Camping, Campgrounds in The DR?

[MoJoInDR]

So, OP are you thinking of trying to start a camping business? Some of your posts are confusing, just trying to clarify the actual meaning of your thread.

We're looking at something along the lines of what the folks at Spirit Mountain and Taino Farm are doing, with some differences, and an affiliation with a non-profit organization that currently works within the schooling sector for underprivileged kids (mainly children of Haitian immigrants). Our hope is to offer a farm-based work environment in which a kind of holistic vocational training that may also include hospitality, and forestry training, can take place for those who graduate from the non-profit high school.

An aspect of this farming environment would include what is known as agrotourism, which is definitely being offered/practiced at Taino Farm, and to a lesser extent at Spirit Mountain. But I don't believe either has aligned what they offer to a non-profit school for the underprivileged. I have come across a relationship between the owners of Spirit Mountain and a school in Jarabacoa, but it's not a direct connection.

My reason for creating this thread is kind of two-fold...

Going through the multitude of threads on dr1, I saw where the matter of business idea development has been frowned upon by many and I'm not so much in agreement with a lot of the reasons given. From what I was grasping, much of the business ideas had to do with pretty common business types and not much thought was given to other, perhaps lesser common types. And in the past couple of months, as I've been researching related matters to our project I began to see what was trending in the ecotourism industry sector and related business potential, and thought that, given the threads/comments of dr1 regarding business ideas, I would open a discussion for it.

So to answer your question of whether I'm thinking of starting a camping/campground business in the DR... The answer is not exactly... There might be elements of camping/campground in the project I'm working on, but this is along with some other elements.

Yet... I believe that the development of an active local DR camping/campground community would most certainly be a direct help related to our project, as it would be an asset in developing an overseas interest in the possibility of DR as a camping/campground/ecotourism destination. And perhaps there are dr1 participants whose interest in potential business ideas may be piqued by what is being presented.

Thanks for your comment/question.

 

[windeguy]

If you want to teach Haitians, some will recommend you do that in Haiti.
I know my wife would be one of those people.

I am glad to hear you are not really doing a campground.

 

[MoJoInDR]

If you want to teach Haitians, some will recommend you do that in Haiti.
I know my wife would be one of those people.

I am glad to hear you are not really doing a campground.

Maybe one day we'll do something in Haiti... But for now, we're focused on the DR.

Not sure why you're glad I'm not doing a campground... But hey, maybe someone surfing through here might catch a vibe to do one, and I'd surely hope it turned into a success.

 

[windeguy]

Let's just say tent camping is not a winner of an idea in the DR.

Just my VERY strong opinion.

 

[Big]

Let's just say tent camping is not a winner of an idea in the DR.

Just my VERY strong opinion.

I need air-conditioning, hot water, dining options and a decent selection of wine. The thought of sleeping in a tent in this hot humid climate with mosquitos and likeminded people sounds like a prison sentence.

 

[RollingStone]

You've got some cool ideas and camping/glamping is an underdeveloped market here. Camping is suffering sometimes but it's a fun type of suffering. You can definitely make it more comfortable for your clients.

Sure, security can be an issue but if you are in remote areas it's unlikely you are going to find trouble. If you're catering to larger groups it makes it a more secure situation.

The island is beautiful and diverse with many locations that are off the beaten path.

There are fantastic waterfalls with great swimming, mountain hiking, desert camping near the beach, etc. You could set things up to take advantage of the seasons. Beach camping from October to March and higher (cooler) altitudes from April to September. Perhaps shut down the business in July and August. If the camping location is too hot you're going to have some whining clients!

When you are here you can travel around and scout locations. I imagine you could find landowners with scenic locations that would be interested in allowing you access to the property for a cut of the revenue.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

I need air-conditioning, hot water, dining options and a decent selection of wine. The thought of sleeping in a tent in this hot humid climate with mosquitos and likeminded people sounds like a prison sentence.

Let's just say these genius business ideas are not coming out of Harvard or Kellogg

 

[RollingStone]

This guy seems to be making a go of it Aquaman RD.

Check out his Instagram as well.

 

[MoJoInDR]

You've got some cool ideas and camping/glamping is an underdeveloped market here. Camping is suffering sometimes but it's a fun type of suffering. You can definitely make it more comfortable for your clients.

Sure, security can be an issue but if you are in remote areas it's unlikely you are going to find trouble. If you're catering to larger groups it makes it a more secure situation.

The island is beautiful and diverse with many locations that are off the beaten path.

There are fantastic waterfalls with great swimming, mountain hiking, desert camping near the beach, etc. You could set things up to take advantage of the seasons. Beach camping from October to March and higher (cooler) altitudes from April to September. Perhaps shut down the business in July and August. If the camping location is too hot you're going to have some whining clients!

When you are here you can travel around and scout locations. I imagine you could find landowners with scenic locations that would be interested in allowing you access to the property for a cut of the revenue.

Wish I could give you a hundred likes for the above comment... Positivity is so much better than negativity.

Thank you.

