Be careful in santo domingo

[crobertson]

To those of you traveling to Santo Domingo, DR, I want to give you a few pointers that may help you while traveling.

 

My family just got back from DR, we were only there for two days (one before our cruise departure, and one after we arrived back). However, we had a very terrible situation occur while we were there. My family went to a restaurant only a block from the Santo Domingo Hilton on George Washington Ave, a very nice area, and all five of us (two adults in their 50s and 3 girls all older than 20) were attacked in broad daylight. My mom ended up in a wheelchair for the remainder of our trip and needed immediate medical attention upon arriving in the states. We were very lucky to have made it out of the situation the way we did, considering the circumstances. I hope that nothing like this happens to anyone who visits the area, but I have a few suggestions to avoid the possible occurence.

 

Be very cautious at night! I do not want to scare you, but residents carry handguns freely in DR. My family stayed at Hotel Palacio, it was a beautiful hotel! However, we drove through very narrow streets with individuals coming extremely close to our vehicle, taping on the windows, asking for money, and yelling things at us. Make sure that if your driver does not lock your doors, you do. Keep your windows up! People do not hesitate to come close to you.

 

The taxi drivers do not speak English very well, or even at all. I know enough of Spanish to get along, but my family carried a translation book on us to help with reading menus and getting to and from places.

 

One thing we learned is that workers at the hotels in DR know that Americans are often scared of the area. If you request a security guard to take you to a restaurant and pick you up, they will usually provide that service free of charge. I HIGHLY recommend this, even if you are only going a block.

 

We know now that women should try not to carry their purses with them. They can be easily snatched up by anyone passing you by, on foot or moped. Each of the members of my family made a point to purchase travel wallets that clip onto your belt or onto the inside of your pants. These are your best option. It is unlikely that someone would know you are carrying one of these, or even have a quick way of getting to them while walking down the streets.

 

Men, if you have buttons on your pants pockets in the back, button them so your wallet is less likely to be pick-pocketed.

 

Make sure you also travel with photocopies of your passport and leave extra copies with someone back home so that if in an emergency, you can have them sent to you. I know these precautions sound over the top but this country is extremely different from the states.

 

Also, many places to not have very good septic systems. We encountered places where we could not flush our toilet paper down the toilets. Often time they didn't even provide toilet paper. Bring some TP!

 

Do not drink the water, have frozen beverages with ice, or ice cubes in your drinks. The water is fine for the residents, they are used to the bacteria that lives in it. Americans are not able to digest it properly and you can get sick. The symptoms are similar to E. Coli and the bacteria travels to the water systems much like E. Coli does here in the states (but it's another type of bacteria).

 

Please be very cautious. I know situations like ours happen all over the world, including the states. However, these are helpful suggestions that can help your stay in Santo Domingo be a little safer.

 

If you have questions or comments, feel free to post!

 

Thanks.

[cusyl]

How dreadful to have your vacation ruined like that. Perhaps the cruise lines should stop calling at that port until they can get this violence under control.

[Parrot Mom]

How sad you had that situation in Santo Domingo..Yes, you must be very careful there and not walk anywhere..and have the restaurants call cabs for you.. it is a wonderful city and the only problem we found was no beaches..

[dombright]

I came across this post and was sorry to read you had such a bad expereince in Santo Domingo.

 

I would like to make the following observations - especially to those hoping to visit the city. I have visited the place on and off over the past 20 years and never felt particularly threatened. Use a bit of common sense and I agree be careful at night though many places such as the Zona Colonial will be pefectly safe at night. Your average American city is probably just as dangerous especially for a first time visitor.

 

"My family stayed at Hotel Palacio"

 

You chose a good hotel - in the heart of teh zona colonial which is full of narrow streets - indeed part of its charm.

 

"With individuals coming extremely close to our vehicle, taping on the windows, asking for money, and yelling things at us." - rarely expereinced this - it could happen but just ignore it.

 

Make sure that if your driver does not lock your doors, you do. Keep your windows up! - probably a good idea.

 

People do not hesitate to come close to you." so?

 

"One thing we learned is that workers at the hotels in DR know that Americans are often scared of the area. If you request a security guard to take you to a restaurant and pick you up, they will usually provide that service free of charge. I HIGHLY recommend this, even if you are only going a block." - I think the hotels were looking for a job for their security guards and like to cultivate this image that Santo Domingo is dangerous . - there is no reason to be scared.

 

Pickpockets - can happen but this this is not a dead certainty.

 

"but this country is extremely different from the states." - from what I have seen there are many parts of the States that are very similar - Washington Heights, deep South, etc, etc.

 

"We encountered places where we could not flush our toilet paper down the toilets. Often time they didn't even provide toilet paper. Bring some TP!" - good advice but just part of life here.

 

"Do not drink the water," - the locals would say the same - they also don't drink tap water and rely on bottled water.

[CruisenLexie]

Crobertson....Thanks for the posting. We are going there on a cruise in March so that will be a part of my decision making process for what we do.

 

Seems to me if I it is a good idea to ask a hotel to have a security guard escort me to and from a restaurant...that is not the place I want to be.

 

I am sure we have places just as scary in the states but I don't go there either and I would not expect people to go vacation in those places.

 

Thanks again....