Dominican Republic basics
What is your first thought when somebody mentions Dominican republic? When I told my friends and family that I am going on a three – week – long vacation there last January, I noticed a pattern of two reactions. Some of them were positive, and people kept saying they saw pictures of amazing tropical beaches and nature that this big Caribbean island has to offer, and some of them were jokingly jealous.
My sister said: ‘How can you go to the Caribbean in January and enjoy awesome beaches and warm ocean, while we are going to be buried in snow here! It would be nothing special to go there in summer since everybody is on vacation, nobody would even be jealous!’
Well, most of the Caribbean islands are not a good destination to travel to during European summer months since this is a hurricane season in the Caribbean. January is a main tourist season there, so you can expect a lot of tourists, and tickets there, and also accommodations, will probably be more expensive.
However, I managed to fly there from Milano with a short stopover in New York for a little more than three hundred Euros. Pretty cheap, huh? And how could a passionate traveller like me resist such a cleap plane ticket to (almost) the other side of the world?
The way to Dominican republic passed with no complications, while the way back to Europe was a little bit more adventurous. But I will save this story for later, because it deserves a special chapter. But it involves being stranded at the JFK airport in New York for 23 hours because of a snow storm, among other (mis)adventures. And I could not leave the airport to check out New York during those 23 hours because I only had a transit visa.
Some of the reactions about my trip, mostly coming from the people who are really close to me, were a mix of ‘it is a dangerous country, especially to go alone’, ‘black people are criminals’, ‘third world countries are not a good place to visit’ and so on. I understand that people worry about me, but they somehow always ignore the fact that I have travelled to over twenty countries, mostly by myself, and met some of the most awesome people on the road.
Also, who said nothing bad can happen to me at home? And, needless to say, despite all the critics about Dominican people, I realized that they are one of the most friendly nations I have ever had a privilege to visit. Obviously, as a (pale) white girl travelling solo there (with a huge pink backpack), I was a tourist attraction for Dominicans, but I am happy to say that I had no bad experiences in three weeks there whatsoever.
Of course, I encountered some catcalling, but I think this is common anywhere in the world nowadays. But I never felt in any danger whatsoever. And it made me incredibly happy, because I was literally considering buying a pepper spray before I left. And I decided against it just because it would be a hassle to bring it on a plane, even in checked baggage.
So why am I telling you all this? Well, I somehow wish more people would face their fears and travel to countries that are different than the ones you are used to, but mostly, I wanted to show you how people that I know view Dominican republic. Obviously most of them mentioned tropical beaches, and the town I want to describe here, is a perfect example of beaches that you can see on wallpapers or postcards.
And no, the place I am talking about in this entry, is not Punta Cana. Punta Cana (if you are booking a place to stay, you might also notice the name Bavaro) is the area with highly rated, all – inclusive resorts. The area itself is nice and safe, but the water is not clear at all. I mean, you will still get those picture - perfect Caribbean sandy beaches with tall palm trees and all, but the water is not that perfect shade of turquoise blue, and the waves and undertows often prevent you from swimming.
And it is crowded with European tourists. If you would like to live off the grid for a couple of days and see the real Dominican republic, then you should definitely visit a little town on the east coast, called Bayahibe. And if you are from Italy, you will feel like at home in bayahibe, because this little town is packed with Italian tourists.
How to get to Bayahibe from Santo Domingo?
Bayahibe is situated about an hour away from the capital city of Dominican republic, called Santo Domingo. And despite the fact that Dominican republic is a third world country, they have excellent public transportation system (they even have metro in Santo Domingo!), which is great, because I would never dare to rent a car there. Their buses are frequent, you can basically reach any part of the country with them, and they have air condition, and, drum roll, free Wi - Fi!
And they are incredibly cheap. Well, everything is cheap there comparing to Europe or the United states, and you can get from Santo Domingo to, for example, Punta Cana for about 7 USD, and keep in mind they are on the opposite side of the country, so to get from one to another, it takes about three and a half hours of driving.
