The Ugly Truth About The Dominican Republic

The Dominican republic is usually advertised as a paradise vacation destination. As pictured about, the people seem to have no care in the world while the sun is shinning JUST right and although the water looks green, one could assume its the filter and create their own picture of this paradise. So, is the Dominican Republic REALLY paradise orrrr is the media really good at perceptions?

If you did your research, you would know that the Dominican Republic is actually a developing country. Resources are so limited that even the livestock struggles to maintain healthy weight.

The media purposely portrays the Beach and resorts as a paradise to distract from the reality that behind those beaches there is country in desperate need.

The majority of the population in Punta Cana & other tourist spots are immigrants from neighboring islands. ALL of them are looking to make money. With limited resources the residents tend to take advantage and scam tourist. It’s very important to stay aware, alert and informed.

Everything is different… from the food, to the environment, to even the way people live. In the picture to the left, you can see an abandon building.This building was being used a home (no doors, running water, or electricty). During the day all the residents of the home would be outside hanging laundry on the roof or chopping coconuts. This building was adjacent to our airbnb.

Paradise DOES exist people. Just…. not how the media portrayed it. Almost Every day in the Dominican republic it rained… So much for that sun beaming just right to make this picture look BOMB.

The beach is SO beautiful, not to mention its probably the cleanest parts of the island. The beaches are used as tourist attraction so while you’ll find little to no trash there, behind the beach is a totally different story. The airbnb we stayed in had very minimal plastic bags for trash. The 2 trash bags we were provided were super large and BLUE!! it is believed the blue bags blend in with the ocean waves, where most of these bags will end up.

The beaches in Dominican Republic, are unmatched in my opinion. This is the only beach I’ve been to where i was able to hold… A MONKEY!!! The water is so beautiful and there are many different beaches all with different views.

The food definitely made up for all the things Dominican republic lacked. I ate lobster and shrimp almost everyday, FOR CHEAP. Also, i found that Mojitos (passion fruit to be exact) pair with ANY meal (only in the DR). :) Thank me later.

Passion Fruit Mojitos are made with alcohol of course but the more important part is the passion fruit. Passion fruit is a juice made from (you guessed it) passion fruits, lemon juice, water & a simple syrup. They make the mojitos taste JUST like juice. (more than 3 of these may have your head spinning. be careful)

By far these oxtails from a Jamaican food restaurant was my favorite meal. Any vacation i go on, i make it a point to have Jamaican food if it is available. Earlier I mentioned how resources are so limited even the livestock struggle to maintain healthy weight. These oxtails are a true testament to that. Rich in flavor but lacking in MEAT. During a ride to an excursion the livestock (cows) can be seen grazing in fields of DIRT looking SKINNY.

One thing about the Dominican republic that makes it so popular and also accounts as a major source of income for the island (which is why there are so many immigrants.) is tourism.

They offer some pretty awesome tours. You can be seen riding through the country side on a dune buggy or a zip-line. If you’re more adventurous, you may find yourself snorkeling, swimming in a 25ft deep cave hole, or riding under water scooters. (which can be intimidating at first.) Either way make sure you stay away from scamming tour guides.

To be sure you’re getting the best deal, dont pay before you get there, go to different tour guides and BARGAIN. remember they take advantage of tourist and lie about prices to keep profits so you may be able to snag a great deal with someone else if you think you’re being played.

Be careful who you trust in the Dominican Republic ESPECIALLY the men (ladies this is for you.)

Men will offer you “free” ( This is especially true when they want to be seen with you riding through the city.) rides just to haggle you for the money when the ride is over.

At night men are hounds, dont go walking around your resort or airbnb without a destination and a group. People come up missing or dead all the time because the want to explore at night alone or they trust a resident that they met earlier in the day.

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