First Time in Sosua and RD

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Montrealo

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Jan 6, 2011
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I will visit Sosua & around with a friend during 2 weeks starting next week (We are both in our early 40s). We are staying in an AI but it is usually quite boring and we often prefer to visit the local restaurant and bars.

It's very difficult to find up-to-date info on the net: Britannia and Passion are the only 2 places I found !

Any suggestion for the following:

- Any place in town to play pool with a cold beer ?
- Best place for happy hour ?
- Best place for local crowd ?
- Best place for expat crowd ?
- Any live latino music place ?
- Any live Rock, jazz place ?

Where is the best place to meet women ? What should we expect ? My understanding is that most girls that are in the bars at night are working girls. I have no problem with that if it's for a drink or a dance but we are not going to be good longer term customers for them...

Any places to avoid ? Don't say Passion, we will definitively go for a beer...

Is it safe to travel using 'collectivos' to Cabarete or POP at nignt - until what time ?

Thanks for your help and suggestions !
 

BermudaRum

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Oct 9, 2007
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Latinos on the main strip has some pool tables which you should be able to have some fun with the locals. There also used to be pool tables in the corner of La Roca Rest. Not sure if they are still there?
 

Montrealo

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OK thanks - Will check latinos or La Roca for pool tables...

Any place with live music in town or is it only discos ?
 
May 29, 2006
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If you are going to Sosua you can find almost everything in town by walking around for about an hour, and about half of it just by walking up and down the street Pedro Clisante. Be careful of dark side streets at night.

The main prob with pool tables is they tend to be in poor shape and the cues are abused.

Learn to play Dominican dominoes and you can meet some local folks, esp on the beach. They love to show tourists how to play esp if you don't mind helping to buy the rum and coke.

There is often live music at Sosua Car Wash on weekends. It really is a car wash but most car washes on the island double as concert venues. The last show I went to started around 11PM(suppose to start at 9)and wasn't done until after 3AM. It's not really walking distance(about a mile from downtown on the highway), but everyone knows where it is. They will have 400+ people for good shows. It's an ok venue but the sound system is crap:

YouTube - Anthony Santos En Vivo Car Wash Sosua 28 de enero 2006 Nr.1

There are signs for the shows on the highways usually made from painted 50 pound sugar bags nailed to telephone poles.
 

Montrealo

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Live music in a car wash... ;) I'll check the signs !

Hopefully I'll find a decent pool table...

Thanks !
 

Montrealo

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According to an old post (2005) there are a pool tables at Eddy's and at the Life Bar also. Is this info still valid ?
 
May 29, 2006
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Eddy's sold out some years ago and it's been closed for a while. It's a pity because it was one of the longest running bars in town and it was a big place. If you have about $275K plus a bundle to put in some newer TVs, you can prob buy the place. Back in the day, it was one of just a few places that had satellite TV.
 

snoozer

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Latinos on the main strip has some pool tables which you should be able to have some fun with the locals. There also used to be pool tables in the corner of La Roca Rest. Not sure if they are still there?

Latinos took their pool tables out.
 

Montrealo

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Thanks for the update Peter. I will update my map... probably a very old one that I found on the net.
 

FritoBandito

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If you are going to Sosua you can find almost everything in town by walking around for about an hour, and about half of it just by walking up and down the street Pedro Clisante. Be careful of dark side streets at night.

The main prob with pool tables is they tend to be in poor shape and the cues are abused.

Learn to play Dominican dominoes and you can meet some local folks, esp on the beach. They love to show tourists how to play esp if you don't mind helping to buy the rum and coke.

There is often live music at Sosua Car Wash on weekends. It really is a car wash but most car washes on the island double as concert venues. The last show I went to started around 11PM(suppose to start at 9)and wasn't done until after 3AM. It's not really walking distance(about a mile from downtown on the highway), but everyone knows where it is. They will have 400+ people for good shows. It's an ok venue but the sound system is crap:

YouTube - Anthony Santos En Vivo Car Wash Sosua 28 de enero 2006 Nr.1

There are signs for the shows on the highways usually made from painted 50 pound sugar bags nailed to telephone poles.

