Dominican Republic - recommendations/experiences?

[PowerthruIT]

Hi all

We are looking to get away to the Caribbean in early April. The Dominican Republic is coming up cheaper than other Islands and you seem to get much more bang for your buck in terms of hotel quality etc.

From doing some research it appears this is because Dom Rep is a bigger Island and cheaper wages, and just generally a cheaper economy...however this does make me a little sceptical so asking if anyone has been to the Dom Republic in recent years and what your experience was like. If experience was great any hotel recommendations welcome (Mum/Dad/4 year old)

Thanks

I didn’t enjoy the Dominican. The hotel quality and food is not comparable to similar hotels in Mexico or Turkey.

There is a horrible social hierarchy (white, Hispanic and then black), black people are mistreated and I felt quite uncomfortable with it.

The hotels all have private beaches, and a few local kids got escorted off ‘our’ beach which made me wonder if they actually have beaches they can use? It’s also not particularly safe to go outside the hotel.

i would recommend turkey as an alternative - great hotels, pools and food and lots to do outside.

Nothing to do.
Can't really leave the hotel.
Staff are treated appallingly.
One of the top places in the world for food poisoning.
Go elsewhere!

It's cheaper for a reason . It's very run down outside of the resorts and I wouldn't have felt safe outside of the resorts . If you're looking at Punta Cana it's on the Atlantic side of the island and can be windy . The Caribbean side is nicer but I still wouldn't return. You're also constantly hounded by people trying to sell you stuff . It was relentless. I couldn't sit on the beach for 1 minute without being hounded . My DH also got food poisoning . Also there were loads of dead dogs on the roads . So a massive nope from me .

I've been a few times (2019, 2020 just before covid, 2022).
Stayed in the resort (just wanted a winter sun escape) and just did pool, beach etc.
Food was fine (but I'm NOT a foody).
Rooms & Resort were all very clean.
I'd go again.

I've also been to Antigua a couple of times (travelled round the island a lot, felt very safe - didn't in DR).
And St Lucia (beautiful resort).

I wouldn't go from the UK in the northern hemisphere summer as you can get better for cheaper and shorter flights.

Most hotels are inside a gated compound , hounded by hawkers on the beach and local men looking for tourist women - honestly I’d rather go to a resort in Spain and stand a chance of experiencing some culture by travelling around a bit from base.

Also had all my gifts and purchases like duty free aftershave and perfumes stolen by either hotel staff or airport staff which wasn’t nice to discover when I got home

It's a good few years since I went, but I didn't like it. You need to find a hotel with a private beach because if you leave the hotel you get harassed. I was on honeymoon and even walking along hand in hand with DH, local girls would be walking beside us, flirting with him. No peace on our (non-private beach). Lots of sellers trying to get you to buy trinkets. If you pretended to be asleep they'd wake you up to continue the hard sell. One day we took out a jet ski. Upon returning to the beach they immediately flipped it over and pointed to damage and wanted money. We hadn't damaged it, it was a scam, but frightening.

Sometimes cheaper isn't better. Find another island and pay a bit more for a better holiday.