Cresonia Hsieh is a student at University of Florida and an ISA Featured Blogger. Cresonia is currently studying abroad with ISA in Salamanca, Spain, having just recently studied abroad with ISA- CP in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
In my time in Dominican Republic, I’ve traveled to Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, Dajabón, and Jarabacoa. As of now, I’d have to say that my favorite city so far is Jarabacoa. After telling you where we stayed, what we did, and how we ate and drank, I’m sure that you’ll agree with me as well.
Shelter: Jarabacoa Hostel
I went to Jarabacoa with three other of my friends. That means that when we stayed in a hostel, we got to divide the already cheap price, by four. Which means that we got to stay in a beautiful house and enjoy hot water, a patio, Netflix, a fully- functional kitchen, laundry facilities, and Wi-Fi all safely behind no shorter than five locked doors for only $14 a night. It was gorgeous and wonderful, and the owner (Molly) was extremely accommodating. She spoke perfect English and was more than willing to call us taxis and plan our day’s activities. I highly recommend the Jarabacoa Hostel!
Activities: Rancho Baiguate
Only a ten-minute walk from our hostel was the beautiful Baiguate ranch. While you can river raft, canyon, and finish an obstacle course at Baiguate among several other options, we decided to ride horses to see the Baiguate waterfalls. We were able to appreciate the beautiful scenery that Jarabacoa has to offer while riding a trusty steed.
Now the horses here aren’t like the ones in America; they don’t go slow or bore you. You really get to ride the horse. You determine direction, how fast or slow you go and get to cross a river and travel up hills and below overhanging branches. It’s definitely an experience worth trying. At the end there was a beautiful waterfall as a treat.
Just make sure that you were long pants because the abrasive ropes from the riding gear tends to tear at your calves and the metal stirrups will dig into your ankles if you’re not covered. Other than that, it’s really great! Plus, we only paid $16 for the whole thing, and lunch was included.
Dining: Aroma de la Montana
Ever wonder what heaven on earth looks like? Look no further, Aroma de la Montaña has got your back. We went on a Friday evening and luckily for us, no one was there. We saw the sun set and the city lights ignite the landscape afterwards; it was absolutely breathtaking. The food was pricey but good, and afterwards we enjoyed eating desserts and relaxing outside on the hammock while waiting for our taxi. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.
It was an adventurous and exquisite day, but don’t take my word for it! Schedule yourself a trip to Jarabacoa and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
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