Hi, all.
Lisa and I were setting up for our annual Jan-Feb excursion to the DR...but our long-reserved Airbnb canceled on us "due to hurricane flooding, cannot be occupied" until the owner fixes it. So, we're now without a place to stay, and are looking at the usual resources for options.
This now raises questions in our minds:
IS THE BAVARO/PUNTA CANA REGION IN GOOD ENOUGH SHAPE, POST-HURRICANE AND OTHER RECENT STORMS, TO VISIT FOR A MONTH OR MORE starting in January 2023??
We've inquired about a several condos, apartments and/or houses, and in particular have asked about power/electric reliability within the unit/complex.
- No one will just give us a straight answer. What answers we get are very fuzzy -- "our power in the complex is as good as any other condo/apartment/house in this area" is the typical response.
- None will just say, "Yes the power is reliable." They dodge the question or answer incompletely or indirectly. Or, they attempt to change the subject.
- We care about this because we are both reliant on CPAP/ASV machines. (Me in particular; I lost a brother to untreated sleep apnea about 7 years ago.) FYI: ASV machines are essentially CPAP/BIPAP machines on double steroids, reserved for patients who often just stop breathing during the night.
We had quite the exchange with one host, about whether or not they had "hot water available at all water taps in the unit." They kept saying, "yes we have hot water available," but simply wouldn't answer whether it was "at all water taps." Finally, they did answer after a number of messages back and forth, and sure enough, no hot water at one of the bathrooms.
- That would have been an acceptable answer early in the process, but the intentional avoidance of details (while stressing how much fun we would have) definitely put us off that property...and maybe the entire region.
THIS HAS REPEATED ENOUGH TIMES, THAT WE ARE WORRYING WHETHER Bavaro (in particular) or Punta Cana (in general) were hit harder by the hurricane and more recent storms in the DR than we had thought.
SO...PLEASE OFFER US YOUR OPINION / ADVICE:
- How are housing/accommodations conditions in Bavaro and/or Punta Cana right now?
- Is the electricity reliable, or not? (understanding that "reliable" in the DR means something quite different than in the US. "Normal" short power drops a couple times a day are expected, but we don't want to spend whole days without power.
- So, do we have "normal DR tourist-zone" power in Bavaro, or "worse-than DR tourist-zone normal" power/electricity, at this time?
- We can work around the typical short power drops, but extended time without electricity becomes a major health issue for us.
- Has there been significant flooding or wind damage such that many restaurants and attractions won't be open for us to enjoy?
- Are propane delivery schedules reestablished and reliable? Will we be able to cook our meals?
- Have restaurants, stores and tourist attractions returned to "normal?" Or will there be little to do?
- Have the beaches and flooded areas been cleaned up? Or does one find "flood stink" wherever one might wander?
Many thanks to anyone/everyone that can shed any light on these questions for us!!!!! We just don't want to travel down there and have a bad experience, especially with airfares how they are right now.
Your comments gratefully accepted as posts, or as direct/private messages thru the forum.
Respectfully,
Jim
ExpatRusher
