Dominican Republic.
Dominican Republic is on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. This island is reminiscent of the island of Ireland, in that it is split into two distinct national identities. To the east you have the once Spanish controlled Dominican Republic and to the west you have the once French controlled Haiti. The island now is home to two independent nation states, and it has been this way since the early to mid 1800's.
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| punta-cana-airport Image by James Jang from Pixabay |
Airports
There are 7 international airports; the main ones are, Punta Cana, Samana, La Romana, Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo. Where American will use all of them, Europeans mainly fly into the Dominican Republic through Punta Cana airport. If you are travelling from Europe, check which airport is nearest to the resort where you will be staying. The island is bigger than you think, and if you have to get a transfer from the wrong airport, this can get costly.
Destinations
There are a few tourist destinations. In no particular order, here they are: Punta Cana and Bavaro (The Coconut Coast), Sosúa, Puerto Plata, Samana, Santiago, Santo Domingo, Juan Dolio, Boca Chica, La Romana, Cabarete, & Bayahibe.
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| Cabarete, Sosúa Dominican Republic |
Safety
In general, The Domican Republic is safe. There are some things that you should be aware of. If you leave the safety of your resort or accommodation, take with you copies of your ID. Leave your originals somewhere secure at the accommodation. Never walk around outside the resort alone, or at night. While the Dominican Republic is generally safe, it is rife with crime, some of which is violent. Never take your credit/debit cards out with you. Have only the cash that you are likely to need. When you venture out alone or in small groups, have two lots of cash. One, a smaller amount of cash that you don't mind losing, and a larger amount of cash hidden In the unlucky event that you are stopped by the police, only admit to the smaller amount of cash. This way you avoid losing all your cash, via an on the spot fine. If you want to venture out for some cultural experiences; see more of the island, and it is a beautiful island, consider making reservations on planned excursions. You can see a list of activities here, Dominican Republic Excursions. You could argue that the Dominican Republic is no more or less safe than European or American inner cities, especially the depressed areas, so when you go on holiday, remember to pack your common sense, and don't take any more risks than you would at home.
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| la Romana Image by photosforyou from Pixabay |
La Romana
Originally founded on sugarcane in the 19th century, La Romana grew quickly to produce tobacco, beeswax, cattle, hides and other produce. Despite its paradisical location stunning topography, political turmoil and war prevented the Dominican Republic from accepting tourists until around the 1930's, and it had modest growth until the 1970's, when Casa de Campo and Altos de Chavón (a reconstructed 16th century village gave a boost to tourism in La Romana, which has since blossomed into the resort that we know today. Visit Santo Domingo from La Romana.
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| Punta Cana Beach Scene Image by DEZALB from Pixabay |
Punta Cana
As recently as 1969 Punta Borrachon, translated as Drunken Point (as it was known then), had no tourism. 30 miles squared stretch of land was purchased by a small group of men. As inhospitable as the area was, it had the mos incredible crystal clear waters, coconut palms and white sand beaches. So, Frank R. Rainieri gathered together 4 other highly influential and affluent men to form Groupo Punta Cana. In 1971 the first resort which comprised 10 cabins accommodating up to 40 was built in this area that was originally impenetrable jungle and bush, with only a handful of fishing villages and no access roads or infrastructure. The first resort 'Punta Cana Club' was pretty self-sufficient; it included an employee's area, a clubhouse, a power plant and a small dirt runway airport which could accept small light aircraft. So began the tourism in Punta Cana.
Built in 1978, just to the north of the original Punta Cana Club, Club Med, a French company built the 350 room Club Med Punta Cana. Groupo Punta Cana is not just a tourism enterprise, it is also responsible for industry and residential enterprises in Punta Cana, and in light of the lack of development from the Dominican Government Groupo Punta Cana took it upon themselves to build access road, water treatment plants and infrastructure but this was not enough. For the area to develop properly, a real airport was needed and in 1982, after 8 long years of negotiating with the government, permission was finally granted to turn the small airport into an international airport. In 1984 Punta Cana airport (PUJ) was inaugurated and became the first private owned international airport in the world. This opened up Punta Cana to global tourism and visitors increased from 3000 visitors a year in 2009 to an annual average of 4.3 million visitors a year to Punta Cana. The number of resorts has exploded from 2 to over 100. Originally, Punta Borrachon covered the easternmost tip of the island, thanks to the airport, and its increasing popularity, Punta Cana has expanded to include other areas such as Cabeza de Toro, Uvero Alto, Macao, Arena Gorda, Cortecito and Bavaro. There are so many different tour, activities and excursions to enjoy from Punta Cana. Excursions, Activities and Tours in Punta Cana.
