routard
19 juni 2007, 12:47
The Dominican Republic shares with Haiti the island of Hispaniola, the second largest island of the Caribbean after Cuba. With it’s great landscapes, it’s marvellous beaches and the kindness of it’s population this country has become the main touristic destination in the Caribbean. But it is also well known to be together with Thailand and Brazil a major sex tourism destination worldwide. Santo Domingo, the capital has some historical interest, being the oldest city of the American Continent, created in 1498.
HOW TO GO THERE
The international airport Las Americas close to Boca Chica is at 25km from Santo Domingo and the major entry. A taxi drive to the city costs 40$.
All major American airlines connect the US to Santo Domingo: Spirit (Fort Lauderdale), Delta (Atlanta, New York), Continental (Newark), US Airways (Philadelphia), American Airlines (San Juan, Miami)…
Air France (Paris) and Air Iberia (Madrid) connect Santo Domingo to Europe.
Copa (Panama), Air-mail (Curaçao, Caracas) Aserca (Caracas) and Mexicana are the major airlines for Latin America.
Cubana (Havana), Air the Caribbean (Port with the Prince, For de France, Pointe à Pitre), Liat (Antigua), Coastal Traval (Curaçao Saint Maarten), Lacsa (San Jose) are the Caribbean airlines.
There are also several low cost companies to this destination, like Lauda, Air Europa (Madrid), Condor (Frankfurt), Air More (Madrid).
A ferry goes three times a week to Puerto Rico.
Visa is not required for less than 3 months stay, you just need to pay a 10$ entrance tax at arrival.
MONEY
The official currency is the Dominican Peso, 1$ = 32Pesos or 1€ = 42Pesos. Money can be changed everywhere at the airport, the major hotels and on El Conde. But easiest is to use the ATM available everywhere. Keep in mind that average incomes are low, most people earn 6000P a month.
SAFETY AND HEALTH
Santo Domingo is a Latin american city of 2 million inhabitants, crime is a major concern. However, the old city and the hotel areas are pretty safe, even by night. Government took action last year, Bar and Night Clubs are closest at midnight and at 2am on Friday and Saturday everywhere in the capital.
Viagra is available without medical prescription in any pharmacy at 300P/unit. Cialis is usually a manufactured in DR.
LANGUAGE
Language is Spanish. There are however strong ties with the USA, and English is spoken more than in any other Latin American country. Even French is spoken, mainly by Haitian immigrants. As it is also a major touristic destination, Dominican Republic is probably the most convenient Latin American country for those who don’t speak Spanish.
LODGING
You will find the usual major hotel chains: Intercontinental, Sheraton, Hilton, Mercury, Sofitel… But there are also plenty of budget hotels everywhere. Best is to choose one near to the Jaragua Hotel, as the mongering scene seems to be build around this hotel. Take care however, Jaragua itself is not girl friendly. The other upscale hotels do not encourage it also, usually take a photocopy of the female occasional night visitor and sometimes with extra charge. The budget hotels are usually girl friendly. In case, there are the convenient Cabanas, those typical love motels for discrete and short stays in Austin Power look a like rooms. Most are on the Western End of the Malecon. A good advice: try Hotel Mystic on Pasteur close to Intercontinental, they have comfortable well equipped rooms at the rate of 700P for a few hours.
LOCAL TRANSPORT
It’s easy to rent a car. However if you stay in the city, taxi is more convenient and cheaper. Taxis are reliable and of great advice. Any taxi will bring you to the brothels, just ask for “Casa de Citas”, “Casas de Putanas” or “Casas de chicas”. An average taxi drive costs 200P. A taxi driver will be happy to drive you all night around for 1000P-1500P.
GIRLS
Dominicanas are genetically designed for sex, a mysterious mix of Spanish invaders, African slaves, Indian natives and Asian immigrants. Like Brasil or Cuba, you will find all colour and shapes. But unlike the two other countries, the extremes seem to have disappeared for a more homogeneous characteristic type: dark skin but straight black and European type of face with sometimes Asian looking eyes. Dominicanas are open minded towards sex as well as towards foreigners, and so easy going with generous Western males looking for exotic fun.
