Cabarete Transportation

try to just walk. the town is small and this is easy.

take a taxi or gua-gua for safety, if you must go very far

negotiate. negotiate. negotiate. and BEFORE you get in the taxi. there's always another taxi.

(the taxis charge excessive rates, in my opinion...on par with chicago cabs really and they're not as willing to negotiate as the motos)

seatbelts are only required for the drivers and it appeared this was the only law enforced, and only when the police were heavily in town on a holiday weekend. drinking and WHILE driving did not seem illegal. the police might also stop you if you have more that a few people in the flatbed of your pick-up. it seemed a few was ok, but full of people was deemed unsafe.

if you're going to rent something and plan to try driving, be warned. gasoline is very expensive. also, there are no intersections or lanes on the road. it's a bit of a free for all, though with the regular feel of traffic, driving on the right. not too different from typical drive in the city of chicago...minus the stop-lights, if you know what i mean. there were NO stops on the road between puerto plata and cabarete.

there is this board of prices, set fees that say how much it should cost you to get from A to B. the price on the board from the puerto plata (closest airport to cabarete) was listed as $25 dollars. for one, i think this is a new increase from 20 dollars. secondly, almost everything is negotiable in this country. my friend's emailed me saying they shared a cab with some other people and the TOTAL was 15 dollars, which they split. i was tired when i got there and traveling alone...alone costs the same as sharing, they charge you for the trip. anyways, i paid 20. i just felt i had to make a point i wasn't going to pay 25.

the hotel on the way back was the same thing. however, i took a moto back. i know. i know. i was endangering my life and all. but it was 300 pesos (like $11 US) and really could have been cheaper, but i honestly was feeling generous. i gave him a hundred extra pesos in my pocket.

actually, i have five million stories about everything. on the way to the airport, my ride got a flat tire. while everyone seems to know everyone there, i don't think my driver even knew the moto who made a u-turn to see if he could help us. i paid the first guy 100 pesos and wished him luck. the guy who made the u-turn took me the rest of the way to the airport. i was grateful, i gave him 330, the last of my pesos. all was well. i found the people generous in heart, but they'll suck every dime they think they can get out of you before they know you, very personally. you just seem like a rich tourist. especially when you show up off the plane, without a tan. and they're just trying to make money like you and me so could you blame them?

also, i believe it might be possible to take a gua-gua, but i'm not sure you'd want to with your luggage. i say this only because it is crowded on this bus-like system that is really about four rows full of people crowded into a mini-van. i'm not sure the price from the airport, but from about half way to the airport (sea horse ranch) to cabarete it was 10 pesos during the day and 20 pesos at night. the guagua prices did not seem negotiable, but the price is right if you're super broke and have very little luggage. also, i'm not sure if they come into the airport, or if you'd have to walk out to the main road to get this. there aren't "bus stops" for the guaguas. you just stand on the side of the road. and i was instructed to point away from me and down at the road, instead of up like hailng a taxi or putting your thumb out like a hitchhiker. you know the gua-gua by the white stripe with red lettering on the top edge of the windsheild. i forget what it said. san juan or something to somewhere else. sorry. just ask if they're going to cabarete.

also, about the motos...supposedly, they are not legal taxis and should be wearing helmets. apparently they are too numerous to stop. meanwhile - i only saw ONE helmet being worn over my eight day trip. ONE. and there are motos freaking everywhere. the motos are infamous for hospitalizations, which are common placed for the aformentioned reasons.

the number i used to contact American Airlines from my hotel

As we come from Holland and we dont want to swimm the oceans we came by plane. We also had a lot of planes coming over the beach...that was a nice fiew.

The best way of getting around in The Dominican Republic is with a taxi. You can make a prize before you go on your trip and this board is telling you the prizes of the local city's.

The cheapest way to get around is with a Kwakwa. You have to pay a few dominican pesos to drive from one spot to the other but you have to sitt in this car with almost 20 or more other people.