Triparound travel community

Holidays in Dominican Republic

Understanding Dominican Republic

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

The island was first inhabited by the Taínos, an Arawakan-speaking people who had arrived around AD 600 Within a few short years following the arrival of European explorers the population of Tainos had significantly declined

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


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

Terrain

Rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed

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


Talking in Dominican Republic

The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish You will find some Spanish-English bilingual locals especially in Santo Domingo and tourist areas If you speak some Spanish, most Dominicans will try hard to meet you half way and communicate If you have a problem, you can probably find someone who speaks sufficient English or probably French and possible German, Italian or Russian to help you out Dominicans are quite friendly and will be quite helpful if you are polite and respectful Haitians living in the DR may speak a variation of French and you may hear a few African and Arawakan words interspersed with the Spanish, especially in rural areas Communication should not be a problem even for those who speak only a minimum of Spanish If you are traveling to one of the large all-inclusive hotels, you will have no language problems

Buying stuff in Dominican Republic

One of the best spots in the Colonial District of Santo Domingo to shop is the several blocks long outdoor mall, El Conde street It offers everything from street vendors it is 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 Clothes, however, are generally very economical and often of good quality Most prices can be negotiated US dollars are accepted in most areas

Food and eating in Dominican Republic

  • Black Boys Bar Newtown end of Newtown before Castle Comfort look for sign on road 8am - 12am Eat and drink local food and rum at this waterside local-style bar Try fried plantains, codfish and bakes, fried fish and tamarind balls under the coconut trees with BlackBoy's choice of reggae music

Drinking in Dominican Republic

  • Beer- Presidente, Brahma, Bohemia
  • Rum- Brugal, Barcelo, Bermudez Called the Three B's of Dominican Rum
  • Mama Juana- a mixture of bark and herbs left to soak in rum, red wine and honey

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

Accommodation in Dominican Republic

Lodging in the Dominican Republic is plentiful, with options ranging from huge, all-inclusive beach resorts to more personal options scattered along the coasts and in the cities, including Moon Palace Casino, Golf & Spa Resort Hotels charge a 25% room tax, so inquire beforehand to determine if that tax is included in the listed room price

Working in Dominican Republic

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

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

  • Orphanage Outreach 9
  • Dominican Foundation 10
  • International Student Volunteers Dominican Republic 11
  • The DREAM Project 12
  • Peace Corps Dominican Republic 13
  • IDDI 14

Cities in Dominican Republic

azua  bajos de haina  bani  barahona  bayaguana  bonao  cabral  comendador  constanza  cotui  dajabon  duverge  el penon  el seibo  esperanza  fantino  hato mayor  higuey  jarabacoa  jimani  la mata  la romana  las guaranas  las matas de farfan  la vega  maimon  mao  moca  monte cristi  monte plata  nagua  neiba  pedernales  pimentel  puerto plata  quisqueya  sabana grande de boya  salcedo  samana  sanchez  san cristobal  san francisco de macoris  san ignacio de sabaneta  san jose de ocoa  san juan de la maguana  san pedro de macoris  santiago  santo domingo  sosua  tamayo  tamboril  villa altagracia  villa bisono  villa vazquez  

What do you think about Dominican Republic?

TripAround.org, your travel companion

We all like to travel. I created Triparound.org for you and me and others like us, people who are always looking for somewhere to travel. Be it a country you've never been to before, or a country you've visited for seven times already. Create your travel profile and share your travel updates with friends, find the perfect cheap flight tickets and book the cheapest hotels around the world. In case of any problems, just drop me a line!

Where to start?

The best place to start, obviously, would be to create register (for free) and create your own traveller profile and start sharing your travel updates with friends. And of course, any time you start thinking of going travelling, use Triparound.org to search for flights, cheap hotels and rooms as well as things to do while travelling.

Disclosure

Please note that we really do recommend the sites we share with you, be it for hotels, flights or anything else. We use them ourselves as well. In case of some links our affiliates codes have been embedded, just to help us keep working on this site.