Hola everyone,

this summer I decided to visit Santo Domingo for the first time. I'm looking for something family friendly, as I will be travelling with my wife and two kids. Any recommendations?

Why did you choose Santo Domingo? It's not particularly a good family vacation spot as it's a big busy city with some street crime. There are some large hotels with decent pools, but you will find few family friendly activities in the city itself and, of course, no beach.

If you want to visit there go to an a/I property close by where they will include a nice all day city tour. We did that a few years ago. It has a lot of history but not where I would choose to spend an entire week. As stated street crime is plentiful and the driving is horrendous! Best to go on a structured tour of the city.

I also wonder why Santo Domingo. It's a huge city, not really a vacation destination. If you want to go to the Dominican Republic, why not up to Puerto Plata or Sosua, or even Punta Cana... where the majority of the resorts are located.

I agree that Santo Domingo isn't a good place for a vacation, especially with children. What you find, at least in the colonial section, is that homes and businesses in the city are built so there's a privacy wall at the sidewalk, which means all you see when you walk around are these ugly walls.

We were privileged to meet friends who have a home in the city, which was gorgeous inside the walls-- pool, terraces, gardens, antiques, two connecting historic homes. But from the outside it looked like a dump.

Also, the electrical wires strung overhead everywhere are ugly. And it's not much of a walking area, as sidewalks were narrow and traffic was substantial.

We spent one night in Santo Domingo after arriving, and I can recommend this little hotel in the Colonial section of Santo Domingo:


www.villacolonial.net

 My single room was $70, cash only, with a very nice continental breakfast included.

For the most part, I stayed with friends in Casa de Campo, a very large, upscale place with a white sand private beach for swimming and snorkeling and kayaking, three golf courses, a polo field, a gorgeous hotel, clubhouse, shops, and all the amenities. This would be a much better place to vacation. It is near La Romana, about an hour drive from Santo Domingo, I think. A driver will charge about $95 to take you one-way.

We took a field trip to this amazing eco-lodge in the 'mountains', about a 2.5 hour drive from La Romana. From the lodge, we took a private guided motorboat tour, through the mangroves, into the bay of Los Haitises National Park. We examined two caves with ancient carvings, and walked through a 'humid forest'. It was a three-hour tour like none I've ever taken. Fortunately, we had clear beautiful weather for this.



Again, I was surprised at the value. Our bill came to $83 apiece, which included one night's private lodging, three meals (with lots of rum and wine!), AND the private tour through the park. Cano Hondo in Sabana de Mar
http://www.paraisocanohondo.com/




I have run into many "Santos" who use the terms Santo Domingo and the Dominican Republic interchangeably.

OK if this question is actually asking about all of the island, then I'll suggest checking out Puerta Plata and Sosua.

There is actually some nice things to do in Santo Domingo.
Read the little article we did about three hidden gems in Santo Domingo: http://bit.ly/sdqgemslifestyle