From Wikitravel

The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean country that occupies the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The western one-third of Hispaniola is occupied by the country of Haiti. To the north lies the North Atlantic Ocean, while the Caribbean Sea lies to the south.

Note 

Should not be confused with the Caribbean island country of Dominica.

[edit] Regions

Administrative divisions 

31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Bahoruco, Barahona, Dajabón, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, Elias Pina, El Seibo, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, Sanchez Ramirez, San Cristobal, San José de Ocoa San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris,Santo Domingo, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Valverde

[edit] Cities

• Santo Domingo - Capital.
• Higüey
• Juan Dolio
• La Romana
• Puerto Plata
• Punta Cana
• San Pedro de Macoris
• Santa Barbara De Samana
• Santiago de los Caballeros
• Sosua
• Rio San Juan

[edit] Other destinations

• Bayahibe
• Bonao-- secluded village
• Cabarete
• Constanza
• Dominicus
• Jarabacoa
• Las Terrenas
• Miches
• Playa Bonita -- secluded beach strip popular with Europeans and Americans in the know

[edit] National Parks

• Los Haitises National Park
• Jaragua National Park
• National Park Isla Cabritos
• Armando Bermudez National Park
• Jose Del Carmen Ramirez National Park
• Sierra del Bahoruco National Park
• Parque Nacional del Este
• Monte Cristi National Park
• Parque Historico La Isabela

[edit] Climate

Tropical maritime with little seasonal temperature variation There is a seasonal variation in rainfall. The island lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and is subject to severe storms from June to October. It experiences occasional flooding and periodic droughts.

[edit] Terrain

Rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed.

Elevation extremes 

lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m

[edit] History

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.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

The main airports (in alphabetical order) are:

• (AZS) Samana, also known as "El Catey", located between the towns of Nagua and Samana on the north coast
• (JBQ) "La Isabela" airport in Santo Domingo, mainly for domestic flights but also receives some flights from other Caribbean islands
• (LRM) La Romana on the south east coast
• (POP) Puerto Plata, also known as "Gregorio Luperon" on the north coast
• (PUJ) Punta Cana International in the east, the busiest in the country
• (SDQ) Santo Domingo, also known as "Las Americas" on the south coast close to the capital city Santo Domingo
• (STI) Santiago also known as "Cibao International" in Santiago de los Caballeros (the country's 2nd largest city)

You can get flights from Europe via Madrid (MAD) or Paris (CDG). From the US, you can fly from New York, Ft. Lauderdale,Miami, Philadelphia,San Juan,Atlanta or Charlotte.Most European and Canadian cities have charter flight connections, which operate seasonally.

You will be charged $10 for a tourist card on arrival. This must be paid in $US or EUROs (€). Local currency, GBP, etc, will not be accepted.A departure tax of $20 cash is payable on most charter and some scheduled flights. Check your airline for details.

Taxi fares to nearby hotels are posted just outside the airports.

Taxi from Airport to Santo Domingo (Ciudad Colonial): it is about $25/30 (maximum), but if you have time to discuss the prices, you can get it for $12-13 (maybe less). There are many taxi touts. They ask you for tips to 'find' you a taxi. Walk outside alone, decline the tout, keep hold of your baggage and save yourself a few dollars tip.

At the airport, you can change your US$ and € in Dominican Pesos. But beware! You may not be able to exchange back local money to US$ and €, so do it before leaving.

[edit] By train

Train networks are currently being developed but travel by rail is not currently available.

[edit] By car

Cars may be rented through Hertz, Prestige Car Rentals, or other agencies in Santo Domingo and other major cities. Gasoline, however, is extremely expensive often costing upward of US$6/gallon. Some roads, especially in remote areas, are fairly dangerous (often without lane divisions) and many people tend not to respect oncoming traffic. However, road conditions on the major highways are roughly similar to road conditions in the United States and western Europe. Highway DR-1, for example, which connects the cities of Santo Domingo and Santiago, is a modern, four-lane, divided expressway, upon which travelers should experience few problems if any. Probably the biggest challenge that an international visitor to the Dominican Republic will face if he or she chooses to rent a car is not so much dealing with automobile traffic, but rather avoiding accidentally running over the many pedestrians who cross poorly-lit streets and highways in the evening and nighttime hours, as well as avoiding crashing into the seemingly omnipresent scooters and motorbikes, whose drivers often seem to either forget about or just simply ignore the presence of heavy vehicles on the roads. Other than these relatively minor obstacles though, driving in the Dominican Republic should not be particularly difficult for any driver with at least 5-10 years of driving experience.

