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Nestled amid Cuba, Jamaica, and
Puerto Rico in the heart of the Caribbean
archipelago, the island of Hispaniola
(Little 
Spain)
is divided between Haiti, on the westernmost
third of the island, and the Dominican
Republic, which has a lush landmass
about the size of Vermont and New
Hampshire combined. In the Dominican
interior, the fertile Valley of Cibao
(rich sugarcane country) ends its
upward sweep at Pico Duarte, the highest
mountain peak in the West Indies,
which soars to 3,125m (10,417 ft.).
What
you notice first about the Dominican
Republic is its size. This is not
just another tiny Caribbean island
with a beach and a straw market. Instead,
it's a big country with spectacularly
varied scenery that 
includes
the tallest mountains in the region,
stretches of white sand that run unbroken
for miles and the Caribbean's oldest
and -- some claim -- most cosmopolitan
city, Santo Domingo.
The
people of the Dominican Republic are
among the friendliest in the Caribbean,
and the hospitality here seems more
genuine than in more commercialized
destinations. The weather is nearly
perfect year-round.
The
combination of low prices and beautiful
terrain has made the Dominican Republic
one of the fastest-growing destinations
in the Caribbean. Don't expect the
lavish, spectacular resorts (although
excellent) that you'll find on Puerto
Rico or Jamaica, but do expect your
vacation to be that much less expensive.
Background
Explored
and claimed by Columbus on his first
voyage in 1492, the island of Hispaniola
became a springboard for Spanish conquest
of the Caribbean and the American
mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized
French dominion over the western third
of the island, which in 1804 became
Haiti. The remainder of the island,
by then known as Santo Domingo, sought
to gain its own independence in 1821,
but was conquered and ruled by the
Haitians for 22 years; it finally
attained independence as the Dominican
Republic in 1844. A legacy of unsettled,
mostly non-representative, rule for
much of its subsequent history was
brought to an end in 1966 when Joaquin
BALAGUER became president. He maintained
a tight grip on power for most of
the next 30 years when international
reaction to flawed elections forced
him to curtail his term in 1996. Since
then, regular competitive elections
have been held in which opposition
candidates have won the presidency.
The Dominican economy has had one
of the fastest growth rates in the
hemisphere over the past decade.
Getting
There
The Dominican Republic has seven international
airports. The most used airports are:
Las Américas International Jose
Francisco Peña Gomez Airport,
20 minutes east of Santo Domingo
Puerto Plata International Gregorio
Luperón Airport, 15 minutes from
Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata and Sosúa
Punta Cana's International Airport (have
a look at the photo)
María Montez International in
Barahona
La Romana International
Santiago International Airport
Herrera Airport in Santo Domingo
El Portillo Airport in Samaná
The Arroyo Barril International Airport
in Samaná.
Flying Times: from New York (3-1/4 hrs),
from Miami (1-3/4 hrs), from San Juan
(35 mins), from Toronto (5 hrs), from
Santiago de Chile (8 hrs), from most
European cities (8-10 hrs).
American
Airlines
Direct Service From New York, Miami
and San Juan Puerto Rico
Continental
Airlines
Direct Service From Newark Airport /
NY City to Santo Domingo
COPA
Airlines
Direct Service to Havana and Santiago,
Cuba from Santo Domingo
IBERIA
Airlines
Direct Service from Santo Domingo to
Dusseldorf - Germany
Lufthansa
/ Condor
Direct Service to Munich-Germany with
connections to the rest of Europe
MartinAir
Holland
Direct Service to Amsterdam - Holland.
Also service from Puerto Plata &
Punta Cana Travel
Tips
All nationalities require a valid passport
(except nationals of Canada and the
USA staying up to 90 days only need
holding appropriate ID such as a Birth
Certificate and a Driver's Licence which
proves citizenship and nationals of
Germany holding a National Identity
Card).
Visas are required for nationals of
all countries except for the following:
nationals of Argentina, Ecuador, Iceland,
Israel, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein
and Uruguay as tourists for a maximum
of 90 days.
nationals of the following countries
are entitled to travel on Tourist cards
if holding valid passports: Albania,
Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba,
Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados,
Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile,
Croatia, Curaçao, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Dominica, Finland, France and
French Overseas Territories, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica,
Mexico, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway,
Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Russian Federation, St Lucia, St Vincent
& the Grenadines, San Marino, Slovak
Rep, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden,
Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago,
Turks and Caicos Islands, the UK, the
USA (including Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
and Hawaii), Venezuela and Yugoslavia
Fed Rep.
foreign nationals who are legal residents
of Canada, Denmark, France, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands,
Portugal, Spain, the UK, the USA and
Venezuela in possession of a valid passport
are also entitled to travel on Tourist
Cards.
