Sosua Reports

[AnonMonger]

Charles Pooter.

"Wrong! While everyone's opinion is welcome here, don't post wrong factual information. It is misleading to newbies."

Never meant to mislead. If this is true I was simply mistaken.

[Mr Gogo]

Point well taken, at least correct his incorrect information after you are done scolding him abuelo!

Caribe tours stops in Charamicos, which is part of Sosua, and a 5 minute cab / moto ride to el batey.

Metro tours stops at The Bomba (Texaco) station in el batey.

Correcto amigo. I think he was confused because they do have Metro buses that only go as far as Puerto Plata. When leaving SD on metro they have a 7am. 11am, and 4; 30pm that go all the was to Sosua. The 1pm bus from SD stops at Puerto Plata not Sosua. I fucked up on this a few trips back. Carrib tours has hourly buses to Charmicos from SD. The cabbie charged 200p to take me from Charmicos to New Garden. I had two peices of luggage so I didn't try to talk him down.

[Manizales911]

I'm currently in Sosua-can someone recommend / provide a list of suck shacks?

I suck (figuratively) at names and addresses but there are several on DR Rosen including the infamous Belki's, just take a stroll down that street and at least one or two of them will have a girl that will call out to you and remember if all else fails, every girl in Sosua is a walking suck shack.

[Buscemi]

Good advice.

Wrong! While everyone's opinion is welcome here, don't post wrong factual Information. It is misleading to newbies.

Point well taken, at least correct his incorrect information after you are done scolding him abuelo!

Caribe tours stops in Charamicos, which is part of Sosua, and a 5 minute cab / moto ride to el batey.

Metro tours stops at The Bomba (Texaco) station in el batey.

[Charles Pooter]

I'm currently in Sosua-can someone recommend / provide a list of suck shacks? Also, recommend some daytime activities?

You need to meet up with some experienced ex-pats who can show you around. Suggest you try Rocky's Bar for late breakfast (around 11.30am) and ask Rick the manager to introduce you to reliable guys. Also wander along the beach path from about 3. 00pm. Usually a few friendly guys at Ruby's Vulkan bar.

[Charles Pooter]

please learn from my mistake and COORDINATE your flight / bus times.

Good advice.

The Metro bus is the only bus line that goes to Sosua (Caribe only goes to Puerto Plata).

Wrong! While everyone's opinion is welcome here, don't post wrong factual information. It is misleading to newbies.

[Frannie]

"Change!", LOL. I had a feeling that was the guy you were talking about. I've never used him though. In general I never deal with those guys on the street. But if he is legit then that is good to know.

I would ask them first what rate of change they are going to give you for the amount you want to change. Obviously if you ask to change a small amount of money, you will probably get a lesser rate of exchange. However getting 39 instead of 40 on an exchange of $50 would only cost you 50 pesos, a trivial sum in the overall scheme of things, for a slight convenience (available on the street near the bars out of office hours.)

By comparison you might buy a bottle of cold Dasani water in Sosua for 15 pesos, but pay the equivalent of 50 pesos for it in the US at a Circle K, an additional cost of 35 pesos for the convenience of not having to travel to Sosua!

[Llttf]

The price difference for a flight to STI vs POP was $500 so I decided to take the taxi-bus route from STI. While I don't regret it, please learn from my mistake and COORDINATE your flight / bus times. The metro bus is the only bus line that goes to Sosua (Caribe only goes to puerto plata). There are only a few buses each day to Sosua, while there are (I believe) one every hour or two to puerto plata. I ended up staying in the bus station for over four hours. If you can coordinate everything properly, you can easily save a few hundred and only be burdened with an extra three hours of taxi / bus ride, although the ride through the countryside is pretty bland and shouldn't count for much.

I'm currently in Sosua-can someone recommend / provide a list of suck shacks? Also, recommend some daytime activities?

