Travel to Bonao

[famuq]

I will be in Santo Domingo in early September and I would like to see the town of Bonao. Is it better to do a day trip or spend the night? Also, is there any nightlife in Bonao? Thanks.

[sepahunt22]

I just returned from the DR on Monday, August 4th after spending 8 days there, my second trip.
I went to Bonao twice last week while I was in the DR. The first time was a day trip from Santo Domingo. I would have stayed in Bonao but I already had a room at a hotel in Santo Domingo.
After three days in SD I drove to Puerto Plata, and I stopped in at Bonao again on the way to PP.
Bonao has a nice hotel called Hotel Aquarius> I drove by it and it looks very nice.
The mountains around Bonao are absolutely beautiful. Here is a video I filmed of them:

YouTube - The Mountains of Bonao, Monseñor Nouel, Dominican Republic

Bonao is definitely worth visiting. I plan to return there in November.

[London_Calling]

IMO you could easily do Bonao on a day trip from Santo Domingo or en route to somewhere more interesting! The town has a nice arts centre and some good restaurants on the main road but other than that there ain't much to see.
If you want mountains I would carry on and go to Constanza.

[carl.r]

hi there

hotel aquarius, is a decent hotel, stayed there 2 months with work, speak english too, fri and sat are good nights out, nightclub attached to the hotel, food excellent too.

[LaTeacher]

BONAO is pretty and i think the hiking is better than constanza or jarabacoa, albeit a bit hotter because it's not in the mountains. it just depends what you're in to if you should stay overnight

[bachatony1]

How long does it take to get to Bonao from SD? What's the best mode of transportation to do it?

[sepahunt22]

Originally Posted by bachatony1

How long does it take to get to Bonao from SD? What's the best mode of transportation to do it?

I drove from SD to Bonao in just under one hour & fifteen minutes each way. As for the best mode of transportation, it all depends. For speed, driving yourself is of course the fastest since a bus is much slower moving and makes a lot of stops.

Many people advise against driving, especially for new visitors, but I disagree. This last trip was my second one, and I drove both times. The first time I spent five days in the DR in the Sosua and Puerto Plata area. I drove all over and loved it.

My last trip that I returned from on August 4th, I spent 8 days in the DR. I flew into Santo Domingo, rented a car, drove all over the capital city for three days with the day trip to Bonao on the second day.

On the fourth day I drove from SD to Sosua, stopping in Bonao again and also stopping in La Vega and Santiago. I then spent the last half of my trip in Sosua, once again driving all over, to Cabarete and Puerto Plata numerous times.

Although I'm sure accidents happen in the DR, I have yet to see one in all the driving I've done there. However, in South Florida where I live, I see traffic accidents EVERY DAY.

If you can handle the traffic in places like NYC, Miami, L.A, etc., then you'll do fine in the DR. Rent a car and enjoy the freedom it'll give you.