That is today’s question.

 

Is The Dominican Republic a Paradise, OR a Nightmare? Well, let’s find out. Basically, ANYWHERE can be a paradise or a nightmare, so to speak! So it is up to YOU to find that out. I only hope that this post will help you to find YOUR paradise.

 

First of all it is important to mention that this post is about MY Personal experience and my Life. Everybody sees things a bit differently, so please feel free to let me know what you think at the end of this post…or not.

When I lived and worked in the Dominican Republic is around 1993-1997. So almost 20 years ago. Have things changed there since? ABSOLUTELY!

• • But you know the saying: Some Things Never Change.

 

So I will focus on the relevant things like Immigration Today, Life, Work, and of course the Girls!

 

I think we can agree to NOT talk about the weather, right? It RAINS a lot, and that’s why it’s so green everywhere.

I lived & worked most of the time in Puerto Plata, a city on the North Coast, but I also spent a lot of time in Punta Cana, so I will talk about those 2 cities and of course Sosua, the surf capital of the north coast.

 

• The 1st couple of flights I flew on Dominicana, the National Airlines at the time, also called Compañía Dominicana de Aviación! That’s when they still existed. Shortly after these 2- 3 flights, in 1994 they were faced with Cat1 restrictions flying to the US, so NO more Dominicana.

 

• Basically, the US took its Landing authorization away, and only American Airlines flew to Puerto Plata, whose Airport code is POP.
• Flying with this airline was an ADVENTURE, to say the least! Good thing they were closed down. In 200, PAWA Dominicana was founded (Pan Am World Airways Dominicana), only to be suspended again on January 28, 2018!

 

I remember when I and my brother landed for the 1st time in Puerto Plata. That was just like in the wild west!

There was no walkway from the Airplane to the terminal, and after we went thru Immigration we walked of wooden planks to get to the taxis.

I think we paid about $20 for the guys who carried the 2 pieces of luggage! In Miami, we paid $1 per piece. But here Tourists are always paying more.

• Today the airport of Puerto Plata, called Gregorio Luperón International Airport, and in fact, is an International Airport with hundreds of airlines landing on a daily basis. Here you can check what Airline flies to POP from pretty much ANYWHERE.

  

 

Dominican Republic- Still A 3rd World Country?

The Dominican Republic is also a third-world country, just like the Philippines. Or is it?

Well, this is where some will say it’s not. It really depends on WHERE you are in the country. There are these very beautiful places all over the country, but there are also these squatter areas where the poor Dominicans live. Corruption is normal and pretty much everywhere. So let’s agree to disagree on that matter, at least for now, OK?

The truth is seen in many ways sometimes, but as long as corrupt Politicians are in charge of ANY country, things will not really change for the PEOPLE.

 

But because it’s so close to the US and Canada, especially Snowbirds in Canada love to get out of Canada in the winter month and escape to the Dominican Republic.

Flights from Toronto/Montreal/Vancouver, are only about 5- 11 hours and cost an average of $400-600.

Cheaper is always possible, and ALL Inclusive deals are usually best for families and the ones on a tight budget since you don’t have to spend a penny more for just about anything. Only IF you want to go to Special Event Tours, OR want to take a taxi to the city, you will need extra cash.

 

It is also a favorite destination for Europeans.

Especially in the winter month. Since Germany is 3rd on the list, and over 250,000 Germans visited the Dom. Rep., here is a link for the German Hon.Consulate in Puerto Plata.

 

Flights are available on short notice and are usually cheap. It is the weather, the beautiful Caribbean beaches, (the BEST in Punta Cana) the great Hotels in all price categories, the Casinos, and much more why the Dominican has become AGAIN a favorite destination. This was not always like that.
For about 10 years they had to struggle since overbooking was done very frequently, guests were booked into hotels they did NOT book, and a lot more, so many people decided not to fly for years.

Only for the past several years, have people again been visiting again. They had to clean up their act, and realize that a Customer who doesn’t come back, is just bad for business, and they did come back!

 

PUNTA CANA.

