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DestinationsDestinationsOther |
Dominican RepublicINTRODUCTION The Dominican Republic hosts a population influenced by Spanish, French, African, and Haitian heritage. Its territory is well recognized for its high forested mountains and large river valleys. Tourism has become one of the most important industries in the country's economy. The country is also one of contrasts--the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor. However, the Dominican Republic still remains a deired Caribbean destination. Main cities include: Santo Domingo HISTORY The Dominican Republic was discovered in 1942 by Christopher Columbus. This country shares the Hispaniola Island with Haiti, an island that was first inhabited by Tainos. For many centuries it was ruled by Spain, until France took control of the island in 1795. Toussaint Louverture, a Haitian slave and rebel, confronted the French and gained control of Santo Domingo and the entire island. He was then captured by the French and made prisoner in France, but his successors regained control, which led to the independence of Haiti. Later, with the aid of Great Britain and Haiti, Santo Domingo was returned to Spanish control. This "peaceful" agreement lasted only a few years, Haiti became officially independent in 1844. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Capital: Santo Domingo Climate: The Dominican Republic has tropical weather. The wet season lasts from May-November and hurricane season is between June-November. Currency: Dominican Peso, Euros, and U.S. dollars. Languages: Spanish Time Zone: UTC-4 Casinos are usually open from 4pm-4am. ATTRACTIONS This country has it all! Not only is it a great destination for those who seek a luxurious vacation, but it's also a great place where those craving an adventure will be able to find it in a mixture of cultures, beautiful landscapes, and personality. Finally, if you would like to experience first-hand the real Dominican Republic, its popular traditions such as Carnival, cock fights, and dancing to "merengue", are a must. RESTAURANTS This country's food has been influenced by Haitian, European, and African flavours. NIGHTLIFE Bars like "Bobos", "Hemingway's Cafe", "Doubles", "Lax", and "Pria" are great options. If dance clubs are what you're looking for, places like "Crazy Moon", "Loft", "Nowhere Bar", and "Omnos Bar" are fun places to go. LODGING Beaches and hotels of all types are a part of the tourism here. PERSONAL STORIES Punta Cana Travel Stories We stayed at the Punta Cana Occidental Resort--beautiful place, great pool, wonderful staff, and comfortable rooms. We went in August and despite what you may think, it's the nicest weather then! We went snorkeling with the biggest sharks, nurse sharks, and manta rays, which were also bigger than any I'd seen before. I didn't do too well with snorkeling-- the water kept going up my nose. We went to Chavon, a recreation of old Dominica laid out by a couple of guys from Hollywood--and it looks like it! We also went to Manati Park, which we had been to maybe 5 or 6 years before this trip. I had my picture taken with a BIG snake and a cockatoo who whistled at me and a parrot. We also stopped at a cigar museum and I got a free hand-rolled cigar. The food was terrific--there were lots of different choices. I ate a lot of avocados! We had mashed bananas the morning we left--amazingly, they taste like potatoes! I'm going to have to find the recipe for it! I stayed in the Occidental Resort Flamenco Hotel in Punta Cana. All Inclusive! Which means free food and drinks all the time. The Flamenco was a great hotel, staffed by the kindest people I've ever met in my life. It was very much a family-oriented hotel, so I don't recommend it to young, twenty-something groups looking to be rowdy. The pool was okay, if you're into that. I have a pool in my backyard in Jersey and I didn't fly out of the country to swallow chorine water. I went for the beach--and I was not the least bit disappointed! It was gorgeous. White sand and clear blue water, just like the paradise they depict in the movies. I still miss it. I went snorkeling, which was not part of the "all inclusive" package, so I had to pay about $20 American dollars. The food could be considered good if you're a total gringo. I'm not, so I wasn't impressed, but I still considered it above decent. The resort has an after hours club called "Club Mangu", which was a lot of fun and super-duper air conditioned. I drove to Punta Cana with my family from Santo Domingo. When we finally arrived in Punta Cana it took us nearly an hour to find the Flamenco because it is the furthest hotel from town. I guess some tourists are into that. We weren't. My brother-in-law is British and really wanted to check out the city, but we were only at the hotel for the weekend and couldn't bring ourselves to make the long trek into town. The city is very tourist friendly, and we saw tons of people sporting resort wristbands as we drove through en route to the Flamenco. I came for the beach and had a blast! I highly recommend it to families with small children--the hotel definitely has a kid friendly vibe to it. 
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