Bavaro area NO supermarkets???

losflor

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I was a little disheartened to the responses of my earlier thread about availability of US produce or good supermarkets.

We received three replies ranging from Bavaro is a good place to live if "I was planning to loose weight" and one from a British lady (like me) who said there was no supermarket ANYWHERE in Bavaro and that she spends x3 on groceries as she does in UK.

My husband and I are being transfered here blind from Playa del Carmen in Mexico (neither of us have ever visited). We have a Wal-Mart and an excellent Mexican chain called Mega here.

I heard the Jumbo was good, but apparently there isn't one in a 2 hr radius of Bavaro.

I have been browsing ex-pat blogs etc to try and find out some inside info and dismissed one I read that peanut butter was $8 a jar as being out of date. Now I'm not so sure.

We had found a nice apartment at the Cocatal Golf & Country Club. Does anyone know anything terrible I should know about this place as well?

I was looking forward to my proposed move to the DR, now I just want to stay here!

Someone tell me some good stuff, PLEASE.
 

CFA123

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May 29, 2004
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Well, two items I 'have' to have around...jar of Skippy peanut butter 155 pesos, Kraft Cracker Barrel cheddar cheese 201 pesos. Roughly US$4.30 & US$5.58

These are north coast prices, not sure about Bavaro.
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Welcome to DR1 losflor, I'm a Brit living in Punta Cana.

The latest is that a Super Pola (one of the major DR supermarket chains) is set to open in the San Juan shopping centre near the Coco Loco crossing this November.

I saw your earlier thread about exotic foods - in my experience you would have to bring as much as you can with you, and ask your visitors to keep your supplies topped up. Some ingredients can be found locally - but supplies are not consistent. I haven't been able to find basmati rice in the area for a few months and today I was in La Romana and went into Jumbo but they didn't have it either. BTW it is less than 2 hours away, just about.

The capital does have more to offer in the way of Asian, Middle Eastern ingredients as well as a much wider range of US/European type foods both in supermarkets and specialist shops, so you will have to make occasional trips there to stock up. There are other reasons to visit the capital too, of course, so don't despair.

Here is a link to a recent thread with comprehensive info on what's available shopping wise in the east coast area:

http://www.dr1.com/forums/east-coast/102288-shopping-punta-cana.html

The Pola will probably change things for the better... we live in hope.
 

losflor

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Sep 4, 2010
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Well, this sounds a lot like the island of Cozumel I lived on for two years...having to visit three different stores for basic foods and no such thing as shower gel.

Just before I left they opened a big supermarket that all the tourists frowned on and all the residents went 'yay!'

I just though the DR would be a 'bigger' concern.

I've been spoilt in Playa del Carmen as it is very cosmopolitan and we have several large stores here that are clean and receive regular deliveries.

I'm a little apprehensive about the move now, I guess I will have to bring my thai green curry paste with me.

Do you work in DR? What part of UK are you from?
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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Isn't there a decent supermarket at the big intersection in the middle of Bavaro? We stayed at Cappucino Mare while volunteering for the Cap Cana and bought food there every night.

By decent, I don't mean a Pola, Jumbo or La Sirena. But it's a decently stocked market. I even recall a variety of Russian foods. And the Cappucino Mare has a nice deli/market in front...
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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losflor said:
having to visit three different stores for basic foods
Sounds fairly familiar...

and no such thing as shower gel.
Although not quite that dire. :)
You also mentioned Clinique products - Punta Cana Village and Palma Real have upscale cosmetics shops which probably stock Clinique, but I find that the supplies I bring from home usually last between visits.

I guess I will have to bring my thai green curry paste with me.

Thai green curry paste - it has been known!

Do you work in DR?
I work from home, freelance: writing, translating, editing, research.
What part of UK are you from?
I'm not from the UK as such although I have lived there, but from a little outpost of what's left of the empire, Gibraltar :)

cobraboy said:
Isn't there a decent supermarket at the big intersection in the middle of Bavaro? We stayed at Cappucino Mare while volunteering for the Cap Cana and bought food there every night.

By decent, I don't mean a Pola, Jumbo or La Sirena. But it's a decently stocked market. I even recall a variety of Russian foods. And the Cappucino Mare has a nice deli/market in front...