To get from Santo Domingo to Bayahibe, you can take a guagua (which is how they call buses, and you pronounce it 'gwagwa') from the main terminal. You will have to switch to a different bus in the main terminal in La Romana.
And a friendly advice for you before you enter the bus: bring a sweater (or two), because the air conditioning is sometimes turned down to uncomfortable levels. But, since this is an island in the Caribbean, I can say this is better than no air conditioning. The guagua will stop several times between La Romana and Bayahibe, mostly at resorts, or sometimes at random places.
The final station is not Bayahibe, but an even smaller town, called Dominicus Americanus. How will you know that you reached Bayahibe and not miss your stop? The easiest thing to do is to ask the driver, or the person that is sitting next to you, if he or she can tell you where ‘parada Bayahibe’ is. By the way, it is a good idea to learn basic Spanish phrases before travelling to Dominican republic, because not many people there understand English!
Or, if you don’t feel like asking people for help, you can just look for a little town that looks very Caribbean – ish (is that even a legit word?) – this is your stop. Most people will get off the guagua here anyway, so there is a very little chance that you will miss your stop. Well, if you do, you can explore a new town for a couple of hours and then return to Bayahibe.
But, at this point I have to warn you that Dominican Spanish is actually different that the 'regular' Spanish. Dominican people have their own slang and phrases that you will not find in your pocket translator book (which is, by the way, still quite useful), and they tend to speak too fast to understand anything if your Spanish skills are on a beginner level. But do not let the possible language barrier discourage you from visiting this beautiful Caribbean island.
When I traveled there, I noticed that Dominican people are extremely appreciative to tourists (or 'gringos') who at least try to ask for directions, or anything else, in Spanish, regardless on how broken it is. And even if they do not understand you, they will try to answer with hand gestures. And if that does not work, they will go and grab someone who can help. This happened to me quite a few times when I was there, and it was incredibly funny.
Where to stay in Bayahibe?
There are no cheap hotels in Bayahibe (but there is a pretty expensive resort, if you are into spending a lot of money for an overnight stay), just private accommodation, and there is one hostel. The town is really small, but if you do not know where you are going, it can be a little bit hard to navigate at the beginning.
I booked my accommodation in Bayahibe with the site, called AirBnb, and my host was kind enough to meet me at the main square, where the guagua stops. We then took a short walk through narrow streets of this beach town, until we reached my temporary home for five days.
The place was cheap (condominium on the top floor, which I shared with my host, with everything you need, for 23 Euros per night), so I did not expect much, but I was more than surprised. Sometimes, you look at the pictures and everything looks nice, but when you get there, the place is a disaster. Well, this time, it was the other way around – the place looked reasonably okay on pictures, but when I got there, I felt like I am in a luxury hotel! Well, I did not have my own bathroom – I shared it with the host, but everything was so perfect! And I could see the beach from the balcony.
She even offered me the food that she had – I could basically cook my meals for free, but I decided to try out some of the local restaurants instead. Not just because I wanted to try the local cuisine on the cheap, but also because the place I was staying at, did not have Wi - Fi, and those restaurants had it.
Also, if you go to the Dominican Republic, prepare for no hot water in the shower (trust me, it is so hot that you will feel great after showering with almost ice cold water), and the water pressure is almost non – existent (I stayed in a hotel in Santo Domingo where it was more efficient to wash off the shampoo with a bottle of water than with the shower!), but I told you this vacation is a bit off the grid. I guess the resort is an option for you if you cannot survive without these things.
As you can see, the place I stayed at, was pretty amazing (except for the no hot water, no wate pressure and no Wi - Fi part), but that was not all. The woman I stayes with, is a SUP (stand - up paddleboarding) instructor and she offered me two free SUP classes, which I gladly accepted. SUP might look easy from the shore, but you need to have a good balance, and it is actually a pretty good workout.