BROTHELS
Prostitution is legal, pimping is not. The clubs are not allowed to offer rooms on site. Last year, a major law enforcement operation had shut down all the massage parlours offering full service on site.
Mind you, girls are not independent, payment is at the bar when exiting and the girls only receive 50% of it. Besides, some clubs continue offering rooms on site like Casa Teresa, Casa Azul, Casa Modelos or Gran Mansion. Others like Girl House, Sky House or Mona Lisa are conveniently located near a Hotel offering rooms for a couple of hours. Other clubs are only pick-up clubs.
Average price is 3000P for a couple of hours. Payment is upfront everywhere at the bar. All these clubs must close at midnight or 2H00 on Friday and Saturday. Some remain discretely open after the legal closing time like Casa Azul, Gran Mansion or Casa Modelos. In these clubs, the girls sleep on site, they are open 24 hours a day. Other clubs like Girl' S House or Sky House open at midday, but most open in evening.
Girls are all Dominican between 20 and 30 years old. Most clubs have around ten girls, but Lapsus, Girl House, Casa Teresa can line-up twenty girls or more. The Legendary Remington Palace had even about forty girls but it is now closed.
There are half-dozen of clubs at a walking distance from Jaragua? Chances are a guide will approach you to bring you to those clubs. They get a small commission for it from the clubs, but don’t worry, you will not be charged more for that. Let’s start from the Intercontinental on Malecon. Take the street at the corner of this hotel, Pasteur Street. The first club is on the right hand side after 100m.
Sky House is a discrete villa you will hardly notice if it is closed. But when it is opened, somebody at the entrance will most probably invite you to have a look inside. It is a relaxed bar, about fifteen kind girls for keeping you company. But at closing time, they become more pushy to be picked up. Also the management seems to be impatient to see you making up your mind and leaving with a girl in order to respect the legal closing time. Pricing is 2500P. after closing, most girls keep waiting outside as long as security staff is still present.
Girl's House 100m further on the same side of the street has a clear sign and is next door the Mystic Hotel which you cannot be missed with its bright neon lights. It is probably now the most popular club with the most girls. And with a 2500P pricing, it’s my best recommendation so far. It looks a bit old fashioned inside, especially the furniture and the large stairs to the girls’ room. Unfortunately, these rooms are not available anymore for customers, but you can use the facilities of the Hotel Mystic next door offering rooms at the rate of 700P for a few hours. As soon as you enter, all girls make a line-up in front of you. They are not allowed to make the first step however and will wait till you have made up your choice. At closing time, music stops and drinks are not served anymore, but customers are allowed to stay till they have made up their choice. New visitors however are not allowed anymore to enter but can make up their choice at the door. On request, girls make a line-up at the door.
Continue on Pasteur Street till the next intersection and take left on Avenida Independencia. After the back entrance of Jaragua Hotel on the left you will find three clubs on the right hand side.
Aurora is the first one, but it’s just a bar with a few girls, nothing special. Pricing however is the same as the two others, 3000P.
Next club Tabu has a sister club with the same name close to Embajador Hotel. It’s a night club opening in the evening with a dozen girls.
Lapsus is the largest of the three clubs, a nice nightclub but with not more girls than at Tabu next door. Pricing and opening times are the same as for the two other clubs.
When those three clubs close, most girls join the street girls on Avenida Independencia behind Jaragua Hotel. Pricing drops at 1500P, as they do not have to pay anything more to the clubs. Others rather prefer to go to Casino of Jaragua as it closes later at night.
Continue on Avenida Independencia and turn left at the next intersection. The next club is on the right hand side near a Car Wash.
Parada is a new club in a discrete villa, a large bar with half a dozen girls. Pricing and opening time are same as Lapsus, Taboo and Aurora.
For other clubs you will need a car. Two are easy to find on the Malecon when driving West towards the Cabanas.
Juniors is on the right hand side, but don’t expect too much. It’s just a bar with half a dozen girls for the usual pricing.
Petit Chateau is even further and it’s only worth as it is close to the Cabanas to take a room there.
