Jamaica & Dom. Republic Similar?
Mar 13th, 2003, 05:57 AM
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Jamaica & Dom. Republic Similar?
Would you say these 2 places are similar? All Inclusive needed, for instance? In Dom. Republic, is the resort your "main vacation source" or are there places to go for touring/sightseeing ? Which place is safer?<BR><BR>
Mar 13th, 2003, 08:32 AM
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DR - ex-Spanish colony, spanish main language. Half of 2nd largest island in Carib. (Haiti other half)<BR><BR>JA - ex British colony, english and patois spoken. 3rd largest island in Carib. Mountainous mainly with flat edges by the water.<BR><BR>We never do all inclusive in Jamaica and travel around quite a bit.<BR><BR>I haven't been to the DR.
Mar 13th, 2003, 09:03 AM
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ParrotMom:<BR><BR>Are you saying Jamaica DOES have armed guards at their resort entrances? In D.R., do you feel safe in touring around on your own? Any tour sites near Punta Cana or La Romana you would recommend? Favorite resorts?
Mar 13th, 2003, 10:00 AM
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Having never been to a resort in Jamaica I'm going with what other people have written about guards on the beach and entrances, drugs being offered for sale, etc. We are big D.R. fans..this was or 8th time..including 3 times in the city of S.D. many moons ago. With the exception of Puerta Plata which I did not enjoy we have found $ for $ the D.R. without a doubt is the best value. We spent a week off/season in Playa de Carmen 10/11 and paid more at a well known resort "Off Season" for mediocre food, rotten indifferent service and lets not even talk about the entertainment. We have just come back from a great resort in Punta Cana..it is not a mega or glitzy resort as most resorts tend to be nowadays. As for tours there are lots of tours outside of the resort including horse back riding, the Outback Jungle Ride, Manati Park and several others. There are fishing trips and trips into the city of S.D. which frankly I feel is too far and too long a day to spend on a bus.. As for driving around the D.R. what with the rotten roads and possibly the "federalies" which I hear about, but no nothing personally...I would take the D.R. any day.. We just spent an incredible week at Sunscape in Punta Cana.. Suncape is taking over smaller resorts and the other resort they have is in La Romana another resort we had been to twice. If you would like my review and/or other comments or pictures please write me at [email protected] My husband and I have traveled for many years and unfortunately first impressions last..there are two places I have gotten bad vibes and that is in Jamaica while on a cruise and believe it or not the Grand Caymens where I felt I was intruding, whereas there is a great warm feeling in the D.R. and other places we have been. I'm sure I'm going to have everybody on my back about that statement, but we've been to Columbia, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela and Costa Rica not to mention Bermuda many times..
Mar 13th, 2003, 11:01 AM
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Different strokes/different folks,as she herself would say. Am as ardent a detractor of the DR as ParrotMom an admirer. I find it plastic resorts, tourist thrash and VERY unsafe outside--plus, mean,creepy and grubby. All the things some say of Jamaica, of course. But if you pick your destination right in Jamaica (NOT MoBay,NOT Ocho Rios, NOT Kingston) you'll find what you seek in AIs.
Mar 13th, 2003, 11:49 AM
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TIVERTON...If the charter company offered the city of S.D. I'd be the first one there.. oh yes.. there are guards in the city of S.D.,(actually, if I remember right there is a garrison near the Malecon) but it is a very exciting place and I have never found anything but kindness by any of the people of the D.R. When<BR> I mention to a Dominican that our favorite restaurants are the Washington and the Bahia which are non-tourists restaurants <BR>I get the biggest smile. I too hate the glitzy and cookie cutter resorts whether it is Mexico or the D.R. and tend towards the smaller place. Although it has been many years siince we were in Jamaica...I honestly can tell you I never felt so physically threatened and after having been to some of the third world countries we have I never have and will never put myself into that situation or desire to visit that country...it's first impressions..I guess. First impressions and a conversation with a woman in the Grand Caymans left me no desire to spend a week there either.
Mar 13th, 2003, 12:40 PM
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I have to say I agree w/ Tivertonhouse. Have only been to DR once - to the Samana peninsula where the beaches were beautiful - but had a negative impression. Very mean spirited and unhappy locals, and I definitely felt unsafe. I would never go back. And this is compared to having been to Jamaica many times. As for GC, I am puzzled. There is essentially no local culture to speak of and can't imagine feeling unwelcome there.