 

• Let’s start with Punta Cana. With truly amazing Caribbean beaches. Here is their own website to give YOU the reader an idea of what Punta Cana is all about and has to offer.
• Around 1994/5, when I was there, Punta Cana had about 15 Hotels.
• Not all were “All-Inclusive” hotels and there were NO apartments for rent, or only a handful of apartments for rent, IF you did not want to stay in a hotel, or in our case, we had several employees, it was nearly impossible to find accommodations for them.
• Today in the year 2022 there are more than 150 hotels in Punta Cana and counting.

• Luckily one of my employees was already living in Punta Cana with his girlfriend, or Let’s say ONE of his girlfriends when we came there to work.
• So he already had an apartment. It was small and cost $1000 per month! That was a LOT of money at the time, for such a small place, but a hotel room would have been even more expensive.

 

At the time I even drove my Mitsubishi Pajero on the beach.

Just like in Daytona Beach in Florida. By now, Punta Cana has more than 150 Hotels!

They start at around $20 per night and go up to…well the SKY is the limit! Endless options are available, but from my personal experience, the BAVARO Hotel group had and has some of the best hotels.

 

Work In Punta Cana

 

• If you are asking about my or our work, then it’s as unconventional as my life. We did sales presentations. These presentations were in the hotels. Basically, we used the ONE thing that ” most ” tourists have when they are on vacation…and that is TIME.

• We sold different products, and IF asked, HOW did the tourists/clients take this back home, WE answered that it’s going to be shipped to their HOME in Germany/Canada, etc. since they were only on vacation! We never took any money, and sometimes people just left, because they just did NOT understand what we were doing, which was OK. Judging the book by its cover has always been the case when you do unconventional/different things.

 

By now, in 2018 there are ENDLESS activities in Punta Cana, and Apartments are many to choose from.

If it’s to BUY or for RENT. Is Punta Cana a place where you can retire and live the whole year round? My answer would be maybe, but WHY? Well because all that sand and ocean will just be “normal” eventually and depending on many factors, you just might MISS such simple things, like a white Christmas, or a COLD DAY, etc.!

Sounds crazy? Well, just try it out and you will see for yourself. Most men(some couples) who can/want to RETIRE in places like the Dominican Republic have a certain AGE, have worked most of their life, and want a different life for retirement, which usually includes SUNSHINE, WATER, GOOD FOOD, and (Young) Girls if you are a single male, or young boys, if you are a mature or older female.

The thing is that in many cases you can NOT PLANT an old tree in a totally different environment/place! Well to be honest, which I am all the time, sometimes you can.

 

HUGE Cultural differences, a totally different CLIMATE, different FOOD, very different ways of DRIVING, LANGUAGE problems at least for many, almost NO possibility to work, No Cultural events, Doing business is very or extremely difficult, since the LAW is pretty much always on the side of the locals, never for the ex-pat/foreigner. The list goes on and on.

And I have seen too many end up as ALCOHOLICS and/or drug addicts, since drugs in the Dom. Rep. is easily obtained. It is the gateway to Miami and the US. Drug cartels are monitored by the CIA in the Dom. Rep., but almost never stopped and few are arrested.

 

• A very famous and extremely talented singer/entertainer by the name of Johann “Falco” Hölzel died on February 6, 1998, when his rental car was struck by a bus while he vacationed in the Dominican Republic.
• At least that is what is officially said on google. It further said: His Mitsubishi Pajero collided with a bus on the road linking the towns of Villa Montellano and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.

What it did not say is WHY? So even IF I get into some trouble here, Falco had basically consumed not only Alcohol but all other drugs which are known to man, on this day! He was as they say: Under The Influence…

• How do I know all this, well let’s just say, I had my information from very reliable sources!

 

 

• I really like his lyrics, and I LOVE his songs. They are all about HIS Crazy Life, and he puts all that in his songs, I am SURE of that. So REST in PIECE Johann, YOU did have one hell of a great life, while on this planet! He was at least, for me, the GREATEST & most talented Austrian Singer Song Writers of all time, at least one that I often listen to, even today. I compare him (even though you can not really compare Falco to anybody) to Michael Jackson. Both were so talented and died so young, like many very talented musicians.

