Did you feel safe in the DR?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just go to Bermuda.

Do they have AI's there?

Not a clue. Stayed at the Hamilton Princess years ago pre-kids. Perfectly safe to leave the hotel and explore the island.

So basically you have nothing to add.

Adding that there are safe islands to visit where you can leave the resort without being afraid.

we already know that.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who goes every year with her kids and know others who have been once or twice. I’ve literally never heard a complaint about safety. For the people who seem to imply that it a privileged American thing to do to go and spend all your time at a resort, I’d also point out that this income from tourism is the DR’s ticket to a better future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is safe until it isn’t. Like someone broke into Supreme Court justice’s Caribbean vacation home. The man was armed with a machete. I have interest in going to DR, Haiti or Jamaica, regardless of how cheap it is.

A mob broke into our capital with all kinds of stuff. Just saying.

Also, sayin “DR, Haiti, and Jamaica” as if they are all three the same is insane, and I say that having spent time in each place.

[Anonymous]

It is really weird how developing countries (polite term, I know) are only pleasant, safe, etc if you go to the areas that are tourist oriented: so gated, all-inclusive. The rest of the country is every man/woman for themselves. It is what it is, but if you go to these places, just know that you are not really visiting that particular country. At least not the real (insert name of developing country).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is safe until it isn’t. Like someone broke into Supreme Court justice’s Caribbean vacation home. The man was armed with a machete. I have interest in going to DR, Haiti or Jamaica, regardless of how cheap it is.

A mob broke into our capital with all kinds of stuff. Just saying.

Also, sayin “DR, Haiti, and Jamaica” as if they are all three the same is insane, and I say that having spent time in each place.

I wonder why PP named those three places in particular... wonder what they all have in common. Can't put my finger on it..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The DR seems no less safe than most other areas of the world. I would go as far as to say it's safer than LA, SF, Seattle, Chicago, and NYC right now.

I’m not going to spend my limited vacation time & $$ in the South Side of Chicago, either.

[Anonymous]

Besides physical safety due to crime, I always think about health care options in the event of an emergency, especially with kids. Like many places in the Caribbean, I'd steer clear of the DR.

[Anonymous]

I went to an all inclusive in Punta Cana last year with some friends. (Zika/Zilara Cap Cana) The resort is safe, the workers there were kind and wonderful, but I would not leave it. I also think your plan to fly directly to Punta Cana is good. We made the mistake of flying into Santo Domingo which is 2 hours drive from Punta Cana. We hired a reputable transport service for this and they were very good.

Santo Domingo definitely felt very unsafe - we were fine inside of our locked van, but there were vagabonds everywhere in the street, and the roads were very tight at some points (quite dangerous for all the people on motorbikes). As a white-passing tourist I would never walk around in the open.
I also can’t say great things about the Santo Domingo airport, it was very chaotic and the security guards randomly snatched my friend’s passport + luggage from her when she was going through security, leaving her stranded with us for 30 minutes. We found out it was a drug test only because a kind Spanish speaking tourist argued with the guards for a while to find out what was going on, and we eventually saw the dog sniffing her luggage.

Go enjoy your vacation OP, but use common sense, fly to Punta Cana, and keep a lookout! All inclusives are so fun - relaxing, enjoyable, lots of good food, without worrying about the nickel and diming that non-all inclusive vacations will inevitably have.

[Anonymous]

The DR that I see on 90 Day Fiance looks perfectly fine, dare I even say - great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to an all inclusive in Punta Cana last year with some friends. (Zika/Zilara Cap Cana) The resort is safe, the workers there were kind and wonderful, but I would not leave it. I also think your plan to fly directly to Punta Cana is good. We made the mistake of flying into Santo Domingo which is 2 hours drive from Punta Cana. We hired a reputable transport service for this and they were very good.

Santo Domingo definitely felt very unsafe - we were fine inside of our locked van, but there were vagabonds everywhere in the street, and the roads were very tight at some points (quite dangerous for all the people on motorbikes). As a white-passing tourist I would never walk around in the open.
I also can’t say great things about the Santo Domingo airport, it was very chaotic and the security guards randomly snatched my friend’s passport + luggage from her when she was going through security, leaving her stranded with us for 30 minutes. We found out it was a drug test only because a kind Spanish speaking tourist argued with the guards for a while to find out what was going on, and we eventually saw the dog sniffing her luggage.

Go enjoy your vacation OP, but use common sense, fly to Punta Cana, and keep a lookout! All inclusives are so fun - relaxing, enjoyable, lots of good food, without worrying about the nickel and diming that non-all inclusive vacations will inevitably have.

Wow, you should probably just stay home in the future. Such horrible stereotyping and xenophobia in this post! Santo Domingo is a fascinating and historically interesting city that should not be missed. We felt safe there at all times, day and night, and enjoyed it very much. Please get a grip PP.

[Anonymous]

OP here. It is Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana and yes we’ve fly into Punta Cana. We will stay on the resort. If they had resorts like these in the US, we’d gladly go there but they don’t exist.

[Anonymous]

It's totally fine OP.

[Anonymous]

It's all about risk. It's unquestionably more sketchy than many alternatives. Whether the political/health/safety/crime risks are low enough for your personal tolerance is entirely up to you. Many people posting here apparently couldn't care less, others are more risk averse and would choose other destinations where this kind of calculus is not required.