The Dominican Republic is located on the island Hispaniola in the tropical Caribbean Sea. A holiday paradise among palms and several hundred kilometres of very attractive white sandy beaches. To tourists hungering for heat the year-round sunny weather is reason enough to come to this island. The charismatic capital, Santo Domingo, combines the old with the new in a city echoing with salsa and merengue. Colonialism has marked the country - with the antique houses, churches, the university and the fort all reminders of Columbus' entrance into history.
Find your travel arrangement to Dominican Republic here
Region and City Guides
City:
Facts
Local name
Republica Dominica
Capital
Santo Domingo
Size
48.730 km2
Principal Religion
Roman Catholicism
Inhabitants
8.442.533
Government
Representative democracy
Geography
The Dominican Republic takes up one half of the tropical island, Hispaniola, whilst Haiti takes up the other. It is a tropical Caribbean island with paradise-like beaches and turquoise water at the coast - whilst mountains, forest and valleys dominate the centre of the island. Animal inhabitants include reptiles, iguanas and crocodiles, and also many exotic birds.
Travel preparation
Best time to visit
The tropical Caribbean enjoys bikini weather all year around, but from June to October it is the rainy season - which portends hurricanes ( though they do not usually occur).
Literature
Lonely Planet Eastern Caribbean
Lonely Planet Dominican Republic & Haiti
Lonely Planet Dominican Republic & Haiti
Local conditions
Weight and Measures
In The Dominican Republic the following measurements are used:
Weight: kilo
Temperature: centigrade
Length: kilometres
Cubic content: litres
Officially the metric system is used in the country, but in the bigger cities the American measurements have gained footing and here you will find yards, pounds and gallons used as well.
Weight: kilo
Temperature: centigrade
Length: kilometres
Cubic content: litres
Officially the metric system is used in the country, but in the bigger cities the American measurements have gained footing and here you will find yards, pounds and gallons used as well.
Photography
It is custom that you ask before you take photographs of people. At some sights and attractions photographing is prohibited or you will be asked to pay an amount to photograph.
Drinking water
It is not advisable to drink tap water in The Dominican Republic. Bottled water can be bought and is available at most hotels
Electricity
110 V, AC 60 Hz
Behaviour
The inhabitants of The Dominican Republic live by the mañana-principal, this way you will avoid stress, unless you get stressed out by how slow things go.
Business Hours
Banks are open from 8 AM to 4 PM (Monday-Friday)
Shops are open from 8 AM to 12 and from 2 PM to & PM (Monday-Saturday).
Shops are open from 8 AM to 12 and from 2 PM to & PM (Monday-Saturday).
Food and drink
The many kilometres of coastline provide plenty of fresh fish and delicious shellfish. Furthermore, they eat a lot of rice beans and yucca with chicken, goat or pork. There is an abundance of mango, papaya, passion fruit and citrus fruits. The local rum is of a good quality, and so is the local coffee.
Disabled travellers
There are few facilities for disabled travellers in this country, so it is important for wheelchair users to check with the hotels to ensure that the necessary assistance is available.
Holidays
New Year's Day, January 1st
Twelfth Night, January 6th
Our Lady from Altagracia, January 26th
Independence Day, Febuary 27th
May Day, May 1st
Restitution Day, August 16th
Constitution Day, November 6th
Christmas Day, December 25th
Relocatable holidays:
Good Friday, March or April
Easter Sunday, March or April
Corpus Christi
Our Lady from Las Mercedes
Twelfth Night, January 6th
Our Lady from Altagracia, January 26th
Independence Day, Febuary 27th
May Day, May 1st
Restitution Day, August 16th
Constitution Day, November 6th
Christmas Day, December 25th
Relocatable holidays:
Good Friday, March or April
Easter Sunday, March or April
Corpus Christi
Our Lady from Las Mercedes
Accommodation / Hotel
In The Dominican Republic the primary accommodation is hotels. There are lots of hotels in all price ranges. Furthermore, there are a few guesthouses, which are usually cheaper than the hotels, and in some towns, a few B&Bs too. Camping is only permitted on private ground and with permission.
Book your Hotel in Dominican Republic here
Book your Hotel in Dominican Republic here
Camping
There are no camping sites on the island, and it is only possible to camp if you ask a farmer permission to camp in his fields. You can ask for permission to camp in the national parks, but you must have the park keeper's authorisation.
The hotels in the Dominican Republic are divided in the five-star category system to make it easier to know which hotels are suitable. There are more than 27.000 Hotel rooms, still, it is advisable to book in advance, especially in the bigger cities and during the winter - when frozen tourists may well be dying for some heat...
Bed og breakfast or guesthouse
There are a few guesthouses in The Dominican Republic. They are usually cheaper than the hotels. Bed and Breakfasts can be found in
Puerto Plata, Barahona, Costambar, Guayacanes Juan Doli and Las Terrenas- El Portillo.
Puerto Plata, Barahona, Costambar, Guayacanes Juan Doli and Las Terrenas- El Portillo.
Other Accommodation
There are domestic Flights between the bigger cities more than once on a daily basis. Furthermore, there is a well-developed bus service in the country, and comfortable buses run between the bigger cities. It is also possible to rent a car, but you will have to be over 25 years old.
Local transport
Planes
Bávaro Sun Flights and Dorado Air are in charge of the domestic Flights and there are regular Flights between Santo Domingo, Santiago, Samaná, Punta Cana and Punta Plata.
Bus
The buses driving between the bigger cities are cheap and fast, and most of them have air-conditioning.
Trains
There are no railroads in The Dominican Republic.
Taxi
There are taxies in most cities, and it is advisable to check for a taximeter up front. If there are none it will be reasonable to settle on a price in advance. The so-called 'públicos' are collective taxis on specific routes that pick people up on their way.
car rental
There are several car-renting services in Santo Domingo, among others. The age limit is normally 25 years. It is advisable to stay clear of the services with very low prices as the car are not even worth the price.
Special conditions
Even though the coast seems never-ending and the beaches are many - walking around in your bathing suit in the cities is not welcome - not even in the towns next to the beach.
