Sosua Reports

[Professor 1]

Do you think it wise to get some type of supplemental insurance offered to people that travel abroad. My friends that come to visit me form Canada pay for health insurance so they are covered while in the states.

I do not purchase supplemental health insurance for trips. My health insurance covers me anywhere; however, it is on a reimbursement basis for claims outside the USA I had to see a physician outside the USA after a minor motorcycle accident. I went to a private clinic, paid with my credit card, and got a receipt. I submitted the claim and receipts, and was reimbursed before the credit card bill arrived. You should check with your policy.

If you plan to relocate, that may be a different situation. Check with an expat who lives where you are going.

[Tempoecorto]

$20 to unlock a phone? You should be able to do that for free if you call the phone company and tell them you will be out the country and need the phone to be unlocked. They should provide you a code if I'm not mistaken.

I agree. I called my carrier (T Mobile) and they emailed my code within a couple of days if I recall. FOC! I must also say, I have been having them as my carrier for 4-5 years and the android contract was about a year when I asked them. Of course I do not know if that made any difference.

The good thing is T mobile is GSM just like At&T which works in most parts of the world except places like Korea / Japan etc.

[Amb832]

Thanks, I just got back from a dude that advertises on Craig's list that he will " unlock" any phone. He charged me $20US, and said I should be able to swap out SIM cards and my Samsung ATT phone should work fine in DR.

JJ

$20 to unlock a phone? You should be able to do that for free if you call the phone company and tell them you will be out the country and need the phone to be unlocked. They should provide you a code if I'm not mistaken.

[JimJames]

Do you think it wise to get some type of supplemental insurance offered to people that travel abroad. My friends that come to visit me form Canada pay for health insurance so they are covered while in the states.

JJ

[JimJames]

Yes you can. Call your service provider and tell them you are travelling international and want the unlock code for your mobile. Usually they will give it for free or there will be a one time fee for the code. Once you put the DR sim it will ask for unlock code and once unlocked you can use any sim with it in future. I believe only US providers lock their mobiles, most other country GSM mobiles come unlocked.

Thanks, I just got back from a dude that advertises on Craig's list that he will " unlock" any phone. He charged me $20US, and said I should be able to swap out SIM cards and my Samsung ATT phone should work fine in DR.

JJ

[Jaosousa]

I think GSM phones are the only ones that work there. Which typically means either our AT&T and T-mobile. Nada mas. A reasonable phone that allows you to text is going around 1000 pesos ($28) activation and all other things taken into account based on my November Santiago buying experience at Orange for a chica. There might be cheaper ones but I understood this one was pretty basic at Orange but it could play music.

Verizon used to operate in Dom Rep, but sold that business a while ago (if you look on the big antenna in Sosua, you may still see verizon labels on the metal). I believe Verizon became Codetel.

Years ago I brought to DR, verizon cell phones, that I was no longer using and had them unlocked in DR and they worked with Claro (the verizon prepaid cell phones they sold at walmart also worked in DR after being unlocked). A few years ago I had trouble with one of the unlocked verizon prepaid cell phones, that I had been using in DR. I was told it is best to use GSM cell phones that take SIM cards (if you have trouble with the phone that takes a SIM card, all you have to do is buy a new SIM card). The verizon cell, even though I had used it before in DR with Claro, on a subsequent trip the service was interrupted and two Claro offices I went to were unable to get that sim-free cell to function with Claro again. After that I use GSM cell phones that take sim cards in the DR. You can also buy cell phones that take 2 sim cards (have a sim card for claro and a sim card for orange in the same phone).

I was with Sabor about 6 months ago when he bought a basic cell phone at Claro for around 800 pesos (about $21US) , with some minutes included. Sometimes Claro and Orange have promotions where they sell cell phones for under 500 pesos.

[SavePros321]

SIM cards with a DR cell phone number can be bought at Claro, Orange or Viva stores (have your passport) , price should be under $10US.

Good reminder about brining your passport along to the store. You also want to bring a business card from your hotel because they will want the info from it also.

