República Dominicana

The capital of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo. This was the first settlement by European's in the Americas. In fact, Columbus thought he’d discovered America when he landed here in 1492. He fell in love with the place and according to many, he’s buried here in the capital Santo Domingo. Many millions of tourist fall in love with the country too.
Agriculture and mining remain the leading sources of income for the country but tourism is catching fast with just short of 3.5 million tourist visiting in 2007 (Banco Central de la Republica Dominicana estimate)

Dominican FlagLaying right on the edge of the Caribbean Sea & the Atlantic Ocean. The North Coast is Atlantic and the East & South Coasts are Caribbean. The west coast, is Haiti, which is the other country that with the Dominican Republic, make up the island of Hispaniola. After neighbour Cuba, Hispaniola is the largest Caribbean island, with a land mass of some 18,800 square miles.
Map of the CaribbeanMap of the Dominican Republic


Lonely Planet Guide Book

For those of you whose curiosity is piqued, the Dominican Republic has an interesting history and a beautiful landscape both at beach level but also in the mountains and rain forests, so a book, such as Lonely Planet will be a useful purchase before heading out for some sunshine.
Dominican Money

Money! What should I take?


The currency of the Dominican Republic is the peso(RD$) . At the time of writing (Feb '09) there are approximately RD$51 to the pound, RD$35 to the US dollar or RD$45 to the Euro. There are lots of cambio's in the tourist areas. These are money exchange units, which is easier & quicker than going in to the bank but the rate is worse. The US dollar is widely accepted for tours etc and if you are going on an All Inclusive resort, you may never see a peso. Contrary to often given advise, if you are travelling from the UK there is little, if any, advantage to bringing US dollars. You will simply lose money by exchanging twice. In my experience, the best way to exchange money is to use a debit card from a bank that doesn't charge for foreign withdrawls, such as the HSBC. After more than a dozen trips to the Dominican Republic in the last four years, believe me, I've tried every-which-way to get the best deal, this is the best. You are advised to inform your bank if you are travelling, as there have been instances where banks locked cards for 'unusual activity', you really don't want to spend a day of your holiday trying to get your card working again! If you go in to a bank, you can withdraw from VISA or Mastercard if you have your passport with you. This is useful if you are worried about using ATM's out of the country.


You must have a 'Tourist Card' to get in to the Dom Rep.


For most North American flights this is included in the price. For 'some' UK flights it is but for the majority it is not. I've never yet been on a flight where it is included. You can get one from the embassy in London but it will cost more. The advantage it gains is you don't need to queue with everyone else, but to be honest, you are usually still awaiting your luggage when everyone else comes through, so in my opinion, it's not worth getting one in advance.

You MUST pay for the Tourist Card in US dollars
THIS IS NOT NEGOTIABLE!

I have witnessed people being escorted through passport control to visit the airport bank, to change RD$ into US$! Bring US$10 with you. There is also an 'exit tax'. Again, some flights include this, if not, you must pay US$20 at a desk inside the airport departure lounge. You will get your departure card stamped. Here, sometimes you can pay in pounds, euros, pesos, Canadian dollars but the official line is US$20. The departure tax is only ever paid
AFTER PASSPORT CONTROL
It is a popular scam that comes around every once in a while, where someone 'official looking' will approach a slightly disorientated looking passenger and ask for their departure tax. Then, after they have gone through passport control, the passenger is very upset to find out they've been scammed! You will know you are in the right place because there will be a guy, sat at a desk, with a stamp and LOTS of money in front of him. Anyone else is trying to rob you! On both arrival and departure, you will have a couple of forms to fill in, (such as the immigration form on the left). Remember to take a pen with you!
Having mentioned potentially being robbed, this is not the norm. Despite what many reps will say at All Inclusive resorts, you will be safer going off the resort in the Dominican Republic than you would be as a tourist in London, Paris or New York. Just take sensible precautions. Don't wear lots of expensive jewellery, don't 'flash the cash', take out what you need. If your instinct says don't do something, don't do it. But taking a trip from your All Inclusive at Playa Doradas in to Puerto Plata, armed only with some common sense and a map will almost certainly be a safe trip. Visiting local bars is well worth it. Even using the local transport, a gua-gua (an over filled minibus) is a fun experience. Yes, there is risk but it needn't be exaggerated.
SEE MORE ON THE DR SAFETY PAGES