Year after year after year, more people are flocking to the Dominican Republic for the tropical climate, the abundance of beaches, and the relative cheap cost of living as compared to destination in Europe and, to an extent, the United States. However, as years pass by, visitors tend to think wrongly of the country and assume things that should not be so in the first place. These myths are unhealthy because the visitors may think that they are true, leading them to some great cultural shock after finding out that they thought wrong.
First of all, it is a common misconception that learning how to speak Spanish is not needed. Sure, there are a lot of people who know how to speak English well, but they are concentrated in the tourist-heavy areas. If you want to explore more of the country and proceed to the provinces, you'll find out that Spanish is really needed. Your Spanish does not have to be perfect. What you need to have is comprehensible Spanish.
Another bad misconception about the Dominican Republic is that people will only be safe when living in an enclosed community with a lot of bodyguards. While there are really some isolated cases here and there, overall, I should say that crime in the Dominican Republic is pretty even anywhere in the country.
Another issue that expats are worried about is the quality of healthcare, which is said to be poor. Now this is true to some extent. Public hospitals remain under-resourced and needs to be checked out. But that's it. They are public hospitals. There are still the private hospitals that you can check in. With healthcare costs lower here, getting into a private hospital should not be a problem.
Then there's the idea about Dominicans and their unending joy. Like any human being, Dominicans also know how to get upset, so this myth is definitely just a myth. But what you have to know about them is that they just don't complain every single time.
Finally, there's the myth about power shortages. This is no myth. Power scarcity is still prevalent in this part of the world, so better grab yourself a generator to keep your electricity up.
You have articulated our experience in the Dominican Republic earlier this year precisely!We've been traveling the Globe since October 2007 and have visited many tropical countries in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Last May we decided to visit the DR since we had heard many good things about it including the white sandy beaches and turquoise water.
However, we did find disappointment in the tendency for resorts to "wall people in" thus separating us from the local culture (and economy). Plus, the infrastructure instability (power-outages, Internet) made keeping our business "online" throughout our trip a bit challenging. And then there was the flooding in Bavaro (a big tourist area just north of Punta Cana). We could barely get across town for 3 days AFTER the rain stopped.
I have to admit the beaches along the West Coast were amazing. And the kite surfing and expat culture in Cabaret in the north was among the best. Better yet, we had perhaps the best dining experience EVER at Como en Casa in Bayahibe. Still, after a few months we had to move on. It just wasn't flowing.
Find out more about our portable lifestyle and how we've set ourselves up to live like we do by visiting our website: www.theportablelifestyle.com
