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Budget travel 2017: Dominican Republic

In 2017 plan your holidays to the Dominican Republic starting to make the most of your holiday cash!
Where will your travels take you next year? It could be really far, it could be the Dominican Republic, also if you stick to a tight budget and if you choose to plan with Getaway DR.
Here is some advice to plan your next holidays in a paradisiacal place spending the less many as possible and having the much fun and adventures as possible.

It’s very important to travel and learn about the world outside of your own; however, you don’t need to break your bank account in order to make that happen.
If you’re a frugal person, you can easily manage to fund a trip. You just have to know where to look, we would like to help you in this.

So let’s start with some easy advice:
  • Plan ahead. Try to book your flight at least 3 months earlier, thus you probably will find better deals. Or just contact us and we help you to find the best option throughout our partners.
  • Try to find a cheap accommodation. Not hotels, or residences but little second houses. (Also in this we can help you, we are partnered with different second house owners.)
  • Move by public transportation, it’s cheaper and funnier.
  • Book your excursions by getting on the place – where the excursion starts – by yourself (many excursions include the transport from the lodging to the place where the excursions start so the fee is higher, but it is really easy to get on the places by public transport).

After this little introduction, that we suppose that if you are planning a “money-save holiday” you already has known, we would like to describe an example of a tight budget vacation showing you better in this way how would you spend more or less and what could you do during this holiday.
 Due to the fact that we focus on Las Terrenas, I will use this destination in the example, but obviously, if you would like to choose another place of the Dominican Republic, we can help you as well!

So let’s jump into a virtual paradisiac vacation!

If you want to save on the biggest amount of your vacation, you should do this by saving money on your flight. The cheapest period of the year is February-March; May-June and September-October (but we do not really recommend this period due to the monsoon season). If you book your flight 2 or 3 months earlier and you book them for these periods you will probably find return tickets (I’m referring myself to Europe but more or less is the same for USA and Canada, if even not cheaper) from 430$.

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Supposing that you arrive in Santo Domingo Las Americas International Airport (same situation for La Romana Airport and Punta Cana), depending on your flight you can take the bus from there to Las Terrenas. If your plane arrives later than 5 pm, unfortunately, you will miss it because the last bus leaves at 6 pm so for the controls and withdrawal luggage you can not make it. In this case you can choose if you prefer to take a cab until Las Terrenas (200$) or you stay a night in the capital, finding a cheap accommodation (50$/night) and you spend an evening there visiting the city and the day after you take the bus from the city center (6$). If you arrive in El Catey International airport, which is the nearest to Las Terrenas you can easily take a cab for 40$ (if you book with Bite my Vibes).


As I wrote in the introduction, you should book a cheap, little, cozy, second-house. Usually, the owners of this places are European or American people that live in Las Terrenas, they are very kind and helpful.

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In the Dominican Republic you can use the beaches for free but not the beach chairs, normally these costs 150 Dominican pesos (3$), but thanks for the sandy, smooth beaches it won’t be a problem to lay on your towel on the floor.

If you want a refreshment you can go to buy any drink like water, juices, beer in the colmados ( these are little Dominican shops where you can buy snacks, drinks, fruit, cigarettes at a very low price).
As regards the food, we suggest eating in local restaurants. In Las Terrenas, you will find many of them. In this places, the food is cheap and very tasty. You can check out our article about the Dominican cuisine here: http://getawaydominicanrepublic.com/bite-dominican-cuisine/ .
In this little restaurants, you will find fresh fish and meat always with the same side dish as well as rice, beans, salad, potatoes and tostones. If you order a complete dish it will cost you between 150 and 400 Dominican pesos (3-8$), depending on what you order, meat or fish. If you choose to organize your holidays with Bite my Vibes we provide you lunch on the beach such as fresh lobster, octopus, crab, shrimp that you will enjoy in the silent of the beach.

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If you prefer a juicy-fruity refresh you can go to our favorite cafeteria where you can take a plate of fresh fruit and very fresh juices for not more than 1$. You can read more about the cafeterias here: http://getawaydominicanrepublic.com/lets-experience-dominican-cafeteria/ .

Last but not least as I wrote in the introduction if you want to go on some excursion you should choose to get to the place by yourself. For example, if it is a boat excursion that normally starts from Samana, instead of picking you up in Las Terrenas by taxi ( 100$ return ride) you can go by public transport until Samana for 100 Dominican pesos (2$) and get on the boat, the same thing to return to Las Terrenas. Depending on which type of excursion and on the type of experience that you want to live we organize you the most suitable excursion for you. Here you can check out our excursions: http://getawaydominicanrepublic.com/plan-your-holiday/ .

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This is a short description on how to save more money as possible while having a wonderful vacation full of adventures and experiences as well.
 (try to calculate you budget here: http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-budget-calculator ).

We think that in this way maybe you have to renounce to some things but for sure you experience better the Dominican Republic and you get home with thousand of memories and unforgettable moments.

For any other details of Las Terrenas or information about other destinations in the Dominican Republic do not hesitate to contact us or ask us a budget estimation to plan your holidays!