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We
often are asked questions about various health
and safety issues in the Dominican Republic. As
a whole, it is a beautiful and friendly country,
but it is an emerging nation and as such there
may be concerns that you have.
What about
safety?
We have never felt
"unsafe" while in the DR. There is little
personal crime there. You, of course, should
follow the same precautions that you would in
most US cities about leaving possessions
unattended. It is also a good idea to stay
with a group or on a well lit or traveled
street.
The dead end road to
Cofresí enters through the Sun Village Resort.
Although this road is not gated, Sun Village
staffers usually watch the people coming and
going carefully. Staff from Sun Village and the
Ramada Hacienda also are seen along the beach
making sure that it is a welcome place
for guests to walk, even after
dark.
As is custom in the
DR, our villa provides a Dominican
night-watchman for your comfort.
We suggest that you
place all you valuables, as well as your tickets
and passports, in the safe that is provided at
the villa for an extra measure of safety. Our
manager will show you how to operate it on
the day of your arrival.
Caution:
The DR now has a zero tolerance policy
for drug use and bad behavior. If you get caught
using drugs or buying drugs, you will go to
jail. Dominican jails are not pleasant places to
spend your vacation (and probably a lot longer
time). If you are involved in a bar disturbance,
you will also probably go to jail. Raucous
parties at Playamor will not be tolerated by the
neighbors or the authorities. Although
prostitution is legal in the DR, it is NOT
allowed at Playamor. You will be asked to leave,
without refund, if you violate any of these
rules.
What about
traveling with minor
children?
Traveling with your
own children, if both parents are present, is
not a problem as long as the child has proper
identification. In situations where a single
parent will be traveling with a minor, see the
instructions below from the State
Department.
Under the age of
18:
The Dominican Republic has strict
requirements concerning the travel of minors
(persons under the age of 18) to/from the
Dominican Republic who are unaccompanied,
traveling with someone other than both parents
or legal guardians, or who are traveling with
only one parent or legal guardian. The Dominican
Republic generally requires such minors carry a
letter of consent in Spanish that is signed and
notarized by both parents or, if traveling with
only one parent, by the parent who is not
traveling with the minor. If the travel
originates in the U.S., the letter must be
notarized before the Dominican Republic
Consulate in the U.S. and, in most cases, also
filed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
the Dominican Republic. A modest fee is
generally associated with notarizing/certifying
the letter. Any customer under the age of 18 who
is unaccompanied, traveling with someone other
than both parents or legal guardians, or who is
traveling with only one parent or legal
guardian, should contact the Dominican Republic
Consulate in the United
States.
This notarization can usually be
accomplished by sending proper documents through
the mail to the nearest consulate. It is wise to
call them for current
instructions.
Do we need a
passport?
Until December 31st 2005, US
citizens are permitted entry by showing an
original copy of their birth certificate with a
raised seal. You must
also have another form of identification with a
photo, like a driver's license.
After December 31st, you will
not be permitted to travel
without a passport. With the world terror
situation being what it is, this could change at
any time. If you do not have a passport, make
sure to check current US Government regulations
prior to your trip.
(note: as of September 2005, it is
reported that the US government has delayed this
action and will allow birth certificates to be
used until December 31st, 2006. I would check
this out before traveling to make sure that this
has not changed again.)
Is the water safe?
The water in our
house is not purified. It is fine,
however, for washing and bathing. This
water comes from a city water system to our
cistern. We chlorinate the water daily in
the cistern like you would chlorinate the water
in your swimming pool. This does not, however,
make the tap water safe to drink. Nelly
will use only bottled water for cooking and
there is bottled water available for drinking in
a chill cooler in the kitchen. All the
restaurants in Cofresí that are listed in our
guide have safe water. As a general rule in the
Caribbean, it is best not to buy food from
street vendors unless your guide assures you
that the food would be safe.
The ocean in front of
Playamor, on Cofresí beach, is beautiful. There
is no problem swimming there. This water is
watched very closely for pollution by the two
hotels and most acutely by Ocean World which
uses it for it's marine life.
What about
malaria?
After the hurricanes
in 2004, there were 20 cases of malaria reported
by the CDC Travel service. These were all in the
Punta Cana area. The DR is a very large island.
Punta Cana is as far away from our villa as can
be and still be in the same country. There have
been no reports of malaria on
the north shore where Playamor is located. We do
not take anti-malarial drugs and do not know
anyone who does. At the time of this writing,
there is no recommendation for medication in
this part of the country.
Are there
bugs?
You are going to the
Caribbean, to the tropics. There are lots of
bugs. Fortunately, our staff sprays frequently
to keep the villa as bug free as possible. Ants
will magically appear if you leave out food, so
please clean up any spills and put away food in
the kitchen. Cockroaches (water bugs,cucarachas)
are a fact of life in the tropics and do not
necessarily mean that an area is dirty, like in
the US. If you see ants or roaches, tell the
housekeeper or the manger and they will spray
again. Mosquitos are frequent if you go into the
wooded areas and often will be found at night in
the open air restaurants. It is a good idea to
wear repellant if going to an open restaurant.