 

[MoJoInDR]

I need air-conditioning, hot water, dining options and a decent selection of wine. The thought of sleeping in a tent in this hot humid climate with mosquitos and likeminded people sounds like a prison sentence.

Sounds like Glamping is right up your alley.

 

[MoJoInDR]

This guy seems to be making a go of it Aquaman RD.

Check out his Instagram as well.

There are a number of people taking a shot at it in various ways... But it still seems to be fragmented (individual efforts).

Perhaps some kind of DR camping association/club might be a way of bringing the idea and interested parties together onto a foundational platform. The Sierra Club comes to mind (I need to be careful here regarding the DR connection rule... I'm just presenting it as an example of something that may work in the DR).

Ecotourism is going to grow in the DR, just as it's doing all over the world.

Here's an article I came across on ecotourism growth in the DR...

Why These 3 Dominican Republic Destinations Will Become Popular With Nature Lovers

These three eco-tourist regions in the Dominican Republic will become a hit among travelers thanks to new tourism investments.

dominicanrepublicsun.com

 

[Drperson]

You've got some cool ideas and camping/glamping is an underdeveloped market here. Camping is suffering sometimes but it's a fun type of suffering. You can definitely make it more comfortable for your clients.

Sure, security can be an issue but if you are in remote areas it's unlikely you are going to find trouble. If you're catering to larger groups it makes it a more secure situation.

The island is beautiful and diverse with many locations that are off the beaten path.

There are fantastic waterfalls with great swimming, mountain hiking, desert camping near the beach, etc. You could set things up to take advantage of the seasons. Beach camping from October to March and higher (cooler) altitudes from April to September. Perhaps shut down the business in July and August. If the camping location is too hot you're going to have some whining clients!

When you are here you can travel around and scout locations. I imagine you could find landowners with scenic locations that would be interested in allowing you access to the property for a cut of the revenue.

I have seen slot of mosquitos in the sand on beaches.
when I was wilderness canoe trip guide in canada we picked rocky outcrops surrounded by water as the best bug free locations.
The worst memories I had involved bugs in Canada eh

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

Unfortunately, mosquitoes are the least of the worries when you talk about camping and nature in DR. Poisonous snakes, tarantula, scorpions and centipedes have killed off and/or maimed quite a few partakers

 

[MoJoInDR]

I have seen slot of mosquitos in the sand on beaches.
when I was wilderness canoe trip guide in canada we picked rocky outcrops surrounded by water as the best bug free locations.
The worst memories I had involved bugs in Canada eh

Mosquitos anywhere are a pain. We got a little rain last night here in Austin, TX, and the little buggers were out en masse this morning. It's been a very dry summer and they've been kept at bay somewhat, but give them a little rain... And...

Thankfully there are some fairly new repellants that have come out. One that I use regularly is Thermacell, which is very good. And I just discovered a natural product but can't remember the name at the moment.

Best of all though is campfire smoke and clothing that covers.

 

[MoJoInDR]

Here's another related article from the same source as the one I gave a link to in a comment above. But I'm thinking this Dominican Republic Sun is a bit of a shill for the local tourism industry, so I'm not sure how valid the info in the articles is. Yet, where there's smoke there's fire. I'll keep looking.

This one is on camper van travel...

This Unique Travel Experience Is Gaining Popularity In The Dominican Republic

With travel to the Dominican Republic soaring to new records this year, more tourists are trying out this exciting new experience.

dominicanrepublicsun.com

 

[MoJoInDR]

Who is Arno?
Check out this page I found a link for while hunting through older threads on this website... Take time to read the nine short reviews that were given... What is being said gives a little insight into what ecotourists value and may be looking to experience.

Lunaberg - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

www.tripadvisor.com

 

[keepcoming]

What is your plan? Based on your thread...

 

[Big]

why pray tell would anyone be interested in "camping" here. There are no RV parks because there are no RVs. Is there money to be made setting up a venue for someone to pitch a tent and use a bucket for a restroom? Maybe if you set up a kiosk in the middle of the camp that sold rum and blasted music until 400a.m you just might be able to break even.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

why pray tell would anyone be interested in "camping" here. There are no RV parks because there are no RVs. Is there money to be made setting up a venue for someone to pitch a tent and use a bucket for a restroom? Maybe if you set up a kiosk in the middle of the camp that sold rum and blasted music until 400a.m you just might be able to break even.

There are plenty of poor Dominicans living in the lomas showering outside on top of a few plantain leaves and crapping in a hole in the ground. They drink rain water out of those blue 50 gallon maritime shipping tanks. There's no power 65% of the time. There's no running water 85% of the time. This is the experience we want to create with camping. And all this time I thought folks wanted white sandy beaches, a suite with a Mr coffee, an all u can eat buffet breakfast with an omelette station, and a pink rubber bracelet that says "hey I'm on vacation and I'm going to get my drink ons with well-brand liquor!

 

[keepcoming]

Actually, there are some Dominicans that belong to a small group who do enjoy camping. But it is a very specific group (they have money) and you would need to target marketing toward this group.