Travel Info Content : https://rumble.com/c/c-7840348
Spicy Travel Content here
Recently I watched a live stream of a popular travel Youtuber that currently goes by the name of International Zoe formerly known as Barber World TV that as a fellow content creator definitely hits home.
Dealing with negative comments is difficult just because they have the potential to release a lot of negative energy into your psyche.
I remember around the beginning of fall last year, people were beginning to question whether my channel had fallen off after my hot summer run in Sosua.
Those comments really got to me because there definitely was a hint of truth in them. Eventually I did stop creating content and left the Dominican Republic, because of many reasons, but definitely a part of it was the anxiety of people not only seeing it, but accurately commenting on my falling off.
Before I even got monetized on Youtube I received negative comments from large Youtubers such as Oshay Duke Jackson and Miko Worldwide. Their attacks on the failures of my channel to get views and to build an audience at the time were very daunting. It felt like looking up at Mount Everest with the feeling there's no way I can climb to the top.
Even though dealing with negative comments is difficult it does provide a consistent opportunity to be great.
Greatness can be measured in many ways, but for me I see it as someone who is able to rise above and beyond the average, the normal and what people expect.
In my case there is documented evidence of someone, Oshay Duke Jackson whose real name is Cornelius Desha, commenting that I am a struggle Youtuber.
There is documented evidence of Miko Worldwide commenting that my channel is trash and won't ever grow.
There is documented evidence of random people leaving negative comments about the downfall of my channel.
But all of this documented evidence of negativity and hate allows you as a content creator to use that as fuel in your engine to rise above it.
I definitely have risen above being a "Struggle Youtuber", without a doubt my channel has grown and my channel is definitely on the path it needs to be on.
If you are a content creator and you are not receiving any negative comments or hate either you are really lucky or you are probably not doing it right.
This Airbnb is near the main street of Abraham Lincoln Avenue so it is pretty easy to find and also is located near supermarket Nacional which is very convenient. The balcony view isn't the most spectacular, but it is still pretty nice.
Overall everything functioned very well in the apartment and is definitely very well equipped for short term stays or long term stays. I wasn't there for very long, but while I was there the internet worked very well.
One important factor to keep in mind is that they do ask you to send a photo of some id of yourself and whoever you may be staying with you. I completed that process so I didn't have any issues, but if I hadn't I don't know what would have happened.
So if you are interested you can check out the link for the airbnb here.
When I left the Dominican Republic in November a part of me really thought I would never come back. At the time my confidence was really low and I was suffering a lot of anxiety attacks.
Fortunately with time and a lot of mental and emotional work, I am flying back out to the Dominican Republic.
One of the reasons why I love the Dominican Republic is that they are all about tourists visiting the country.
When I got to the airport the American Airlines front desk lady asked me if I had taken the vaccine. I told her no. And she started to look through her database to see if the DR required it.
The country does not require any vaccines to enter the country so that is a blessing because there are some countries that are still requiring foreigners to have it.
Now one thing you do need to have before you fly to the Dominican Republic is the E-Ticket that you can print off or download on your phone.
This is actually my second time flying into the Puerto Plata airport. I would suggest flying into this airport if you know you are going to be in the north coast of the country for the beginning of your trip.
Typically flights to the POP are more expensive than to Santo Domingo (SDQ), but if you are going to be in Puerto Plata, Sosua or Cabarete anyways, might as well skip the four hour Caribe Express bus ride.
The Puerto Plata airport is only 20 minutes away from Sosua and about 25- 30 minutes away from the city, Puerto Plata.
Recently I got back from my two week trip to the Dominican Republic. I was really happy to be able to make videos again and get into that mode.
But what I'm even happier about that I was able to get done on the trip was checking out some apartments that I had previously been looking at online.
I visited three different physical properties in Sosua and one realtor who had two projects that would be completed in 2025 in Puerto Plata.
During those visits there are a couple of noteworthy things that I learned and observed.
African Americans Run Sosua
The first property I visited was called Carnival Apartments located right across from Hotel Europa.
I was attracted to that place because the prices were very low. They had apartments between USD $25,000 - $45,000.
But when I saw the apartments I realized why they were that low. They weren't really bad necessarily, but it lacked a certain quality. They almost seemed like man caves, which is fine, but something about it I just know I wouldn't want to invite any chicas back to that spot.
Something that I did take away from that visit though was a conversation with the real estate agent and the owner of the property.
For whatever reason we were talking about the diversity of Sosua and the real estate agent commented that some 20 or 30 years ago there were more Europeans pumping money into Sosua, but that now it's the black Americans who are really keeping Sosua afloat.
Having lived in Sosua for 7 months in 2022 that statement didn't really surprise me, but was reassuring in the sense that as a black man it is a great time to invest in Sosua and Puerto Plata, because it is becoming more of a haven for African Americans everyday.
25k - 40k For A Nice One Is A Wobbler
The second property I visited was Hotel Plaza Europa. When I met the real estate agent she informed me that the apartment that she was going to show me just had been sold that day.
The place she was going to show me was basically like a room more than a studio or apartment, but the asking price was USD $45,000.
However there was another studio available in the same building for $55,000. So I checked it out and it was way better than the first property mostly just because it was cleaner, put together better, and I'd definitely feel okay having a chica or two come over.
Now the price of 55k in the Dominican Republic is high for a studio apartment. You can definitely find a two or three bedroom place for that price, but that's more of in the real local areas.
Overall just from what I learned from the real estate agents I talked to the cheaper apartments for purchase in the Puerto Plata and Sosua area are going to be around the price range of 45 - 70k.
You can find some great places under that price range, but those properties will probably be in more local areas.
Personally, if I was looking to buy a place because I want to live in that property for a long time it wouldn't really matter if it was in a local spot or near more foreigners.
But right now I am looking for a spot that can eventually build some passive income so location is everything.
Playa Dorada
The last bit of noteworthy information that I gleamed from one of the real estate agents is that Playa Dorada is definitely the place to buy in Puerto Plata.
She told me the market was kind of stagnant two or three years ago, but that right now properties are selling like hot cakes.
I didn't exactly ask her why that was the case, but I imagine with other real estate markets around the world and particularly in the US not looking so great, there are more people looking to purchase quality property for a cheaper price abroad.
Playa Dorada is a great spot, because it's its own great and gated community in one of the best cities to live in in the Dominican Republic.