This is KILLING Tourists in Dominican Republic



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Tourists are coming to the Dominican Republic on vacationā€”and some aren’t making it home. In this video, I break down recent tourist incidents in the DR, including cases of food poisoning at resorts, a violent attack at a hotel bar, and the critical importance of knowing where to get emergency medical care.

Weā€™ll cover:
āœ… The importance of calling 911 in the Dominican Republic
āœ… How to navigate health insurance coverage for tourists
āœ… Which clinics in Punta Cana accept U.S. health insurance
āœ… How tourist safety in the Dominican Republic compares to the media headlines
āœ… The real risks vs. media exaggeration when traveling here

With over 11 million tourists visiting the DR each year, bad things happenā€”but does that mean the country is unsafe? Let’s break it down.

šŸ“Œ Watch this video to stay informed before your next trip to the DR!

šŸ’¬ Whatā€™s your experience in the DR? Comment below!

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00:00 – Introduction: What’s Happening to Tourists in the DR?
00:28 – Recent Incidents: Food Poisoning & Attacks at Resorts
01:50 – How Resorts Handle Medical Emergencies (Or Donā€™t)
02:46 – Why Calling 911 in the Dominican Republic Can Save Your Life
03:40 – Understanding Medical Care for Tourists in the DR
04:50 – Best Hospitals & Clinics in Punta Cana
06:30 – Tourist Deaths in the DR: How Common Are They?
08:10 – Is the Media Exaggerating Dominican Republic Tourist Dangers?
09:40 – How Many Tourists Actually Have Problems in the DR?
10:45 – The Truth About U.S. Health Insurance in the DR
12:30 – Why You Need Travel Insurance for the Dominican Republic
14:00 – Visa & Entry Rules for Long-Term Stays in the DR
15:45 – Cost of Living in Punta Cana as an Expat
18:20 – Best Beach Clubs & Resorts in Punta Cana
20:00 – Final Thoughts: Should You Be Worried About Traveling to the DR?

41 Replies to “This is KILLING Tourists in Dominican Republic

  1. I already liked the video, but hereā€™s an extra one, Jamie. šŸ‘šŸ¼ I donā€™t understand why Americans in the USA believe that the entire world is still at the same development level as in the 1950s.

  2. Since you mentioned ā€œtipā€ , can you do a video on how much to tip at restaurants; bars; driver; ect? We still donā€™t have that down pactā€¦ we were tipping like US $20-$25 šŸ¤¦šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø

  3. Tragedy happens everywhere. My fiance died in Mexico resort, still dont know, if food , alcohol or heart attack? I think it was food poisoning, he felt extremely ill few hours after dinner. I called Hotel lobby immediately, it took 15 min for dr to come. Dr. refused to take him hospital, Ambulance was in front of Lobby. rather, he wasted lot of time questioning me, he did CPR, gave him drug injection, etc., he said his Lung callopsed ? then heart attack.
    tragic story, he died in hotel room,
    all because they wanted cash immediately in order to save his life at the hospital .
    I didn't have that amount they wanted.
    It was on a weekend, so Insurance Co. is closed in Canada We had no closure, it was so sudden, one minute having fun, next, cant even communicate with himšŸ˜¢šŸ˜¢šŸ˜¢
    I had to sign a waver that Hotel was not
    liable in front of cops, hotel management and Airline Rep. They were covering their A.
    10 years later, its still haunting me, request from his family from Europe, he was cremated in MX, now autopsy is not possible. I brought him home in a box with me.
    I feel for each of the families of their tragedy.šŸ˜¢

  4. 11:53 I don't know where you got the info that over 40% of Americans make over $100K a year. This would mean almost every other American makes $100K. I don't think even every fifth American makes that.

  5. Money money just like in the US that is all that count. Life of a human being doesn't matter. !!!!
    What ever happened to the serment of Hypocrat on saving life before anything else.

  6. Never stay in a Resort in the the Dominican Republic. You will be treated like trash. They donā€™t understand business there. I stay in hotels and eat the local food and have not been sick since. And never open your mouth in the shower.

