Santiago

[Professor10]

Hoof Hunter,

Great report and some great ideas about picking up some non-pros. I will be there in Sept. with a friend from Calif. and he was born in the DR. We will take your advice and try to hit up some locals and see what happens. But if you got someone for $400 pesos for 3 hours - that was a great bargin. Where did you pick her up from and what was her name!! (get her number?)

Thanks for posting.

[Hoof Hunter]

D Life,

Santiago is loaded with some of the finest chicas on the island. IMO, Santiago chicas trumps SDQ, pound for pound in looks and quantity of very beautiful chicas. I'm not alone in that opinion. The taxi drivers in different cities on the island concur.

You need to speak Spanish, if even bungled Spanish. Just enough to be understood. To them, it's cute that you're trying and they will try out their English on you.

Many of these chicas are available, but not in the Sosua sense of available. You gotta put in work (dates), not dollars. Remember this: the chicas here are much more educated than the Sosua bunch. Therefore, you need time there.

You must look the part. Not talking about physical features, but dress. Shorts are not worn here, even by the many teenager hip-hop dudes. If you really want to stand out, have at it. You'll get noticed, but it won't be so positive. Wear business casual, or after-hour casual. Nice button-up short sleeve, with slacks. Doesn't have to be overly-stylish, but just decent enough.

Check out Francifol, Ahi Bar, Boomerangs, Ambi One, etc. for the regular chicks. On the weekends, the monument has parties around. You could catch a cab there and just hang out and meet people.

There's also an internet cafe on Calle de Sol that many chicas use. Stumble in there and sit next to one who's stumbling with her English (hint: look for the book dictionary in front of her). Make small conversation, try to set something up for later or the next day. Again, probably no sex in that 1st meeting, but who knows? Maybe the 2nd or 3rd.

For cheap chicas who might be available, check out Kelvin's Car Wash or Gomez Diaz Car Wash.

Also check out Hotel Lima around happy hour. The quality varies. I missed out on a 8 in looks there once, and had to settle for a 6.5. Cost me RD$400 for 3 hours in my hotel.

For discoteca take-out, there's Illusions & Casa Blanca. Costs about RD$2500 to RD$4500 TLN, depends on your negotiating skills and if the chica likes you that much. Both of these placs have good reputations with the locals as does the managament.

Pasions is loaded with sexy chicas, but I had a very bad experience there this past weekend and wouldn't recommend it. The management went along with the scam, even though I showed them proof.

When something like that goes on at Casa Blanca or Illusions, the girl is unceremoniously shown the door. Remember dudes there are very macho. I witnessed one episode.

Hope some of this helps your hunt. If anything, remember only this - in front of McDonalds on Calle de Sol between 5-7 p.m.

[Grand Pollo]

D Life,

The absence of being able to talk to them will make the idea of them hanging out as non-pros and you getting laid, maybe at a discount as a pretty unreliable plan.

There are strip clubs in Santiago and girls in the Cibao valey are great looking but don't get your hopes up. Nelson at Camp David (a great hotel if you want one) used to bring college girls up there for the night since it is so far from the town itself, but he's either quit or died.

[D Life]

hi all,

will be in santiago in the next few days and will appreciate any tips on hotels (i.e. guest friendly), normal prices for st & lt, and where to find the chicas.

i am thinking about hunting in the university (done it several times in differnt countries and it has worked out prerfectly). i do not believe that i have seen or heard anything about any activity in this area.
my thinking is that if you want to meet a non pro, that is educated, enlightened and also one that is readyto have fun (sometimes not for the money. i can feel the guys ready to pounce on me with the nothing is free speech) i believe the university is a good place to try.
i also believe that there are a lot of people who are trying their best to make it through school and some cash on the side will not hurt
i do not speak very much spanish but i am willing to try. i'll definately post my findings when i am back.

any opinions, ideas, suggestions or comments will be appreciated.