 

 

• 
  

  So my personal suggestion is to stay for at least 6 months! Then you will SEE and FEEL for yourself,

  if you could stay for years. These 6-12 months will give you a pretty good idea, but no assurance, since sometimes even one year can be like Paradise, and only after 2-4 years, you can truly SEE the REAL face of a country, like the Dom. Rep. A vacation stay will not do it for most people, and depending on If you come from a big city, or the countryside, I would suggest being close to a city, or just check for those things that will be important for you, in the years to come, if you decide to live there permanently, like HEALTH insurance. With age, usually come more health issues. Here is a website that compares different healthcare companies. I can NOT recommend one since I was insured through the US at the time.

 

Puerto Plata / Sosua

 

• Puerto Plata was a very small town when I was there. There were only one or two small supermarkets, and you had to check the expiration dates on many items. The bread was often with molds, milk was already sour, etc. The good thing was that there was hardly any traffic.

 

• It is very different now. Even on one of my last visits around 2005, there were several huge supermarkets with a much better selection of groceries. Now there are over 20 large supermarkets to choose from. La Sirena Supermarket is one of the biggest in Puerto Plata, and it’s like Tesco in Europa or Walmart in the US. There are also Jose Luis and Jumbo which are also some of the bigger ones.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

• When we finally decided to stay for work, we had to look for a place to stay. So we foundCostambar. A gated and pretty safe community with, back then a 9-hole Golf course, several small supermarkets, and many restaurants by now. There are plenty of apartments for rent and some small hotels. It is a community where locals and people from all over the world have their homes and residences since it’s away from the buzz of all the tourists.

 

Please Visit Ocean World in Puerto Plata. This is a MUST!

A truly amazing adventure park, that offers so many varieties of FUN and leisure that you will want to come back, or go the next day! Swimming with Dolphins and sharks is just one of many. White and brown tigers are also amazing to see, and only glass or plexiglass separates YOU from the TIGER. Here is their website link. You can basically spend all day here and don’t get bored.

 

• Sosua on the other hand is and will always remain to be a small town, to SURF and Parties.
  

 

• Its right on the beach and the beach is really nice, so there is not much space since in the back it’s mostly hills and rugged terrain, so limited space to build. Even then there was a really great German bakery and a German butcher, so good bread and meats were available, which was good. Now there are several to choose from.

  

• Sosua back then was also packed with prostitutes! I mean they were everywhere, during the day, but at night it was like one big whorehouse.

 

• This all changed back in the nineties. It was “cleaned” up by the police since families who also booked Sosua as a vacation spot did not really enjoy that kind of entertainment.(but you will still find the girls if you are looking for them! ) Sosua got its act together and is one of the top surfing places in the world, and it still has that Surfing vibe to it.

• It’s really FUN for a vacation or even for a winter layover, but to live permanently in Sosua, you better have a business going on there, or you will go nuts at some point. Its basically like this: EAT a really good steak every day for 2-4 weeks, and I guarantee you that 99% of you will not want to eat another for a long time!

• As crazy as it sounds, for MOST of us, it will be like that.

---

 

• Back to Sosua, it’s a great place for Surfing, drinking, and partying! Or a 1-4 weeks vacation, if you are into those things.

OR you can build a 1 Million dollar mansion in Sosua, like Rudi, a “friend” of mine did in the late nineties, only to find out that the road leading UP to the mansion is so long, that by the time you are up there, and you forgot something, you really do not want to head to the city again…but great for a couple of weeks! He sold it a couple of years later.

 

Immigration

• Well, that has got to be my favorite one since for anybody who wants to stay longer than 30 days, it’s really NOT a problem. All you need is either A.) Tourist Card or B.) VISA. Unlike in many other countries, here overstaying your 30 days will cost you an additional $10 for another 30 days.

• While staying for a year or longer is around $100. The maximum fee for an over-stay of 5 years or more, is around $450.  More information HERE.  After looking for over 1 hour, I could not find any official Immigration website. Sorry people!