[edit] By boat

There is a ferry that travels between Mayagüez in Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic. The website says the journey takes 12 hours, leaves Puerto Rico on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8PM, and arrives in Dominican Republic at 8am the next morning.

For prices and bookings, visit the Ferries Del Caribe website, in Spanish only. [1]

[edit] Get around

Options for getting around the country include bus service, 'gua-guas' (pronounced "Gwa-Gwas": small battered vans or trucks that serve as a collective taxi running fixed routes that are very cheap but can also very overloaded), domestic air flights and charter air service. There is no rail system in the country. Most towns and cities have regularly scheduled bus service, if not by one of the big bus companies, than by gua-gua. The bus lines are most often simple, independently run operations, usually only connecting two cities within a region (Southwest, East, North) or between one city and the capital (with stops made for any towns on the route). Because of the geography of the country, to get from one region of the country to another you have to go through the capital.

Caribe Tours [2], based out of the capital, is the biggest bus company, and has coverage in most regions that are not well-served by the other 'official' bus companies. Unlike taxis and gua-guas, Caribe Tour rates are fixed by destination and are extremely reasonable due to government subsidies. Expect to pay under 250 pesos (Dom) or US$10 for even the longest trips. Caribe Tour buses typically run from 7AM to 4PM (with departures approx. every two hours) and cover most major cities. On longer trips, expect a short (10 minute) stop for coffee and lunch. Buses are fairly luxurious with movies playing for the entire trip and air conditioning (which can be extremely cold - bring a sweater). The 'unofficial' gua-gua system covers nearly every road on the island for some moderate savings (if you don't mind being packed in).

Taxi services are available but potentially dangerous when dealing with unlicensed drivers. In all cases, it's a good idea to go with a licensed driver and negotiate a price for your destination before you leave. Good drivers are often easy to identify by licenses worn around the neck, uniforms, and clean air conditioned vehicles. When calling a taxi company, you will be given a number to verify your driver. When being picked up, make sure your driver gives you the right number as 'false pickups' are often a prelude to robbery.

Another way to get out and about is to book an excursion or transfers with Cocotours, one of the Dominican Republic's leading inbound tour operators. Cocotours has offices in:

• La Romana
• Puerto Plata
• Punta Cana
• Samana.

[edit] Talk

Spanish, Dominican style. Very Caribbean. English understood in the Santo Domingo airport and luxury tourist areas only. Do not expect to be able to get around without understanding and being able to speak some Spanish.

[edit][add listing] Buy

One of the best spots in the Colonial District of Santo Domingo to shop is the several blocks long outdoor mall, c/ El Conde. It offers everything from street vendors (it is definitely NOT recommended to eat off these) to knock-off name brand clothing for extremely inexpensive prices. There are some very pleasant outdoor restaurants that serve as perfect spots to people watch and drink Presidente (their most popular beer). During the day, there are also several touristy shops where you can buy cheap presents for the family back home including authentic paintings and beautiful jewelry. There is also a very nice cigar shop at the end of the mall across from the cathedral. Crafts are generally not as exciting as in other Latin American countries such as Mexico. Clothes, however, are generally very economical and often of good quality. Most prices can be negotiated. US dollars are accepted in some areas.

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Beer- Presidente, Brahma, Bohemia
• Rum- Brugal, Barcelo, Bermudez (Called the Three B's of Dominican Rum)

Additionally, other imported drinks are available for purchase--at least in the towns and cities--they might not be as readily available out in the countryside.

Do not drink tap water! Locals, even in the most rural areas, will either boil their water or purchase bottled water. Eating salads or other food that may be washed in tap water is not advisable. Ice is a bad idea as well, except in luxury hotels and restaurants (which produce ice from bottled water). If you plan on cooking or washing dishes for longer stays, it is a good idea to rinse everything with bottled or boiled water before use.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace Resort, Bayahibe, Tel: (809) 686-5658, Fax: (809) 687-8583 ,[3]. Located on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic facing the gorgeous islands of Saona and Catalina, the 83,000-square-foot hotel boasts the island's most beautiful white sand beaches.

