How to socialise in Bavaro area? & Public associations to make Bavaro a better place?

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rubenpriego

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Feb 28, 2011
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How to socialise in Bavaro area? & Public associations to make Bavaro a better place?

Hey friends, just a nice post (in my opinion)

I am wondering how people socialise there in Bavaro. How people (newcomers) make new friends there.
While having some beers at the different bars? socialising with your condo neighbours? having a talk with someone else in the queue of the bakery? ;)

I know it could be just the same than in any other part of the world, but I come from a big city, Barcelona, with plenty things to do, activities, and places to go, so it is easy to make friends, etc

Wondering how people socialise in Bavaro.

Moreover, is there any public, social associacions in Bavaro to do any activity? and on the other hand, any association of people living there which tries to make Bavaro a better place to live etc? (in Boca Chica for example there is the entrepreneur association, where most of the shops, bars, business owners there, try to take care of the town with many improvements they can face instead of waiting the goverment to do).

It would be really nice to be part of the Bavaro community who tries to improve the place they live in. I dont know if in Bavaro there is a "community feeling" or just a "very individual feeling" ...
Waiting for your feedback future neighbours! ;)
 
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stephrossi

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Feb 3, 2011
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It is a nice post... and I'd be very interested in reading what the Bavaro aficionados have to say as I haven't been able to do a lot of socializing myself since I got here 3 weeks ago...
 
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InsanelyOne

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Oct 21, 2008
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Welcome to Bavaro!

It's pretty much what one can expect from the area. You get a few million tourists per year and 99.99% of them stay on the resorts. You have a small group of ex-pats with no "community" to speak of. Clubs/Restaurants are limited because there isn't much of a customer base for them (thanks to the AI's). You really can't form any kind of real friendship with the locals in the area because you have nothing in common with them. They are very poor and only see us gringos as a potential ATM.

That's my take on things. It's a little negative (but I'm biased). I'd love to hear what other's have to say about the area.
 
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Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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Our experience has been completely different but I'm married to a Dominican so there were some existing links that helped us make friends when we first got here.

We have also made friends through our son with other parents, and we live in Punta Cana Village which is not the same as B?varo: there are some expats here but also a lot of mixed families and Dominicans. There is a good sense of community.

I also made friends by joining a book club and the usual ways - chatting to neighbours or people I meet at social/community events.
 
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rubenpriego

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Feb 28, 2011
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Good that this post is getting alive!
Well, in my opinion from the distance, not living still there, but having walking around, I can see there is some expat comunity there. Just to give you an example, most of the real estate workers there are expats: americans, spanish, french, etc, and obviously they live there.
I think sooner or later you start knowing all of them, as it is small area, and when meeting any expat in any place (in a bar, in the queu of the bakery), somehow being expat makes you have a chat and try to know the others ...
 
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rubenpriego

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Feb 28, 2011
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On the other hand, if I am not gonna being watched as an ATM, I will really be happy to have dominican friends ...
 
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rubio_higuey

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Feb 7, 2007
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Maybe you can start off by getting to know some people from this board that live in the area. You meet, and if you "click" maybe you can hang out together sometime somewhere and get to know their friends etc. Then invite them and their friends to some BBQ you will be doing, you click even more, then they invite you and their other friends, etc...so it goes and your circle of acquaintances increases.

I myself would not just open up to a stranger I have just met in a corner bar, especially not in the tourist area like Bavaro. Here, making the "connection" and gaining trust (both sides) takes time.

If you are planning to go to Higuey someday, PM me at least a day in advance and we can get together for a cold one ...
 
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rubenpriego

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Feb 28, 2011
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rubio_higuey said:
Maybe you can start off by getting to know some people from this board that live in the area. You meet, and if you "click" maybe you can hang out together sometime somewhere and get to know their friends etc. Then invite them and their friends to some BBQ you will be doing, you click even more, then they invite you and their other friends, etc...so it goes and your circle of acquaintances increases.

I myself would not just open up to a stranger I have just met in a corner bar, especially not in the tourist area like Bavaro. Here, making the "connection" and gaining trust (both sides) takes time.

If you are planning to go to Higuey someday, PM me at least a day in advance and we can get together for a cold one ...
Click to expand...

Will do! How long have you been living in Higuey? Where are you from? Cheers!
 
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Whippet

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Jan 26, 2011
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good post
I posted the same question when I first moved here...check it out some interesting replies
like many others have said there is not typical social club/connections of other places
Adding to the closed nature of the AI resorts anyone who works in resort is forced to work sixty seventy + hours a
week, which means these workers have very little time to socialise(my girlfriend is one of these tourted).
So in general most the people we hang out with are work colleagues.

what are you coming here for?
 