She also offered me to use her bicycle to get to the beach faster, and the use of her waterproof camera. I brought my dear GoPro camera with me, so I declined her offer, but if you do not have your own underwater camera and do not feel like buying one, this is a great offer. The only thing she would ask for if I decided to use the camera, was a deposit, equivalent to twenty dollars, in case I damage or lose it. Not bad, right?
Bayahibe beach, also known as Playa Bayahibe
After quickly unpacking things out of my backpack, I put my swimsuit on and headed towards the beach. The stretch of beach in Bayahibe is very long, so you can easily find a secluded spot on the beach where nobody will bother you. When getting to the beach (there is only one way there, so you cannot possibly get lost), do not just put your towel on the first stretch of sand that you will see.
I mean, it looks perfect, and there are no people, but the reason for that is simply because this is a place where fishermen dock their boats, and also clean the fishes and dump the remainings in the water. So, unless you are into swimming among dead fishes, I suggest you to keep walking for another five to ten minutes. There is also no shade in this area and a lot of boats are driving there, so it is not the safest place to swim, but you will still see people in the water there.
Also, this is not the nicest beach in Bayahibe, but, as I said, the first one you will see. There is a forest on the way there, so you will be walking in the shade. And do not think you are going the wrong way – when I was walking there, I only saw a couple of people, going the same way. After you get out of the forest, you will see some beach shacks on your left, and this is where the beach is. And do not worry, the area is reasonably safe.
When walking there on my first day in Bayahibe, I saw flamingos! I had no idea they just roam around like that, but apparently they do. Unfortunately, I did not have the balls to pet them. Or maybe that was a good thing. Because explaining that I was attacked by a flamingo could be potentially embarassing.
There is plenty of shade just next to the water.
Palm tree forest goes almost all the way to the ocean, so on the picture it may appear as the beach is not accessible by walking. The contrast between green palm trees, yellow sand and turquoise ocean is just breathtaking. Add a few fluffy clouds, and you have your next wallpaper.
It is even better in reality!
You will probably need a couple of minutes to get over the fact how awesome this beach is, and when you are ready to actually step on the beach, you have plenty of choices where on the beach would you like to spend your day.
Facing towards the sea, the area on the right belongs to a resort, so you cannot stay on that part of the beach unless you are a resort guest, but there is more than enough space on the left side. When I first got to the Bayahibe beach, I was about to put my towel down on the right side, but then a security guard that was patrolling the beach, asked me if I am staying in the resort.
I tried to be smart and said that I am, but then he asked me where my resort bracelet is. So I ov=bviously had to go to the left side of the beach. Which was even better, because there was less people. Plus, you have tiny restaurants and souvenir shops there!
You will notice that there is, like I already mentioned, plenty of shadow all around the Bayahibe beach, so you do not need a beach umbrella at all. But you can rent a comfortable beach chair for approximately one dollar per day. Although I prefer to lie down in the warm sand, but to each their own, right?
You will definitely find a shady spot somewhere under those palm trees.
I have not mentioned that before, but Bayahibe is known as one of the best spots in the Dominican republic for snorkeling. And there is a great coral reef with plenty of fish just offshore, so you do not need to be a pro to see some underwater life. You might aven be able to spot a turtle or two.
Maybe I was just lucky, but I saw a few of them every day during snorkeling at Bayahibe beach. What I found especially interesting when snorkeling in Bayahibe is the fact that the fish were not afraid of me at all. It was almost unsettling at times because some of the fish were really big. I even saw an eel!
So, bring your own snorkeling equipment with you if you can, because I have not seen a place to rent it anywhere. And I do not think you can buy it in Bayahibe. The equipment takes a lot of space in your luggage (especially if you decide to also bring the fins), especially if you are backpacking like I did, but once you see that beach, you will regret not bringing it! If you have an underwater camera (I swear by a GoPro), you will be able to capture some of that on video.
And if you start feeling bored on Bayahibe beach after a while (which I doubt, but who knows), you can rent a sailboat and see the lagoon from a different perspective. Those sailboats with colourful sails were among the first things I noticed on the beach, and of course I had to ask about the price. It only costs ten dollars per one hour, and I really regret not doing it, but I was there by myself and I was a little too paranoid that I will not be able to maneuver the sailboat back to the beach once I am done.
