Santiago in a word: so-so.

Chance of Hooking up: 3.5 / 5
Quality of Girls: 3 / 5
Smoking tolerance level: 2 / 5
City guide ratings explained

Costs €$£

Beer: €2.00 for a pint bottle.
Bed: €6 i / €10 for a private room.
Bud: €40 for an once.
Board: €2-3 for a fast food meal.
Budget other: The 6 Euro rooms are brothels/roach-fests, spend the extra few quid for a decent hotel room. Also, taxis are needed for clubs outside the centre.
Currency Conversion

Overview

Santiago is so-so. The area around the monument is the heart of the city, but outside of that there’s not much going on. It lacks the charm of the capital and receives little or no tourism. From your point of view that a good thing, as you’ll be a more exotic here than in other parts of the country. Go on the weekend.

The Girls

While the majority of women here are mulatto, Santiago’s population is said to be a little ‘lighter’ than the capital’s. A more detailed detailed description of the Dominican look is in the Santo Domingo guide. For more pics of sexy Dominicans click here.

For day game it’s a little awkward. In truth, exceptional beauties are hard to find, especially in the centre. The standard isn’t great. You will have to take a trip to more fertile pastures. The international plaza is not a bad place to start, but the best hunting ground by far is PUCMM, the city’s main university. Here you have the highest quality girls around and many of them have a least a  little English. Take a public car with Route K on the windsheild. You can find them heading Eastward anywhere on Av Las Carreras. They cost a mere 50 peso (€1). Tell them “Universidad Puc-ca my -ma”. Boom, you’re there. Number close a few girls (just approach and ask them about good bars and shit) then txt them for a meet up.  Sound like too much effort? Just Pipeline instead (make sure you do so in Spanish). For any meet-up, you will be expected to pay for drinks.

For night game, open in bad Spanish. Once they recognise you’re a foreigner, you will generally receive a good reaction. You’re exotic here remember? Make sure you find out where the girl lives when you meet her first. Some chicks ask for car fare the next morning. If you know where she lives, you won’t get taken for a ride. It cost no more than €1 – €2 to go anywhere in the city. Accompany her home if she tries to take the piss. Anyway, for venues check out my nightlife advise. Remember - dancing is always great ice-breaker in DR.

Nightlife Recommendations

Much of Santiago’s nightlife is concentrated around the monument. Options are limited during the week, but you can still find a few chicas about.

Tolentino Street

There are a few places on this street to pick up. On the weekend, I’d say this place is CRAZY. Classier folks head to Ahi-bar, but it’s not necessarily the best place for picking up. The smaller places are more conducive. I had success in tiny ‘One-bar’ beside El jarro bar. I also picked up on the little corner bar beside one-way disco. You can get some hotties on the other corner bar on the other side of the street, and Ibiza opposite El Jarro. A lot of the bars on the street close at 12AM during the week, 2AM weekends.

Vintage

It’s small and shit, but consistent. It’s free in, gets a crowd every night and attracts high quality girls. The club is housed in Matum casino. Things doesn’t really pick up until after 1am. I scored here, but I recall it was difficult to compete with the sound system. If it’s the weekend, stick around Tolentino Street for the night.

* Another source recommends H20 by plaza Barcelona. Take a taxi.

Getting High

Nomad’s input: You’re better off getting it in Sosua. Otherwise ask around PUCMM.

Legislation: CATEGORY ONE: Simple Possession. Defined as possession of 20 grams or less. Minimum: 6 months in prison and a fine of RD $1,500. Maximum: 2 years in prison and a fine of RD$2,500. In the case of simple possession, persons who are deemed accomplices will be sanctioned with the same penalties imposed on the principal offender.

Marijuana prices: RD$1500-2000 an oz. (US$50-65 / €40)

My Santiago Experience

I was in Santiago mid-week for four days. It was pretty easy to pick up here and I only spent one night alone, and that’s because I was tired and packed it in! I would like to have spent more time here, but only to experience the weekend and date more chicas; I had a backlog. Pity I had to make tracks. That said, I don’t think I’d return, I have little affection for the city itself.

Resources:

DR forum: How to pick up girl in the Dominican Republic - here.

Rooshvforum on DR here.

Why not check out more cheeky City Guides?

Santo Domingo in a word: Dependable.

Chance of Hooking up: 4 / 5
Quality of Girls: 3 / 5
Smoking tolerance level: 2 / 5
City guide ratings explained

Costs €$£

Beer: €3.00 for a pint bottle.
Bed: €8 i / €20 for a private room.
Bud: €40 for an once.
Board: €3 for a fast food meal.
Budget other: It’s €3 each way for taxis to Venezuela Street from Zona.
Currency Conversion

Overview

Santo Domingo is dependable. If you know where to look, every night here can be a party.  The capital is a walk-able city with a laid back vibe, with Zona Colonia as it’s heart. Feel free to soak in it, date some chicas and hang out for awhile.

