Get Straight To It

The Dominican Republic is filled with natural attractions, from waterfalls, to underground lakes, to mangroves, and caves. Although we went during covid precautions and there was a 11PM curfew at the time (November 2020) we still managed to see plenty of the cities and attractions. Thank God for delivery and fast Uber drivers lol. There were a couple days where we raced the clock to get back on time due to us stuffing our faces with delicious food late at night.

The first stop once we checked into our homestay in Santo Domingo was SBG Sofia’s Bar and Grill which had the most amazing food of dare I say the entire trip. We had sooo many goodies like the lamb chops which came out steaming, the paella, fried octopus, and crab fritters. The drinks were to die for as well. The atmosphere is A1, we saw many people clearly celebrating significant life events there and the place is swanky. The only downfall was the service we experienced wasn’t great at all. I’m all about the food though so overall I 9/10 recommend.

Our first activity was the trip to three eye national park aka Lago Los Tres Ojos. I saw this place on the internet and it immediately reminded me of the cenotes in Mexico. The unfortunate part is there is no longer swimming in this park but its still worth the view. Tres Ojos is an natural formation with underground water formation or lakes. The park actually contains four lakes but is named Tres (or three in Spanish) because the last one wasn’t found until later. I highly recommend getting a guide which is available at the entrance, on the spot, so that you can see the fourth lake or “eye”. The guide will accompany you on a manual boat operated by pulling the raft from one end to the other using a guide rope. The fourth lake is spectacular and easily the most beautiful. It’s like something from a dream. Pictured below.

After Tres Ojos we explored downtown Santo Domingo aka Zona Colonial. Zona Colonial is one of the oldest cities so the cobblestone streets and old buildings bring you back in time. We walked all around Zona Colonial to marvel at the architecture, colorful buildings, people playing futbol, shop the streets, and eat a flavorful feast whilst being serenaded by a band in the park. The musicians were unusual to what I’m used to, there was a bagpipe and one of the musicians showed his merengue skills.

Later, we spent the evening at our rooftop pool overlooking all of Santo Domingo with the classic skyscraper city views. For dinner we went to Laurel which had bomb a## appetizers and good size dranks! They had a nice aesthetic and the vibes were good too!

We then headed to Samana to our next homestay. Samana is a tiny town on the coast, which means one thing…BEACHES! I love a good little town experience. Big cities offer variety and community but towns usually host hidden gems and more intimate experiences with people, places, and activities. In the same way I enjoy a town, I also enjoy boutique hotels over large hotels every day of the week. If you’ve never stayed at a boutique hotel then I urge you to try one out! They offer many of the pros of a large hotel such as location, amenities, and services PLUS intimate/more personalized experiences. Boutique hotels are often more aesthetically unique than regular hotels in my experience. They also usually (in my experience) offer better service since there are less guests they tend to they are able to better cater to needs. Mahona Boutique Hotel offered spectacular aesthetics of woven décor, and unique ocean themed rooms with high ceilings that offered open air. The hotel is protected by a Balinese gate that offers a VIP experience and each room is a standalone villa surrounding the central shared swimming pool. The breakfast was outstanding. The meal was fresh and filling.

In Samana we ventured out to our first waterfall El Limon booked right in town right on the spot. The experience was spectacular! We choose to ride the horses although you can hike it on foot. Disclaimer the hike to the waterfall is somewhat difficult. The horse ride was quite entertaining, there were so many bumps, hills, fruits, and herbs that we experienced during the ride. The waterfall wasn’t too crowded and the visitors were mostly locals. There’s a good range at the waterfall, spots that are shallow and areas that are deep enough to plunge from the rocks overhead if you dare. There’s also a great photo opportunities at the waterfall. There’s a man staged there with his parrot. The parrot is bright red and it makes for a stunning picture for the gram.

In Samana we explored Playa Bonita. The beach was fun, we rented a surf board, tried slack line, and ate delicious Dominican food.

The other place we explored around Samana was Los Haitis National Park. I had read about plenty of history and seen photos that convinced me Los Haitis was worth a visit! We booked an all-day experience that included caves, mangroves, beach, lunch, and boat ride. The day was filled with history, natural discoveries, and water activities. During our stop at Bacardi Beach (which I do not recommend, its a tourist trap) we made the best of it and borrowed a ball from the crowded bar to play some beach volleyball. It turned out to be the perfect gateway to make friends and get active.

Last stop for DR was Cabarate which is resort town on the coastline. This base was great for getting to more beaches (we went to Sosua – Playa Alicia) and most importantly 27 waterfalls. 27 waterfalls is a MUST for my adrenaline junkies. This experience was unforgettable. You are swimming, sliding down waterfalls(yes, you read that right!), and jumping off ledges. During this experience you walk and hike quite a bit as well. You are given a mask due to covid (isn’t waterproof but can get wet). It is disposable. You are also given water shoes if needed. There are 27 waterfalls as the name implies but depending on the weather/water levels some may be closed. We only had access to 4 waterfalls but YALL as sad as that sounds I cant even imagine doing 27! I’m scary though so ignore me. So much fun yall! And for all my non-swimmers or weak swimmers (like myself) no worries, you are supplied with a life vest. Conquer those fears folks, if I can do it anyone can!

Transportation

BWI-FLL-SDQ ~6hrs

Spirit airlines

Accommodations

Airbnb Lux apartment Downtown Pool and views+Jeep – Santo Domingo

Mahona Bed & Breakfast- Samana

Airbnb Lovely Stylish Apartment at Oceanfront – Cabarete

Airbnb Estancia Santa Barbara- Santo Domingo

Activities

27 Charcos (27 waterfalls)

Explore caves and mangroves in Los Haitises National Park

Los Tres Ojos (Three eyes National Park)

Explore the Historic Zona Colonial

El Limon Waterfall

Samana Beaches

Planning Tools

Suggested Minimum Budget	$60/night accommodations $30/day food $20/day transportation
Suggested Duration	7 days +
Suggested Time of Year	April-May

Recommendations

Food & Drinks: Try Tostones, mofongo, mamajuana, rum punch, mezcal, and tequila.

Inside Scoop

Yall know I keep it real, so let me just start by saying I went into DR side eyeing certain conversations because I had experiences with Dominicans in America saying ignorant things in relation to race. I had a couple of those experiences in the Dominican Republic as well to be honest. One of my guides from Three eye National park wanted to discuss how Haitians were black and Dominicans are mixed. It was his intent to disassociate from black people that really struck me. I understand how colonialism has affected some people (but that’s everywhere you go). Any how I had a great time exploring DR and can’t wait to visit Haiti.