Dominican Republic

[Johnny_5]

Hey all,

I'm going to be in Punta Cana from the 16th to the 24th and am concerned about safety. I was planning on leaving our resort for various SCUBA excursions, but after speaking with some friends who are natives of the DR I am somewhat concerned because from what they have told me, it has become very dangerous since the earthquake in Haiti and crime has increased exponentially.

Can anyone comment on this? Should I bring my crossbow?


Thanks in advance
John

 

[mikej77]

Returned not too long ago from a trip to Punta Cana and Santo Domingo. Just use common sense and don't venture out onto the beaches at night. Stick to the resort for the most part and if you are doing any scuba excursions, just use one of the reputable companies. PM if you want details on the companies that I used.

 

[Godot]

In order to have and carry a gun, you need to be a citizen and need to get a 'Addendum Autorizado para Porte.
I wouldn't go there unless I knew some who could carry a gun and act as a bodyguard,











s

 

[Pezzaturra]

FYI, the only (regrettable) time that I have been to that dump of an island, I,ve observed guards armed with shotguns guarding the perimeter of Puerta Plata all-inclusive fat-farm that i had stayed at.
I was impressed, cause those guys looked thuggish enough to use those guns. That was 5 years ago. I can only imagine how much worse it is now.

 

[hboogz]

use common sense and don't really go anywhere you shouldn't be going to on vacation at night. Punta Cana can be pretty relaxing if you're at the right place.

 

[mikej77]

I stayed at a small boutique resort and it was really nice. As I already mentioned, just don't venture down the beach at night and you won't have any problems. The scuba diving was great but I would avoid taking any of the tours to Santo Domingo. There really wasn't too much to see there, just a crowded city and the 4 hour drive was pretty much a near death experience. The service at the resort was amazing, they really took care of us, with the resort even providing a helicopter transfer from the airport and landing right on the beach at our resort.