Thanks

Caribe Tours goes to Sosua every hour from Santiago. Stops in Charamaicos and it is a 5 minute cab ride to your hotel for $ 5

[AnonMonger]

The price difference for a flight to STI vs POP was $500 so I decided to take the taxi-bus route from STI. While I don't regret it, please learn from my mistake and COORDINATE your flight / bus times. The metro bus is the only bus line that goes to Sosua (Caribe only goes to puerto plata). There are only a few buses each day to Sosua, while there are (I believe) one every hour or two to puerto plata. I ended up staying in the bus station for over four hours. If you can coordinate everything properly, you can easily save a few hundred and only be burdened with an extra three hours of taxi / bus ride, although the ride through the countryside is pretty bland and shouldn't count for much.

I'm currently in Sosua-can someone recommend / provide a list of suck shacks? Also, recommend some daytime activities?

Thanks

[SavePros321]

In my case and in the case of two of my friends it indeed was the younger guy but why would anyone go to ANY place of business that has gone out of their way to screw people for years regardless of who was working there at the time. If I went to a business in the USA and an employee deliberately short changed me I would sure as fuck not do business with them ever again. And the kicker is their rates suck too. They are in a convenient spot and at night most of the guys going in there are drunk or on their way to being drunk and they know this and they are taking advantage of the situation, scumbags.

I hear you. Honestly I usually just hop a moto to Western Union or walk to the ATM. But I also try to avoid the motos now. The last time I was on the back of one I almost had my knee taken off by a passing van.

[Frannie]

Was in Sosua recently for the evening and a lot has changed since I was last there, and not for the better.

At night it is like all the bars on Pedro Clissante have declared nuclear warfare on each other with flashing lights, blasting music, and large TV screens, each trying to drown out their neighbor with the result that there is a total cacophony of badly distorted music to the extent that you can't even tell what kind of music is playing. Difficult to find a place where you can have a conversation without shouting.

There were still some pretty girls around, although Metrobus was laying on extra buses the Friday before Christmas to take girls home. My advice would be to walk around until you see a girl you like the look of, take her out of the bar to someplace quieter, like a small restaurant down the street, and check her out and decide if you want to do something with her. Spend any time in the bars and you will just end up with a headache.

[SavePros321]

This guy, across from Terra Linda is legit, he will try for 39. 75 or 40 if the rate is 40. 25 at Santa Cruz and will adjust if you call him on it. 95% of the tourists walking past him have no clue what the interbank rate is. He has never tried to steal more than 1/2 a peso on the tasa from me over the years, a decent "Street Rate" should be no worse than. 25 off the mark. Most street cambistas work for large guys and only try and shave the rate a little for themselves.

http://i48.tinypic.com/rrl8cz.jpg

"Change!", LOL. I had a feeling that was the guy you were talking about. I've never used him though. In general I never deal with those guys on the street. But if he is legit then that is good to know.

[Buscemi]

This guy, across from Terra Linda is legit, he will try for 39. 75 or 40 if the rate is 40. 25 at Santa Cruz and will adjust if you call him on it. 95% of the tourists walking past him have no clue what the interbank rate is. He has never tried to steal more than 1/2 a peso on the tasa from me over the years, a decent "Street Rate" should be no worse than. 25 off the mark. Most street cambistas work for large guys and only try and shave the rate a little for themselves.

http://i48.tinypic.com/rrl8cz.jpg

[Manizales911]

I believe everyone is talking about the (younger) evening guy, correct? The older gent there that wears the glasses (who is there during the morning and afternoon) is legit.

In my case and in the case of two of my friends it indeed was the younger guy but why would anyone go to ANY place of business that has gone out of their way to screw people for years regardless of who was working there at the time. If I went to a business in the USA and an employee deliberately short changed me I would sure as fuck not do business with them ever again. And the kicker is their rates suck too. They are in a convenient spot and at night most of the guys going in there are drunk or on their way to being drunk and they know this and they are taking advantage of the situation, scumbags.

[Llttf]

I believe everyone is talking about the (younger) evening guy, correct? The older gent there that wears the glasses (who is there during the morning and afternoon) is legit.

From all the reports I have read it seems the night guy is the one to avoid. There is a good money changer open late at night if you go the other way, on the corner by PJ's (or whatever it is called now)