Bad experience. Never Again!

[dale7]

These 2 new posters that came out of nowhere must have a hidden agenda here.

There is no way either of you two have travelled more than I. I have visited literally every island in the Caribbean on business or for diving as well as most of Latin America.

Although there is a garbage problem here it is nothing too out of hand and especially to make a ranting campaign about.

This is one of the most friendly destinations I know. People are truly friendly and embrace tourists here not just a fake welcome you recieve in the rest of the islands. I can tell you countless stories of harassment from locals in Jamaica and some of the other islands not only from police but from locals that DO NOT welcome tourists. I will bet you will never get that type of reception here.

Most of the islands are MUCH more backwards than here, and CAOS is not noticable because there is hardly anything to do away from the beach anyway.

As for food, it seems everything that is cooked on the rest of the islands has curry in it. Even Kentucky fried chicken is made with curry! yuck!

Outside the Bahamas, PR or Aruba not a decent casino could be found.

Lets not even get started with other Latin American cities and security. I imagine you never travelled to Venezuela, Colombia or Brazil?

I echo your sentiments Narcosis. Outside of the DR, I have only been to a few other Spanish speaking countries and I prefer the DR over these other countries. I have always found the people nice and I love Santo Domingo. It is strange that a couple of posters all of a sudden, come on board and have nothing good to say about the DR at all. The DR is far from perfect but not what some of these posts make it out to be.

Out of all the trip reports here, almost all have been positive, and the way I feel is that if the whole country disgusts you, check out other message boards on other countries because I feel most of the complaints recently are over exaggerations and not representative of the DR. There is a lot of litter in areas, traffic is hectic, and there are those wanting to make a fast buck on the gringos but the positives far outweigh these little things. This is a 3rd world country, hello. I recommend that you all try out Africa, or central america outside of Costa Rica, and then come back and see what your opinions are Let's see if traffic, crime, safety issues, and hassle, is any better there. Go to Guatemala City and then compare that to Santo Domingo, just make sure you don't go into the wrong zone at night, heck even during the day
dale7(Howard)

 

[Robert]

I'm not in the D.R. now! because I'm in Orlando Fl on business, but if you read my post I did mention that I live there.. right!!!, look don't take people's opinion so damm personal, everyone has a different view sometimes you and I are Dominican, so are my parent's and probably yours, but Dominican's complain about the country all the time, you know you can see the news on a daily basis or listen to Freddy Veras Goico right, Tourist for the most part are ok with some of the capital's problem's but it's definately not a tourist town, colonial zone OK it's all good, but then what....that's right KAOS!!!

Personal, hahaha, you don't know me.

Everybody complains about their country.
In every country I have lived in, people complained, from Brazil to Australia. It's human nature, it happens and I agree with you.

But...

They also talk about and are proud of other aspects of their country.
The beaches, the mountains, the culture, the friendliness etc etc etc.

If this place is so bad, why do you live here?

 

[hollywood north]

I would suggest that next time you decide to travel to a similar destination try and find out, before you leave, as much information as possible. If you had really researched this trip you would see that even expats living in DR don't all drive because of the way the roads and people operate.

Food awful? Was that as a result of eating at your AI all the time? I bet you never ONCE tried some local food - fresh seafood, or anything like that.

Whever said it would not be like the glossy brochures is correct. There ARE great places like that but no place is utopia! I think you have given the DR too hard a knock.

And research would have shown NOT to pay those 'officers' - they are NOT going to shoot you! Speak no Spanish, understand nothing - they will eventually leave you alone.

We agree the garbage is an issue but you cannot judge evetything based on what you saw on your 'drive'. Yes people live in shacks, and there is abject poverty but that will never go away if you and others tell people NOT to come here. AI's present the sanitized version of what ANY country is. And I suppose people such as yourself should stick to them and be on any island anywhere.