• Playa Hotel Esmerelda, Paseo Vicini, Guayacanes, San Pedro de Marcorís, Tel: (001809) 526-3434 , [4]. Located in Samana a short walk from the bay, expect to pay around $20 (US) or 700 pesos (Dom.) a night for a clean and recently furnished (June 2007) room with a shower, television and wall mounted AC. Hotel is subject to local power outages and English is not spoken by hotel staff.

• The Secret Garden, in a resort between Cabarete and Sosua, Tel: (001809) 571-2035 , [5]. Located in a private resort between Sosua and Cabarete The Secret Garden offers Englich/German/Spanish/Hungarian speaking, friendly European host, large and clean one bedroom apartments with batrooms, private pool and access to one of most beautiful coast on the Dominican Republic without all the crowd. They will help with local attractions, tours, provide you with airport pick-up/drop-off service, have you taste various bananas, coconuts or even if you wish cook you excellent breakfast and dinner.

• Vacation home rentals in Dominican Republic

[edit] Learn

Many US universities offer study abroad options for the Dominican Repubilc. The two most common cities hosting exchange students are Santo Domingo and Santigo. Check with local universities for programs and prices.

[edit] Work

Most companies do not require anything more than a Passport to work. There are a lot of North American companies [USA] in the country, especially in Santo Domingo and DN (aka National District). There are good opportunities for English speaking employees. The country has several free zones, lots of them in the Call Center area.

[edit] Volunteering

There are several volunteer opportunities in the Dominican Republic. Many worldwide organizations offer extended travel for anyone willing to volunteer their time to work with locals on projects such as community development, conservation, wildlife sanctuary maintenance & development, scientific research, & education programs.

• Dominican Foundation
• International Student Volunteers Dominican Republic
• The DREAM Project
• Peace Corps Dominican Republic

[edit] Stay safe

The age of consent is 18. Tourists who have sex with minors may also be prosecuted by their home country. Using common sense is the best way to stay safe.

Tourists are advised not to travel alone in cities if possible as muggings are fairly common. Streets are largely unlit after dark, even in the captial of Santo Domingo, and are subject to routine power outages. Wild dogs are common throughout the country but largely ignore people (feeding these dogs is not recommended as this may induce aggressive behavior). Western travellers are advised to dress casually and remove rings and other jewelery when away from tourist destinations. However common tourist destinations, in particular the more expensive, luxury hotels and areas are very safe.

Corruption is rampant and the level of professionalism of the National Police is somewhat debatable. To protect income from tourism the government has established the Polit Tour or "tourist police" [6] which is tasked with the safety of foreign tourists. Travellers are advised to contact this agency if any problems are encountered as they will have a much more positive response than with the national police.

[edit] Stay healthy

Malaria has been an issue, especially in the rainforests. Be sure to consult with a physician before departure.

There is a risk of dengue fever which is contracted through mosquitos that bite during the day. No vaccine is available, so using mosquito repellent is advisable.

Additionally, many of the local foods are safe to eat including the meats, fruits, and vegetables.

Visitors, however, should not drink any of the local water and should stay with bottled water or other beverages. It is important for visitors to stay hydrated in the hot, humid climate. Sunburn and sun poisoning are a great risk. The sun is very bright here. Use at least SPF30 sunblock. Limit sun exposure.

[edit] Respect

Dominicans are kind and peaceful people. Attempts at speaking Spanish are a good sign of respect for the local people. Be polite, show respect and do your best to speak the language and you will be treated with kindness.

AVOID talking about Haiti! Some Dominicans still don't respect Haitian people since the border wars in the 1800's and 1900's. Trujillo's government also massacred tens of thousands of Haitians in the 1960's, which fueled the conflict. Gang Wars can erupt along the border, so stay cautious! When staying at the luxury resorts or really any place in the Dominican republic, it is advisable to tip for most services. The Dominican Republic is still a fairly poor country and by tipping the people who serve you, you are sure to be treated well.

[edit] Contact

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