Three clubs are in the area around the Base Ball stadium, but best is to take a taxi to find them.
The most popular one is Casa Azul on Paraguay 230 as it is the oldest one. The owner seems to have a good relation network as it discretely stays open even after the legal closing time. Taxi makes a sign, gate opens and taxi parks inside. Decoration needs to be refreshed. The available girls make a line-up. A dozen girls live on site as it is open 24 hours a day. Therer are 2 VIP rooms available for customers, basic rooms but air-conditioned and with bathroom. If those two are not available anymore, there are still the 7 rooms from the girls. The pricing of 3000P is not a bad deal as it includes a room.
Casa Teresa nearby is also a good value. There are more girls, about twenty, and facilities are more upscale. There is plenty of street action outside, but watch out, most are TV. Some TV even manage to enter the club. There is only one room available upstairs and it’s a bit more expensive, 3500P instead of 3000P for pick-up. After the legal closing time, it’s still possible to pick-up a girl at the entrance.
Casa Modellos Calle Dr. Núòez de Cáceres 16 Esq put. Benigno Filomeno Rojas is located close to the university. Some call it Casa Munecas. It is a relaxed bar inside a discrete villa. The customers seem to be regulars coming for a drink. There are about fifteen girls. After the legal opening time, it stays discretely open.
The Mansion is unfortunately on the other side of the city, in the Oriental area. But the club remains open after the legal closing time and offers rooms on site. There are about fifteen girls.
Penthouse is another popular place on Maximo Gomez with ten girls and a pricing of 3000P but without room on site and respecting the legal closing time.
Mona Lisa, Calle Danae No 35, different Gazcue used to be a popular place but has only a dozen girls and pricing tend to go above the usual 3000P. Hotel Ripa Bella nearby provides rooms.
Casa de Coco has ten girls and pricing is 3000P
STREET ACTION
There is plenty of street action on the Malecon and on Avenida Independencia, especially around Jaragua. Pricing is around 1000P. Girls who didn’t find customers end up in the street after closing time. At night in front of the main hotels, there are always a few pimps trying to sell a few girls.
There are also plenty of girls trying to hook-up with tourists on El Conde in the old city as well as inside the Jaragua Casino. They are easy to recognize as they don’t gamble. In fact, there is no straight line between street girls, club girls and amateur girls.
HOW TO GO THERE
The international airport Las Americas close to Boca Chica is at 25km from Santo Domingo and the major entry. A taxi drive to the city costs 40$.
All major American airlines connect the US to Santo Domingo: Spirit (Fort Lauderdale), Delta (Atlanta, New York), Continental (Newark), US Airways (Philadelphia), American Airlines (San Juan, Miami)…
Air France (Paris) and Air Iberia (Madrid) connect Santo Domingo to Europe.
Copa (Panama), Air-mail (Curaçao, Caracas) Aserca (Caracas) and Mexicana are the major airlines for Latin America.
Cubana (Havana), Air the Caribbean (Port with the Prince, For de France, Pointe à Pitre), Liat (Antigua), Coastal Traval (Curaçao Saint Maarten), Lacsa (San Jose) are the Caribbean airlines.
There are also several low cost companies to this destination, like Lauda, Air Europa (Madrid), Condor (Frankfurt), Air More (Madrid).
A ferry goes three times a week to Puerto Rico.
Visa is not required for less than 3 months stay, you just need to pay a 10$ entrance tax at arrival.
MONEY
The official currency is the Dominican Peso, 1$ = 32Pesos or 1€ = 42Pesos. Money can be changed everywhere at the airport, the major hotels and on El Conde. But easiest is to use the ATM available everywhere. Keep in mind that average incomes are low, most people earn 6000P a month.
SAFETY AND HEALTH
Santo Domingo is a Latin american city of 2 million inhabitants, crime is a major concern. However, the old city and the hotel areas are pretty safe, even by night. Government took action last year, Bar and Night Clubs are closest at midnight and at 2am on Friday and Saturday everywhere in the capital.
Viagra is available without medical prescription in any pharmacy at 300P/unit. Cialis is usually a manufactured in DR.