All visitors who enter the country are
required to purchase a tourist card
(tarjeta del tourista) which cost US$
10 This card is very often included
with the airline ticket, otherwise they
can be obtained at the airport or at
the border crossings. The card allows
tourists to remain in the country for
a maximum of 90 days (single entry).
Important tip: sometimes, the tourist
card given to you by officers is not
really your own card ! So you can feel
very upset not to have your personal
own card. Don't panic. As long as you
have a tourist card, it is not a problem.
Your local contact will tell you that
is normal and that you won't be annoyed
at time of departure.
Travel
Tips
Getting
Around
Air
Santo Domingo or Sapair
operate scheduled flights between the
principal tourism regions of the Dominican
Republic.
Taxis
There is more than one type of taxi
in the Dominican Republic. When you
step off a plane or out of your hotel,
you will almost certainly find a "tourist"
taxi. A few years ago the government
funded new taxis. They are now Hundai
minivans or cars. All are sand colored.
They replace the 70's vintage American
gas guzzlers that used to transport
tourists. Tourist taxis fiercely protect
their territory against other forms
of transport. Not surprising since their
prices are double those of the vintage
Japanese cars that the city taxis use.
In the large cities you will find "carro
conchos" who cruise the main streets
like buses, constantly stopping to take
on or disgorge passengers.
They only charge a few pesos and are
practical for short rides along the
same street. Don't look for a taxi meter
in the Dominican Republic. Tourist taxis
usually have posted rates at the entrance
to resorts.
Motorcycle taxis
Known as "moto conchos"
they abound except for downtown Santo
Domingo. They charge double at night
which means 20 or more pesos instead
of 10 for a fairly short ride. They
are not practical for long trips and
are involved in lots of accidents.
Buses
In contrast to car rentals and taxis,
buses are cheap, safer, and fun. You
will come in contact with real Dominicans.
Metro Tours, Terra Bus and Caribe tours
are for long trips, for example Santo
Domingo to Puerto Plata. Clean modern
and comfortable they are a bargain.
They work by reservation except on Holidays.
Other intercity buses offer express
and air conditioned services. If the
bus is not express it will make lots
of stops. Fine if you have all the time
in the world. Local buses (guaguas)
will take you to the next town for a
dollar or so. The only problem with
buses is that they stop operating at
about 9 PM, so you can't use them at
night.
Car Rentals
Major car rental companies have airport
and city locations, such as Honda, National,
Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar, Nelly
Rent-a-Car, Dollar and many others.
A valid driver's license and major credit
cards are required to rent a car for
up to 90 days. Driving is on the right
hand side and the speed limit is 60
kph in the cities and 80 kph or 100
kph on the highways, unless otherwise
indicated.
There are only two problems with this,
cost and safety. You will find that
the cost of car rentals is higher than
you are used to in your home country.
Safety is not a problem if you learn
and apply the Dominican rules of the
road. Simply stated; there are none!
It is a big free for all. Most traffic
police are on foot and almost nobody
stops on their signal. With no radio
and no pursuit car, it is a mismatch.
In other words traffic law enforcement
is close to zero. If renting a car can
be hazardous, renting a motorcycle is
doubly so, but it is cheaper. Be very
careful.
Money
The peso is the national currency, however
many businesses would rather get paid
in American dollars if they can. The
exchange rate is pegged to the US dollar
and has been fairly stable in recent
years.
You should exchange as little as possible
in your home country, as well as at
the airports where the rates are generally
slightly less favorable. Exchange bureaus
in the Dominican Republic are your best
bet to get a good exchange rate, which
are usually slightly higher than the
official rate, particularly for US dollars.
Most tourist areas have bank machines
from which you can withdraw D.R. pesos
directly from North American or European
bank accounts at the current official
exchange rates (ask your bank for details).
VISA and MasterCard are accepted at
most hotels, restaurants and businesses,
and American Express is accepted often
but less commonly. Cash forwarding servicing
can be obtained at all Dominican banks.
Travelers checks of all major currencies
can be readily exchanged for pesos at
all banks. Don't forget to bring your
passport along if you want to avoid
difficulties in using either traveler
checks or credit cards.
Mail service
You can choose between two services.
The official postal service will send
your postcard to your friends within
10 days. The private postal services
send your mails via Miami within 7 days
(25 pesos per postcard). The private
postal service is more performant. Some
people using the official postal service
receive their mails within... 2 months
! The best way is to give your mails
to your local correspondent. He will
send them in good conditions.
Safety
It is perfectly safe to walk around
tourist areas and towns during the day.
Criminality rate is lower than in European
cities. Most resorts have security personnel,
and the beaches are also patrolled periodically.