• Since it really depends a bit on what Nationality you have, please visit the official immigration site of the Dominican Republic here, which I could not find. My best advice: Deal with that issue, when you are there.

• Countries like Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Japan, Israel, Peru, South Korea, and Uruguay do NOT need a tourist card, nor a Visa.

• Most other countries will need the Tourist card, which is easily obtained either from your Airline or directly at the airport.

 

Eventually, you may obtain a RESIDENT Card, and that entitles you to WHAT exactly?

Well, I obtained one, back in 1995/96, because I wanted to import my Mitsubishi Pajero from Miami, which in case you owned that vehicle for at least one year, you could import it Tax-free!

Unfortunately, even with that card my Pajero, never officially arrived in Santo Domingo, and only after paying excessive fees, of well over $ 7000 Dollars, my OWN vehicle was given back to me! Well, as I said, it’s a 3rd world country…still. Fortunately, CARS and SUVs’s gotten a lot cheaper now, so there is pretty much NO need to import your own car, and unless you have loads of money, do NOT import any vehicle!

There are only certain advantages of being a Resident, so please consult an immigration lawyer in the Dom. Republic and FIND out, IF it makes sense to be a resident or not, for YOU. In the long run, probably.

 

• I  can not recommend an Immigration Attorney to you since I do not know one personally anymore, but I am sure you will find one on the net, or even better look for one in your area, where you will reside.

• Please keep in mind, that almost all attorneys will tell you, what THEY want you to hear, so they can make and charge a fee. It is always best to just pay the ONE TIME consultation fee, to obtain the information that YOU need, and if you ever do business with them, they will then deduct that fee from your payment, usually. At times you do need to consult an Attorney. In the end, it will SAVE you time, headaches, and money!

 

Last But Not Least: The Girls…

 

Well, I better start with the TRUTH. In 3 years, I never had sex with a Dominican girl! Oh boy, so what do I know about Dominican girls you might ask? A LOT more than you probably!

• Let’s start by NOT generalizing them, OK. There is never ALL, or ALL of them are, NO way, but the majority are insanely JEALOUS! Just because they have that Latin blood. If you ever had a girlfriend or lover, who was a Latina, then you know what I am talking about, right. If not, wow you were, or are one of the LUCKY ones.
• At some point, while I was living there, I picked up some goods at customs. The official in charge, saw my Pajero, and immediately asked me: HOW MANY girlfriends do you have? I replied: ONE! And she is in the states. He just could not believe that, since with an SUV, I could have dozens of girlfriends…and a lot of trouble and headaches in the end.
• When he told me that, when he goes home, he takes out the bullets of his gun, so in case his wife catches him with another girl, she would not shoot him! This is a true story!

 

Then there was the venture of my brother and me to create our own WEBSITE with only Dominican girls.

At the time websites with just “naked girls” were really hot. It is a long story, but it did not work out.

Too many issues came up, which we just did not see coming. Ever hear that one before: DID NOT SEE THAT ONE COMING !!

Ups, another business deal which did not work out, but IF you don’t try…

 

 

• Here are some very basic rules, when you go out, or START “dating” Dominican girls, at least the important ones.

1. On your 1st or 2nd date, do NOT take her to your place and let her stay overnight. She will in most cases NOT leave!
2. Do NOT take her to your HOME, if you have an apartment/house! They will NOT leave your place! Are you wondering, why I wrote that twice? Well, to make sure you understand! Did you?
3. Do NOT give her a chance to be jealous, or she will ( in most cases) throw something at you! It just might be a knife…
4. Last but not least. Unless YOU are 100% sure and have dated her for at least many months/ years…do NOT get married, unless of course there are kids and this IS THE LOVE of your life.
5. Ups almost forgot. If you take a girl home that asks for money, do NOT leave your MONEY, WATCH, or VALUABLES lying around. And please do not be surprised IF anything or everything is gone in the morning!

 

So just in case, you are still asking yourself: HOW could I possibly know all these things? Simple, my employees, tour guides, my brother, and pretty much most guys living or working there for a longer period ( more than 4 weeks) have most of these “Issues” with most of the Dominican girls. (not all of them of course.) My own brother married one, they are now separated….sorry bro, but you just asked for it.