If you are planning to spend the whole day at the beach without having to go back to the place you are staying at, bring enough water and a book for the time the sun is the strongest. Yes, even if you are at the most beautiful beach you have ever seen, I would not recommend you to leave the shade between one p.m. and 3 p.m.
Also, do not forget the sunblock and do not forget to reapply it every hour and every time you get in and out of the water. You can also grab a tasty (and generous, both with size and the amount of alcohol) cocktail from one of the beach shacks on the Bayahibe beach. And the cocktails are incredibly cheap, most of them cost less than five dollars.
One of the things that I found both entertaining and a little annoying on Bayahibe beach, are the musicians. During my stay in Bayahibe, I saw the same group every day. They were playing traditional Dominican music, stopping at random spots on the beach, where there were the most people. The music was amazing, but where is the annoying part? First of all, if you are trying to relax, or maybe even taking a nap, the music will definitely wake you up because it is very loud, and secondly, the musicians expect money from you for their performance.
Whenever they played close to me and I looked at them, they moved closer and asked for money at the end of the song, even if I did not say I want them to play for me. So I think the key to avoid paying them would be not making the eye contact. Just pretend you are asleep, you are on the beach, after all.
Occasionally, you will be disturbed by vendors, walking around the beach, but they are not pushy. Some of them sell fresh coconut water for fifty cents. Go for it!
Where to eat and shop for souvenirs in this beach town
When you walk from the Bayahibe town centre to the beach, you will pass several beach shacks. Some of them are small family restaurants, and some of them are souvenir shops. Please do yourself a favour (that is, if you are not a vegetarian or vegan) and order a fresh caught lobster.
It will cost you about 7 USD. Yes, so cheap! And if you feel like preparing fish or lobsters by yourself, you can buy them directly from local fishermen. If you are willing to barter (and you are somehow expected too), you will be able to get fresh seafood for a really low price. And you will help a local fisherman provide for their family.
If you do not have Wi - Fi where you are staying in Bayahibe, most of those restaurants have it. To use it, you obviously have to order something there, but if you want to connect to the world and tell your friends on Facebook how awesome this place is, it is worth it. And, after all, you have to eat! The food is super cheap and good, and the staff is friendly and they love to chat. In Spanish, of course. Did I convince you yet that you should learn some Spanish before you go to Dominican republic? Do not say I did not warn you.
At this point, I would like to mention a funny event that made me think I will never be able to eat chicken again. I already mentioned beach shacks that sell food at Bayahibe beach. So, when you walk to the beach, you will pass along the back side of those shacks. And behind one of them, I saw a guy chopping chicken's head off and preparing it for grilling, right there, in front of everyone. I mean, I know where meat comes from, but seeing it in person is just a little gross. Or maybe I am just weak. So I ordered fruit salad that day instead of caesar salad.
The souvenir shops sell some great, hand - made souvenirs and I really loved admiring the local art. The catch is that the sellers are pretty pushy, so you really need to learn how to firmly say no. The souvenirs are reasonably cheap, but after a few days, I just gave up on deciding on what to buy and saved souvenir shopping for Punta Cana.
A reason for that was the following experience: On my first day in Bayahibe, I just checked out a few souvenir shops on the way home from the beach. On my second day, I wanted to take a better look at one of the shacks that had some pretty impressive arts displayed on the outside.
Even if I knew I could not fit a big dolphin statue or a framed painting of a Dominican beach in my backpack, I still wanted to take a look inside. The person who was working in there, asked me what I am looking for, so I told him I am looking for souvenirs for my family and friends.
When I shop for souvenirs, I usually like to look around the store by myself and take a detailed look at everything. In this store, the guy was following me closely, kept asking me questions and, to have some time to actually look at things, I told him what exactly I am looking for. So he showed me the part of the store where they were selling keychains and fridge magnets, and offered some Dominican cigars for free if I also purchase some other items.