If you find mosquitos in the villa, have the
housekeeper spray. Very
infrequently we have seen the Caribbean
Cinamon Tarantula on some of the roads at night.
These are very interesting creatures and will
not bother you. They are useful in keeping other
bugs and vermin away from dwellings. They will
bite if you pick them up, so be smart and leave
them alone. As in the United States, there are
occassional hatches of insects after rains.
These are unpredictable but usually only last
one night. If they are a problem, notify our
manager or the housekeeper. All in all, our area
is usually not a bug problem area.
What about
hurricanes?
You are in the
Caribbean. Hurricanes are a fact of life in the
late summer and fall, just as they are along the
US gulf and east coasts. Fortunately, the north
shore of the DR is largely protected by the tall
mountains that form the beautiful backdrop for
our villa. You may get lots of rain and wind but
there has never been severe damage to this area
from a hurricane.
What about the
weather?
The weather is glorious all year
`round in the Dominican Republic. As in most
areas of the tropics, brief rain squals will
come and go, but then the sun will come back
out. The day time temperatures are usually in
the mid 80's but the cooling breezes from the
ocean keep it comfortable. The night time
temperatures will often drop below 70 and with
the breeze, it is desireable to have a light
jacket of long sleeve shirt. Caution:
Wear sunsreen at all times. The
tropical sun can make your vacation or ruin
it. We recommend that you wear an SPF of
30 and reapply several times during the
day.
What about
power outages?
This is a real
concern for most of the DR. Electricity is in
short supply and very expensive. We ask you to
conserve energy as much a possible. Power
outages are very common. This is why we have
installed a 25 KW diesel generator at Playamor.
In the event of an outage, the generator will
provide electricity for the villa. No worries,
Mon! By the way, our power is the same as in the
US. You will not need adapters.
What if we
have a problem?
Our staff and
management team is there to help. If you have a
problem, report it immediately to Gabino Binet
or Lou Auletta, our manager. They
are miracle workers. The time to address
these issues is then, not when you have returned
home.
Our caretaker, is
also available to help you in dealing with minor
annoyances. He is bi-lingual and very skilled at
making things happen. He can take care of a lot
of issues if you tell him about them.
Remember that you are
on "island time". Things move slower in the
Caribbean. Our staff will do everything in their
power to get things fixed promptly but
unfortunately sometimes "today" may stretch out
longer. Just think of trying to get the "cable
guy" to come to your house back home!
What
about Haiti?
The DR shares the
island of Hispanola with the country, Haiti.
Unfortunately, Haiti is extremely poor and often
politically unstable. Because of this, the
Dominican Republic has very strict rules about
Haitians entering the country. You are literally
a world apart. This is not an issue.
What if
someone gets sick?
This is a real issue
in most third world countries. Fortunately, in
Puerto Plata there are several US trained
physicians who will gladly accept our guests as
their patients. For minor ailments, there is a
24 hour emergency clinic a few hundred yards
from our front door at the Sun Village Resort.
For more serious problems, there is a private
hospital in Puerto Plata. Our manager will make
arrangements for you if you have need of these
services.
Do we need a
car?
Are you
suicidal? No, seriously, the drivers in
the DR are interesting, at best. Roads are often
crowded with cars and darting motor cycles
called motoconchos, street signs are few, and
car eating potholes are common.Taxis are readily
available and all the tours will provide
transportation. There are restaurants within
walking distance. If you definitely want to get
out and drive around, go for it. Cars are
available from many vendors, most are located at
the airport. Our staff can also help you rent a
car if you should decide that you need one for a
few days during your stay. If you do rent a car,
make sure that you take the full insurance
option. If you have a wreck, the company can
delay your departure from the country until
your insurance company pays their portion of the
claim. How long does that take in the US?
Multiple this times 10 for the Caribbean and you
have just extended your vacation for a long
time. At times, our
managers will be able to rent their personal
cars to you for short times if you wish to take
a trip to another part of the island
Taxis
Taxis are the usual way to get around the
island if you do not have a car. But, a few
words. The taxi stand that we use is only about
2 minutes away at the Sun Village
resort. Sandi or Yosi can call for
you. Many of the drivers speak some English.
There is a taxi rate sheet at the villa.