Mar 13th, 2003, 01:06 PM
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I've heard a LOT of cruise ship passengers say they dislike Jamaica.<BR><BR>I have never been to a cruise ship port area there though so I'm not sure what it is exactly that is turning people off...we enjoy traveling all over Jamaica, in fact will be in Port Antonio, Negril and Treasure Beach in less than 2 weeks...and not staying at a resort in any of those places.<BR><BR>Most AI resorts do have guards (our first trip to JA we stayed at Sandlas and there were guards) but they are there to keep non-guests from coming in and drinking and eating free...AI resorts in Jamaica seem to not use armbands so anyone on the property is presumed to be a paying guest. If the guards are armed, I don't really see why that would be a problem...they are security guards after all.
Mar 13th, 2003, 05:35 PM
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The weather is a little different and there seems to be more rain. If you would like to know more..and there is.. please write me at [email protected]
Mar 14th, 2003, 08:27 AM
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ParrotMom,<BR><BR>Thanks for making it clear that you have never been to Jamaica and was only going by what others have said. I have never seen an armed guard (unless you consider a night stick) at any resort in Jamaica. You initial post made it sound as you been there and actually saw these guards. Most of the negativity I have heard of Jamaica came from people who have never been there. They heard from friend on a friend.<BR><BR>To Jamie, if you want some really good insights on Jamaica you may want to visit negril.com.
Mar 14th, 2003, 10:02 AM
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JRAY...if nothing else people know I'm honest..sometimes people don'tlike what I say..but my experience was so negative in Jamaica and I do know that vendors have been threatened that if they harass the tourists they will go to jail.. that is a major concern of the Tourism Bureau. Oh yes...you can if you'd like discuss the disappearance of a NY travel writer and the coverup that has gone on with important documentation of a particular bartender coming up missing. As another reason I didn't like Puerta Plata (Occidental Flamenco) at the time they catered mainly to the Europeans and there were many problems at the resort sad to say and that does color it for me also. We wanted to hire a specific person and we had great difficulty if we were seen picking us up..he would have been beaten up by the cab drivers.. we wanted to go to Santiago. As for La Romana we have taken a van to the city of La Romana and wandered around their flea market, square, supermarket without a problem. We have also gone there to Altas de Chavon, a recreated Spanish village with magnificent ampitheatre.. Many stars have/had homes in that area, they have now moved to the Punta Cana area.
Mar 14th, 2003, 12:33 PM
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ParrotMom,<BR><BR>Reading the posts in thread shows that not everyone is going to like the same vacation spot. The crusde you seem to be on is what annoys me. I could argue the facts you have stated but why bother. I welcome hearing about everyone's experience, good and bad. But when it start to sould like a crusade... FYI. I love both Jamaica and Cayman Islands - Jamaica for its fast pace and the Cayman Islands for the slower pace. Been to the DR liked it too. Isnt it ironic that you wont go to another Third World Country, but you love going to the Dominican Repulic.<BR><BR>
Mar 14th, 2003, 01:41 PM
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Never said I wouldn't go to a Third World country, but I will not (never say never) go to Jamaica to go to a resort..or now that I think of it..go off the ship. We've been to Columbia,Venezuela, Peru way before these places became popular, but the hang up is...I will not go anywhere where am felt to be uncomfortable and feel physically theatened. It's been at least 15 years since we stopped there and the negativity and the vibes have not left me. My husband and I are older in body, but not spirit and I don't need to feel uncomfortable when I visit a country or talk to people in their own country. We are not "ugly Americans"..and I do not ask that people speak english...we speak spanish..and this will surprise you we feel Aruba (was there in 1988 for a week and then to pick up two cruises) it's too Americanized and has no charm. I am not in a spitting contest with anybody on this board..but I only relayed what I found in Jamaica many years ago and what other people off this board have told me. If you remember the original queston Jamie asked if they were similiar... Frankly, the D.R. isn't for everybody...maybe the difference between Jamaica and the D.R. is the sense of "attitude".. Fini
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