Amber Cove (DR) : safe or not to take a cab on your own ?

[Anonymous]

Hello !

We will be in Amber Cove as a port of call on a cruise ...

I'm wondering if it's safe to get a local cab to go to the nearby town or if we should stick to the cruise line excursions?

Thanks for your help !

[Anonymous]

We hired a cab for a day rather stay in Amber Cove in January. Our cabbie stayed with us all day and wouldn't let us out of his sight. The poverty and the people living at the trash dump, which you will drive past, are astounding. Don't let the tour guides in town trick you into a tour of the church, they are just shakedowns. Amber Cove is just another form of shakedown.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your reply.