When you walk around in Sosua, you will see souvenir shops that sell the same things, girls that want to braid your hair, prositutes who will try to latch onto you even if your with your partener, men sitting on the side of the road hugging guns and restaurants that don't look very clean. Be prepared for every shop owner trying to draw you into their shop; it can be very stressful and might make it hard to enjoy yourself. There is a a market right on the beach full  of souvenir shops; try to go on a busy, sunny day so you might not get so as much attention from the eager shopkeepers since they'll be busier.  If you venture out after dark you will be offered all kinds of drugs.

If you rent a bicycle and go around Sosua; outside the hotel area, things are very desolate.  Broken roads, empty shops of all kinds. Spend your money on tours like the catamaran, the shopping tour, the safari and canyoning.  You will get to see to the beautiful side of DR and stay in your dream like vacation state.  Otherwise you will have a rude awakening.  

Watch out for the police and drugs they are running a scam outside the hotels with either under cover cops or the local lads on bikes pushing drugs onto you then getting the police to arrest you. the scam is then to then force you to pay huge £900 fines or they will send you to prison.  So be warned!  Even the cops are criminals