To find the car wash in Sosua, do you head east towards Cabarete or west towards Charamicos??????

Thanks.
 

snoozer

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Jan 22, 2004
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OK - so only La Roca or the Life bar maybe still have tables...

Beware of out of date information.

There has not been live music shows in the Sosua Car Wash for a few years.

It maybe that the Life Bar someone suggested is the alternate name for Latinos, hence they do not have pool tables. I do not recall seeing the pool tables in La Roca recently but I could be wrong. Last time I played on them they were in bad shape and that was few years ago, doubt if they fixed them.

I beleive La Rumba bar, across from El Flow and Latinos has pool tables and they are probably in good shape as the place is relatively new. Seacrets also has a couple of tables. Located about one block east from La Rumba on the same side of the street.

I am sure there are more but I do not pay attenetion as I do not play
 

web

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Nov 5, 2005
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Sosua Car Wash has been closed for a very long time now. Secrets has pool tables. To find live music you can check out Campito Bar right as you enter Playa Dorada or Rancho Tipico Puerto Plata on the other side of Puerto Plata.
 
May 29, 2006
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To find the car wash in Sosua, do you head east towards Cabarete or west towards Charamicos??????

Thanks.

You hop on the back of a moto concho and say CAR WASH. It's on the edge of town going to Cabarete on the north side of the highway. They may drive you up past Europa/Passions on Pedro Clisante to get there by the back way or up a side road from the Alegria area(behind the German Bakery). They were not open most nights when I was there a few years back. I think a 500 peso cover for someone good. The downside is when the AIs bring in buses of other tourists. It's kind of a buzzkill for a local experience.

There was another Car Wash about halfway to PP but I never went there. It was much smaller.

I'd say it's about a half mile past the turn off for The Palms Condos on the right, but it's been a while.
 

Montrealo

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Thanks Snoozer & Web for the infos

So far, your suggestions are:

Pool tables:
- Latinos (closed)
- Eddy's (closed)
- La Rumba
- Secreats
- La Roca
- Life bar
Best place for happy hour ? ....
Best place for local crowd ? ....
Best place for expat crowd ? ....
Live Music:
- Car wash (closed ?)
- Campito Bar (Playa Dorado)
- Rancho Tipico (Puerto Plata)
 

DMV123

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Mar 31, 2010
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Earlier poster is correct the car wash in Sosua does not have a bar and does not play music.

El campito near Playa Dorada only has music once in a while.

In Puerto Plata there are

Rancho Tipico
Terraza Caribe
La Canita

These are local places with almost all latin music. Rancho tipico has live music 4 or more nights per week.

Also Enigma and Cristal for viewing the "ladies"

YES it is safe to take Carros Publicos - in Sosua catch them across from the Texaco and get off in Pueto Plata at La Javilla - from there walk to Terraza Caribe or taxi to the other places.

Carros run all night but less often. Book the whole car if you want They normally carry 6 passengers at 45 RD each. So for 270 RD you get the whole car - about US $8 - I think it increases to 50RD after a certain time at night. BUT heck it is damn cheap.
 

Montrealo

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So carros publicios are a safe option for Puerto Plata and Cabarate at night. A lot cheaper than taxi (even if we are alone) - My understanding is that POP taxi is 25$ and Cabarete 30$.
 

superfly_2000

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Hey Montrealo, we are two guys from Sweden who also are there about the same time as you guys. We will be staying at a half-pension in Cabarete but from what I've heard most of the fun is in Sosua and also the beach there is super nice.

I am also a fan of "carwashes" like Teraza Caribe and La Canita and so on.

Perhaps we could hook up some time...take a beer...share some taxis and other?
 
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