Dominican Republic

[riverdees05]

I usually see TSs in the Dominican Republic when I don't see any on the other islands. Some of what I see is AI, some are not. How are the resorts in DR and what is there to do outside the resorts? How safe is the island?

[Carol C]

Interesting that you didn't get any response. You posted way back in March! Anyway, I've never been there, but I have a friend who goes every year and who even built an apartment or small house in or near Sosua. I actually plan to go in Dec...I've got an exchange booked, and I'll tack on a few days at my friend's place. I'll let you know when I get back how I felt about safety & other factors. I can honestly say that I hope I like the DR...because they sure have alot of timeshare resorts and it's so easy to get an exchange!

[gmarine]

DR has a lot of nice AI resorts though its not the safest island to explore outside of the resorts. There are many more European and South American tourists compared to those from the US. Also keep in mind that DR shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

[BarCol]

we timeshared to the DR back in 2003 or so and in the endpaid more than going to an AI with air included. oughit's warmer than Ontario in the winter, the country is very poor and the resorts while okay are generally not on a par with many wealthier islands. That said, it can be a good inexpensive vacation if you can't go to Cuba, which for us Canicks is also a good inexpensive vacation....

[MULTIZ321]

Riverdees05,

Also check out - http://www.debbiesdominicantravel.com/

and

http://www.dr1.com/

when you get to the dr1 home page - click on the travel tab

Richard

[chriskre]

I've been to the DR many times but not stayed at a TS yet.

I have stayed at some of the AI hotels and some are nice and some just
so-so. It's true they cater more to Europeans than to American taste.

Dominicans relate very much to the Spanish and French and prefer European
goods over American if they can afford it. I have family there and they send
their children to Spain and France to study in the Universities.

I personally don't like to drive in the DR as the police are corrupt and you never know if you'll be targeted but if you stay in the resorts it's safe. You will see quite a bit of poverty depending on the resort you go to. The beaches in Bavaro and Bayahibe are very beautiful. Boca Chica is too close to the capital and you will be harassed by Haitian vendors and the crime is a bit higher there. Juan Dolio doesn't have a great beach but the AI's are cheap here. Casa de Campo is nice but a bit pricey. Sosua and Puerto Plata are older beach towns and you will see alot more locals on the beaches.
I haven't been to Samana yet but hear it's very nice.

It's definetely not as nice and organized as say Cancun which seems to have been built for tourists. DR has sort of evolved and is still trying to mature with the American market. I know that alot of Cubans in Miami love to go to Punta Cana because they say it reminds them of Cuba. Haven't been to Cuba but that's what they say.

My family has told me that since the earthquake hit Haiti the country is overrun with Haitians so it may be different than even a year ago with such desparation.

I think if you want to venture outside of the resorts it might be a good idea to go on a concierge recommended guided tour. The DR has alot of beauty to explore but I wouldn't do it on my own. The capital city has the Colonial district which is very nice and Altos de Chavon is also very nice. The traffic is definetely third world with many thinking that the stop signs are for someone else to obey. The roads are much better than in the past but you'll still be overrun with mopeds and motorcycles who don't follow the rules of any road.

Good luck on your vacation. You can have a great time but just remember you could be viewed as a wealthy target for some.

[Carol C]

Originally Posted by chriskre

I've been to the DR many times but not stayed at a TS yet.

I have stayed at some of the AI hotels and some are nice and some just
so-so. It's true they cater more to Europeans than to American taste.

Dominicans relate very much to the Spanish and French and prefer European
goods over American if they can afford it. I have family there and they send
their children to Spain and France to study in the Universities.

I personally don't like to drive in the DR as the police are corrupt and you never know if you'll be targeted but if you stay in the resorts it's safe. You will see quite a bit of poverty depending on the resort you go to. The beaches in Bavaro and Bayahibe are very beautiful. Boca Chica is too close to the capital and you will be harassed by Haitian vendors and the crime is a bit higher there. Juan Dolio doesn't have a great beach but the AI's are cheap here. Casa de Campo is nice but a bit pricey. Sosua and Puerto Plata are older beach towns and you will see alot more locals on the beaches.
I haven't been to Samana yet but hear it's very nice.

