06/12/2019
Is it safe to travel to Dominican Republic?
Given that DR has been in the news lately, I thought I would put things in perspective and also provide some tips for my clients.
Dominican Republic has over 5 million visitors a year. Tourism is its primary industry. It’s a beautiful island with friendly people but 20% of the population struggle to live on $2 a day. Clearly, there is a lot of poverty and where there is poverty, there is crime. Dominican Republic also has a high rate of HIV/AIDS in comparison with other Central American and Caribbean countries.
To put things in perspective, with over 5 million visitors a year, the number of incidents is minimal. The Travel Advisory for Dominican Republic is presently at a Level 2. It was raised in April. However, there are many other countries on that list that you would not expect. See for yourself:
Level 2 Advisories (Exercise Increased Caution):
Algeria
Antarctica
The Bahamas
Bangladesh
Belize
Brazil
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
China
Colombia
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
France
Guinea
Guyana
India
Indonesia
Jamaica
Kenya
Kosovo
Maldives
Mexico
Morocco
Nepal
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Spain
Tanzania
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia
Turks and Caicos Islands
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Zimbabwe
So should you go to the Dominican Republic, absolutely but use wisdom and buy travel insurance (I recommend travel insurance regardless of destination). I love the Dominican Republic and my daughter plans to have a destination wedding in DR so clearly, I believe that it’s safe to travel to DR. However, again, use wisdom. Here are some safety tips:
1. Don’t walk by yourself at night – Crime is more active after dark, beaches ESPECIALLY. STAY IN GROUPS.
2. Don’t even TRAVEL at night unless you’re with a group.
3. Flashing your cash in ANY way is a no-no – tablets, phones, jewelry, fancy cameras can make you an easy target—use wisdom.
4. Exchange your money at banks or official money exchange places – anything else is not recommended at all.
5. Keep your belongings close – pickpocketing happens in tourist areas, so be careful. Try investing in a money belt to safeguard your cash.
6. Be aware of your surroundings at ATMs – people may try to look at your pin and then steal your card (just like back home).
7. Don’t drive in Dominican Republic – Many people die on the roads in the Dominican Republic.
8. Don’t take drugs – you don’t know WHAT it is and it’s illegal with hefty prison sentences to punish offenders.
9. Don’t have s*x with the natives – AIDS/HIV is a problem here.
10. Don’t pay for s*x – Prostitutes are known for setting up the men to be robbed. Child prostitution is also a big problem. Men, careful with the ladies. Some of them will give you a lot of attention to lure you away to be robbed.
11. Don’t resist if you get robbed/carjacked – this can unfortunately happen. If it DOES happen, hand over the goods. Your life is worth more than a rental car.
12. Keep your wits about you in remote/residential areas – even in daylight hours. Muggings aren’t uncommon.
13. Walk confidently – anything you can do to look less like a tourist is going to lessen the risk to your safety.
14. Use your room safe or locker – things can get snatched from your room. Best to keep it out of sight.
15. Lock the doors and windows of your room – just in case.
16. In light of the number of deaths recently that occurred after drinking from the room's minibar - don't do it.
I hope this was helpful. Feel free to message me if you have any questions.