LANGUAGE
Language is Spanish. There are however strong ties with the USA, and English is spoken more than in any other Latin American country. Even French is spoken, mainly by Haitian immigrants. As it is also a major touristic destination, Dominican Republic is probably the most convenient Latin American country for those who don’t speak Spanish.
LODGING
You will find the usual major hotel chains: Intercontinental, Sheraton, Hilton, Mercury, Sofitel… But there are also plenty of budget hotels everywhere. Best is to choose one near to the Jaragua Hotel, as the mongering scene seems to be build around this hotel. Take care however, Jaragua itself is not girl friendly. The other upscale hotels do not encourage it also, usually take a photocopy of the female occasional night visitor and sometimes with extra charge. The budget hotels are usually girl friendly. In case, there are the convenient Cabanas, those typical love motels for discrete and short stays in Austin Power look a like rooms. Most are on the Western End of the Malecon. A good advice: try Hotel Mystic on Pasteur close to Intercontinental, they have comfortable well equipped rooms at the rate of 700P for a few hours.
LOCAL TRANSPORT
It’s easy to rent a car. However if you stay in the city, taxi is more convenient and cheaper. Taxis are reliable and of great advice. Any taxi will bring you to the brothels, just ask for “Casa de Citas”, “Casas de Putanas” or “Casas de chicas”. An average taxi drive costs 200P. A taxi driver will be happy to drive you all night around for 1000P-1500P.
GIRLS
Dominicanas are genetically designed for sex, a mysterious mix of Spanish invaders, African slaves, Indian natives and Asian immigrants. Like Brasil or Cuba, you will find all colour and shapes. But unlike the two other countries, the extremes seem to have disappeared for a more homogeneous characteristic type: dark skin but straight black and European type of face with sometimes Asian looking eyes. Dominicanas are open minded towards sex as well as towards foreigners, and so easy going with generous Western males looking for exotic fun.
BROTHELS
Prostitution is legal, pimping is not. The clubs are not allowed to offer rooms on site. Last year, a major law enforcement operation had shut down all the massage parlours offering full service on site.
Mind you, girls are not independent, payment is at the bar when exiting and the girls only receive 50% of it. Besides, some clubs continue offering rooms on site like Casa Teresa, Casa Azul, Casa Modelos or Gran Mansion. Others like Girl House, Sky House or Mona Lisa are conveniently located near a Hotel offering rooms for a couple of hours. Other clubs are only pick-up clubs.
Average price is 3000P for a couple of hours. Payment is upfront everywhere at the bar. All these clubs must close at midnight or 2H00 on Friday and Saturday. Some remain discretely open after the legal closing time like Casa Azul, Gran Mansion or Casa Modelos. In these clubs, the girls sleep on site, they are open 24 hours a day. Other clubs like Girl' S House or Sky House open at midday, but most open in evening.
Girls are all Dominican between 20 and 30 years old. Most clubs have around ten girls, but Lapsus, Girl House, Casa Teresa can line-up twenty girls or more. The Legendary Remington Palace had even about forty girls but it is now closed.
There are half-dozen of clubs at a walking distance from Jaragua? Chances are a guide will approach you to bring you to those clubs. They get a small commission for it from the clubs, but don’t worry, you will not be charged more for that. Let’s start from the Intercontinental on Malecon. Take the street at the corner of this hotel, Pasteur Street. The first club is on the right hand side after 100m.
Sky House is a discrete villa you will hardly notice if it is closed. But when it is opened, somebody at the entrance will most probably invite you to have a look inside. It is a relaxed bar, about fifteen kind girls for keeping you company. But at closing time, they become more pushy to be picked up. Also the management seems to be impatient to see you making up your mind and leaving with a girl in order to respect the legal closing time. Pricing is 2500P. after closing, most girls keep waiting outside as long as security staff is still present.