You want to talk harassment? Try Jamaica. Hell, they cannot even check you into a hotel using the computer.....there is obvious disdain shown by many locals. And you know what - even high end island destinations like St Lucia have slum sections. We have them in Toronto, only difference is they are cement apartment buildings.

Looks like DisneyWorld was made for you.

 

[Robert]

OK I apologize. I am totally wrong. It is all my fault

At last, now that's what I call progress!

I suggest you look closer to home in regards to fighting poverty, drug abuse, terrorism, in-city crime etc.

Some Dominicans may be poor in the pocket, but they are not poor in the head. I guess that's the difference between the poverty you understand and live with on a daily basis...

 

[Larry]

Bruinhunter, I have been to the DR 8 times and have never had a bad trip...a few minor experiences that I did not enjoy but never a bad trip. In fact, each one gets better. I have also driven hours upon hours and have never had a problem. You must have sucker written all over your forehead. I wonder what kind of man your sister sees you as now after you put your tail between your legs and forked over your hard earned money to some monkey in a green uniform. You should have been a man and called his bluff, or go to jail. You get no sympathy from me for being a coward.

There are things that I do not like about the DR and the garbage is one of them but are you telling me that there is not garbage where you live? First I was under the impression that you lived in Dublin, now you referred to the Bronx in you last post. Well there are more take-away boxes and bags and other crap lining the streets in Dublin that you can shake a stick at and forget about the Bronx. Yes, I am familiar with both places..I was born in the first and grew up close to the second.

People like you belong in an All inclusive where they are safe from themselves and their own cowardice. Either that or you should quit complaining and stay home.

Larry

 

[Bruinhunter]

If you read the original posting you would see that I never said I was from Ireland. My sister lives there as she is getting married to a native. I live in NY.

If you took off your rose colored glasses you might see that. But again I apologize. I should have written it In Bigger letters so the morons can read it.

 

[Sharron]

You must be very unlucky to get stopped so many tmes

I normally drive between Higuey and Santo Domingo on a monthly basis and even when I do see Amet they normally take a look at the white woman driving the car and wave me past. Saying that I have been stopped twice and once had to pay a 300 pesos fine, I told him that?s all I had and went on my way.

I wonder why they kept picking on you?

 

[Chris_NJ]

I live in NY.

You live in NY and were so clueless about the DR. Unbelievable.

Please tell us what vacation destinations that you have been to that have met your standards.

 

[jmaz98]

My 2 cents worth

I've flown into Santo Domingo, rented a car and driven to Boca Chica, San Pedro, Juan Dolio and La Romana as a tourist twice in the last year and will be returning again next month. I've also driven the streets of Santo Domingo and San Pedro during the day and at night and never had a problem. I also live in NYC and have found driving here can be just as maddening and frustrating as driving in the DR, sometimes more so.
I've eaten dinner in someone's "concrete shack" and have never been treated more cordially anywhere else. And the food was great.
I've seen plenty of garbage in just about every third world country I've visited, including oil-rich Venezuela.
I've seen children begging in Western Europe.
If your trip was truly as bad as you described, I wouldn't return if I were you. But I have to think that you've exaggerated some of the details.

 

[Transat]

You live in NY and were so clueless about the DR. Unbelievable.

Please tell us what vacation destinations that you have been to that have met your standards.

Good question Chris_NJ lets wait now!

And with respet to your sister but i believe she will not be able to stop almost 400.000 Britons that visit the Country (sorry the jungle) every year.

 

[Narcosis]

Just a side note:

One time I was travelling with a buddy and our wives, we were on the cliff above English Harbor Antigua at one of those typical open air "turf & surf" bb-q's (love em!). There was a live calypso band playing and my buddy took out his camara and started to film the band. BOOM all of the sudden out of nowhere the craziest dude in the world slammed into my buddy knocked his camera to the floor and tried to smash it. He could not believe it, he grabbed his camera and the guy just started to go nuts and tell him how he was going to die etc. One look at the guy and I knew exactly what was happenning and I quickly entered the fight and told the rasta that my friend did not film him and appologized for the incident he calmed down and we sat down.