The Girls

Dominican women come in many forms. 73% describe themselves as mixed race and it certainly looks that way. While some are black as spades and others very fair, the majority are somewhere in the middle. To generalise, the population are a mix of Latin and African genes, with most being pretty dark. While many sport a wee bit of a belly, expect fantastic tits and ass to compensate. Exceptional beauties are hard to find, but there is not shortage of sexy chicks about to take home. No shit, I actually hooked up with that girl in the picture my first night in in DR. However, most Dominican women look more like Arlenis Sosa pictured here.

Dominican girls LOVE foreigners but you should learn some basic Spanish. Most of the girls have very little (if any) English. This means you will need to Pipeline in Spanish, not English.  In terms of night game, it’s pretty easy to pick up. Just get dancing. Beware, some girls are on the game so you might end up shoring. If you think the girl is working (if they’re exceptionally forward), make sure you agree sex is for free BEFORE it happens. Many men report bringing a innocent seeming Dominican girl back home only to find she wants money the next morning. Day game is a great option in the DR in general. If you exchange numbers, expect the girl to call you, not text. This is difficult without Spanish so if you can find a translator (preferable another bar girl) to speak for you and set up a meet up.

Nightlife Recommendations

There are two main areas for nightlife – Zona Colonia & Venezuela Avenue, with the latter catering for locals rather than tourists. If it’s the weekend, Zona is great. On the weekdays not so, so hit Venezuela. I’ve given a run-down of my favourite joints. The last two places are the best ones for hooking up…

Café de Toi

A small, low key private bar in Zona. A little bit pricey, but it feels like a house party. It’s better during the weekend. When everywhere else in the city is closed, this place is still open until the early hours…

BIO

I love the music here. A cool rock bar with a nice crowd, but only buzzin’ on weekends. Good place to warm up for the night.

The Mango Tree (El árbol de Mango)

My favourite place in Zona (near BIO), this bar attracts a real artsy, classy yet bohemian crowd. The set up both inside and outside is also pretty conducive for game. A bit cliquey, but the chicks here are decent quality. Again, it’s a weekend only affair.

Makumba (Venezuela Ave)

No matter what night of the week, this place is packed and pumping until 4AM. Furthermore, The club has an abundance of locals keen to bump ‘n’ grind. The beers are cheap and the women are friendly. The crowd is mainly students, players or lower-income chicks. If you know even basic Spanish it’s easy to pick up here.

Getting High (courtesy of webehigh.com)

Nomad’s input: Email me for a contact

Legislation: CATEGORY ONE: Simple Possession. Defined as possession of 20 grams or less. Minimum: 6 months in prison and a fine of RD $1,500. Maximum: 2 years in prison and a fine of RD$2,500. In the case of Simple Possession, persons who are deemed accomplices will be sanctioned with the same penalties imposed on the principal offender.

Where to buy marijuana: This is really a place where you have to know somebody (I’m sorry). You’ll never see anyone smoking on the street. Maybe a cool bartender can help but you better visit a few times before risking it.

Marijuana prices: RD$1500-2000 an oz. (US$50-65)

My Santo Domingo Experience

After my crazy first night in DR, I have a soft spot for the city. I spent 5 days there during which I’ve shored, dated Dominican beauty queens, and hooked up with a few students from Makumba. I picked up in Café de Toi and even Saturday in the liquor store beside Hostel Colonia. I wish I had more time hanging out in the city. Too many girls, not enough time.

Resources:

DR forum: How to pick up girl in the Dominican Republic - here.

Rooshvforum on DR here.

Why not check out more cheeky City Guides?

Snapshots are mini town/city guides for smaller places or cities I have only experienced briefly. Here’s a little snapshot of Sosua.

What are one´s first impressions of Sosua?

The “Phuket” of DR sounds promising. There´s music pumping, a decent gaggle of girls about and it´s beside the beach. Sounds good eh? FAIL. Sosua is really disappointing.  The beach isn´t bad, the accomodation great, but the party scene during the week is quite sedated. The weekend is much better. That said, having Phuket and Sosua in the same sentence is like putting Jessica Alba next to Susan Boyle. No competition.

What are the women like?

The standard in Sosua is quite poor in comparsion to the rest of the country. The girls here are either wrecked, drug addicted or poverty stricken. There is the odd hottie but nearly all the chicas in the bars are hardcore pros. They´re less freindly and more cunning then what you would find in Asia. You can shore, but it takes a little effort and you´ll just feel dirty afterwards. Hit on the bar girls.

Where should I go at night-time?

Cabarete, the next town! But seriously, it´s easy to find a place if you just walk down the main strip. Places like Latinos or Club Classico are a little more lively. If you want to hit on strippers go to Passions.

Any other recommendations?

Go on the weekend. Hit the beach. Coco hotel is a great budget option. You can bring girls back, it has a pool and if you´re looking for some smoke you`ll get pointed in the right direction. It´s around 2000 pesos for per oz.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for decent chicks, skip it.