Puerto Plata

[Haunted]

Used to be my favorite hunting ground. My nickname was "Mayor of Munoz" until I started dating the actual mayor's daughter when it got confusing. Haitians only. Never paid them 1200 pesos though, but we are talking six years ago.

After the earthquake lots of strangers poured in and the atmosphere soured almost overnight with hundreds of desperate strangers, possibly including some escaped criminals. I used to walk around in the pitch black, but no longer. One old crone set her pack of dogs on me for no reason. One bit my leg through my long pants and I was terrified of catching rabies, but when I got back to my apartment I found the skin was not broken, so no danger. Had I been wearing short pants like a Yank I would not have been so lucky.

Maybe things have settled down there again? The poverty there is mind-blowing but there are some better parts and Dominican parts, even some gringo homes. Watching the softball matches on Sunday afternoons was fun. Lots of pretty dominicanas but they won't hook up in front of their family and neighbours.

There is a publico service there from Pto Pta called "Ruta Munoz" for 40 pesos. The cabs make your normal publicos look like luxury limousines. One had half the floor missing.

Hi CP,

Hope all is well.

Munoz sounds interesting. Where in PP exactly is it?

[Pangea202]

Hey everyone!

Great info on this thread, but I couldn't find what I was looking for. So any help would be greatly appreciated!

4 of us will be in Puerto Plata / Sosua for 4 days. I could care less, but the others want to stay in a "resort" or "villa" and not a hotel. Pool, right on the beach, etc, etc. We're in our late 20's early 30's. Price is really not a big factor. However, chicas are! LOL! So any resort / villa options that are chica friendly?

Thanks!

CJ

[Charles Pooter]

He said he goes to a neighborhood called Munoz and sits out drinking beer and scooping up chicas. He says there are also many Haitians there. He gives the girls 1200 pesos.

Used to be my favorite hunting ground. My nickname was "Mayor of Munoz" until I started dating the actual mayor's daughter when it got confusing. Haitians only. Never paid them 1200 pesos though, but we are talking six years ago.

After the earthquake lots of strangers poured in and the atmosphere soured almost overnight with hundreds of desperate strangers, possibly including some escaped criminals. I used to walk around in the pitch black, but no longer. One old crone set her pack of dogs on me for no reason. One bit my leg through my long pants and I was terrified of catching rabies, but when I got back to my apartment I found the skin was not broken, so no danger. Had I been wearing short pants like a Yank I would not have been so lucky.

Maybe things have settled down there again? The poverty there is mind-blowing but there are some better parts and Dominican parts, even some gringo homes. Watching the softball matches on Sunday afternoons was fun. Lots of pretty dominicanas but they won't hook up in front of their family and neighbours.

There is a publico service there from Pto Pta called "Ruta Munoz" for 40 pesos. The cabs make your normal publicos look like luxury limousines. One had half the floor missing.

[Mr Enternational]

This past weekend I stayed at a good (to me at least) hotel in Puerto Plata for 1300 pesos. It is not on the malecon, but because I have a car I could care less. It is actually located behind Coca Cola. I met another monger sitting out by the pool one night that I came from Sosua. He has been to Puerto Plata many times, but has never been to Sosua. He said he goes to a neighborhood called Munoz and sits out drinking beer and scooping up chicas. He says there are also many Haitians there. He gives the girls 1200 pesos.

[Charles Pooter]

I don't get out much these days so apologies if this is old news.

Went to Playa Dorada to watch soccer. Was surprised to find Hemingway's Bar closed. Luckily the former Phil's English Bar was still open though no longer under that name. In previous years you had to arrive 30 minutes before kick-off to secure a good seat and that was with twice as many people in Hemingways as well. Today there were no more than eight customers there over the two hours.

I was with another board member new to the DR and he was shocked how deserted Playa Dorada was. It reminded me of one of those post-apocalyptic movies with deserted streets and shops. They desperately need to try some new ideas to revive this huge piece of beachfront real estate.

