Are US products available in DR???

You might want to try some of the Dominican beauty products, which seem to have a very good rep and are even being exported to the US.

Availablity of products depends greatly on where you will be living in the DR. Many things are available, but sometimes more than double the price than in the US mainland.

I have seen a good selection of Asian foods in the DR, but there will likely be gaps. Spices in particular can be hard to find.

It's usually the little things that are the most frustrating when you can't find them. There are lists somewhere in the forums on things you may want to bring.

You will find your choices very limited in the Punta Cana / Bavaro area. There are no large markets at all. The nearest large grocery store is almost an hour away in Higuey. The closest thing to a Wal-Mart is the Jumbo in La Romana which is 2 hours away. Meats and most fruits/vegetables are pretty horrid. If you are planning on losing weight, this is a great place to come.

Plenty of Ginger, lemongrass obviously lime, coconut milk etc for Thai cooking, as above said you will struggle to for the stupidest things that leave something not quite there. You can get most things but everything is very expensive, everything. I am a Brit and finding weekly shop to be 3 times what I might spend in the uk, without luxuries, so prepare for the expense. Beauty products are good here apparently and proably one of the things you will find cheaper.

Depressing responses (from emmamexico)

Well it sounds terrible!

At first we were told we were going to be based in Bayahibe (Jumbo) and nice coast.
Then the powers that be have reconsidered and we think that we will be based in Bavaro now.

My husband will be operations manager and travelling around so could do the grocery shop in Bayahibe once a week or so, but seems remarkable there is nowhere nearer.

The rental agency I am dealing with told us that there is a supermarket at the El Dorado shopping centre, does anyone know anything about this one?

El Dorado Supermarket is not bad, but no big variety, no specialyies, it is a place where you grab simple things that been forgotten at the last shopping in Higuey at Iberia, lol.
you have to take a look on Punta Cana/Bavaro on a Map, it is quiet a large area, lots of hotels and diving schools, one aside an other, but aside it is a simple piece of country side on the Oceanfront.
from Cocotal I would say drive once a week or every 10 days the 40 minutes to Higuey and stock at Iberia, for fresh and great quality meats and Seafood the best spots are in Veron, 15-20 minutes from Cocotal.
I am not a Asian Cuisine Cooker, so I can't recommend on the specifics you are looking for in that case.
from Cocotal you will always need a Car to come around anyways, without you would be stuck at home.
to which diving base/company you and hubby belong here?
good luck
Mike

Hi Mike

The 40 min drive to Higuey is doable I guess. We will have transport so can get around and suss it out.

We were initially going to be posted in Bayahibe, which of course has a Jumbo!

We work for Dressel which is based in the Iberostars, hubby is new DR Operations Manager and I am his slave.

never saw a Jumbo in Bayahibe,
I only know the Jumbo in La Romana.
if you and hubby work together you can ride to work and come around together, otherwise you would need 2 vehicles to move between the Cocotal and Iberostar etc. in Bavaro/PC you do quiet some distances on the road on daily bases, to go to work, to grab some lunch, to meet some colleagues after work, to get some smaller shopping done, to come back home.
but a Jumbo would anyways not be my first joice for Meat or fresh Fruits.
cheers
Mike

The Cocotal Golf & Country Club development we were told was 15-20 mins from Iberostar Bavaro. I may be based in Moon Palace as we have a new sales office there, which I think will be mine.
Hubby will be commuting round, Bavaro, Punta Cana and Bayahibe.
I might get a scooter or something if our hours are different, which I think they will be.

A friend used to live in Bayahibe and mentioned the Jumbo....but your store in Higuey sounds great.

its all part of the fun not being able to find a vital ingredient

They meant the Jumbo in La Romana - a 20-30 minute drive from Bayahibe. We did it yesterday - visited a friend who was staying at an AI in Bayahibe, spent the morning on Dominicus beach and had lunch at Punta Bayahibe, and then went to La Romana and went shopping in Jumbo. We were back in PC by 4:30.

I am moving to the Domican Republic within two months and having traveled to scout out the country a bit, I was happy to find enough stuff to keep me happy in the supermarkets and stores. PriceMart is just like Costco and carries many of the same products, I'm happy to report. It seems that specialty products can be found in some supermarkets but each market has different stuff and you have to spend some time traveling around to find them... My new friends on the North Coast always tell me to buy up everything you see on the shelf if its exactly what you want because it may not be there next month... My wife's new friend does her shopping for the expensive name brand cosmetics when she travels to the USA and brings back the products in her luggage...

