Saintilmon Rentar Moto y Tienda located in Cabarete. They offer scooters and motorbikes for rent and have an onsite store of sports shoes.
Cel: 809-916-6234
Carretera Principal Cabarete
(between casino and police station)
Wingo is advertising US$85 one-way flights to and from Medellín, Colombia from the Dominican Republic. The low-cost airline allows you to take a 10kg carry-on handbag. For another US$50 you can check baggage of up to 20kg. You are also allowed one flight date change. Check out the fares on the airline’s website.
The fairs make an outing to Colombia attractive and mean thousands of Colombian tourists will be heading to Punta Cana for a long weekend in the sun.
Wingo flies Boeing 737-800s from Santo Domingo’s Las Americas International Airport and Punta Cana International Airport.
Wingo was born in 2016 when Panama’s Copa Holdings sought to turn its loss-making Colombian operations around.
Source: DR1, Wingo
Feb 4, 2022
Call it the other Caribbean… Imagine green pine trees instead of pristine beaches and temperatures of under zero with cozy accommodations or adventurous camping.
Valle Nuevo in the Central Mountain Range of La Vega province offers it all, plus the extravagance of experiencing even below zero temperatures in the Caribbean. Reports are that temperatures hovered around -6C for campers in the Las Pirámides, Rancho en Medio, and Tumba de Caamaño areas due to the freezing air making its way south from the US eastern coast.
N Digital reports that the cold was so intense that even after 7 am and with the sun shining, the temperature was still below zero (-4°C), according to meteorological expert Jean Suriel through his social networks.
The last time a minimum temperature of -6°C was recorded in Valle Nuevo was in 2017.
Valle Nuevo National Park is a protected area in the center of the Dominican Republic.
Source: DR1, N Digital
Feb 4, 2022
Diario Libre has published a list of seven places you can go for some glamorous camping, better known as “glamping.” The places are located in the Deep South: Pedernales; the East: La Romana and Higuey; the North Coast: Cabarete and the Central Mountain Range: Jarabacoa.
Some are more luxurious than others, but all put their guests directly in contact with nature alongside good food and sufficient creature comforts. Some are even pet-friendly.
As reported in Diario Libre, Keila Rodriguez, an influencer and adventure seeker, has offered candid peeks at each of these places, along with their contact information. For example, the Eco River House in La Romana (@ecoriverhouse) is pet-friendly. She also offers wise counsel as to what to bring, such as she does regarding (@ecodelmar) in Pedernales: “Bring bug repellent, there are lots of “no see ‘ems” (jejenes), in the area.”
The listed places are:
Eco River House, La Altagracia
Bubble Glamping, Cabarete, Puerto Plata
Costa Arrecife Beach Club, La Altagracia
Eco del Mar, Pedernales
Campito Loving, Higuey
The Sunset, Jarabacoa
Rancho Típico Cueva de las Aguilas, Pedernales
In most areas, the accommodations are for a limited number of persons, usually less than 20 persons at a time, although there are a couple of exceptions. Enjoy!
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Feb 4, 2022
The film “Freda,” directed by Haitian Gessica Généus, won on Sunday, 30 January 2022 the main prize of the 14th edition of the Santo Domingo Global Film Festival. The award is in the Fiction Opera Prima category.
“Freda” has also received a mention at the Cannes Film Festival. The film is originally in Haitian Creole. It gives an insider glimpse into the lives of Haitian youths today in these times of uncertainty. It tells of how the young people seek to move forward despite the deep political and socio-economic crisis in Haiti.
Other winners during the Santo Domingo Global Film Festival are:
The Mexican film “Sin señas particulares” by director Fernanda Valadez, received a special mention in the same Fiction Opera Prima category.
The award for best documentary went to “Map of Latin American Dreams” by Argentine Martin Weber. “The Name of the Son”, by Argentine Martina Matzkin was honored as the best short film.
Dominican Hans García, director of the film “La otra lucha”, received the first “Rigoberto López” award, which will be granted every year as of this edition, in honor of the outstanding Cuban film director.
The Santo Domingo Global Festival took place from 24-30 January with more than 90 fiction and documentary films presented. Chile was the guest country.
Source: DR1, Acento
Feb 4, 2022
As of Tuesday, 1 February 2022, traffic police are on the lookout for vehicles that do not show the 2022 circulation sticker, best known as “el marbete.” The sticker can still be obtained by paying the surcharge.
Digesett agents will be checking for vehicles that do not have the sticker. The inspectors have the green light to fine the drivers and retain the vehicles.
The Tax Agency (DGII) says that the surcharge is RD$2,000 for renewing the purchase of the 2022 sticker.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Feb 4, 2022
The Monetary Board ordered on 28 January 2022 the dissolution of Banco Múltiple de Las Americas, S.A. (Bancamérica). The impact will be minor on the financial system. The Superintendence of Banks says Bancamerica has 0.13% of the financial system’s assets, 0.34% of the deposits, and 0.27% of the debtors. The bank is ranked 31st of 49 financial intermediaries.
The Superintendence has taken control of the financial entity. The decision is taken after the bank failed to comply with a regularization schedule assumed in 2019.
As part of the regularization plan, the Superintendency of Banks had required Bancamerica to return deposits held in related entities abroad, increase its capital and strengthen its collection methods and internal controls.
Bancamérica has assets of RD$3.57 billion, representing 0.13% of the system’s total assets. The bank has 28,485 depositors, representing 0.34% of the system. Only 15,260 of the accounts have balances and/or savings instruments, with a total of RD$3.25 billion. The number of debtors amounts to 5,438, representing 0.27% of the system.
Bancamerica customers will be able to go from Monday, 7 February 2022 to the bank’s branches to validate their deposits and other credits.
Read more in Spanish:
Superintendence of Banks
Source: DR1, Superintendence of Banks
Feb 4, 2022
PUERTO PLATA.- An infinite number of citizens flocked to La Puntilla on the local boardwalk of Puerto Plata to admire the majestic ship “Odyssey of The Seas” which is one of the largest tourist cruises in the world.
In the area of the Colonial San Felipe fortress, a large crowd of people from all social classes got together, as well as hundreds of visitors from peripheral communities and other provinces of the country. The vessel owned by the Royal Caribbean International company docked at the Taíno Bay terminal at 8:10 in the morning from Cococay in the Bahamas, after setting sail from its home Port in Miami’s Fort Lauderdale.
The “Odyssey of The Seas” cruise ship is 348 meters long by 41 meters wide and has 16 decks, has a capacity for 4,805 passengers as it accommodates 2,137 cabins and a crew of 1,551 people. The aforementioned ship left Puerto Plata late afternoon on Thursday, December 30, with the presence of the crowd of Puerto Plata citizens seeing it off with shouts and lit cell phones.
Source: Puerto Plata Digital
Jan 3, 2022
The Emergency Operations Center (COE) reports that the Christmas and New Year safety operation “Awareness for Life 2021-2022” ended with 16 deaths for traffic accidents, alcohol intoxication, and food poisoning, 31.25% less than in 2020.
Another 15 deaths occurred outside the COE operation realm, for a total of 26 deaths over the holidays.
For the second phase of the holiday safety operation, for the New Year celebrations, there were 102 traffic accidents (from 2 pm on 30 Dec 2021 to 6 pm on 1 January 2022). 81 of these accidents involved motorcyclists. As a consequence of the traffic accidents, six persons died. 124 persons were directly involved in the traffic accidents. The COE reports 250 alcohol intoxications, yet no deaths for alcohol intoxication. 16 food poisonings are reported.
For the first phase of the operation, 122 traffic accidents were reported (from 2 pm on 23 December 2021 to 6 pm on 25 December 2021). There were 5 deaths in the road accidents, 150 persons were directly affected by the traffic accidents. There were 301 alcohol intoxications, no deaths for these, and 101 food poisonings.
The authorities report an additional 15 fatalities for reasons other than traffic accidents, alcohol intoxications, and food poisonings.
The authorities report 12,222 assistance cases were provided to some 4,712,000 domestic travelers during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
The provinces that registered the most cases were: Santo Domingo 14.7%, National District 11.6%, Santiago 11.1%, and Duarte (San Francisco de Macorís) 6.25%.
The Transit Safety and Land Transportation Agency (Digesett) carried out roadblocks on the Duarte highway from Santiago, on the Coral highway from Punta Cana, and in the south from Baní, on the Sanchez highway, to ensure the safety of the return of thousands of people who traveled to the interior for the holidays.
Source: DR1, COE
Jan 3, 2022
Tourists returning from a vacation in Samana as of 1 January 2022 paid less for the return drive. The Ministry of Public Works and Communications announced the new lower tolls are in effect as of 1 January 2022 at the toll stations Autopista del Nordeste (Juan Pablo ll) and Boulevard Turístico del Atlántico toll stations.
The announcement follows the termination of the contract of the Dominican government with the builders and operators of the controversial Samana road. President Luis Abinader had said there would be an overall reduction of 20% in tolls when announcing the rescission of the contract with Autopistas del Nordeste consortium on 9 December 2021. Traffic on the road is estimated to increase 5%-10% with the reduction of the tolls.
As per the new rates, cars and SUVs will pay RD$400 at the Catey toll station, or RD$185 less. RD$200 at the Guaraguao toll, or RD$36 less. RD$60 at the Marbella toll, or RD$3.00 less.
Source: DR1, ListinDiario
Jan 3, 2022