 

• There are very beautiful girls in the Dominican, but there are very pretty girls just about anywhere, and especially in Asia too!

 

• So what does that mean? Basically LOVE or is it LUST can fall anywhere.
• Honestly after almost 10 years of being faithful to my girlfriend, (while I was living and working in the US and the Dom.Rep.) and she lived in New York, and absolutely never wanted to move to Miami Beach, I did have an affair in the Dominican Republic.
• She was a Cuban girl. ( Sorry no pic available) She was really amazing, in every way, and for the 1st time in my life, I had 2 girlfriends! WOW, how exciting, right? Well, YES, but also tiring after a while, since, the Cuban girl started to fall in love with me, and now what???
• To make this short: My girlfriend in the US, found an “I LOVE YOU” note ( which stupid ME kept in my desk in Miami!) from the Cuban girl, (her name was Belkis), and once she found that, it was, how do you say? It IS OVER DUDE!
• Oh well, life did go on for me, also for her, and so it should for YOU, just in case you have any woman or girl problems.

 

Here is another true and crazy story while I was living there:

• While Ocean World was being built, a welder was flown in from some other country, since Shark Cages were needed and this required special equipment and also know-how. So this guy was flown in, and one day he was in a car, at a red light.
• He was just waiting for the light to turn green, while before he could engage, a motorcycle TAXI, a so-called MOTTO CONCHO, rear-ended his car! The driver of the motorcycle died from the accident. WHO’s fault was it?

In any somewhat “normal” country, you would have to give the blame to the motto concho since the guy in the car was standing still and was not even moving! BUT, in the Dominican Republic, these things work a bit differently. To make this short.

 

• Not only did they want a huge amount of money from the welder, but they also wanted him in JAIL! Why jail, you may ask? Well, the only reason would be, once he is in jail, you would have to pay another huge amount to get him out!! And since it was a FOREIGN Person/Company, they will ask a LOT, unlike from locals they can only get peanuts. That is why!
• The company found out about the jail time( money was not the problem) and decided to get him out of the country on a private boat!

 

So YOU tell me if the Dominican is a paradise or a nightmare? Well, I guess it really depends on certain EVENTS that take place within the 1st couple of days/weeks or months of your stay, no matter where that might be !! You know the saying: Shit happens? Yep, sometimes it really does.

 

To Summon It Up:

 

• Is the Dominican a great place for a vacation?  YES, absolutely, just choose your Resort/Hotel/ City /Home wisely, depending on your personal preferences.

 

• 

 

Is the Dom. Rep. a great place for permanent RETIREMENT? Maybe. It just depends on if YOU find the right connection to the country, and do NOT become an Alcoholic, like many. TOO MANY factors which I tried to address in this post are to be considered, and we are all very different, so what works for one person, might not work for another. From all the people I met down there, who actually STILL live there, very few remain for a longer period.

 

• Is the Dom. Rep. a great place to play GOLF? Absolutely! Here is the website that shows you the TOP 100 Golf Courses in the Dom. Rep.
• Is the Dom. Rep. a great/good place to buy a 2nd home and spend 1-6 months there in the wintertime? YES, but PLEASE be careful when you buy a house or apartment.

 

Update: It is December 29.2022 and my brother is now in Puerto Plata having a break from German weather. He is staying a bit outside of the city which is called “Costambar” and is really nice, because you have a lot of amenities in this closed residental community and its fairly quiet. It has a small but nice golfcourse, grocery stores, some nice restaurants and best of all, the beach is within a few minutes walking distance, PERFECT when you are on a vacation!

 

Sure hope this helped and you enjoyed my post about the Dominican Republic!

 

 

UPDATE:  I have been quiet busy, but IF you are interested what I have been doing, please read.

Just in case you are wondering what I have been up to in the past years…well here it is. I created this website that helps people to sleep…or just click on the picture below: I just HOPE that it will help you as well and you will recommend it to your friends and other people who you know who have sleeping issues. Thanks.

A subject that millions of people all around the world have problems with. Sleep disorders or another name for it: insomnia.