JDR
04-09-2005, 09:52 PM
For example a moto is 10 pesos during the day and 20 at night. If you didn t know you might pay 50. They never give change. Therefore you save a dollar everytime. Never get large bills. No one has change. Always have exact change. You might have handed out a 100 peso note and not got change so you would have overpayed 3 in that case.
To newbies, this is a GREAT tip. Not having change is a HUGE annoyance. This is the kind of thing that experience teaches you. After my first trip I learned to get small bills when visiting DR.
Here's some more small money savers:
1. Shop on the other end. Sosua is divided into two neighborhoods El Batey and Los Charimicos, separated by the main beach. El Batey is the tourist side. Generally, Los Charimicos is cheaper (food, groceries, etc) but less accomodating and more of a genuine DR experience. If you can't handle poverty and the loud rambunctiousness that accompany people of lower economic class, you should avoid.
2. Pack lightly. In the past I've only taken a duffel bag with me, so that allowed me to easily catch a motoconch from my El Batey hotel to the Caribe tours bus station in Los Charimicos. Saves a little more than catching a cab.
3. Take the Bus! Resist the instant graification urge that comes with taking a cab directly to and from the airport. Take the Caribe Tours bus between POP or STI and Sosua. Give yourself appropriate travel time. (And you will see and meet some astounding looking girls on the trip).Taxi from STI to Sosua is like $25. The bus? I think it was maybe in the 3 buck range. Maybe even less. My memory fails me. You still have to take a cab to and from the bus terminal, but it's very cheap.
4. Drink at home. You want to keep the bars in business (or else where would the girls go?), so don't be total cheapskate -- but if you want a little pre-game action, bottles of rum bought from the stores are ridiculously low priced. Rum may be the county's biggest export, so the're plenty of itt, and it's good quality shit. Go to a liquor store (like Super Super) and stock up.
5. Weigh your options and pick your hotel wisely.The hotels further from the "downtown" Sosua area are generally cheaper. They are not THAT far away from the action, but all that walking will get tiresome, and you might possibly spend on motoconches what you save on room rates (like $5 a day difference.) First time I went, I stayed at Voramar, which was cool, but a bit far, and took motos all the time. The second time I stayed at Hotel Club Residencial and walked most of the time. Hardly ever rode a moto, so I didn't have to worry about getting short changed by them.
6. Sweat a little. Depending on the time of year, and weather conditions, it might not be a bad idea to forgo a room with air conditioning. You will save money. There are MANY hotels in El Batey that do not have AC, only ceiling fans, but they are considerably cheaper. I went last November and didn't once use the AC in my suite. Of course you're gambling with your luck when you make your hotel reservation since by the time you arrive the weather will be unpredictable. But if you go during the coolest months, your odds of surviving without AC are of course higher.
7. Dont' forget your essentials. If you meet anyone working the beach who will act as your personal valet, be aware that they may mark up the price of stuff. They can be cool, but one guy tried to tell me sunblock costs $16!
8. Read the signs and pay attention. I believe there is a set cost for the chairs at the main Sosua beach. I forget what it is, but it's posted on the beach. Sometimes the beach guys will overcharge you.
9 Piss in the ocean. At the beach they charge to use the public restrooms. Something small, like 10 pesos or something (I cant' remember. Someone please verify), so piss in the ocean if you have to. (I prefer peeing in a restroom even though I'm surrounded by water, but it's happened to me more than once, so that's why I'm writing it as a tip). You may also use the facilities at one of the beach stall bars, but I imagine it's not very common. why else would there be pay-toilets?
10. Avoid the tourist traps. I believe the market across the street from PJs is more expensive than other stores. You pay for convenience. I haven't been, but I believe the market (Playero) on the highway that leads to Sosua is supposed to be cheaper.
11 Eat like a local. It's cheaper to eat at the stands and stuff around El Batey than the touristy restaurants, but of course the menu is limited. Strictly DR staple diet. I ate at one spot on Alejo Martinez, and it was tasty. I still think these places are a little suspect (as far as health is concerned) but if you have an iron stomach, go for it.
12. Use her as your shield. When you hook up with a GFE, and are walking around town, give the girl your money and get her to pay for things. Often, she gets the Dominican discount (i.e: "the real price").
