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You may in fact have more potential clients there, worth checking out.  However I would not think it is reasonably priced......but worth finding out.

Thanks planner.  I saw an apartment there for $250 US a Month through a real estate company.  I will send you a private message with the link 

I don't know the area so I will not be much help other than knowing generally it can be more expensive in that area

Good luck on your exploration, and you are right you should check out other areas

Bob K

Thanks Bob. will do. Can't know where you want to settle unless you look around a bit.

You are so right. As you know we are from the US and if we were ever to relocate back there we have talked about taking a year and exploring the country from "sea to shining sea" to decide where we would want to settle.  Thankfully that decision is not in our immediate future.

Bob K

Hey, that sounds like the STAR SPANGLED BANNER buddy 

And yes, so true MW and Bob. Unless you've seen it all you really dont know whats there, this was one of the scenerios I have with dr.  Because I always went south,  having a thing for SP. Then I went to LaRomana, and liked that! Then I went north, and discovered a whole other world!  Then you have all these other places that you guys mention that I seldom even heard of let alone ever seen - then I say damn how will I know what offeres all these places.  Like I literally CANT visit the whole entire country smh.

Or, can I!!!   

All one needs is time and $$

Bob K

And the latter would be the culprit Sir...  lol!

twice in bavaro, once on a 4 day biker rally, yhe other for 10 days w/ girlfriend. very small town with not much to do. it;s an all inclusive beach town. everything is geared to the hotels. great beach ,but limited access. except for the biker parties it was very boring. expensive too. not much inland to see. I don't understand people who go to this type of place. you never get a chance to see & expirence the true nature of the d.r. I would never live there. visit & see for yourself weather or not it is for you.

Every area appeals to different groups.  There are those who do not WANT a Dominican experience, they want a less expensive American style experience. 

To each his own.

Love the North Coast, but just wanting to experience a bit more of the island, from the looks of things Cabrera is quite popular as well, must make my way there.  I'm not much of a party animal anymore, as long as there is a beach, somewhere descent to shop and have a drink, I'm good. I'm mostly interested in the security level, and from what I have researched PC and Samaná are two of the lowest crime areas on the Island.  There is also a new project on the way called Downtown Punta Cana which is going to create an amazing nightlife and day life activities. Here is a link to the project

        Heard some good things about PC plus they are not plagued with the same level of electrical and water problems as some of the other areas, which makes it very attractive. It can be expensive, but I will probably be drinking at the local bars, no Hard Rock Cafe for me, except when my tourist friends come to visit.  The only way to know if it fits, is to try it    True that Nick, you should try PC, but don't do the all inclusive, rent a place and check things out about town.  Apartment rentals go from $200 to $2,000.00 a month, there is something for everyone.

Exactly planner. I tried a 50/50 Dominican experience, but now I want to try something along a 70/30 or 60/40 experience

Hey MW. I'm always heard Punta Cana was real touristy. And not a lot going on outside of the tourist stuff.  A few ppl I know that have gone thwre always have said that.

Lots of expats live there as well.  There are restaurants, shopping, golf courses, private schools etc.  Lots of gated communities....

I've always heard PC was not really a 'Dominican' type of area.  .  Like, you dont find very many local Dominicans there, just what I've heard.  I even heard it was kind of isolated away from everything as well.

I will get there one day, me & the gf.

There are some locals there for the work but not a real town. It is quite a distance from La Romana or Higue.  Many workers bus in and out daily and just as many bus in from the capital and live onsite for 12 days then 3 off.

Its definately tourism and expats.

Not even that may expats unless working in the tourist industry.  Think of the hotel zone in Cancun (with out an old town next door) on steroids.

Bob K

Hey Nick. Bob hit it on the head. It is just like Cancún. The barrios are mainly made up of employees to the resort, but inside of Pueblo Bavaro is where you will most of the retired folks.  The equivalent of Pueblo Bavaro would be Perla Marina in Cabarete or ProCab. They are communities made up of private houses, apartments, villas, etc.  There is lots to do in PC but for the most part the Resorts do not encourage the visitors to leave the grounds which is the main reason tourists don't get to experience much of the outside world of the area. Check out the link I posted earlier and you will see that the tourist board has invested in the PC downtown project to attract more tourist dollars in the vicinity and not just the individual resorts

The entire country - government is trying to make a shift away from the All Inclusive model of tourism!!!! It is NOT good for this country as resorts buy local services and products as cheaply as possible (for the most part) and almost ALL profits stay OFFSHORE.  This does not help us here.

So, whenever possible, get off the resort, do something local!!!! And not JUST with an excursion company but its a good way to start.  AND want an excursion -  book it directly on the internet!