The last few trips I stopped doing business with Claro. They had this stupid rule in where if you were not going to be staying in the DR for more than 3 months to a year they would not sell you a SIM card (when they had just done so on a previous trip). I've been using Orange since then. The guy in the Claro store kept telling me to go to Supermercado Playero to buy one (I was about to until I spotted the Orange store and went there instead) , so maybe things work different in there.

[Kman1]

Thank you. All of you points are understood. I have a phone here in the states that uses a SIM card. Do you think I can use it in DR? . If not I guess I cheap phone bought down there will be okay. I will just keep it for future visits.

JJ

Yes you can. Call your service provider and tell them you are travelling international and want the unlock code for your mobile. Usually they will give it for free or there will be a one time fee for the code. Once you put the DR sim it will ask for unlock code and once unlocked you can use any sim with it in future. I believe only US providers lock their mobiles, most other country GSM mobiles come unlocked.

[Coupe66]

Just thought I would add a quick review of the Sosua bay beach club complex here since several guys here on the last few pages going on about how great it is. I have stayed there 3 times this year, in February for 2 weeks and again this September first for a week and once I returned from Santo Domingo, for another 10 days. Firstly, it does have a great location, views, a great breakfast, the pool is fine, and some of the front desk staff are very helpful. However, on the downside, they have frequent total power cuts, which are bad enough when you are in your room, but when they happen when you are casually running down the stairs outside at night, and suddenly fall into total darkness, they are downright dangerous! The water in the shower also ran cold and even cut out completely several times during my stay there, which was a total pain when it happens when you're trying to get out of the room for the day. A fellow visitor told me the reason why they have frequent power cuts is because they only have their own generators to rely on. They are not connected to the Dominican power grid because a while back they were caught stealing from it, and are now banned from using it.

The worst thing about this hotel is the following though. On my first stay there this September I had a good room in building 5, however when I returned a week later was told this was full and had a smaller room in building 6. On returning to my room a couple of times and turning on the lights, I saw cockroaches scrambling to disappear between the cracks. I told the front desk, who did send somebody straight away to fumigate my room. However the damage was done, I cannot deal with the likelihood of cockroaches appearing at any moment. I had asked to change again back to building 5, top floor (where the rooms are larger as there are no balconies). I was promised such a room within 2 days by the front desk staff and reminded them, and was assured several times this would be available. However when it came the day to change the manager tried to convince me all these rooms were full, even thought the cleaning lady had shown me they were empty. What had really happened was that he had already promised the rooms to other American guys arriving later that same day, and they had all tried to just bullshit me. I cannot deal with liers and people taking me for an ignorant tourist. Only after wasting over 4 hours of my time going back and forth to the front desk, having to tear them new ones and making enemies out of at least two of them, did the manager finally relinquish and give me the room I had been promised. I can be very good at arguing when I need to be, but this is not what I go on vacation for! However, this incident left a really bad taste in my mouth, and because of this and the cockroach incidents (I also saw several huge one's dying outside my room in the morning several times) , I doubt very much I will be returning. On top of this, the head of security has dumped his crashed car right outside the beach entrance, which looks terrible and gives a rotten impression of the hotel (photo's attached). What else, well the elevator was out of order, as was the one going up to the gym at the Casino next door. You have to walk up 4 flights of stairs instead. I also have my concerns about security there, once a group of 3 American guys (who were not guests there) were allowed through the beach entrance without showing any I'd's, as they said they wanted to go to the reception and could not be bothered walking up the hill outside again. Twice also guys were allowed to bring in chicas without showing any I'd's in the early morning hours, they were asked for it but when they protested just kept going and were not stopped. There is no internet available in the rooms either, and the signal only works fleetingly in some very extreme corners of the outside patio. If you are not all-inclusive (ie just paying 50 USD per day) , you cannot even buy a drink at the bar uptsairs or a snack at the bar on the ground floor. However the local Dominican patrons, (who basically take over the hotel on the weekend and the pool area turns from dead to a cacophony of noise) , only pay around 60 USD for all-inclusive, and can eat and drink as much as they want for this price! So, let's hear it for the Sosua bay beach club? Well. Not sure about that !