13 Go barefoot. ;) The little Haitian shoeshine boys will be very persistent. One time I was with a friend eating at an Italian restaurant and some kids begged me for a shoeshine, irritating the waiter, who yelled at them and scared them away (Broke my heart.) If you're a super-cheapskate, wear flip flops/sandals to avoid them. (me, I'm a softie. I'll tell them to come back later and usually toss them some money)
14. Stay alert and think before you leap! DR is a poor country. And that's a sad fact. Particularly for the Dominicans. Unfortunately for you, that means that as a tourist, you will be subject to all kinds of ways to separate you from your money in even the smallest ways (like NEVER having change). Don't fall for the okey-doke. They got scams for days.
Ultimately, they may be only cheating you out of a what will (usually) be a small amount of money. Given the poverty there, it's understandable. It's just that getting hustled is no fun. So stay awake, monger.
Some other non-money related Sosua secrets:
1. Go off the beaten path. There's more than one beach in Sosua. I think there are maybe 3 in the area, but most people only go to the main big one. I went to one of the other ones my last trip out. The northernmost beach is sort of blocked by an all inclusive hotel (can't remember which one), but there's an alleyway you walk through, and voila! You'll see all the European tourists and their families frolicking withing a roped off section the beach. Outside that section (which is closer to the water) is YOURS! Keep walking to the east, and there's more beach. No girls though, but a nice secluded get away.
2. Ride to the beach. If you're on your way to the main beach you might want to invest on a moto ride to escort you to the water. Sometimes it's worth it just to swoop by the gauntlet of guys trying to sell you something on the way down or up the hill.
3. Or you can just bypass them altogether... the road behind the beach has a few "back entrances" that lead to the beach and stalls below. This way you can avoid the first 15 or so beach stalls filled with more guys hawking tourist garbage. The Los Charamicos entrance is completely devoid of guys hounding you to buy something. Not the biggest problem in the world, but it does get old and annoying sometimes.
4. Be a Man and break out of your comfort zone. Sosua is not a large town. In fact it is pretty small. YET, when I read these boards I amazed at the fact that some people have never ventured past, say, La Passions Massage spot, or even realize that there's place to go and eat on Alejo Martinez beyond the baseball park. I learned about other places by staying at the Voramar, which is a bit out there, but not that bad. Do some exploring and you'll find some spots frequented more by the locals. Overall, the pace is even slower than Sosua normally is, and you should have a bit less competition for the ladies.
5. A ho is not a housewife. If you don't know this one, shame on you.
I'm sure there's more, but those are the things I can think of right now.
Enjoy your trip. I did.
To newbies, this is a GREAT tip. Not having change is a HUGE annoyance. This is the kind of thing that experience teaches you. After my first trip I learned to get small bills when visiting DR.
Here's some more small money savers:
1. Shop on the other end. Sosua is divided into two neighborhoods El Batey and Los Charimicos, separated by the main beach. El Batey is the tourist side. Generally, Los Charimicos is cheaper (food, groceries, etc) but less accomodating and more of a genuine DR experience. If you can't handle poverty and the loud rambunctiousness that accompany people of lower economic class, you should avoid.
2. Pack lightly. In the past I've only taken a duffel bag with me, so that allowed me to easily catch a motoconch from my El Batey hotel to the Caribe tours bus station in Los Charimicos. Saves a little more than catching a cab.
3. Take the Bus! Resist the instant graification urge that comes with taking a cab directly to and from the airport. Take the Caribe Tours bus between POP or STI and Sosua. Give yourself appropriate travel time. (And you will see and meet some astounding looking girls on the trip).Taxi from STI to Sosua is like $25. The bus? I think it was maybe in the 3 buck range. Maybe even less. My memory fails me. You still have to take a cab to and from the bus terminal, but it's very cheap.
4. Drink at home. You want to keep the bars in business (or else where would the girls go?), so don't be total cheapskate -- but if you want a little pre-game action, bottles of rum bought from the stores are ridiculously low priced. Rum may be the county's biggest export, so the're plenty of itt, and it's good quality shit. Go to a liquor store (like Super Super) and stock up.
5. Weigh your options and pick your hotel wisely.The hotels further from the "downtown" Sosua area are generally cheaper. They are not THAT far away from the action, but all that walking will get tiresome, and you might possibly spend on motoconches what you save on room rates (like $5 a day difference.) First time I went, I stayed at Voramar, which was cool, but a bit far, and took motos all the time. The second time I stayed at Hotel Club Residencial and walked most of the time. Hardly ever rode a moto, so I didn't have to worry about getting short changed by them.