  7. ive been to DR over eight times and only got sick from accidentally rinsing my mouth with tap water instead of bottled water. I know the signs of food poisoning and know what to do…. hydrate hydrate hydrate liquid out my butt for 3 days and still had fun

  8. I got sick in DR when we lived there. I was 10 years old and drank bad water at grandmas, I had a very high fever. My mom went to the pharmacy and told them my symptoms. A nurse practitioner gave her medication. I was fine the next day. Another time when I was 12 I got toxoplasmosis from a sick kitten I played with on my way back home from school. I stopped eating after a couple of weeks. Mom took me to the pediatrician, had blood tests. Underwent treatment. A couple of decades later Iā€™m healthy and have two heathy children. They have good doctors in DR, just gotta seek treatment. My parents are retired and live there. They are healthy and get their checkups regularly.

  9. This is a timely video.
    We're Canadian, and this food poisoning story is a horrible tragedy.
    I'm not usually susceptible for fear-mongering or hysteria, but this particular problem of food preparation would actually be enough to deter me from wanting to visit DR again. I don't know if this view is reasonable or not, given how many ppl visit DR without any issues, but needless to say I am freaked out and heartbroken about this. And it's not the only story. Just google food poisoning Dominican Republic. I was shocked to see many serious stories going back over a decade. Never would have thought this was a problem there. I wonder if it has to do with tap water issues?
    Anyway DR seems like a lovely country with lovely people and it's a shame this is happening

  10. Hey Jamie! Another great video! Just want to clarify another company you can use to get health insurance while visiting the DR. ASA,located in Arizona is who I use. Itā€™s called GEO BLUE . Very cheap. Anyone reading this can contact ASA, Inc and get this plan. This is who I have been using for the past ten years. Also, if you own a villa/condo, do you still pay when you leave after 6 months/ year? Is it hard to get citizenship?

  11. Im just subscribed to your channel Iā€™m a Dominican leaving in PA maybe one day I can go back to my country by that way Iā€™m USA citizen but to leave in a good place over there you need a good source of income. But maybe one day. I wish you and your family the bestšŸ™

  12. As I Dominican leaving in Pennsylvania Iā€™m so jealous of youšŸ˜© that can live over there with a nice people and wonderful weather. Congratulations šŸ¾

  13. I also want to say, that a lot of resort food is not the same as local food, my wife is Dominican and she was having issues with the food in the resort, she was bloated, not sure where they are getting it from probably the states. I didn't have any issues probably because it is from the US and my body is used to it.

  14. Hi Jamie, thanks for the video! when I first visited the DR, I purchased extra insurance, but after that, I stopped. Is the Travel Guard insurance offered after booking a flight sufficient, or would you recommend a different option? Thanks!

  15. Some people have food allergies and they just donā€™t know it. I for instance, have become allergic to coffee and egg and dairy and got really sick in Toronto qnd I didnā€™t know. My doctor didnā€™t know what the issue was either. It took me two years to fiigure ut out. I wasnā€™t allergic in the DR but became allergic in Canada. It is important to be aware that by changing our environment, our body changes and can be sensitive to even the air. When I first came to Toronto I got bed ridden in just two months of arriving. The doctors couldnā€™t find what the issue was and prescribed me with anxiety and depression and gave me medicayion for it but my ex husband told me not to drink it and gave me vitamin D instead. And I started to feel well. I was vitamin D deficient! And Canadian doctors donā€™t know that Caribbean people need vitamin D when they come up here. I consulted a japanese/canadian naturopath and he told me that Canadian doctors donā€™t know about it and he told me to take 4 pills of vitamin D daily in the Winter. And that was it for me! Never suffered from ā€œanxiety and depressionā€ So, what I am trying yo say is that we have to be mindful that doctors know medicine according to the needs of the place they re at. Donā€™t expect them to know it all cause I was disappointed at Canadian doctors and their health system until I understood how their system works. Canadian doctors donā€™t know anything about nutrition and not many know how to read medical images! Which many Dominican doctor do! But in Canada everything is divided and they have a specialist for every part of the body, a hip specialist canā€™t see your glutes cause that is not their expertise, for instance.

  16. You can overstay sure, but how do you solve the drivers licence problem? As a swiss my drivers license is only valid for 3 months..after that i drive illegaly…or is there an alternative?

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