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| Dominican Republic | |||
Location  | |||
Weapon & Flag
| |||
| Capital | Santo Domingo | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government | Incumbent: Leonell Fernandez | ||
| Currency | Dominican peso DOP | ||
| Population | 8 900 000 | ||
| Language | Spanish | ||
| Religions | Catholic | ||
| Area code | 1-809 | ||
| TLD | DO | ||
| Time zones | UTC-4 | ||
| Website | https://www.dominicanrepublic.com/ | ||
Dominican Republic[1] is a country in Caribbean.
Facts about the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is located on the Caribbean's second largest island, Hispaniola, occupying 2/3 of the eastern part of the island. Hispaniola is located between Cuba and Puerto Rico. The island is mountainous with a lot of woodland and fertile soil. The climate is tropical with rainy season from June to October. In the Dominican Republic, agriculture is the main industry. Tourism is also very important for the economy. The country had to achieve its independence three times, most recently in 1844.
The Dominican Republic has very beautiful beaches with hotels right next to the sea as one would expect in the Caribbean. Many different attractive activities are provided such as golf, surfing, as well as horseback riding in the beautiful nature. Unique specialties are the local professional baseball season from October to January as well as the fine jewelery in amber from the north side of the island.
History
In 1492, the Cristobal Colon (Christoffer Columbus) landed on the north side of the island. Today there is a church by name Temple of America at the village of Castillo, not far from the town of Isabella (named after Queen Isabella). Columbus was buried at El Pharaoh in the country's capital. Today there is a monument and a museum about Columbus' arrival and its history.
The locals
The Dominican Republic is in itself a rich country, but large sections of the population are quite poor and for a European, the attitude one often encounters is sometimes frustrating. The country is very dependent on tourism and therefore assumes that everyone will try to get as much money as possible, like many other large but less developed tourist countries in the world.
But it's not just dark sides. Dominicans are happy people who are happy to help, put on a party and take the day as it comes. Of course, the "mañana" attitude can provoke bile fever in a European who is used to things going on at home. But follow the old advice; "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", simply take the custom wherever you go.
If you are vacationing in Santo Domingo or another less touristy town, you can take the opportunity to see the real Dominican Republic. As always, the tourist places are a fantasy world that does not at all reflect the real country. And the tourist places are usually where the poor go to be able to earn money. in Santo Domingo you get to see the real locals, reminiscent of most Latin American cities.
Climate
The climate is very warm and sunny. Make sure you are well-equipped with cool, full-coverage clothing, sunscreen and drink plenty (at least 5 liters per day).
The humidity is very high, which means that you experience the heat as warmer than the degrees show.
Holidays
January 1: Año Nuevo - New Year's Day
January 6: Day of Reyes - Thirteenth day of Christmas (a bit like a second Christmas Eve)
January 21st: Virgen de la Altagracia - A saint's day
January 26: Day by Juan Pablo Duarte - Juan Pablo Duertes day
February 27th: National Independence - Independence Day
Removable date: Semana Santa - Holy Week (the week before Easter Day, from Palm Sunday to Easter Eve)
May 1: Day of Work - May 1 (Labor Day)
Removable date: Jueves de Corpus - Corpus Christ (Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ)
August 16th: Day of Restoration - Restoration Day or Reconstruction Day
September 24: Virgen de las Mercedes - A saint's day
November 6: Day of the Constitution - The foundation day
24 December: Christmas Day - Christmas Eve
Planning before the trip
Visas are required to enter the country. You can apply for a tourist visa on arrival and it costs 10 USD (2007).
To take with you to the Dominican Republic
To bring with you from the Dominican Republic
Cigars, rum (room), for example Barcelo Añejo or the famous Brugal found in the classes Door card, añejo and Extra viejo. Amber and gold are cheap. There is a lot of typical local art, such as. paintings and wooden sculptures.
Regions
The regions are many and each region bears the name of the city, which is a regional city or some famous person in history.
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Cities
- Santo Domingo - the capital city
- Higüey
- Juan Dolio
- La Romana
- Puerto Plata
- Punta Cana
- San Pedro de Macoris
- Santa Barbara De Samana
- Santiago de los Caballeros
- Sosua
- Rio San Juan
Getting to the Dominican Republic
Make sure you have a valid passport, i.e. more than six months left of the validity period, excluding the holiday period. Tourist visa costs 10 USD and the departure fee, a kind of tax, about 20 USD.
Air Santo Domingo. The charter companies fly at Herrera International Airport in Santo Domingo and other major airports such as La Romana, Santiago and Samana.
There are some rails in La Romana, but there are no trains anymore.
Relocation in the Dominican Republic
Bus distance 200 km 200-300 pesos depending on bus company, Caribe tour is a bit more expensive than Espinal.
On January 30, 2009, the subway, the Santo Domingo Metro, opened to the public. So far, only one line is complete, but when the work is finished, there will be a total of 6 lines.
The names of the stops are not named after streets but after important historical figures in the Dominican Republic.