I had previously ran into a similar incident years ago in Jamaica when I was going to take a picture of an area and the camera was aimed in the same direction a rastafari was in..Big mistake the guy pick up rocks and started to throw them, and an all out attack took place having to keep running until a cab saved life and limb.

These are just number of countless things that happen when you travel the world. Many things happen to us out of ignorance of the local customs or rules. That does not make these places, including the DR, off-limits.

The real great thing about the internet is that you can pick-up a whole lot of up-to-date info quickly and avoid problems.

If I had your mentality I would never have gone to Medellin Colombia or Guatemala two of the most amazing places but very dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.

People should not be turned-off by trivial things like the ones you mention, on the contrary we should encourage people to learn about new cultures and intermingle with an open mind.

Disneyworld is fine for kids, but the real world is for adults.

 

[Klugla]

You live in NY and were so clueless about the DR. Unbelievable.

Please tell us what vacation destinations that you have been to that have met your standards.

Not only does he live in NY but in the Bronx! Unbelievable that he knew nothing of the DR! Good point Chris

 

[Karl]

These 2 new posters that came out of nowhere must have a hidden agenda here.

There is no way either of you two have travelled more than I. I have visited literally every island in the Caribbean on business or for diving as well as most of Latin America.

Although there is a garbage problem here it is nothing too out of hand and especially to make a ranting campaign about.

This is one of the most friendly destinations I know. People are truly friendly and embrace tourists here not just a fake welcome you recieve in the rest of the islands. I can tell you countless stories of harassment from locals in Jamaica and some of the other islands not only from police but from locals that DO NOT welcome tourists. I will bet you will never get that type of reception here.

Most of the islands are MUCH more backwards than here, and CAOS is not noticable because there is hardly anything to do away from the beach anyway.

As for food, it seems everything that is cooked on the rest of the islands has curry in it. Even Kentucky fried chicken is made with curry! yuck!

Outside the Bahamas, PR or Aruba not a decent casino could be found.

Lets not even get started with other Latin American cities and security. I imagine you never travelled to Venezuela, Colombia or Brazil?

Thats one of the biggest crocks ive read. When was the last time you took a bus from Sosua to Santo Domingo and actually looked out the window along the way. There is garbage EVERYWHERE. As for Jamaica, i cant give a comment because i have never been there. I have been to Brazil, Margarita island, Curacao, and many other destinations and not once did i notice a fake welcome, only difference i noticed is they didnt keep asking for money.

 

[ONTJoe]

I'm planning my first trip to the DR in mid-May and I have been using this message board to learn as much as I can.

I think that some of you are being too hard on bruinhunter. While no one likes the "ugly/ignorant tourist" who comes to a country and expects it to be like back home (e.g. I met a woman in Negril, Jamaica that told me it was "nice but there were too many black people."), I don't think bruinhunter fits into that category. Maybe he was a little harsh in his criticism but I don't see the need to jump on him like some of you have.

It's completely ridiculous to question his manhood or his courage because he paid off an armed extortionist. I have travelled a fair bit, but I have never been shaken down by someone in a uniform with a gun. It's easy for the experienced folks to say that he should've "called his bluff" but I have no hesitation in saying that if someone with a gun wanted my money, I would be more focused on the gun than on calling his bluff.

Any better suggestions than "calling his bluff"? I'm not a coward, but I'm not bulletproof either (nor do I have any desire to visit a foreign jail).

I'm still looking forward to my trip, but it's always nice to get different viewpoints isn't it?

Joe

 

[Karl]

OK I apologize. I am totally wrong. It is all my fault.

1) It is my fault I was ripped off by your police. It is my fault that your government does not do anything about the apparent corruption going on. I should have known better. I should have argued with the police officer in my limited Spanish and told him I will not pay him under any circumstances. I should have been prepared to go to jail and leave my sister in the car to fend for herself.