[Tempoecorto]

Amazon unlocked cell phones have worked well with Claro in the DR (GSM cell phones that take SIM cards are usually best for the DR, ie ATT unlocked phones. Cell phones for Verizon usually use the CDMA network and oftentimes don't take SIM cards and usually are Not the best for the DR). SIM cards with a DR cell phone number can be bought at Claro, Orange or Viva stores (have your passport) , price should be under $10US.

I think GSM phones are the only ones that work there. Which typically means either our AT&T and T-mobile. Nada mas. A reasonable phone that allows you to text is going around 1000 pesos ($28) activation and all other things taken into account based on my November Santiago buying experience at Orange for a chica. There might be cheaper ones but I understood this one was pretty basic at Orange but it could play music.

[Charles Pooter]

. someone that does not have a $ sign in their eyes. In other words some promise of GFE and a hint of shyness.

You mean, you would actually prefer to be deceived?

It is possible find what you want, but Sosua is about the last place in the Caribbean to start looking.

You would improve your odds by sorting through haitianas fresh over the border but, if I recall correctly, you prefer your putas to look as European as possible, so that rules out that option.

[MS Clive]

That's all there is in Sosua, putas. Did you expect to find a non pro in Passions because it is a brothel.

Manizales, not looking for marriage material. But someone that does not have a $ sign in their eyes. In other words some promise of GFE and a hint of shyness. At La Passions at least they are a bit washed and there is time to detect chemistry.

[Jaosousa]

If you run out of minutes you can always buy more at most of the little supermarkets and they will give you a card with a code. I always ask them to do it for me (never could figure it out, lol). You can also just go to the store where you bought the phone and buy more there.

For Claro if I remember correctly it is something like *1122 press send and enter the code under the scratch off part of the phone card.

I use the internet to add minutes to my DR cell. Aryty, etopuponline and ezetop are three online companies that you can use to add minutes to a claro or orange cell phone, using a credit or bank card. You can add $5US and up per transaction.

For Claro (if I remember correctly) , *122# press send and you should get a message with your balance (how many pesos you have available to make calls).

Amazon unlocked cell phones have worked well with Claro in the DR (GSM cell phones that take SIM cards are usually best for the DR, ie ATT unlocked phones. Cell phones for Verizon usually use the CDMA network and oftentimes don't take SIM cards and usually are Not the best for the DR). SIM cards with a DR cell phone number can be bought at Claro, Orange or Viva stores (have your passport) , price should be under $10US.

[JimJames]

You will definitely be at a disadvantage if you didn't, LOL.

Most of us get cell phones because you will more than likely:

1. Meet a chica that you want to bang, but just not at the moment (especially if you've been banging other chicas all day and are out of leche)

2. Bang a chica that absolutely rocks your socks in the sack and you wish to repeat with her again later or another day.

For number 1, just hand said chica your cell phone and she will input her cell number. You can either buy a cheap international / unlocked quad-band phone from Amazon. Com to bring with you, or just go to the Claro or Orange store once you get there and buy a cheap Dominican phone. There is usually also a guy walking around Sosua with a rack of phones for sale with minutes on them already. Just make sure it works before you give him any money.

Sometimes chicas will call your phone and hang up. Just call them back. They are just trying to save their minutes on their phone (incoming calls are free to them). If you call a chica and her phone is off, she is either with another guy, or her phone is dead (electricity is not 24/7 in the Barrios) , which is why it is always good to get multiple numbers from different chicas.

If you run out of minutes you can always buy more at most of the little supermarkets and they will give you a card with a code. I always ask them to do it for me (never could figure it out, LOL). You can also just go to the store where you bought the phone and buy more there.

Thank you. All of you points are understood. I have a phone here in the states that uses a SIM card. Do you think I can use it in DR? . If not I guess I cheap phone bought down there will be okay. I will just keep it for future visits.

JJ

[Manizales911]

Where to pick up quality chicks in daytime in Sosua? La Passions is empty during day. Road and beach has only putas!

That's all there is in Sosua, putas. Did you expect to find a non pro in Passions because it is a brothel.