Dominican R: what area is best?
 

I am looking at the Domincan Rep. for next Feb break, with husband and 15yr old daughter. curious to know which area of The DR is best....looking for ability to perhaps rent a jeep to tour about on our own, do some hiking, etc. can;t just lay in sun every day....need some activities....some good sites to see....for 7 days.
also, high-end, boutique-style property is my choice...not crazy about hgih-rise 800 room complexes.
anybody?
thank you in advance!
Worldly Monkey

There really aren't that many worthy "sights" in the DR. The best examples of history are in Santo Domingo's colonial zone, and there are few recommendable resorts near, though you could do a day tour if you stayed in the La Romana area (or Punta Cana, but it's a much longer drive). Independent travelers will do better on the north coast, so you want to fly into Puerto Plata and perhaps look at a resort like Natura Cabanas. Or you could head to the Samana Peninsula, where there are a few big all-inclusives but mostly small inns. That area has caves and a beautiful natural park, as well as the island's best whale-watching.

There is one really magnificent small hotel in Samana (very expensive) called The Peninsula House. There's a web site, but they don't advertise.

The Playa Dorada area is on the north coast and has several high-end boutique hotels. The Punta Cana is the main resort area and also has a few high-end boutique hotels, along with the mega-resorts that you mentioned. You might also consider a private home or villa with chef, housekeeping and gardener for a very private experience, too. It is hard to recommend resorts with only general information.

Santo Domingo is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is a tropical wonderland at Sanoa Island. There is a tracker at Macao Beach. Great golf in the Dominican Republic if that interests you.

Best Regards,
Julia

maybe is late, buy anyway have the info is good in case somebody else need it.

You rent a house, in the north coast you will find several websites were you could find houses for rent, with service included

try www.homelidays.com
o www.homeaway.com

The last thing y ou want to do is drive around the D.R. . As much as I love the cuntry you culdnt pay me to do it.. We were in a resort in La Romana (urfavorite area) and the asst, manager was going out ARMED to help guests whose car had broken down.. A friends son lives outside of Punta Cana and never goe anywhere without a gun... As much as the cab drivers are bandits and have a strong union its a safer bet than going out on your own.. Oh yes..before you all flame me we have stayed in Santo Domingo almost twenty years ago three times, been to Punta Cana and our favorite area La Romana..

Agree with the above poster, driving is very difficult in DR; it can take between 2 and 3 hours to go less than 20 miles. That being said, we enjoyed the zip line tour a lot - it was nearly a full day and the zipping it self was less than 30 minutes. We stayed at Punta Cana at an AI - it was the only thing available with short notice (I'm talking 48 hours) and was not something I'd do again. Some friends rented a house in Casa del Campo since they are big golfers and had a decent time. She said they couldn't walk the beach(?)but were able to golf and had some good restaurant experiences.

I agree hiking and going around on your own is not at all safe. Not many islands I would say that about but this is one of them and driving is horrible. We stayed in Punta Cana but you are pretty much confined to the resort with some tours as an exception. we did an all day tour to the city on a bus. It is an all day tour and quite a ride. If you want to rent a jeep and tour on your own, I would suggest Aruba. We just returned and that is a great safe area to do this adventure. From your name it sounds as though you are an adventurer, and abc jeep tours in aruba will NOT dissapoint you if an adventure is what are seeking.