You mean Caribe past the Friusa crossing on Ave EEUU. It's overpriced even by east coast standards, and a definite case of style over substance - it's cleaner and more spacious than the grubby little minimarkets like La Marqueta but the selection isn't any better in my experience.

One of the downsides of living here is the lack of decent supermarkets but it's not bad enough to make life unbearable, by any stretch. We moved here from the capital 2 years ago and have adapted. Not to say we're not eagerly awaiting Pola!
 

losflor

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Haha! I've just joined the Facebook group, hilarious.

I like using Clinique as it is ALOT cheaper here (Mexico) than in UK.

I guess I will have to judge all these stores when I arrive, I can already see myself driving my husband nuts. I'm fussy with my food and like to use good quality natural products.

My friends bring me M&S stuff like horseradish sauce and Earl Greay Tea.

I will make a full consumer analysis report on this site when I am there!
 

MikeFisher

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Feb 28, 2006
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yes,
what Robert described been Supermercado caribe,
but since the italian is out and a Dominica Owner runs the Place it went IMHO completely downhill.
formerly daily fresh great bred, simply crap now, meat select and quality, our Colmado in cabeza de Toro has better to offer.
we do once a month a big shopping tour at iberia in Higuey,
all the rest is found at smaller local Markets, but not everything at one spot, you have to take your time to find out what is available where and when.
at all absolutely now problem to find what we want and in good quality, I would sure not switch from the available Dominican products to any american or european import in cans, that would be a clear downgrade.
I can not recommend on Asian specialities, it would never occure to me to search for such on a caribbean Island.
welcome to DR1
and welcome to the 'hood on the east.

to your comment about paying ore for products than in Europe, that's partially true and partially not true.
fresh and great qyality meats and seafood are here way cheaper than in Europe or the USA, while imported products like european brand shampoos etc etc are here way more expensive than at home, they are imported.
I would guess that your Asian specialities, where available, will be way more expensive than back home, too, because here's simply not any large market for those products.
welcome to the 'hood
Mike
 

losflor

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Sep 4, 2010
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I think the monthly shop for canned and dry goods seems unavoidable, but for good veggies and meat anywhere you could recommend?

I only need coconut milk and cilantro for my thai if I bring my paste with me. Here in Mexico I have found most ingredients, water chestnuts, even bamboo, thai rice, noodles...

I use imported stuff here and it's about the same as US, shampoo, L'Oreal, etc...

Chedder cheese is expensive here, imported from Wisconsin at $5+ for 200g.

UK products I have to get muled here, Hienz Beans, HP sauce. I imagine the DR to be no different regarding UK stuff.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Higuey is 45 minutes ride away, traffic depending.

You will find 3 large supermarkets there - Iberia, Higueyano and Zaglul.

The largest one is Iberia, but Higueyano is about to end up construction on an extension, and will be about double the size of Iberia.

For some quality clothing you can go to Sema (better pricing than Iberia) and the clothes are more stylish. The Sema that opened in Higuey last year was the "best" of all stores within the chain, and you will feel inside like in Macy's (or at least JC Penney).

For furniture, you better get down to Higuey, cheaper prices and much bigger selection, Ave. Libertad is the "furniture stores street".
 
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belgiank

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I'm not living in that specific area, but I can tell you as an expat, loving his cooking, you will have to learn and compromise...

certain meat and fish are of much higher quailty and have much cheaper prices than in Europe for example... others of lower quality and more expensive, some not available..

we have learned to adjust our recipes, and to our surprise and delight, some improved... :bunny:

Clinique is quite easy to get here, so do not worry, although I have no idea about prices... (hmmm... not worry????.... just joking)

It will take awhile to find your way around, but am sure you will enjoy your stay here (and can't the chain your hubby is working for, provide you with some of the more exotic demands, just an idea)

So, welcome to the island and to DR1
 

yb1

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Tip for buying meat: especially from Supermercado Caribe - give it a sniff test to check it is fresh. I've lost count the number of times I've bought meat from their meat counter without checking, transported it home in a cooler box only to discover it smells off (no such thing as sell-by-date here lol).