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edwin valencia

Member
Nov 17, 2007
65
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Hola Ruben,
I have a place now in La Romana but stayed some weeks at the Cocotal in a condo with my wife & kids.
It seems that a lot of expats hang around at the bakery at Friusa (espa?oles,americans,etc.)
The only thing I heard that at night there is some drug dealing going on in that area.
If you look for a community feel I guess Punta Cana Village as Chirimoya mentioned is like a nice middle-high,well developed place where you do everything on foot.
I finally bought a condo at La Estancia/La Romana which is great, but just after signing we discovered Punta Cana Village and ar not sure anymore which place is nicer to live.
buena suerte!
 
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Caribbeandreamto

Advertiser
Mar 26, 2011
461
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caribbeandreamto.net
InsanelyOne said:
Welcome to Bavaro!

It's pretty much what one can expect from the area. You get a few million tourists per year and 99.99% of them stay on the resorts. You have a small group of ex-pats with no "community" to speak of. Clubs/Restaurants are limited because there isn't much of a customer base for them (thanks to the AI's). You really can't form any kind of real friendship with the locals in the area because you have nothing in common with them. They are very poor and only see us gringos as a potential ATM.

That's my take on things. It's a little negative (but I'm biased). I'd love to hear what other's have to say about the area.
Click to expand...

I don't agree with some of the points here. There are plenty of bars/clubs in Bavaro. Outside of Santo Domingo, Bavaro is the best place for nightlife in the Dominican Republic. Mega clubs like Mangu, Imagine and Areito with bars like Photo Bar, Soles, Stop & Play, Liqui2 and Shop & Drink. We also have an entire gambit of restaurants with Thai, Mexican, Indian, Malaysian, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, American, Dominican, etc. Is it spread out? Yes, but it's there.

If you want to meet people, get out. Join a local gym, we have a bunch; drop in at local restaurants; spend the day at the beach in Soles; hang out at night at liqui2, take surfing lessons at Macao; join the tri/bi/marathon club in Punta Cana, etc.

In Bavaro, people are more transient than in Punta Cana. In any case, there is a local community and you can get out and meet people. From a "things to do" point of view we do not compare to large cities; this is the beach. But Bavaro far exceeds the amenities and "things to do" in other touristic poles like Sosua, Cabarete and Las Terrenas.
 
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sharkstooth777

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Jan 22, 2011
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I have not lived here for long, but I did research the area before I finally bought in the El Cortecito area. Punta Cana/Bavaro/El Corticeto/Los Corales covers a lot of ground and is difficult to get around by foot.

Although basic transportation options (bus, moto-conchos, and bumming rides) are available...preferred on demand transportation (ie. vehicles with a/c).... is the long pole in the tent.

As Caribbeandreamto mentioned this is a beach town, but also as she pointed out...it does offer more than a lot of other places including other countries in the Caribbean and Central America.

I am totally satisfied with my apartment purchase, and the transportation issue will works itself out as the place continues to grow.

Agree it seems to be difficult to meet people and connect. I just normally go up and ask how things are going. Mixed reactions from different people. I think that people are a little on edge (trust) due to the large ex-pat community of people from all over the world. Not sure of a process on how to bring people together to meet and greet to see if they have anything in common. Totally open to feedback and suggestions
 
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trangalanga

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Jun 10, 2011
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www.villa-elena-bavaro.com
I agree with sharkstooth777. This not an easy place to socialise.

I'm from Barcelona, been here 3 1/2 years, and my experience is that for me it is extremely difficult to lead a "normal" friendship relationship here.

OK, I admit I can be excentric at times, but I'm 37 and I have lived in a number of different cities and countries, and this is the first time I feel this way. I guess it could be as you say the mix of so many different cultural backgrounds in such a small, recent community that has not had time to blend together and create its own specific rules. I don't know, frankly.

Maybe we dr1.com readers could decide on a place and a time to meet regularly. Once every two weeks, for example. Any proposals?
 
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Pib

Goddess
Jan 1, 2002
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www.dominicancooking.com
This, plus if you play golf: bam! instant community. Ask my husband. :)

Puntacana =/= Bavaro, and I have no idea about Bavaro, but yes, there is a sense of community in PuntaCana, as a matter of fact that is one of the things I like the most. And like Chiri said, if you have kids networking will start there.
 
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Pib

Goddess
Jan 1, 2002
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www.dominicancooking.com
rubenpriego said:
On the other hand, if I am not gonna being watched as an ATM, I will really be happy to have dominican friends ...
Click to expand...
That's the kind of attitude that will help you make friends and influence people. :)

edwin valencia said:
I finally bought a condo at La Estancia/La Romana which is great, but just after signing we discovered Punta Cana Village and ar not sure anymore which place is nicer to live.
buena suerte!
Click to expand...
We looked into La Estancia years ago, and trust me, two different animals. PuntaCana is totally different, and if you come here to live and raise a family there is no comparison. La Estancia is nice looking, but very limited in my estimation.
 
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edwin valencia

Member
Nov 17, 2007
65
0
16
Hi Pib,
Very true...
La Estancia is growing but still has a long way to go.
Hopefully the autopista del coral opens in 2012 and it's 35 minutes to Punta Cana as they promise.
 
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