After we split at La Javilla, my moto went past Ojilvy's Car Wash. About nine years ago this was a prime venue, then declined and has been dead for the past six years.

The word on the street was that the owner had HIV and had deliberately infected members of his staff and some customers. If true, that would not be a good business strategy.

I was surprised to see it lively as we went past, especially as it was a Thursday night and not the weekend. My driver said it had picked up a lot lately because they now employed "muchas chicas bonitas". May be worth checking out, although Dominicans concept of "chica bonita" usually differs from ours.

Two odd incidents coming back from Field of Dreams. I hailed a publico and it was empty. We got in and I asked the driver if he was going to La Javilla. "No, to the Hospital". "OK, take us there". We sat there a few seconds without his setting off. Then he turned the engine off and told us, quite abruptly, to get out. I have no idea what all that was about but I have never experienced anything like it in thousands of publico trips. Then we scrambled aboard a packed guagua. When we got out I gave the cobrador 100 pesos and he refused to give me our 50 pesos change before finally giving in. He had numerous arguments with alighting passengers en route so perhaps he was trying to cheat everyone. Again, a first for me in hundreds of guagua trips.

[Tarriqq]

Everyone I know who has stayed there has encountered some infrastructure problem or other (no electricity, sewage overflow, no water, theft) and swore they would not return. But that is a very small sample (I think two guys and two couples over seven years) so may not be typical.

There are other hotels a short walk from the Malecon (Kevin, Portofino) and right on the Malecon (Lomar). These are all chica friendly and reliable, but very basic. OK for a few days, but no longer.

Last time you posted you said you were staying for three months. If so, you will probably want somewhere a bit more comfortable than them, probably with a kitchen.

I won't ask you again why you are choosing to stay in PP as you clearly have a plan, but as you stress "walking distance" I presume you will not have a rental car. In which case, are you aware that there is no public transport along the Malecon or near to Pto Pta Beach Resort? To get anywhere you will either need to take taxis (which can get expensive) or use moto-conchos. The latter are cheap enough, but many guys are wary of riding them. I live there myself so have no choice but I never recommend them to others of a nervous disposition.

I want to be in Puerto Plata because of the beach as well as the Malecon. I like walking and excercising along the water. Also it is Not as congested in that are like Santiago. I am close enough to Sosua, but not in Sosua if I wanted to go there. I will check out the other two places. Thanks for the information. I prefer not to rent a car in the Dominican Republic, toooo many horror stories.

[Grub1]

In which case, are you aware that there is no public transport along the Malecon or near to Pto Pta Beach Resort? To get anywhere you will either need to take taxis (which can get expensive) or use moto-conchos. The latter are cheap enough, but many guys are wary of riding them. I live there myself so have no choice but I never recommend them to others of a nervous disposition.

I have not had to use public transportation so I never really realized that they did not travel along the Malecon but now that you have brought this up I don't ever remember seeing any. That's good info for the times I may be there and not have the coins to rent a auto. As far as taking moto-conchos in the DR. The way I look at it is that in a lot of cases it is a necessary evil.

[Charles Pooter]

I have seen mixed reviews. Any information would be helpful. I would like to stay within walking distance from the malecon. This is the only place I know of that is walking distance except for Player Dorado and the resorts around it, but I want to be on the Malecon.

http://www.puertoplatabeachresort.com/

Everyone I know who has stayed there has encountered some infrastructure problem or other (no electricity, sewage overflow, no water, theft) and swore they would not return. But that is a very small sample (I think two guys and two couples over seven years) so may not be typical.

There are other hotels a short walk from the Malecon (Kevin, Portofino) and right on the Malecon (Lomar). These are all chica friendly and reliable, but very basic. OK for a few days, but no longer.

Last time you posted you said you were staying for three months. If so, you will probably want somewhere a bit more comfortable than them, probably with a kitchen.