[Darius34]

Does anyone have any info on the Hotel Platina? Contact info? Is it nice? Chica friendly? Who do I talk to for a reservation? I will be
arrriving at 1:20 a.m. on Friday morning, June 18th and leaving that Sunday June 20th. Thanks. Also let me know if you have any other suggestions for a hotel. Must be chica friendly of course.

[Myself]

NY Traveler,

Thanks for the advice. Should have figured it out that rates for locals would be a bit cheaper than for tourists. But I was just curious. Like I said, I use the small hotel thats right next to Hamaca and paying $25 for the night there is very reasonable. Even though its a shit hole, still its good enough to do the Good Deed. Plus to be honest I am really not comfortable having guests in my room with all my stuff everywhere. But its something to keep in mind for my next trip in case I get lazy.

[NY Traveler]

Myself,

I don't wan't to expose my hook since it was only limited to just a few, but I would offer this invaluable advise to you. There are two set rates at most hotels in the DR to accomodate tourist who has it, and for locals who don't. You can have a (trustworthy) local make the registration for you and your crew and save between $50. and $100 US per night. They can say its for them, however you take the room. There are several downsides to doing this including that person showing up when you're not there and cleaning you out, but its a gamble like everything else on the island. Once you obtain someone to negotiate for you prior to your arrival, you might want to keep it under wraps, unless they don't object to it. Keep in mind that the country is poor and most likely the person you're going to use. Hit him/her off with a little something for the inconvienance.

Good Luck

[Myself]

NY Traveler,

By any chance you can tell me what the reasonable rate was? I am going back to Hamaca in September (when its raining here in NYC I'll be there on the beach).
Was it more or less than the hotel rates I mentioned in my previous post?

[NY Traveler]

MarcoNJ,

I know the carwash you're talking about, but don't recall the name. I do remember how to get there if you need directions.

Holla

[NY Traveler]

Myself,

I was fortunate enough to have a hook at the Hamaca to pay a very reasonable price for the chica to stay. But you're right not to waste money in the DR, otherwise you might as well stay home.

[Wet Nose]

Hi,

A question for all you Santiago veterans: What is the proportion of lighter skinned chicas to darker skinned chicas in Santiago vs Santo Domingo? Is it 60/40 in Santiago vs 40/60 in Santo Domingo? Would love to know. B/c from Miss DR contests, you'd think the whole country was light skinned latina!

[Marco NJ]

I am going to Sosua for 2 days this weekend and then heading to Santiago to close it out on Saturday and Sunday. I have a friend that lives in Santiago, so he pretty much drives us anywhere we'd like to go but I'm open to suggestion.

Last time we went to a car wash, dont remember which one but it was to the right when you pulled in and the music was too damn loud. There was also tables across the driveway from the bar area. I have no idea what the name of it was!

[Professor10]

Frisco,

Do you remember the name of that place from La Vega to Santiago (you mentioned that Passions was overpriced, but it also is on the way to Santiago as well.) Was it a disco, club, bar, etc. Any information would be appreciated. I will be in Santaigo on Sept. 21st and would like to hang out with someone like yourself who is knowledgeable and experienced. Thanks for all your help

[cuerno]

FRISCO I may be down for September. I've been to the DR for a quickie on the way to Cuba. I may just hop over from Cuba this summer but nothings set. I'm from Frisco myself. [Email Address deleted by Admin]

EDITOR's NOTE: Posting of this report was delayed pending removal of email addresses in the text. To avoid delays in future reports, please do not post email addresses in the Forum. Instead, please invite other Forum Members to contact you directly via the Forum's Private Messaging system to exchange this information. Thanks!

[Vampyr]

I was going to go to passions on my last trip but my driver said the the placed was overpriced as you previously stated. But I did go to Kelvins car was which was very enjoyable they, they had about 15 girls there last thursday at around 2 pm, I can only imigaine what is in store when night falls, On my next trip to the island I will spend at least 2 days in Santiago, I will try and approach some "off the clock" women, because santiago was loaded with chicas lindas. About the club near la vega? was it called Casablanca? I would like to know (I'm already planning the next trip). The Island is a dream, I went on a weekend with nonstop rain and I still had one of my best eperiences abroad.