La Romana to Sto Domingo

[Megan McCaslin]

Several questions: I am coming from California to meet up with a Global Village building group. I need to be in Sto Domingo on a saturday march 4 by noon. But I want to come a few days early to DR to unwind. So, I wanted to fly to La Romana and then get to Sto Domingo. What is cheapest and best way to get to Sto Domingo, air or bus or taxi? How long does it take. Also, what is absolutely the best beach, best romantic hotel with best food....prefer small and quirky, as long a clean and yummy food and good beach and swimming. Perhaps not La Romana? Open to all suggestions....Thanks. BTW, I speak Spanish and would love some unknown, local type place.....If not La Romana, maybe somewhere else that would put me in shooting distance of STo Domingo.....

[Chirimoya]

Travel to Santo Domingo by bus, it's not such a long way (2hrs+).

For good beaches in the area, Bayahibe to the east, and Juan Dolio/Guayacanes/Playa Caribe on the road to Santo Domingo. A friend showed me photos of Playa de los pescadores in Guayacanes and it looked nice. In Juan Dolio there is a small-but-quirky place called Fior di Loto (sp?) and Bayahibe also has smaller hotels as well as the big complexes, but I don't have specific names. Do a search on Bayahibe hotels here on DR1 - there have been some recent recommendations.