On September 1st I stepped off the plane in Punta Cana. I was planning to spend the next 30 days scuba diving in the incredible town of Bayahibe on the south side of the island. Truth be told, I had done limited research on this little town and was really hoping for the best. I had booked a cute AirBnB but that’s about it. I got on a shared shuttle and ended up having the whole thing to myself for the 1 hour drive to Bayahibe.
When I arrived in Bayahibe I was a bit surprised. I knew it was a small town but I didn’t realize it was that small. I could walk everywhere in about 7 minutes. Which was nice as there was a 0% chance I would be doing any driving in the Dominican Republic. The streets are a bit lawless, with many cars and motorcycles going every which way without any real rules by the looks of it. I got settled in and walked to the only real grocery store in town, Mya Market. It was a small grocery store that only had a few things but I managed to get enough food to cook in my apartment for most meals, making lots of pasta. The cost of living in Bayahibe is quite low from what I experienced. Each week I spent about $30-$50 USD on grocer
ies and a bit extra from the fruit stand on the way back home to get fresh fruit.
I usually went to the one on the map included here, there was a nice man named Carlos who spoke English which was very beneficial. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, very few people in Bayahibe spoke English.. And I spoke no Spanish at all.
My AirBnB was nice as well, it was new, clean and most importantly for me, the Wifi was very good. It was located about 10 minutes walk from Playa Bayahibe Publica. The path t
o get to the beach was quite underdeveloped but I managed to walk there most days without any issues. That is another thing to mention. Although her AirBnb was nice and new, the area it is in was not fully developed, lots of construction going on, garbage around and the streets are gravel. This was not an issue for me but if you’re expecting picturesque neighborhoods, this is not what you will get (in 2024). I lost power twice during my first few days due to a few storms but it quickly came back and was not an issue after that. The only other drawback I would say is that the water pressure is quite limited when using hot water but this was something I noticed in all buildings I stayed at in the Dominican Republic.
My second day in town, I arranged my Open Water Diving lessons through Scuba Fun. I dove with Milan and Olga who were great instructors and I had no problems at all. Included in my diving I went to Saona island and Catalina Island which are 
two day trips you can do while in Bayahibe to scuba dive, snorkel or just go for the day. The cost to complete my Open Water Dive was $375.00 and the Advanced Diving course was $310.00. I felt these were really reasonable compared to pricing back home. I added on the two island excursions as well as a cavern dive which were extra.
On week two I went to the Queva de Chicho for a few hours to go snorkeling. This was a great experience and only costs 200 pesos (3 USD) to enter the National Park. The cave is VERY dark. You will need to bring a light to illuminate the cave while you swim and the water is chilly. It is not cold, but chilly, especially compared to the ocean which is very warm in this area. I was fine but I grew up swimming in lakes in Canada which can be absolutely freezing, but I did hear a few complaints from others while I was there, each to their own.
Another free thing to do in the area is to go to Playa Dominicus. This Is about a 10 minute drive from Bayahibe and the beach is absolutely incredible. There are a few resorts with “private” areas along the beach but I just walked right in without an issue. I did not notice the beach was very busy or loud either. It was very relaxing. On Sundays it does get a bit busier as this is the day the most things close and the locals go to the beach. This is also a good vibe but if you are going for relaxation it will be quite a bit louder so I would recommend going any other day. Keep in mind I went in September which is not a very busy season.
For my last week in the Dominican Republic, I went back to Punta Cana and stayed in a lovely AirBnb just a stone’s throw from the beach. This place was also amazing, clean, modern and the Wifi was great. The only drawbacks were that you do need to 
pay for power separately which is not out of the ordinary in Punta Cana but kind of annoying. This was also the only place I went to that did not provide drinking water, so you have to bring your own, also not the end of the world. In Punta Cana I spent my evenings enjoying nice restaurants including Jellyfish, SBG, and Citrus. These are considered quite nice restaurants and the prices were very reasonable. I saw a lot of reviews indicating they were expensive but I felt the prices were more reasonable than a similar meal back home.
On September 30 I got back on the plane and headed to Curacao for the next month of my trip. I had an incredible time while in the Dominican republic. If I had access to a car there a lot more things that I would have done as this country is large and has lots to offer, but I did not have the flexibility to do everything I would have loved to do. A few things I did learn that I think are important for for solo female travelers:
- Bayahibe is very safe, I never once felt unsafe while walking around during the day or at night. Since tourism is a huge part of the economy, they do a good job keeping tourists safe.
- Your stuff is also safe. I left my things on the beach every day and spent hours walking up and down the beach and swimming and no one ever touched it. I’m not saying leave all your valuables laying out, but don’t stress it too much either.
- The culture is different. The men will cat-call you all the time. It is a given if you are a solo female. It is part of their culture, but does get a bit annoying after the first few days. It is harmless though.
- Don’t be afraid to make friends. I got to experience a few new things because I was able to befriend locals who could show me things I would have otherwise missed. Be safe about it but don’t be afraid to get to know people either.
- Uber in Punta Cana is cheap and an easy way to get around, but is not available in a lot of the smaller towns so booking a taxi or shuttle is necessary if you don’t want to drive.