Why Was I Constantly Warned to Avoid the Dominican Republic?

Is this once again where Americans tend to talk about things they don't really know...?

Buzzing motorcycles overwhelmed us at every traffic light or stop sign, many with double riders. The cars drive too close to each other, and extremely close when passing a motorcycle. No, it isn’t Bangkok, but even in the smaller towns, it was unnerving. Yet that was my only experience in the Dominican Republic that concerned me.

I learned how to “aggressively drive” in Izmir and Istanbul, Türkiye, and drove our family through a week in parts of Italy. The DR, by these standards, is ridiculously easy. No, the traffic rules are not obeyed much, and they weave in and out of traffic as if there is no solid yellow line down the middle of the road. You have to forget where you are from, and the rules you learned there, and watch the traffic as it flows around you.

Then go with the flow. It’s organized chaos. You’ll be fine.

If you rent a car, it will most likely be a small white Chinese box. And you’ll know all the other tourists because they are also in small, white Chinese boxes.

The U.S. State Department’s advisory on the DR cautioned about the violent crime, including robbery, homicide, and sexual assault. The long list of safety tips is common in these warnings, such as paying attention to your surroundings. I’m used to these warnings as a dual US-Turkish citizen and consider Türkiye much safer than the US. Yet if you look at the Travel Advisories Map, per the United States, most of the world has some type of issue. It is very telling, of course, that the U. S. does not include itself in these types of warnings.

The food is fresh. And the guy selling it to you is the farmer in most instances.

Am I naive? Maybe. My husband was concerned in an area around Puerto Plata when he wanted to take a walk outside the resort, and the guard told him it wasn’t safe. My husband walked anyway—and didn’t find it unsafe, but it was extremely filthy, with the ever-present garbage strewn about the seaside forest. He used public transportation near Samaná and only shifted to a pre-arranged driver to save time going to and from the airport, not because it was unsafe or bad transportation.

So why does every American tell me how dangerous it is?

We drank only bottled water, but that is the case in most countries I visit. Since I got seriously ill several years ago in New Orleans from drinking the tap water, I no longer go anywhere without a Larq water bottle. I filter everything I drink, including the water in Miami. I use the same rules for food, walking, jewelry, and phone in every country I visit — i.e., don’t look like a tourist!

I found the people to be very pleasant and helpful. As usual, giving a smile will get one in return, even when you don’t speak the language. No one objected to me trying to talk to them using a translator (sorry, I have to finish a little more with Turkish before I can dive into Spanish).

Life in the DR was very easy. And yes, I’ll be going there again.

Who wouldn’t want to visit a place that looks like this?