True, Mr Hartley, true. But when you have just worked an 11 or 12 hour day dealing with high maintenance clients
or broken dive boats, you just don't want to have to do a tour of duty round three different markets!
By the way, you wouldn't happen to have a copy of 'Fly Fishing' would you????

no Jumbo in Bayahibe, there you would be completely secluded.
I personally like such, but sound more like someone who wanna be more connected to a lil City than a remote piece of country side.
yes, from Cocotal to the watersports center at the Iberostar you arrive in 20 minutes in a Car, Cocotal to the northern located Moon Palace on a Scooter I name Suicide, it is far and it is a dangerous Road on 2 small scooter wheels.
Hubby's rides from Bavaro to Bayahibe are 90 minutes one way rides in a Car.
to come around Bavaro for some small shopping or sozializing from Cocotal your scooter wiill be Fine, for the daily ride to Moon Palace I would name it the wrong Transportation, dangerous. and due distance you can expect that you drive there in the morning to work and leave home in the late afternoons, the Moon Palace is much too secluded/remote to leave for something quick during the Day, so the sozializing Day will be the Day off per week.
that's btw absolutely Usual for the jobs at the remote diving offices.
that Dressel provides Housing at Cocotal is a big positive, Cocotal isn't cheap, but it is save and Comfo, very most People I know here who work with any of the Diving Companies could by far not efford to live in Cocotal.
depending where in the large Cocotal Property your House will be, you may need the Scooter even to just reach the Mainentrance, it would be quiet a walk to reach the Public Transportation on the Mainroad without a Vehicle.
You will quickly find your way around and specially through your colleagues at work you will find quick the places suitable for your personally needed shopping Items etc.
would like to give you more specifics, but the Asian Cuisine isn't mine and the other asked for products are nothing we use in our house, so I never paid attention on them at the supermarkets.
I may watch out more for such products on the next shopping sweep and post it.
cheers
Mike

Thanks guys for all all your help, I should be able to survive, sounds like here a few years back before our big stores opened. I will just have to do big town/city runs for my more specialized stuff.

Mike, unfortunately housing NOT included in our contract, I've been in contact with a real estate agency that showed me some pics Cocotal looked OK, or Palm Suites? Housing my next post I think...

We will have three days to find somewhere before we start work (I'm hoping company might at least put us up in the Iberostar for a couple of nights whilst we have some rapid viewings!)

Windeguy, I know your 'Cornflakes' surfeit, here in Mexico the obsession is yoghurt or yoghurt drinks, a whole section for them at every supermarket - but not one single natural low fat variety to be seen.... And mayo, a whole isle of mayo brands and catering size jars of the stuff..

Indian Curry spices are non exsistent here, twice I year I find a lame generic 'curry powder' on the shelves and buy it all and add chili to it for hubbies withdrawals from UK style curries. Closest I can get.

Chirimoya, thanks a million, I'm sure to be asking more questions about my new life in the DR, looking forward to the produce adventure! (Kind of)

losflor,
the Cocotal is a very nice Residence, large, clean and save,
of course it isn't the cheapest neither, but will will know yourself about your salaries/budgets to spend on housing.
when asking rates at any Residency in PC, that is not meant anything Cocotal specific, always ask also about estimated costs for monthly electricity, cable/Sky connection, phone/internet connection, and inclusion/exclusion and costs for Propane for cooking, often our kittchens work on Gas instead of electricity.
at some places some of those sidecosts are included, at others they can add up a lot, speciall where warm water heaters and Airconditions are cheap Korea or China Imports, they can cuatripple a electricity Bill compared to a neighbour easily, I had such lil inconvenience this year myself with a new heater provided by the Landlord on his costs, just the elec bill been of course mine afterwards, lol.
Mike

losflor said:

Chirimoya, thanks a million, I'm sure to be asking more questions about my new life in the DR, looking forward to the produce adventure! (Kind of)

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De nada, feel free to contact me via Private Message if necessary.

You will have to adapt and be inventive...

Curry pastes and powder (indian)... I have found them in jumbo and la sirena... then they are there, and then they are not... so stock up if you see them...

Fresh herbs... if the local farmers market does not have them, try different viveros... if they have them, buy them all, strip them and freeze them... (I don't have green fingers, and what I do not kill, my dogs will eat...:bunny

Try Carrefour in SD... they have quite a nice selection of all kinds of spices in bulk... and carry some of the more exotic ones at high prices...

You are coming to the worst country if you like cooking, but then again, as I love cooking myself, you will learn to be inventive and actually learn to improve some dishes by trial and error...:bunny: