Dominican Republic

Not to be confused with the Caribbean island country of Dominica.

The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean country that occupies the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The western one-third of Hispaniola is occupied by the country of Haiti. To the north lies the North Atlantic Ocean, while the Caribbean Sea lies to the south.

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 A.D. 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.

Regions

Administrative divisions

31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Bahoruco, Barahona, Dajabón, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, Elias Pina, El Seibo, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, Sanchez Ramirez, San Cristobal, San José de Ocoa San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris,Santo Domingo, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Valverde

Cities

• Santo Domingo - Capital.

• Higüey

• Juan Dolio

• Puerto Plata

• Punta Cana

• San Pedro de Macoris

• Santa Barbara De Samana

• Santiago de los Caballeros

• Sosua

• Rio San Juan

• Hi Adrianna Island

Other destinations

• Bayahibe

• Bonao-- secluded village

• Cabarete

• Constanza

• Dominicus

• Jarabacoa

• Las Terrenas

• Las Galeras

• Miches

• Bahia de las Aguilas

• Playa Bonita -- secluded beach strip popular with Europeans and Americans in the know

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

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.

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 A.D. 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.

Getting there

By plane

The main airports (in alphabetical order) are:

• (AZS) Samana, also known as "El Catey", located between the towns of Nagua and Samana on the north coast

• (JBQ) "La Isabela" airport in Santo Domingo, mainly for domestic flights but also receives some flights from other Caribbean islands

• (LRM) La Romana on the south east coast

• (POP) Puerto Plata, also known as "Gregorio Luperon" on the north coast

• (PUJ) Punta Cana International in the east, the busiest in the country

• (SDQ) Santo Domingo, also known as "Las Americas" on the south coast close to the capital city Santo Domingo

• (STI) Santiago also known as "Cibao International" in Santiago de los Caballeros (the country's 2nd largest city)

You can get flights from Europe via Madrid (MAD) or Paris (CDG). From the US, you can fly from New York, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Philadelphia, San Juan, Atlanta or Charlotte. Most European and Canadian cities have charter flight connections, which operate seasonally.

You will be charged $10 for a tourist card on arrival. This must be paid in $US or EUROs (€). Local currency, GBP, etc, will not be accepted.A departure tax of $20 cash is payable on most charter and some scheduled flights. If you are flying on a US carrier, the departure tax is always included in the taxes when you purchased your ticket, so you will not have to pay anything when leaving.

Taxi fares to nearby hotels are posted just outside the airports.

Taxi from Airport to Santo Domingo (Ciudad Colonial): it is about $40 (official rate as of October 2008, but sometimes you can get it for around $25-30 Some independent hotels in the city may offer airport pickup for $30-$35. There are no hotel "courtesy shuttles" at the airport. This does not exist in the Dominican Republic.

At the airport, you can change your US$ and € in Dominican Pesos. But beware! You may not be able to exchange back local money to US$ and €, so do it before leaving.

By car

Cars may be rented through Hertz, Avis, Prestige Car Rentals or other agencies in Santo Domingo and other major cities. Gasoline, however, is expensive often costing upward of US$3.50/gallon. Some roads, especially in remote areas, are fairly dangerous (often without lane divisions) and many people tend not to respect oncoming traffic. However, road conditions on most major highways are roughly similar to road conditions in the United States and western Europe. However, potholes and rough spots are not rapidly repaired and drivers must be aware that there are a significant number of rough spots even on some major highways. However, there are a number of very good roads such as DR-1 which is a four lane highway connecting the cities of Santo Domingo and Santiago and can be traveled with no trouble. Highway DR-7 is an excellent toll road opened in late 2008. It goes from just east of Santo Domingo north to near Sanchez. From there, you can go east to the Samana peninsula or west along the northern coast of the DR and costs about US $11. Probably the biggest challenge that an international visitor to the Dominican Republic will face if he or she chooses to rent a car is not so much dealing with automobile traffic, but rather avoiding accidentally running over pedestrians who cross poorly-lit streets and highways in the evening and nighttime hours. The best recommendation is not to drive after dusk. Outside of Santo Domingo, the motorbike (motoconcho) is an extremely common form of travel. If lost, you can hail a motorbike driver (motochonchista) and ask for directions. You will be taken to your destination by following the bike. A tip is appropriate for such help. Remember that many of these motorbike drivers look upon road rules as only recommendations. However, driving in the Dominican Republic should not be particularly difficult for experienced drivers from North America or Europe.