2) It is my fault for finding children running in and out of traffic traveling in excess 140 KPH on the highway between Boca Chica and Santo Domingo. If I were not there it would not have happened. I also killed the dead donkeys at the side of the road next to the children.

3) I should not have worn the big t-Shirt with the bulls eye that says "Idiot tourist with loads of US $" Come rip me off. I love the excitement.

4) Instead I should have been friendlier. I should have politely asked everyone where the next tourist destination is so I can go give out more cash.

5) I also should have brought more friends with me. If I bring more tourists $, the natives can build the rest of the city that is falling down.

6) I should also not pay attention to anything that is going on in the DR. Dublin is full of crack heads and terrorists. I have never been to Ireland but that is beside the point. Dublin is way more dangerous than anything happening in the DR. Those jaywalkers are suicidal. Don?t ever rent a car there.

7) Repeat after me. "It is my fault I am prey and not the predator". To hell with the natives ripping me off, I need to learn and should be ripping them off.

8) The 10 Million plastic bottles washing up on shore at the Malecon is not trash. They are homes to all the hermit crabs and therefore part of the natural beauty of the place.

9) I should not have visited the tourist places. I should expect to get ripped off there. Instead I should have gone straight to the local bowling alley where I can meet the real people. I would have blended in and had a great time.

10) I need to stay in my gated community in the Bronx and never leave. I have never experienced the real world.

11) I need to go to other third world countries before I visit the DR. Then I can see that your third world country is not nearly as third worldly as the rest of the third world. I guess that puts you top of the **** heap.


I have to go now. Agent Scully and Mulder are on to my agenda and are after me.

Besides there are better things to do. Like watch the movie " A Few Good Men". I just love that line:

"You can't handle the truth!"

Im amazed you say you've only been to the D.R. 2 times, you are already ahead of the game with the above knowledge. Good post.

 

[Narcosis]

Oh really?

No garbage or slums in the fabelas of Rio at all..and no crime either..Gee maybe I was dreaming.

As far as Margarita island and Curacao I suppose you did not see the slums surrounding caracas as well, of course not you never left the airport to make your connecting flight to those two islands.

Margarita and Curacao are nice but they are very small compared to the DR and avoid many of the big city problems, although they are starting to catch-up. I guess you only stayed on the one side of curacao and avoided the gaseous nausiating fumes on the other side.

I can go on and on but that is not the point here. No one is denying their is garbage in the DR, but to make a point of avoiding coming here because of it is ridiculous.

PS. Many of those "friendly" people you run into in Curacao are Dominicans by the way.

 

[Karl]

Well, actually, i didnt fly into Caracas, i flew from Las Americas direct to Curacao, so sorry about not seeing Caracas. As for margarita island i didnt notice any of the garbage problems like the D.R. I will be returning to Margarita island sometime next year so let me know where this is. and if your only rebuttal on Curacao is their Refinery, that doesnt cut it. As for Rio, i again didnt notice as much as prob's in the D.R. but Rio was back in 1999 so i could say maybe its gone in the toilet. I believe you should re-read the starting thread, garbage was only 1 of the issues. And since when are sosua, boca chica, etc considered big cities.

 

[suarezn]

OK I apologize. I am totally wrong. It is all my fault.

1) It is my fault I was ripped off by your police. It is my fault that your government does not do anything about the apparent corruption going on. I should have known better. I should have argued with the police officer in my limited Spanish and told him I will not pay him under any circumstances. I should have been prepared to go to jail and leave my sister in the car to fend for herself.

2) It is my fault for finding children running in and out of traffic traveling in excess 140 KPH on the highway between Boca Chica and Santo Domingo. If I were not there it would not have happened. I also killed the dead donkeys at the side of the road next to the children.

3) I should not have worn the big t-Shirt with the bulls eye that says "Idiot tourist with loads of US $" Come rip me off. I love the excitement.

