Dominican Republic: crime and dangers for tourists

For many of us, the Dominican Republic is associated with heaven on earth, but not with crime and danger. Warm, friendly, with beautiful beaches and exotic vegetation, it is a demonstrative tourist country that will satisfy even the most demanding holidaymakers.

When settling on such a trip, we usually focus on choosing the perfect hotel that offers the best accommodation, maximum comfort and a wide range of entertainment. Often we are so busy preparing that we do not think about our personal safety and do not check what is happening there and whether it is safe Dominican Republic for a tourist?

Crime in the Dominican Republic: not to be ignored, but not to be exaggerated

In short and in general, in the Dominican Republic there is no particular threat from organized crime, but here, as in any country, there are good people and there are people who commit crimes. For many years, the Dominican Republic was under the rule of a military dictatorship, and this created a real danger.

There were many groups operating against the government and competing with each other at various levels. All in all it was a real mess. But then the political situation calmed down, especially after the Dominican Republic gained independence.

A lot of time has passed since the end of that troubled period of the reign of dictator General Rafael Trujillo Molina, to be more precise, in a few years it will be possible to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the “democratic Dominican Republic”.

However, many people have the impression that the Dominican Republic is still "a criminal country with a complex crime situation". It’s worth starting with a few examples where “experienced tourists” talk about how “safe” the Dominican Republic is.

EXAMPLES OF "USEFUL INFORMATION" OR REVIEWS FROM TOURISTS:

… “During the day, tourists stroll through the streets of the big cities of the Dominican Republic, and at night these places turn into a criminal jungle. Prostitutes, drug dealers, black illegal immigrants from Haiti and generally anyone, they do what they want "...

And here is another example of a categorical recommendation, especially for people who have money:

…“It is in your best interest to stay at the hotel and not put yourself in danger. Some tourists constantly carry large amounts of cash with them and are often the target of thieves and robbers. You should avoid going outside the hotel complexes, especially at night, and never go out alone”…

Well, at the end of this “good list”, I will add information from the stand of the Baia Principe hotel, which is very popular among tourists, which has its own hotel complex in the Punta Cana area. The stand is located just at the exit from the hotel complex:

… “We are obliged to inform you that if you go further, we cannot guarantee your safety in any way. Your five-star hotel Bahia Principe…

Indeed, one really gets the impression that in the Dominican Republic they almost hunt tourists, or torture them, possibly kidnap and sometimes rape ... But how much truth is in these statements?

From whom and why does information about the many dangers for tourists come from?

In my opinion, most of the information about the terrible dangers of crime in the Dominican Republic comes from hotel owners, their managers, hotel and other guides and taxi drivers. That is, mostly from people who can use tourists to make money from them.

Taxi drivers are attracted to an atmosphere of fear because it increases their passenger flow. The main goal of top and not so hotel managers and guides of all stripes is to tie guests to the hotel. After all, they can set such prices for their sightseeing trips and any product they want. Informationally processed tourists do not check anything anyway.

Let's open our eyes. This whole situation is applicable to many countries with similar specifics of the hotel business, that is, the predominance of all-inclusive. It can be for example Egypt, Tunisia or Morocco. Everywhere there is fierce competition for customers and all sorts of tricks are used. The situation is different, for example, in Thailand, Vietnam. But in the Dominican Republic, hoteliers, service staff, guides and taxi drivers, and often the tourists themselves and their tour operators, have mastered the art of manipulating information to perfection.

Can a tourist be robbed or beaten in the Dominican Republic?

Do not think that I am trying to imagine the Dominican Republic as a kind of paradise on earth, where there is only the sun, waves and singing birds against the backdrop of the blue ocean or sea. As in any other country, no one is safe from anything, including criminals. Moreover, I myself know firsthand some negative facts.

A short story of a "brave traveler" from St. Petersburg...

On one of the trips, we met a company of three people who had flown in from St. Petersburg: two sisters and the husband of one of them. So this “husband”, like some of our other Russo tourists, hung around the pool from morning to afternoon in the company of hot Canadian guys and pretty much took the local Ron Barcelo on his chest, went alone to explore the "real Hispaniola".

Our brave pioneer returned to the hotel only in the evening of the next day in a rather deplorable state: without a phone, without money, in a torn T-shirt, with a scratched hand and cheek, as well as a noticeable black eye under his left eye.

I won’t tell you any special details of the situation, since the citizen “husband” clearly remembered far from all the details of his trip. It’s even easier to list his few memories point by point:

1. The "husband" clearly remembered the "delicious" rum in some small suburban bar.
2. He remembered well about the "wild" dances with the local youth party at this bar.
3. Slightly vaguely in his memory, an old bus with Haitians loomed, taking him away from the bar, and again "delicious" rum with fellow travelers.
4. Further, “some” Haitian rum in an illegal Haitian settlement in the Juan Dolio area was much worse remembered (this is more than 100 km from the hotel in Bavaro!)
5. The reason was erased from memory, but the fact of some kind of conflict with someone remained and .... perhaps everything.