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| Image by DEZALB from Pixabay Bavaro Beach |
Bavaro
If long stretches of white sand beaches, swaying palm trees, Cobalt blue skies, and crystal clear turquoise seas are your idea of the perfect getaway, the Bavaro, and its 30 miles long beach should be where you are headed. Originally set up as a feeder town for the employees of the various resorts that were springing up, it is now home to its own world-class resorts. Bavaro has developed as a tourist destination right, with discos, malls, restaurants and gift shops. Aside from the glorious beach setting, if you decide that you do want to venture out Punta Cana has lots of various tours, & activities that you can join Bavaro activites. Bavaro is essentially part of Punta Cana, & located on its eastern tip. It gets its own mention because of the beaches and its popularity.
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| Kille, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Co |
Juan Dolio
Juan Dolio was battered by Hurricane Georges in 1998 and as a result of the destruction many businesses left Juan Dolio in favour of the larger tourist areas like Punta Cana. Juan Dolio is not very big, approximately 7 km. The white sand beach, punctuated with coconut palm trees, and tranquil ambience continue to attract holidaymakers; as does the golf course, which is a main attraction to the area. Thanks to the backdrop of the white sand beaches and the tranquil ambience, Juan Dolio is an ideal wedding location. Nowadays, people don't generally live here; it has transformed into a weekend getaway for the locals from Santo Domingo and other areas of the island. There are not so many resorts in Juan Dolio. It isn't really, big enough to support them, but there are hotels, and villa rentals that you can stay in. The whole area is more tranquil perhaps than other tourist areas, but it has the benefit of being close to Santo Domingo the island Capital. The island capital is over 500 years old and one of the attractions is a visit to its historical old centre, which still has cobblestone streets and mediaeval buildings, including the first cathedral to be built in the new world. Juan Dolio is served by Las Americas airport. What can I visit from Juan Dolio.
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/58743958@N04/, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons |
The image above is EL Limon Waterfall Samaná
Samaná
Located on what you could call the north of the island, the Samaná peninsula is not heavily inhabited. It is the oldest and least populated area of the island, and if you are looking for a quieter holiday in paradise, then head for Samaná. Despite being the quietest area of the island, there is a good number of hotels and resorts for you to enjoy; they are smaller and less densely packed in than other bustling tourist areas like Punta Cana. The peninsula, which was the last stop of Christopher Columbus before he arrived at the Americas, has some features that make it definitely worth a visit. El Limon waterfalls, Whale watching, white sand, palm tree lined beaches and rainforest which you can appreciate from a zipline or 12. If you want a relaxed Holiday surrounded by stunning scenery, and want to see the (real, less touristy) Dominican Republic, then Samaná could well be the ideal location for you.
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| Cable car Puerto Plata Image by LouiseBrodeur from Pixabay |
Puerto Plata
Besides popular with tourists, with it being connected by local international airport and the port being deep enough for cruise ships, Puerto Plata (officially called Puerto Plata de San Felipe), is a thriving commercial and agricultural area. The tourism here is prominent, but not overdone. A balance has to be struck between tourism and commercialism. This sets it apart from other resorts like Punta Cana, which exist for tourists. Many of the resorts in Puerto Plata line the golden sand beaches. It is easy to get a glimpse of what life is really like for the residents. Puerto Plata has had an interesting history. In its past, it has been a military installation. It is home to the only cable car in the Caribbean. It is not far from the important city of Santiago de Los Caballeros, (which exports many of the products grown and manufactured in the Dominican Republic) through the port. Established in 1790 Puerto Plata is one of the oldest ports in the Dominican Republic. Since Jurassic Park hit the screens, amber has received new awareness. Exhibiting Amber that is thousands of years old, Puerto Plata has a museum dedicated to this gemstone, along with many other tours and activities that will make your visit to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Plata, an unforgettable experience.
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| Bayahibe Beach by Patano CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons |
Bayahibe
Encompassed by Parque Nacional del Este Bayahibe is uniquely beautiful. Many of the activities and economy are based on the sea. Parque del Este is the only marine reserve in the Dominican Republic. It has large numbers of identified flora and fauna. The parque includes mangroves, islets, bays, islands, cays, and some of the most extensive and beautiful coral reefs found in the Caribbean. Indigenous peoples have lived here for over 2500 years. The area is extremely ppular for ecotourism, and offers unrivalled swimming, snorkelling, horseback riding, scuba diving, cave trekking and bird-watching. Whales, Dolphins, Stingrays and turtles are just some of the marine life you can sea here. Drawing upwards of 100,000 visitors each year the area has now been declared a UNESCO Heritage site. Bayahibe is also the place you would leave from to visit Saona Island. See visits to saona island and other activites here.
Transfers to some of the hotels in:
Punta Cana, Bavaro, Samaná, Sosuá - Cabarete, Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, Juan Dolio, Boca Chica, La romana. and Bayahibe.