He was basically pressuring me into buying items I did not want, and I would have to pay around 60 USD for a cigar and a small statue. By small, I mean smaller than my palm. And when I told him in my broken Spanish that I just want to buy those fridge magnets, he started to say that they are not worth the price and his package deal is much better and other stores do not sell high quality items like he does, so I just walked out of the store. My souvenir shopping experience in Punta Cana later that week was much much better.
There is only one supermarket in Bayahibe, and when I say supermarket, do not expect a Walmart. It only sells basic stuff and some souvenirs and they ofter run out of bread by noon. One day, I had to go back to La Romana to stock up on some food and water because they were out of mostly everything.
A few suggestions to stay safe
After describing all the awesome aspects of this beach, you probably think that this is a perfect place. Well, it is, but it also has a few downsides. First of all, there are no showers and changing rooms available (but you can change your clothes in the restroom), so it might be a bit uncomfortable to walk all the way back to your place in Bayahibe with salty hair and wet clothes. Well, it is not as bad as it sounds, but, you know, some people are spoiled.
Secondly, there are a lot of sand flies and mosquitoes. As a person from Europe, I am not used to mosquito bites, and we do not even use mosquito sprays in summer when mosquitoes are active, because they do not carry any diseases. But Caribbean islands are a different story. Mosquitos there carry various diseases, such as zika, malaria, and the most famous one, called the dengue fever. There is no known vaccine for dengue fever, at least not yet, and it can be very dangerous.
So the only thing you can do to prevent yourself from getting infected is to use mosquito repellent. You will get used to its disgusting smell and burning sensations that it will leave on your skin. Eventually. And, for your information, do not even try to bring mosquito repellents with you, because they will not be effective at all. Just buy them when you arrive – there is a shop at the airport where you can do it. Sand fly bites are not very frequent, but they are annoying and painful. Luckily, I only got bitten by a sand fly once, and I hope it will never happen again.
One of the downsides doring my stay in Bayahibe was also the unreliability of the electricity. At the end of my first day, it started to rain a little and there was thunder and all the lights went out. The woman I was staying with did not have any candles and the battery on my phone was almost empty so I did not want to use a flashlight in case I would need the phone. So the woman went downstairs to ask the neighbor if she has some candles.
It turned out our neighbor had a lot of cadles and she invited both of us to her place and we talked (I must say they were very patient with my limited knowledge of Spanish language) and sampled some different Dominican rums. They were delicious! And, once again, I noticed how friendly Dominican people are.
The funny thing about this little adventure was that the rain and thunder stopped after about half an hour and the electricity did not come back until the following afternoon. But I made a new friend and realized how much I admire people that lived years ago and survived with no electricy. And, more important, no internet and mobile phones. But I am not complaining. After all, I wanted an off the grid vacation.
When I was departing Santo Domingo, several Dominicans warned me not to leave my belongings unattended on the beach, since a lot of thefts occur that way. If you are traveling with friends, one of you can stay out of the water while the others are swimming and watch your belongings.
If you are by yourself, simply do not bring anything valuable with you. I was also told that some people were robbed at a gunpoint and, if you know enough Spanish, you can ask the thieves if they can give you the memory card back. The thieves are usually young people who really do not want to hurt you, they are just looking for money so they can support their families. As I said before, Dominican republic is a third world country.
And last but not least, if there is a bigger cloud in the sky, the water will appear not turquoise, but grey. This is not really a disadvantage, but imagine waiting to see a perfect beach since you started to plan your vacation, and once you get there, the water is not even close to the blue colour that you imagined. But the good news is that usually overcast does not last long and even if it starts to rain, it usually passes in a couple of minutes (this does not apply for the hurricane season, of course).
A few words for the end...
Even if Dominican republic is labelled as a dangerous country by a lot of people, this should not stop you from traveling there. Just be careful and pay attention to your surroundings and, if you are by yourself, do not walk outside after dark. You will be surprised how friendly Dominican people are and how beautiful the nature on this island is.