I won't ask you again why you are choosing to stay in PP as you clearly have a plan, but as you stress "walking distance" I presume you will not have a rental car. In which case, are you aware that there is no public transport along the Malecon or near to Pto Pta Beach Resort? To get anywhere you will either need to take taxis (which can get expensive) or use moto-conchos. The latter are cheap enough, but many guys are wary of riding them. I live there myself so have no choice but I never recommend them to others of a nervous disposition.

[Grub1]

I stopped by in March around 3 pm on a Tuesday. There were about 10 girls lounging around. I talked to the bartender and she said $60 for the girl / $20 for the short stay room. I also founds reports on other foums stating the same rate. I was going to go to BlackBeards, but they were all booked, and had no short stay rooms.

Yes they are asking 80 us dollars at FOD for the girl and 2 hours in a room.

[Frannie]

I have seen mixed reviews. Any information would be helpful. I would like to stay within walking distance from the malecon. This is the only place I know of that is walking distance except for Player Dorado and the resorts around it, but I want to be on the Malecon.

Also anyone every stay in Peurto Plata besides the resorts? Any information would be helpful. Thank you.

http://www.puertoplatabeachresort.com/

Yes, it is OK, has very nice rooms and a great pool and lovely landscaping, shade trees, etc, but the only thing is that the onsite restaurant / cafeteria was not very good. I think they have an onsite convenience store now, but there are a number of casetas on the Malecon where you can eat, or just hop a motoconcho to the cafeteria at La Sirena or various other restaurants. There is also a nice little Italian place that has pizzas and other Italian pastries and pastas right by the gate of Beach Club. At least there was last year. You know how these things change all the time.

They do not have emergency generator as far as I know and power outages are quite common in the area. They have also had problems with the water supply (burst water pipes, etc.) but I don't know whether that is an ongoing problem.

Overall I would say it is a good place to stay.

[Tarriqq]

I have seen mixed reviews. Any information would be helpful. I would like to stay within walking distance from the malecon. This is the only place I know of that is walking distance except for Player Dorado and the resorts around it, but I want to be on the Malecon.

Also anyone every stay in Peurto Plata besides the resorts? Any information would be helpful. Thank you.

http://www.puertoplatabeachresort.com/

[Yanqui69]

I stopped by in March around 3 pm on a Tuesday. There were about 10 girls lounging around. I talked to the bartender and she said $60 for the girl / $20 for the short stay room. I also founds reports on other foums stating the same rate. I was going to go to BlackBeards, but they were all booked, and had no short stay rooms.

Sir Charles Pooter addressed this on the FOD thread, but for those here, the bartender was either BS'ing you or maybe you misunderstood. You can bet the chica got the usual 1600 pesos (about 40 US) and the house took the increased rate for themselves.

[Charles Pooter]

All Western Unions in all countries require I'd so it must have been something different, and the rate is too low for a Western Union, WU has been giving over 43-1 for well over a month now.

Like most ex-pats, I use RUSA. Rates as good as WU or better and they don't ask for ID. Well, they did once, many years ago, but that was for a very large sum.

Dominicans use a variety of bootleg changers, located in the backs of filling stations and colmados, but I would be worried about being passed counterfeits there. Not worth it for another fifth of a peso per dollar.

[Manizales911]

I was getting 42. 6 with no ID.

I think it was a Western Union. Between Playa Dorada and PP.

All Western Unions in all countries require I'd so it must have been something different, and the rate is too low for a Western Union, WU has been giving over 43-1 for well over a month now.

[Brucel58]

Ahhh. Maybe they were trying to rip me off then with this $80/2 hour session rate.

I'll check the new FOD thread to see what people have been getting.

I stopped by in March around 3 pm on a Tuesday. There were about 10 girls lounging around. I talked to the bartender and she said $60 for the girl / $20 for the short stay room. I also founds reports on other foums stating the same rate. I was going to go to BlackBeards, but they were all booked, and had no short stay rooms.