By boat

There is a ferry that travels between Mayagüez in Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic. The website says the journey takes 12 hours, leaves Puerto Rico on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8PM, and arrives in Dominican Republic at 8AM the next morning.

For prices and bookings, visit the Ferries Del Caribe English website .

Traveling around

Options for getting around the country include bus service, 'gua-guas' (pronounced "Gwa-Gwas": small battered vans or trucks that serve as a collective taxi running fixed routes that are very cheap but can also very overloaded), domestic air flights and charter air service. There is no rail system in the country. Most towns and cities have regularly scheduled bus service, if not by one of the big bus companies, than by gua-gua. The bus lines are most often simple, independently run operations, usually only connecting two cities within a region (Southwest, East, North) or between one city and the capital (with stops made for any towns on the route). Because of the geography of the country, to get from one region of the country to another you have to go through the capital.

Caribe Tours , based out of the capital, is the biggest bus company, and has coverage in most regions that are not well-served by the other 'official' bus companies. Unlike taxis and gua-guas, Caribe Tour rates are fixed by destination and are extremely reasonable due to government subsidies. Expect to pay under 250 pesos (Dom) or US$10 for even the longest trips. Caribe Tour buses typically run from 7AM to 4PM (with departures approx. every two hours) and cover most major cities. On longer trips, expect a short (10 minute) stop for coffee and lunch. Buses are fairly luxurious with movies playing for the entire trip and air conditioning (which can be extremely cold - bring a sweater). Another option is the slightly more expensive Metrobus bus company . Metrobus serves the northern and eastern part of the country. The 'unofficial' gua-gua system covers nearly every road on the island for some moderate savings (if you don't mind being packed in).

Taxi services are available but potentially dangerous when dealing with unlicensed drivers. In all cases, it's a good idea to go with a licensed driver and negotiate a price for your destination before you leave. Good drivers are often easy to identify by licenses worn around the neck, uniforms, and clean air conditioned vehicles. When calling a taxi company, you will be given a number to verify your driver. When being picked up, make sure your driver gives you the right number as 'false pickups' are often a prelude to robbery.

Another way to get out and about is to book an excursion or transfers with Cocotours , one of the Dominican Republic's leading inbound tour operators. Cocotours has offices in:

• La Romana

• Puerto Plata

• Punta Cana

• Samana.

Eat

Food in the Dominican Republic is typical Caribbean fare, with lots of tropical fruits, rice, beans, and seafood. Most restaurant meals will cost an additional 16% tax plus 10% service - for very good service it is customary to leave an additional 10%.

Drink

• 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.

Sleep

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.

Buy

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.

Etiquette

Dominicans are kind and peaceful people. Attempts at speaking Spanish are a good sign of respect for the local people. Be polite, show respect and do your best to speak the language and you will be treated with kindness.

Avoid talking about Haiti. Although relations have improved, many Dominicans, especially the older generation, harbor resentment for Haitians. Some Dominicans' opinions towards illegal immigrants from Haiti are similar to some Americans' attitudes towards Mexican illegal immigrants. Trujillo's government also massacred tens of thousands of Haitians in the 1930's, which fueled the conflict. Gang Wars can erupt along the border, so stay cautious and be sensitive.

When staying at the luxury resorts or really any place in the Dominican Republic, it is advisable to tip for most services. The Dominican Republic is still a fairly poor country and by tipping the people who serve you, you are sure to be treated well.

Learn

Many US universities offer study abroad options for the Dominican Republic. The two most common cities hosting exchange students are Santo Domingo and Santigo. Check with local universities for programs and prices. Spanish language schools are located in major cities and on the north coast as well.

Work

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

• Dominican Foundation

• International Student Volunteers Dominican Republic

• The DREAM Project

• Peace Corps Dominican Republic

• IDDI

Contact