When going into town, or out of the
resort area at night, use common sense,
just as you would anywhere else. Don't
wear expensive jewelry or flash large
sums of money around !
Topless sunbathing
Topless sunbathing is quite common.
It's not a Dominican custom, just the
fact that many of the tourists are European,
and topless sunbathing is natural for
them. Many hotels do not allow topless
sunbathing around the pool areas. The
best way is to choose a sunbathing place
at the end of the beach area in order
to not disturb families and people who
don't want to see topless bodies...
Electricity
The D.R. uses 110 volts, the same as
in North America (including outlets)
so North Americans can use their appliances
as usual. Transformers are necessary
for European appliances. One of the
main problems in the country are the
recurrent power shortages which often
occur for several hours at all hours
of the day or night, so it may be a
good idea to bring along a small flashlight
for sudden power cut-offs. Most hotels
have generators to make up for this
deficiency, but some of the smaller
ones may not and you never know when
it may cut off.
Climate
DR has a tropical climate with an average
temperature of 82 in summer, 78 in winter.
Remember to use plenty of sunscreen.
If however you plan to make a trip into
the mountains, bring warm clothes as
there can be frost in the upper altitudes.
Time
There are no time changes in the D.R.
over the year, which stays on Atlantic
Standard time (Greenwich Time -5) throughout
the year. So in the winter, the time
is one hour ahead of New York/Montreal,
while in the summer it's the same.
Water
NEVER DRINK WATER FROM THE TAP which
has not been thoroughly boiled. Fresh,
bottled drinking water is sold everywhere.
Telephones
The country's area code is 809, and
you can dial directly to and from the
USA and Canada by first dialing 1 and
then the number. There are numerous
telecommunications centers for direct
international calls or to send FAXs
in all towns and cities, and especially
in the tourist centers. Prices are very
competitive between the national phone
company CODETEL, and other long distance
providers such as TRICOM, TURITEL and
ALL AMERICAN, with charges usually calculated
on the spot by computer.
Taxes/Tipping
The government charges a 5% extra tax
on hotel rooms, and an 8% sales tax
on food and drinks. In most tourist
centers, prices for food are usually
quite moderate (except for the occasional
high scale places) because of fierce
competition. Restaurants typically also
charge a 10% service charge, but wages
in this sector are very low and most
employees rely on extra tips to survive.
Generally customers should pay an additional
5 to 10 %, especially if the service
has been good.
Bargaining
It is a tradition in the Dominican Republic.
You have to haggle, especially in gift
shops and in the street. Of course,
don't try to haggle the price of your
room in a luxury complex ! If you don't
know how to haggle, just say no when
the merchant proposes his first price.
He will propose a new, cheaper rate.
Dominican people are very proud.
Don't haggle too much, it's a lack of
respect. Don't refuse to talk with them
as if they were begging something. Just
smile and say "no gracias",
they will kindly answer "okay",
and they will leave you alone.
Haggle using pesos, not dollars (you
will pay more because prices are more
expensive when haggling using dollars).
When the price is defined, you can pay
using dollars, but only use 1,2,5,10
dollar bills.
Dress
Dress is casual in most of the country.
Pack plenty of loose-fitting cotton
clothes. If you want to blend in, don't
wear shorts. And save your swimsuit
for the ocean or the pool. Like most
other Latino societies, the Dominican
Republic tends to be formal, and the
importance of good dress cannot be overstated.
If you plan to dine at nice restaurants
and visit the nightclubs in Santo Domingo,
be sure to include some semiformal attire.
Los Dominicanos, as the residents are
known, dress with class when they go
out. Men wear suits and ties (or at
least slacks and a collared shirt) and
women wear cocktail dresses
Medical Information
Medical Services and Facilities
Most resorts have a doctor on call or
in-house. Hospitals and doctors expect
immediate payment in cash or credit
card after providing care. Receipts
are given for re-imbursment by your
insurance company.
In Puerto Plata the "Clinica Dr.
Brugal" has a 24hr emergency room,
as does the "Centro Medico Sosua"
in Sosua. In Santo Domingo there is
the "Centro Medico Universidad
Central del Este", "Clinica
Abreu" and "Clinica Gomez
Patino" which all have 24hr emergency
rooms.
Note: Make sure to obtain medical insurance
before your trip.
Medication
Remember to pack all medication you
use. Medication should be packed in
your carry-on just in case your luggage
is lost. Though there are doctors that
will prescribe medication for you, chances
are they might not have the same medication
as you are taking or will not prescribe
it without a medical history.
Siesta
The tradition of a long lunch, which
is the major meal of the day, is generally
observed, and so many shops close from
12:30 to 2:30 PM.
