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Dominican Republic Vacation |
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Now why is it that all the college kids want to know what the legal drinking age is? As far as I have heard there is no legal drinking age in the Dominican Republic. If you're old enough to buy it then you are probably old enough to drink it. I was buying beer for my grandfather at age six, if that's any indication.
2. What is the crime rate like? Should I be worried about my safety? As with any county you visit, you should exercise common sense. There are by no means the amount of crime that you would find in Jamaica and other popular tourist destinations, but I'm not going to say it's perfectly safe either. It's just common sense that if you are an attractive young lady, you don't wander the streets alone. At least it seems that way to me. An interesting story is that when we were in Sosua, there was a purse snatcher who grabbed a ladies purse, well, quickly the cry went up and down the beach "Ladron" or thief. And about 20 guys were instantly after him, well they quickly caught him and returned the purse, well they decided to have a little fun with him, so they kind of played a game of tossing him in the air and catching him and tossing him again. If you had just walked up, you might have thought it was a game. And after a minute of this, they turned him into the authorities. They strongly try to discourage potential thieves as it is not good for tourism.
3. What is the weather like during a particular time of year? Well, the good news is that the weather doesn't fluctuate too greatly during the year. Average high is usually around 85 and the low is around 75. January is the coolest month of the year, with the highs usually in the high 70's to low 80's. In August though it can be quite miserable, and I don't recommend it to the weak at heart. Too many bad memories of sleeping at my grandmother's when it is 90 at 11 at night, with no air conditioning and no moving air, and just praying for sleep or death which ever would claim me quicker. Plus August and September are prime Hurricane months.
4. Is there topless sunbathing? Seems like the same college kids ask me this. Now you won't find any Dominican topless sunbathers. But, because of the large amount of European tourists it is becoming more accepted. You might have to check with your hotel to see if they allow topless sunbathing around the pool areas. Maybe it's too distracting for the staff. Not to mention me.
5. Are there car rentals available? Yes most of the large car rental chains have offices in Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo. But, as a rule I do not recommend it. First off the cars are horribly expensive. A little Geo Metro will cost you almost a hundred dollars a day, in OFFSEASON. Now when I went I did manage to get a pretty large Toyota Minivan for about $50 a day, but that was renting a friends car that I knew down there. Doubt if most people would have access to that. Another problem with renting a car, is let's say hypothetically you are in an accident and someone dies, well no questions asked you are instantly whisked to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. They will keep you in jail until they can have a formal hearing and determine that you are not at fault. Which is kind of a scary thing really, as the Dominicans generally drive around like maniacs. Unless you are in the capital where most of the rich live, you will be lucky if you see a car without a dent, scratch or ding in it. If you must get around, try the Metro bus service, I swear that Greyhound could learn much from them. The bus service is fantastic, forget all those preconceived notions you might have had from watching old movies. Noone boards the busses with chickens under arm or anything like that. The busses are very nice, very modern, very, very cheap, and usually always on time. Once a bus broke down with us on it, and within 10 minutes they had a replacement for us, and all of our luggage exchanged from one to another.
6. Where are the best beaches? Personally I love Sosua, but not so much now that it has become so commercialized. Playa Grande is probably one of the best beaches, and very quiet. Not much as far as facilities go. And Punta Cana is very beautiful as well. To be real honest Playa Dorada is a horrible beach. I mean I like all the facilities they have there, but the beach is horrible. If you do go stay in the Playa Dorada area, do yourself a favor and take the bus to Sosua, it will cost you less than a dollar and it will be worth it. Ask any of the Hotel Porters and they will tell you how to pick up the bus.
7. Must you haggle for everything? About the only thing you can't haggle for is taxi prices, but even that is not unheard of. I have rented a taxi driver for a whole day before. But absolutely everything else should be haggled for. Especially any tourist merchandise. Whatever price is first offered regardless if it seems fair to you is completely out of line. If you pay half of that, you have paid too much. Keep in mind that the cost on a t-shirt is probably less than $2. It is manufactured there, so it quite a bit cheaper than you can get elsewhere. Actually some of the shops in Playa Dorada have the best prices on T-Shirts with no haggling. I bought some Presidente T-Shirts for $80 pesos.
8. Will I be at a disadvantage if I don't speak Spanish? Well not a severe disadvantage if any. Around most of the resort areas, everyone speaks English, many speak German, and some speak French. So even if you cannot speak Spanish, chances are you will find someone who will be able to help you. |