Girl's House 100m further on the same side of the street has a clear sign and is next door the Mystic Hotel which you cannot be missed with its bright neon lights. It is probably now the most popular club with the most girls. And with a 2500P pricing, it’s my best recommendation so far. It looks a bit old fashioned inside, especially the furniture and the large stairs to the girls’ room. Unfortunately, these rooms are not available anymore for customers, but you can use the facilities of the Hotel Mystic next door offering rooms at the rate of 700P for a few hours. As soon as you enter, all girls make a line-up in front of you. They are not allowed to make the first step however and will wait till you have made up your choice. At closing time, music stops and drinks are not served anymore, but customers are allowed to stay till they have made up their choice. New visitors however are not allowed anymore to enter but can make up their choice at the door. On request, girls make a line-up at the door.
Continue on Pasteur Street till the next intersection and take left on Avenida Independencia. After the back entrance of Jaragua Hotel on the left you will find three clubs on the right hand side.
Aurora is the first one, but it’s just a bar with a few girls, nothing special. Pricing however is the same as the two others, 3000P.
Next club Tabu has a sister club with the same name close to Embajador Hotel. It’s a night club opening in the evening with a dozen girls.
Lapsus is the largest of the three clubs, a nice nightclub but with not more girls than at Tabu next door. Pricing and opening times are the same as for the two other clubs.
When those three clubs close, most girls join the street girls on Avenida Independencia behind Jaragua Hotel. Pricing drops at 1500P, as they do not have to pay anything more to the clubs. Others rather prefer to go to Casino of Jaragua as it closes later at night.
Continue on Avenida Independencia and turn left at the next intersection. The next club is on the right hand side near a Car Wash.
Parada is a new club in a discrete villa, a large bar with half a dozen girls. Pricing and opening time are same as Lapsus, Taboo and Aurora.
For other clubs you will need a car. Two are easy to find on the Malecon when driving West towards the Cabanas.
Juniors is on the right hand side, but don’t expect too much. It’s just a bar with half a dozen girls for the usual pricing.
Petit Chateau is even further and it’s only worth as it is close to the Cabanas to take a room there.
Three clubs are in the area around the Base Ball stadium, but best is to take a taxi to find them.
The most popular one is Casa Azul on Paraguay 230 as it is the oldest one. The owner seems to have a good relation network as it discretely stays open even after the legal closing time. Taxi makes a sign, gate opens and taxi parks inside. Decoration needs to be refreshed. The available girls make a line-up. A dozen girls live on site as it is open 24 hours a day. Therer are 2 VIP rooms available for customers, basic rooms but air-conditioned and with bathroom. If those two are not available anymore, there are still the 7 rooms from the girls. The pricing of 3000P is not a bad deal as it includes a room.
Casa Teresa nearby is also a good value. There are more girls, about twenty, and facilities are more upscale. There is plenty of street action outside, but watch out, most are TV. Some TV even manage to enter the club. There is only one room available upstairs and it’s a bit more expensive, 3500P instead of 3000P for pick-up. After the legal closing time, it’s still possible to pick-up a girl at the entrance.
Casa Modellos Calle Dr. Núòez de Cáceres 16 Esq put. Benigno Filomeno Rojas is located close to the university. Some call it Casa Munecas. It is a relaxed bar inside a discrete villa. The customers seem to be regulars coming for a drink. There are about fifteen girls. After the legal opening time, it stays discretely open.
The Mansion is unfortunately on the other side of the city, in the Oriental area. But the club remains open after the legal closing time and offers rooms on site. There are about fifteen girls.
Penthouse is another popular place on Maximo Gomez with ten girls and a pricing of 3000P but without room on site and respecting the legal closing time.
Mona Lisa, Calle Danae No 35, different Gazcue used to be a popular place but has only a dozen girls and pricing tend to go above the usual 3000P. Hotel Ripa Bella nearby provides rooms.
Casa de Coco has ten girls and pricing is 3000P
STREET ACTION
There is plenty of street action on the Malecon and on Avenida Independencia, especially around Jaragua. Pricing is around 1000P. Girls who didn’t find customers end up in the street after closing time. At night in front of the main hotels, there are always a few pimps trying to sell a few girls.
There are also plenty of girls trying to hook-up with tourists on El Conde in the old city as well as inside the Jaragua Casino. They are easy to recognize as they don’t gamble. In fact, there is no straight line between street girls, club girls and amateur girls.