spent the next two days surfing and enjoying the beach. This is also a well known spot for kite surfing.
After parting ways with the group, I headed back inland to Jarabacoa which is near the Dominican mountains. By the way, the cities are well connected by coach buses with the main company called Caribe Tours so it’s easy to navigate intercity transportation. Then you have guaguas and mototaxis for local and regional movement. I had a short stay in Jarabacoa as I went to do a hike nearby. There are various trails around the area to choose from and I believe the town has various other activities to do like white water rafting.
Back in Santo Domingo for a bit before heading to Punta Cana to meet a friend flying in. Absolutely nothing to recommend there other than the resorts. If you’re not going to Punta Cana to stay at a resort, then don’t go there because it is not really a town and there are nicer beaches in other parts of the country. I also stopped by La Romana for a night and that was a very local place with no tourist. For me it was nothing special but I’ve heard they have great street parties there.
Heading back north to the Samana peninsula is where the true magic is in my opinion. I rented a scooter and drove around through the towns stopping by the world class beaches. Las Terrenas is the most built up and resorty area, but lovely nevertheless especially if you’re trying to meet people.
My time in the DR reminds me of why I love traveling and this country has a great mix of tourist and local places that widely differ. Even the backpacking scene is more alive than I expected. I kept running into familiar faces that I met in other parts of the country. Even when riding the scooter and running into someone I met before on the trip. In the Dominican Republic you can surf, relax at a resort, hike a mountain, backpack across the country, or stay in a remote nature area chasing waterfalls all in the same trip. And don’t forget the bachata…