The natural wonders include white-sand beaches, mountain ranges with spectacular rivers and waterfalls, saltwater lakes and exotic wildlife. A boat-ride through the mangrove forests may bring you to the gentle manitee, probably the inspiration for the myth of the mermaid. In the Bahía de Samaná you'll see humpback whales in mating season. And in the Americas' first European city, Santo Domingo, you'll see the delights of civilization, including fine colonial architecture and there are two Carnivals.
The Dominican Republic is the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti. The Dominican Republic constituting the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, shares it with Haiti. It is a forested and mountainous country, with valleys, plains and plateaux, and excellent beaches on all but the west coast, rising up to the mountains. An astonishing combination of landscapes, it has mangrove swamps and highland cloud forests, with many blossoming trees and more than 218 species of birds.
The country has had a history of changing ownership, with Spain, France, Haiti, Spain again, and the United States taking their turns at ruling Dominican territory amid attempts at independence and self rule.
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The Dominican Republic is hot, with tropical temperatures all year. The rainy season is from June to October, and sometimes includes hurricanes.
Visa, Immigration, Customs
Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your scheduled length of stay. Government issued identification cards such as a Birth Certificate or proof of citizenship accompanied by photo ID such as a Driver's License. The airline or cruise company transporting you may require you to carry a passport. If it is not apparent to a border official that you are only visiting Dominican Republic (by presenting your itinerary and/or return ticket) you might be asked to provide the address of your accommodations and your planned departure date. Regulations change periodically. Please contact the consulate office closest to you.
Visa/Permit/Tourist Card:Tourist Cards are needed for stays of up to 90 days. They can be applied for in advance or can be issued on arrival. Extensions are possible.
Single parents or other adults vacationing alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. Please consult the entry requirements for every country on your itinerary.
Transportation
Air Santo Domingo flies regularly between Santo Domingo, Santiago, Samaná, Punta Cana and Puerto Plata.
Airports in Dominican Republic:There are 31 airports in Dominican Republic.
Travel by Road:Traffic drives on the right, at speed limits of 60 kph in cities and 80-100 kph on highways. The roads are reasonable; they include the Sanchez Highway running west to the Haitian frontier; the Mella Highway east to Higuey in the southeast, and the Duarte Highway running north and west-all from Santo Domingo. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended for wet weather. Youll come across checkpoints near military installations and-most sensitive-near the Haitian border, but no serious problems have been reported. Urban: Santo Domingo has flat-fare bus and minibus services, and something like 7,000 share-taxis, or Carro de Conchos. If you want to rent a car, all the major car rental companies are represented in Santo Domingo. Credit cards and insurance are compulsory. Minimum age for car hire is 25. Documentation: A national or International Driving Permit is accepted, but is only valid for 90 days
Bus travel is cheap, air-conditioned and efficient, with services running from the capital to major towns
What Side of the Road?:Driving is on the right side of the road.
Speed Limits:Urban areas - 60 kph; highways - 80/100 kph
Culture & Food
Languages Spoken:Spanish. Tour guides and service professionals in tourist-oriented facilities are very likely to speak English.
Religions:Roman Catholic 95%
People and Culture:Traditional Taíno culture appears in the form of foods and medicines, and the Taíno language has given us "hammock" and "tobacco," among other words. Spanish settlers introduced their language, the Roman Catholic faith and a deep strain of machismo. African slaves brought their faith, art and music. US troops left baseball, beloved of Dominicans. But music and dance are the heart of the culture, especially merengue, which is blasted, full volume, wherever you go. Dominican country music, bachata, is songs about heartbreak and loss. And salsa is popular too, along with jazz, rock, hip-hop-whatever works for dance!.
A resident or national of Dominican Republic is called "Dominican". The Term used to describe things from here is "Dominican". For example, "Dominican food".
Tipping and Bargaining: Tipping is not commonly practiced. Restaurants and hotels add a service fee to the bill. Most prices for merchandise are non-negotiable.
Restaurants:
None or 5% in addition to service fee
*Porters:
None
Taxi:
None
* Try to use local currency. Foreign coins cannot be exchanged and will be useless to the person receiving them. Foreign paper money requires a trip to the bank for exchange. However paper US dollars are accepted almost universally.
Food:The typical Dominican enjoys a rich cuisine. The most common meal, la bandera (the flag) consists of white rice, beans, meat, vegetables and fritos verdes (green plantains fritters). The Sancocho comes from the Spanish cocido (stew), and each region of the country has its own. Sancocho prieto contains seven different local meats. Also try regional foods that can only be found here-Samana's pescado con coco (fish with coconut sauce), chivo de Azua (goat dish from Azua); and chivo liniero, goat from the north western region where the goat eats wild oregano daily, giving the meat an unusual flavour. Johnny Cakes and mangú, from the Cocolos of the Windward and Leeward islands, are daily fare. The abeat round cassava bread) and ibiasssava flour fritters stuffed with meat) are the only Taíno foods still in the typical Dominican diet.
Money Conversion
Dominican Republic currency is called the Dominican Republic Peso (DOP)
Currency Converter :use the following currency converter tool to help you with your vacation. Currency Convertor Tool
Currency Cheat Sheet: use the following currency cheat sheet as a quick conversion reference on your vacation.Currency Cheat Sheet
Attractions
Destination Cities:Santo Domingo, the capital, is the first European city in the New World, an exciting, and sometimes dangerous city with a wealth of colonial sites. Santiago de los Caballeros (Santiago of the Gentlemen) is leisurely, aristocratic and charmingly provincial. It is the commercial hub of the Valle del Cibao, the nation's breadbasket, where factories process raw sugar and tobacco into fine rum and cigars. It contains one of the finest universities in the country. Sosúa, currently in the early stages of development, has already attracted droves of sun-seekers; Cabarete, on the other hand, is justly famous for its windsurfing, its lobster dinners, and its hotel facilities.
Points of Interest:Cayo Levantado has dense forests and three spectacular beaches deserted until busloads of tourists arrive around midday. Hiking trails and lovely views are among the island's other charms. To the west, in the jungle islands of Parque Nacional Los Haïtises, are thick mangrove forests. Go boating among the trees! During January and February, probably four-fifths of the world's humpback whales mate and bear young in the waters off the Dominican Republic.
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