For exotic produce: sometimes Supermercado Caribe does stock Asian stuff - sushi rice, wasabi, nori, mirin etc. So does La Marqueta.

Jumbo in La Romana is about 90 mins drive away and has a fair selection of foreign products (but alas no English food). I've seen Thai green chilli paste there on many occasions. Jumbo also has good quality, fresh fruit and veg - none of that sad, limp celery that you get in Punta Cana. btw it's 35% off fruit and vegetables every Tuesday, rugby scrum skills come in handy for this weekly event.
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Fresh fruit and veg are best bought from the farmers trucks that do the rounds of many residential areas, or from roadside fruit and veg stalls. Quality varies but with some trial and error you can find the better ones.

The Punta Cana ecological foundation sells organically grown r?cula, lettuce, tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and fresh herbs, and excellent honey, and they hold a Saturday morning market in Punta Cana Village (outside MovieMax) in conjunction with a local farmer selling a more complete range of fresh fruit and veg.

Coconut milk and cilantro are very much part of the local cuisine, you'll be pleased to hear.
Pescado con coco (Fish in coconut sauce) - Dominican Cooking

Big supermarkets in Bavaro:

Plaza Sol, Supermercado Marqueta
Plaza Cueva Taina supermercado
Plaza El Dorado, Chicholela supermercado
El Cortecito
Colmado Alex (free delivery)
Plaza Mayoral (realeza) 24h
Plaza Estrella
Plaza Rivieras
Bomba Texaco (24h)
Supermercado Caribe
.
Bolding mine. None of these can be described as "BIG" - especially if your points of reference are WalMart etc. Only Jumbo and the Higuey stores are big. Caribe is medium-sized but as has been pointed out, the selection is not much better than in the others, which are better described as "glorified colmados" or in more neutral terms, mini-markets.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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And Ft. Lauderdale is just a couple of hours away, if Spirit is still flying to Punta Cana!! That once or twice a year jaunt to the malls...

Also, the once every two or three months trip to Santo Domingo will include a trip to Chinatown and Vicky's supermarket of things Chinese. (That is not it's real name, she is one of the owners) It is located on the left at the first intersection down from Mexico Ave. Vicky is an Economic graduate from Fordum U in NYC...sharper than sharp..Everything from woks to wasabi...

Relax, this place, even in the remote corners is totally "livable"....

HB
 

Chirimoya

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The other essential places to visit on those occasional trips to the capital are Asiatico - Asian mini-market with reasonably complete ranges of Indian, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese food as well as Chinese and Japanese on 27 de Febrero esq. Privada and L'epicier de l'orient - Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, etc. in Plaza Paseo de La Churchill on Churchill esq. Pastoriza.
 

Acira

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Well, this sounds a lot like the island of Cozumel I lived on for two years...having to visit three different stores for basic foods and no such thing as shower gel.

Just before I left they opened a big supermarket that all the tourists frowned on and all the residents went 'yay!'

I just though the DR would be a 'bigger' concern.

I've been spoilt in Playa del Carmen as it is very cosmopolitan and we have several large stores here that are clean and receive regular deliveries.

I'm a little apprehensive about the move now, I guess I will have to bring my thai green curry paste with me.

Do you work in DR? What part of UK are you from?

Wow, 30 years ago when I visited Playa del Carmen it was just a little village with some nice little beach hotels...things can change very quickly.

There is some good advice around here, like many say, sometimes you have to look for it and some things you'r used to, you will not find here but there is a way around anything, you can as told just make the jump once in a while to the States to shop in the bigger malls or you can try order some stuff online.
Or maybe there are DR1 members who live in area's with a bigger supply that can help you out in some way.

Anyway, welcome to the DR1 and good luck!
 

MikeFisher

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in addition to the veggies market at Punta Cana Village and the Thursdays at Jumbo in La Romana, there is also a weekly veggie special with 50% off every Wednesday at Iberia in Higuey, but expect to wait in "Lines", ha ha.
we stopped to buy veggies there and found them in at least the same quality if not better right here in PC, a bit more pricy but for that it saves on travel times and Gas, so at the end it comes even, but much more comfo, the saved time can be spend on da Beach.

cheers
Mike