It's definetely not as nice and organized as say Cancun which seems to have been built for tourists. DR has sort of evolved and is still trying to mature with the American market. I know that alot of Cubans in Miami love to go to Punta Cana because they say it reminds them of Cuba. Haven't been to Cuba but that's what they say.

My family has told me that since the earthquake hit Haiti the country is overrun with Haitians so it may be different than even a year ago with such desparation.

I think if you want to venture outside of the resorts it might be a good idea to go on a concierge recommended guided tour. The DR has alot of beauty to explore but I wouldn't do it on my own. The capital city has the Colonial district which is very nice and Altos de Chavon is also very nice. The traffic is definetely third world with many thinking that the stop signs are for someone else to obey. The roads are much better than in the past but you'll still be overrun with mopeds and motorcycles who don't follow the rules of any road.

Good luck on your vacation. You can have a great time but just remember you could be viewed as a wealthy target for some.

All this is very helpful; I'm pretty sure I would not rent a car with what you say. Now, how to get to Samana without a car! I wonder if any public buses run from airport POP to Las Terrenas. I appreciate all the links to DR sites, so I can ask directly these specific kinds of questions. But thanks to everyone who posted so I can get the big picture.

[Larry]

I have only been to punta Cana once and the beaches were fantastic. Stayed at AI timeshare, Melia Paridisus and highly recommend that resort.

AI fee was reasonable when we went a few years ago at $50pp per day ( I'm pretty sure it's much higher now) and included five or six specialty restaurants which were all very good in addition to usual buffets. We really never left resort except to go on resort sponsored trips like horseback riding on the beach and snorkeling trips.

[chriskre]

Originally Posted by Carol C

All this is very helpful; I'm pretty sure I would not rent a car with what you say. Now, how to get to Samana without a car! I wonder if any public buses run from airport POP to Las Terrenas. I appreciate all the links to DR sites, so I can ask directly these specific kinds of questions. But thanks to everyone who posted so I can get the big picture.

I wouldn't do a public bus unless you want to start your vacation with a milk run and a few chickens along for the ride. Besides they drive like maniacs and hang onto the side and hop on and off the bus. Not sure you want to endure it.

I'd see who the resort recommends to get you there. They probably have some type of private transfer service that would be a better experience than riding with the chickens.

Here is an excerpt about the public buses from a website. They are called guaguas:

Guaguas are another cheap form of Dominican transportation. A good way to get around but only if you can understand the system. The routes are usually posted someplace outside the van. The driver's assistant, or Cobrador (fare collector), will be hanging out of a window or side door waving to see if they should stop. Trying to solicit a passerby to ride. Some even fight over a fare.


These vans are usually in very poor condition and you never know what you could be sitting next to on your ride. They hold as many people they can fit, maybe a chicken or two, and anything else that someone can get through the door.


There are no official stops or schedules that they follow. They will stop anywhere along their route, dropping off and picking up passengers. When the route ends there will be another to pick you up and take you farther in your quest.


The cost for this mode of transportation is usually about $20 (1/08) pesos. Make sure to have the correct change as drivers usually do not give change.

You can read a little about the buses in the DR here:
http://www.colonialzone-dr.com/transportation.html

[amanven]

Depending on the resort you stay at you might be able to have the "taxi tour" option.
Several years ago we stayed at a resort that was somewhat outside of Puerto Plata. The resort we stayed at allowed a certain number of selected taxi drivers stay onsite daily at the resort. Their vehicles though older models were clean and in good shape. The fare they could charge was posted and they didn't get paid until you were returned to the resort at the end of the day. Language was a bit of a barrier but they did know some English.
The driver we had took us on a tour of Puerto Plata pointing out various sights, stopping at the rum factory, the fort and places to shop. He always stood close by ready whenever we wanted to move on and he kept a watchful eye on us. As long as he was close by (and the fact that he stood 6ft+ tall) meant we were not pestered by street vendors or anyone else so we felt relatively safe. At the end of an enjoyable day we were returned to our resort. We had travelled with another couple that day so we went together and paid his fare and "tipped" him the an amount equal to the fare. It was an inexpensive tour for all of us and the taxi driver was thrilled to get the extra tip money. If we learned anything on that tour, it was how lucky we are to have what we have here in Canada.