6) I should also not pay attention to anything that is going on in the DR. Dublin is full of crack heads and terrorists. I have never been to Ireland but that is beside the point. Dublin is way more dangerous than anything happening in the DR. Those jaywalkers are suicidal. Don?t ever rent a car there.

7) Repeat after me. "It is my fault I am prey and not the predator". To hell with the natives ripping me off, I need to learn and should be ripping them off.

8) The 10 Million plastic bottles washing up on shore at the Malecon is not trash. They are homes to all the hermit crabs and therefore part of the natural beauty of the place.

9) I should not have visited the tourist places. I should expect to get ripped off there. Instead I should have gone straight to the local bowling alley where I can meet the real people. I would have blended in and had a great time.

"You can't handle the truth!"

Well....Yeah!!! A lot of this IS your fault, for renting a car in a country you knew nothing about. I've never been to France (considered a developed country), but if I ever did I would not go and rent a car and try to drive all over the place the first time I go there (specially if I don't speak a lick of French and don't understand the signs). It IS you fault for your lack of common sense.

As for police shakedowns...Did you ever consider that maybe you got stopped because you broke some traffic law. Totally possible, since you're probably driving nervously. Police shakedowns do happen, but I've never heard of someone getting stopped so many times. If you did break some rule, then I think you got off easy. Consider if you broke a rule here in the US? Would you be able to solve it by bribing a cop with 10 USD or even 100 USD?

Then there's the fact that you were such an easy target for everyone who wanted money. I just can't believe you live in The Bronx and you're so scared of everything. You must either never go out of your appartment or must be robbed or running scared all the time.

You must be a really good driver to be able to avoid those kids running onto the freeway, while you were traveling a about 140 k/hr.

You obviously found this forum to voice your complaints. You could've used it to educate yourself, before you came down to the DR. It would have saved you a lot of headaches.

I still can't believe you live in The Bronx and didn't know The DR is a third world country. There are only about a million dominicans living all around you. That shows how aware of other cultures you are.

 

[blong]

HORROR filled?

I just got back from a horror filled trip to the Dominican Republic. Stay at home!

Come on, it wasn't horror filled! A bad trip sure, but not exactly a hellish experience. It seems that it would be more appropriate (and professional) for your sister to recommend the DR as a tourist spot with the caveat that outside of the resorts, the Island is a third world country with all that goes along with it. Then those clients who find that sort of thing exciting and a chance to learn a bit about a different culture, can venture out informed. Conversely those who view that as a hassle can stay at the resort and enjoy the sun, beach and unlimited drinks.

You just seem a little thin skinned for someone who lives in the Bronx.

 

[daddy1]

There you go again<<<

Personal, hahaha, you don't know me.

Everybody complains about their country.
In every country I have lived in, people complained, from Brazil to Australia. It's human nature, it happens and I agree with you.

But...

They also talk about and are proud of other aspects of their country.
The beaches, the mountains, the culture, the friendliness etc etc etc.

If this place is so bad, why do you live here?

First of all I did not say it was bad, again I said that Santo Dominigo is not tourist freindly!! I had to learn to adapt to and tolerate some of the things of the capital, but personally I well invested my money on good property and some of these issue's is a small price to pay then spending thousands of dollar a year in property tax ( that's why I live here) but you should also understand that I get complaints like hunter all the time when I tell both American's and Dominican's to come visit me in the island, the C.I.A. and the U.S. embassy reports don't lie the country has major corruption, human right's violation's and many other problem's, and we all agree that other countries are much worse but some of these tourist experiences are true, not critizing us as people, but just the ghetto few that do not know how to act or are un-educated,and the lack of care the government puts on the image of the city and there customs.. there points are valid, we all know how the capital functions. Also hunter probably had some good times like he said previously, he was just pointing out some things that are hard to ignore. and I experienced it just as well, it's definately a problem that has been around for a long time.