6. Sweat a little. Depending on the time of year, and weather conditions, it might not be a bad idea to forgo a room with air conditioning. You will save money. There are MANY hotels in El Batey that do not have AC, only ceiling fans, but they are considerably cheaper. I went last November and didn't once use the AC in my suite. Of course you're gambling with your luck when you make your hotel reservation since by the time you arrive the weather will be unpredictable. But if you go during the coolest months, your odds of surviving without AC are of course higher.
7. Dont' forget your essentials. If you meet anyone working the beach who will act as your personal valet, be aware that they may mark up the price of stuff. They can be cool, but one guy tried to tell me sunblock costs $16!
8. Read the signs and pay attention. I believe there is a set cost for the chairs at the main Sosua beach. I forget what it is, but it's posted on the beach. Sometimes the beach guys will overcharge you.
9 Piss in the ocean. At the beach they charge to use the public restrooms. Something small, like 10 pesos or something (I cant' remember. Someone please verify), so piss in the ocean if you have to. (I prefer peeing in a restroom even though I'm surrounded by water, but it's happened to me more than once, so that's why I'm writing it as a tip). You may also use the facilities at one of the beach stall bars, but I imagine it's not very common. why else would there be pay-toilets?
10. Avoid the tourist traps. I believe the market across the street from PJs is more expensive than other stores. You pay for convenience. I haven't been, but I believe the market (Playero) on the highway that leads to Sosua is supposed to be cheaper.
11 Eat like a local. It's cheaper to eat at the stands and stuff around El Batey than the touristy restaurants, but of course the menu is limited. Strictly DR staple diet. I ate at one spot on Alejo Martinez, and it was tasty. I still think these places are a little suspect (as far as health is concerned) but if you have an iron stomach, go for it.
12. Use her as your shield. When you hook up with a GFE, and are walking around town, give the girl your money and get her to pay for things. Often, she gets the Dominican discount (i.e: "the real price").
13 Go barefoot. ;) The little Haitian shoeshine boys will be very persistent. One time I was with a friend eating at an Italian restaurant and some kids begged me for a shoeshine, irritating the waiter, who yelled at them and scared them away (Broke my heart.) If you're a super-cheapskate, wear flip flops/sandals to avoid them. (me, I'm a softie. I'll tell them to come back later and usually toss them some money)
14. Stay alert and think before you leap! DR is a poor country. And that's a sad fact. Particularly for the Dominicans. Unfortunately for you, that means that as a tourist, you will be subject to all kinds of ways to separate you from your money in even the smallest ways (like NEVER having change). Don't fall for the okey-doke. They got scams for days.
Ultimately, they may be only cheating you out of a what will (usually) be a small amount of money. Given the poverty there, it's understandable. It's just that getting hustled is no fun. So stay awake, monger.
Some other non-money related Sosua secrets:
1. Go off the beaten path. There's more than one beach in Sosua. I think there are maybe 3 in the area, but most people only go to the main big one. I went to one of the other ones my last trip out. The northernmost beach is sort of blocked by an all inclusive hotel (can't remember which one), but there's an alleyway you walk through, and voila! You'll see all the European tourists and their families frolicking withing a roped off section the beach. Outside that section (which is closer to the water) is YOURS! Keep walking to the east, and there's more beach. No girls though, but a nice secluded get away.
2. Ride to the beach. If you're on your way to the main beach you might want to invest on a moto ride to escort you to the water. Sometimes it's worth it just to swoop by the gauntlet of guys trying to sell you something on the way down or up the hill.
3. Or you can just bypass them altogether... the road behind the beach has a few "back entrances" that lead to the beach and stalls below. This way you can avoid the first 15 or so beach stalls filled with more guys hawking tourist garbage. The Los Charamicos entrance is completely devoid of guys hounding you to buy something. Not the biggest problem in the world, but it does get old and annoying sometimes.
4. Be a Man and break out of your comfort zone. Sosua is not a large town. In fact it is pretty small. YET, when I read these boards I amazed at the fact that some people have never ventured past, say, La Passions Massage spot, or even realize that there's place to go and eat on Alejo Martinez beyond the baseball park. I learned about other places by staying at the Voramar, which is a bit out there, but not that bad. Do some exploring and you'll find some spots frequented more by the locals. Overall, the pace is even slower than Sosua normally is, and you should have a bit less competition for the ladies.
5. A ho is not a housewife. If you don't know this one, shame on you.
I'm sure there's more, but those are the things I can think of right now.
Enjoy your trip. I did.