Can you also send me a PM of this apartment info? Thanks

Yes I am a Dominican man I've lived there and know the country inside out. The city is gorgeous and interesting. Though I have to warn you that crime is possible at the city but very little just avoid the other places in Dominican Republic such as moca and bartoa but message me if you need any help on information over there

eldominican welcome to the forum. There are lots of good folks here with lots of information to share.  Why not tell us a bit more about yourself (what do you do, where do you live, experiences).  We look forward to  your participation on the forum

Bob K

Yes I am a Dominican man I've lived there and know the country inside out. The city is gorgeous and interesting. Though I have to warn you that crime is possible at the city but very little just avoid the other places in Dominican Republic such as moca and bartoa but message me if you need any help on information over there

What's wrong with Moca? I thought that was a nice place. I mean Moca the city near La Vega.

If the country wants to generate some real tourist activity outside of the all-inclusive resorts, then they need to grow some brains and vision.  Which is something I doubt they have at all. If they did, things wouldn't be so screwed up.

There are eco-tourism possibilities for sure. They need to develop a country strategy to market this. This requires "brains" and "vision" and gov. money too. They don't like to spend gov. money on the country. Only themselves.

The smaller towns have absolutely no good hotels, restaurants, or things to do at night. Additionally, the squares or parks where the nightlife is for locals, are not that compatible with foreigners. These "squares" need to be developed with restaurants, bars, etc. that tourists like.  None of this is going to happen. Mostly because there are no tourists coming into smaller towns to make these businesses profitable. The tourists won't come without development happening first. Which brings us right back to brains and vision of which the locals have neither.

I'm just stating it as it is. Not trying to poo poo anything

One of the joys of the DR  small towns is that they aren't designed for the tourists.  What the hell is wrong with the natural life of these towns?  If you need a tourism place , go to them!  They abound all over the island.  Let us who enjoy the natural lfe of the islands have our "place in the sun".  Go elsewhere for the common, doesn't matter what country you are in, it is all the same.  Go pick a Sandels or Club Med, or Punta Cana to satisfy your meager needs!  Why come to a foreign country if not to experience the different cultures, the bars, the restaurants, the people.  For shame, for shame.  I'm tired of folk decrying the lack of what they are used to.   Life is a one way trip, born then die,  why not make the trip worthwhile?  Afraid of life?  As you can tell, I'm pissed off at people who want to change other cultures to suit them.  Be angry at the electric shortages, poor roads, crazy drivers & such. if I misinterpreted your post, I apologize to you, but not to the ilk of others  who have voiced similar thoughts.  Yes, the Dr has many ways to improve, but none should ever be to lose the essence of the culture & of the Dominicans.  For now my rant is over, however once again, easily aroused  by inane comments so often found by "Tourists".  Rail & castigate me, but I shall not recant my thoughts. By the way, enjoy your life here, I do.

Who are you ranting at?

If the shoe doesn't fit, ignore the rant.  It is for those who I describe who want the island made over in their own image.  Nuff said.  On to the threads question.

Well first don't let me sound argumentative as that is not my reason for responding.  I understand what you are saying.  Unfortunately, there is a huge 'BUT' to be interjected.   I used to, years ago, for a time sold travel packages to Cancun and all over Mexico and I spent many hours researching etc. the Mexico travel industry.   Cancun was a governmental development to get things started, thereafter it became and still is a huge success due to the fact that they encouraged and allowed private as well as corporate development with little interference..well at least for Mexicans and in time foreigners as well.  Mexico had/has still one huge advantage that the DR suffers the lack thereof... a middle class with sufficient assets/capital/abilities to invest and create new businesses that can survive...which is what created a lot of the Mexico experience where there are many many things to do outside of A/I resorts.  The DR just does not have a island-wide middle class and reliies heavily upon the patriarchal model whereby all opportunities stay at the top and little for anyone else and usually in cahoots with parts of government. 

Now nothing is as simple as just one issue but it's a huge problem the DR has never ever been able to change and I doubt will any time soon.   I would love to see more private success in the tourism industry but it's just not happening as a island-wide pace by any measure.  Getting the touristas out of the resorts to your point means there has to be transportation, shopping, entertainment, etc. etc. in the surrounding pueblos....well so far neglible when measured on an island-wide perspective.  it's that chicken and the egg thing.  In comparison when you travel Mexico and stop at a restaurant even in a tourist area there is a good chance there are local Mexican at that same restuarant paying the same price as the tourists.  You can't really say that about the DR can you?  Just not enough people with money to spend to provide the local support to augment the tourists.

I hope that I have bored the crap out of everyone but it's a subject I have spent a lot of time investigating fo rmy own reasons and to be frank I don't see a solution on the horizon.

I just visited Montecristi and was impressed, at least by dr standards.  The roads in town are wide and unclogged as so many other places are. Even the sidewalks are wider, so more walkable.  Also , not full of the normal over priced rip off tourist traps.