However, gas is becoming a VERY expensive
commodity on the island and the rates may
change. Be sure that you know in advance what
you are going to pay for the trip. Most of the
trips are "round trip" fares. The driver will
either wait for you or return at a specific
time. Do not pay until the trip is completed and
you are back at the villa. Taxi drivers in the
past did not expect a tip, but many guests will
give them a little extra, particularly if they
waited for a longer than usual time or helped
carry your purchases in to the villa. We have
had comments that the taxis are very expensive,
but when you look at the expense of maintaining
a car on the island and the cost of fuel,
compared with a rental car, it seems OK to us.
The Dominicans also use the motor bike
"taxis" called motoconchos. These are the pesky
little motorcycles that flit in and out of
traffic. If you want a thrilling, dangerous (no
helmet or any regulations) ride, it costs about
$1 each way to town. Just make sure that you
leave information about your next of kin with
our staff.
What about the roads?
The funniest thing that our family has ever
seen in the DR was a Lamborgini sitting on a car
lot. With it's 4 inch clearance, I doubt if it
could have made it from the lot to the street.
Remember, you are in a developing nation. While
some of the roads are like back home, many are
dirt or gravel and wash extensively in the
tropical rains. The main road to Villa Playamor
is great (but watch for speed bumps around Sun
Village). The city "streets" to the villa from
the main road, often are rutted. Make sure
if you rent a car to get one with good
clearance.
Phone
service?
We provide a cell
phone to which you will add minutes by
purchasing a phone card found at many places in
the area. This is not an ATT card available
stateside. If you are not Spanish
speaking, Sandi can assist you with your
calls. Many of the US cell phones will work in
the DR. However, make sure that you check with
your carrier to find out what the charges are
outside of the US before you start to make
calls. As of October 2005, the cost of using the
phone cars with the villa cell phone was about
30 cents a minute to the US.
Internet
service?
Unfortunately,
broadband has not made it to our side of
the island. The Sun Village business center has
computers that at last report were $3 per
hour. As of October 2005, there is a new
Internet Cafe at the Plaza Taina, located on the
beach road about a 5 minute walk from the
villa.
What about
food costs?
The DR is a large and
fertile island. They raise most of their
perishables. Fruits and vegetables are
inexpensive, for the most part. Pineapples are
$1, a bag of grapefruit, tangerines, or oranges
in season will run you less than that. But, it
is an island and any food that is imported is
more expensive. Expect to pay 10% to 25% more
for the US brands that you buy there. You will
find lots of the US brands on the shelf, but if
you can't start the day without your
Fruitypeeblecocoa puffs or your
hazzlenutmocafrenchalmond coffee mate, bring it
with you. When our family goes, we usually plan
on about $10/person/day if we are eating all our
meals at the villa.
The restaurants are
comparable to the US. A nice meal with drinks
and tip at Chris and Mady's will cost you about
$12 - $15. There are Dominican style restaurants
where you can really pig out for well under $10.
There are American style and German style
restaurants where you can drop a bundle if you
are looking for fancy. We have a list of the
restaurants in our area at the villa. Be warned,
there is no "fast food". You have to go to
Santiago to find the golden arches
etc.
Tipping
Tipping used to not
be expected in the DR. However, with the influx
of tourists that were used to tipping, the
service sector workers have now grown to expect
this as well. 10% is a reasonable tip on top of
your food costs. Tour guides will also expect a
little something if you appreciated their
services. The recommended minimum gratuity for
your house keeper is $3/person/day. More is
certainly appreciated. You are not required to
tip Sandi, or the helper maids, but if you
think that their service has been
excellent, that is certainly appreciated as
well.
How much
money should I take?
Some restaurants,
most large stores, Ocean World and the groceries
all accept VISA and MasterCard. American
Express and Discovery are usually NOT
accepted. When
using your card, you will need some sort of
picture ID, a driver’s license or your passport.
If
you use you plastic at some smaller restaurants,
you may be charged an extra surcharge, whatever
the bank charges that establishment to have the
service. Our Guide
to eating that you will find in the villa lists
the restaurants and the preferred method of
paying. The convenience markets in Cofresi
accept dollars and pesos but do not accept
credit cards.
You will need US
cash for the pick up services and all the tours
except Ocean World. All the taxi rides and tips
are calculated in US dollars but can be paid in
pesos at the correct exchange rate.
There is an ATM at
the Hacienda resort. It will give you pesos at a
good exchange rate. To use it, you must have a
pin number, so check with your card provider for
this before you go.
You can exchange
dollars for pesos at the airport or at several
exchange houses in Puerto Plata. Gabino can
assist you in getting your dollars exchanged.
It
is nice to have some pesos for small items from
local vendors. The gratuity paid to the
housekeeper can be paid in US dollars or in
pesos but should be calculated at a minimum of
$3 US/guest/day.
Note:
We find that Traveler’s checks, for the most
part, are grudgingly accepted, if at all, by
most stores and restaurants. You will generally
have to convert them at the bank which is a
nuisance.
We usually just take cash and make sure
that it is locked with our passports and tickets
in the safe in the villa.
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