Ok, the main thing is that he is alive. But the truth is that visiting certain regions of the Republic at night, especially when drunk, is unlikely to end in something good. For example, I would not recommend going to explore such places.

On the other hand, I know a lot of people who, like me, rode around the country on buses, visited various interesting places, small beaches, small shops and non-tourist areas.

10 useful tips for those who want to feel "absolutely safe" from crime

The tips below are primarily for those who really take care of your personal safety and the safety of your property. There are few of them, and most are familiar with them, but for some reason everyone forgets about them when it comes to business. Another plus of these tips is that they are suitable for most countries, not just the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean.

• Do not tempt ordinary and not quite ordinary citizens of the Dominicans with anything of particular value. The less “super stuff” you have, the safer you will feel. Collecting things at sea according to the list, think about what you want to take with you on a trip and what you really need. Do you want to look like a rich tourist from Sicily in gold branded sunglasses? I am writing about sunglasses, I once left mine on the hotel terrace and, unfortunately, they disappeared ...
• Of course you will take photos and videos, you know that for sure. But be careful. Keep your camera and cell phone in plain sight, don't leave your newest iPhone in your room on your nightstand or bed. Not criminals, but don't tempt poor people!
• In hotels, the passage to the territory is under the control of guards. In the old city, for example, there is the Santo Domingo tourist police, which controls almost the entire area. They wear conspicuous shirts with blue symbols on a white background. If you feel that someone is threatening you, ask them for help, that's what they are there for.
• Listen to the locals. They know what is safe and what is not. If they tell you that there is something dangerous somewhere (Spanish. peligroso), then you should not be a hero or show off and go there.
• If you are really unlucky and someone attacked you, you should not try to get used to the role of Stallone or Vin Diesel. Give what he, the "poor fellow", wants. Well, actually, it's better to lose a camera, mobile phone or money than life.
• In connection with the above points, I recommend that you back up your photos and videos in the clouds, on the network. And of course, you should always have a second phone in order to be able to erase data from a stolen or simply lost device.
• Meeting new people, especially in a new country, is great. Personally, I like it. However, for some Dominicans, and not only for them, communication with tourists is just a source of income, although they are not criminals. And this applies not only to sellers of cigars, rum and larimar pendants.
• The Dominican Republic is also a destination for sex tourism. And there is no difference between men and women. Pretty girls and pretty gentlemen are most active in the most touristic areas (as well as in other countries). It is not only diseases, especially HIV, that are dangerous. Also, the response to requests for help will not lead to anything good, for example in the form of the famous “scam song”: my mother and grandmother are sick, and my father left us a long time ago.
• Small drug dealers also want to earn extra money on tourists by selling “very light weed”. But do you really think this is a good idea? In the Dominican Republic, the possession or use of drugs is punishable by fines and imprisonment, and these are not newspaper articles - this is reality. And in general, are you sure that the "push" is not connected with the police?
• As they used to say, darkness is a friend of youth, but in any country in the world it is also a friend of robbers and just drunken idiots. If you travel at night, be especially vigilant, but in general it is better to either sleep at night or spend time in a large company.

Travel Tips: Dominican Republic Safety Rules

The people in Republica Dominicana are really friendly and smiling. In my opinion, if you follow elementary precautions, the risk of any criminal problems in the resorts of Punta Cana, Puerto Plata or La Romana is no higher than in many countries in Europe or Asia.

It is undeniable that single girls late night promenades should be avoided, especially in the capital Santo Domingo, where the criminogenic crime situation is higher than in the whole country. Similarly, tourists who went alone on a nightly search for "true love" in gold and with expensive gadgets, with a high probability of eventually returning to the hotel naked ...

And further. Do not carry large amounts of cash, do not take all bank cards with you. Take care of your documents. For example, if you took your driver's license with you on vacation and you don't need it, then leave driving license and passport in the hotel safe. You surely have scan of the passport in phone?

When traveling to distant uninhabited or sparsely populated areas of the island better go there with a guide. The guide should also be chosen carefully and it is best to choose one while you are at the hotel…

Are you going to Republica Dominicana for the first time? Be sure to read the information in the article: "Dominican Republic: everything a tourist needs to know before a trip".

And in conclusion, I would like to quote the words of a Romanian from Petrosani, whom I met on one of my trips to the Caribbean. Alexander lived on the "paradise island" for more than thirty years and it became his second, or maybe first home.

… “The fact that all tourists are trying to instill in hotels is complete nonsense. You shouldn't listen too much to such horror stories. It's not much more dangerous here than in Europe, and I often visit the Old World. Perhaps only in the capital, Santo Domingo, but this situation applies to many major capitals. In London and Paris, after all, there are also areas where it is better not to meddle even during the day "...

Do you know which of the dangers of the Dominican Republic worries me personally the most? The answer is simple - I care about the sun. When you go to the Caribbean, don't forget sunscreen, and stronger and more. You can get burned there easily and completely imperceptibly!