TUNNEL LINES:
Line 1 - Stops
Mama TingoGregorio Urbano GilbertGregorio LuperónJosé Francisco Peña GómezHermanas MirabalMáximo GómezLos TainosPedro Livio CedeñoPeña BattleJuan Pablo DuarteProf. Juan BoschCasandra DamirónJoaquín BalaguerAmin AbelFrancisco Alberto CaamañoCentro de los Héroes
The major car rental companies are located at airports, hotels and in cities. Be careful when choosing a car rental company. And be sure to take out the extra insurance that is usually offered. If you have an accident so that the car, for example, suffers sheet metal damage, the insurance will prevent delays or hassles. All you have to do is go to the nearest police station and report the accident. When doing so, be sure to have the other party with you, or note the person's name, insurance company, driver's license number, "cedula" (ID / driver's license) and car registration number (license plate). A valid credit card is required to rent a car for up to 90 days. The minimum age is 25 years.
Right-hand traffic prevails and the speed limits are 60 km / h in cities and up to 100 km / h on the motorway unless otherwise stated, overtaking can take place both outside and inside, it is recommended to be a little careful with the speed as often livestock on the roads. It is easy to travel around the Dominican Republic on a network of highways departing from the capital Santo Domingo. City roads can maintain lower standards, so watch out for large holes and oversized road bumps.
Avoid renting a car or motorcycle as the traffic knowledge is small or non-existent among the locals. If you have an accident, even if you are not at fault, it is not at all certain that you will be acquitted of liability.
The most common is motoconcho, a taxi on two wheels (motorcycle). Of course, there are also regular taxis, but the price difference is very large. The prices listed below were valid in 2005, but large price increases are very rare.
-Motoconcho normal distance 20 pesos.-Tourist taxi normal distance 100 pesos.-Gua Gua (rickety minibus) normal distance 25 pesos.-Taxi publico normal distance 25 pesos.
Most larger hotels lend bicycles, but make sure you have some tools in your pocket, as these bicycles are usually in a deplorable condition, it is possible to travel by bicycle on sidewalks. Traveling by bike along country roads is not recommended.
If you feel brave, you can hitchhike, but this should be avoided.
Payment
Many people usually switch to dollars or euros, but it is recommended to have Swedish money as the exchange rate is usually better in Swedish currency, especially in the larger tourist resorts. Dollars work everywhere. The Dominican Republic is more dollar-controlled than the euro, which means that the euro is always higher, but try to trade in pesos because it reduces the risk of being cheated.
Accommodation
The simplest is package travel, all-inclusive hotel, but for the less discerning who just hopes for a chair and wants to see the country on their own without guidance, hotel prices are usually between 15-25 dollars a night and it is usually air-conditioned rooms , cable TV, cold water shower, clean bed linen every day and cleaning, then there are so-called dormitorios, where the bed linen is changed once a month, shared shower and toilet if there is even water, the price is usually 100 pesos a night. or 900-1500 pesos a month.
Food and drinks
You can get most of it in the larger cities that have their huge supermarkets, it is very Americanized. In the smaller villages you can buy from smaller shops, called colmados, where the largest supply comes from the local farmers, but of course there are also factory-made foods. Do not fully trust the refrigerated goods as the electricity often disappears and can be gone for days, even weeks. Be sure to drink bottled water and rinse fruits and vegetables with bottled water. Avoid dairy products and fruit sellers on the beaches.
To see
- Santo Domingo: El farao (museum and Christoffer Columbus resting place), Los Tres Ojos (caves where the indigenous people lived), Ciudad colonial (The old part of Santo Domingo, from colonial times), full of restaurants and museums.
- Puerto Plata: An amber museum, Isabell de Torres (with cable car up to the highest peak of Puerto Plata) with a fantastic view. Fabrica de Brugal, (a visit to the rum factory is just a must). The nightlife in Puerto Plata invites to most things, but you should be more considering the risk of robbery at bars, nightclubs, discos and car washes.
- Sosua is a typical tourist trap. Bars and shops along the entire beach.
- Cabarete is a great place for surfing. If you enjoy surfing and other water sports, it is a paradise.
- Samana: A very beautiful island, but the risk of robbery in Samana city is very large.
- Dajabon is a paradise for the shopping enthusiast where day trips are arranged. Dajabon is located on the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
- Montecristi: The city is best known for its salt production. For those who like the delicacies of the sea, there are some good restaurants on the beach. For those who like to dive, there are good opportunities.
- Santiago is a city full of life. There are several cigar factories to visit here.
- Jarrabacoa is located in the mountains. There are lots of activities and nice hotels. You can, for example, get active with horse riding, quad biking, river rafting, safaris, waterfalls and absolutely wonderful nature. The city itself is small. You can take a two-day trip by rented quad bike or jeep to the adjacent town Constanza and then on to Pico Duarte which is the Caribbean's highest mountain peak (3175 meters).
- Constanza is one Japanese colony, with large vegetable and orchards. Here is also Agua Blancas, a fantastic rapids with waterfalls.
- Punta Rusia offers a beautiful archipelago in lush mangrove greenery with bird life.
- Lake Enriquillo is a saltwater lake in a national park.
To do
Work
Communication
Our European mobile phones do not work so well here, but there are so-called telephone houses, many internet cafes, where an hour of internet costs 30-50 pesos.
Security
Use common sense. Do not wave lots of money unnecessarily, distribute the money in all pockets, do not pay with debit cards outside the major tourist facilities. Withdrawing money from an ATM works well in most cases. Avoid contacting the police in case of problems, rather talk to the tour operator. The Swedish consulate is not a good help because they do not speak Swedish and also very poor English.
Respect
When visiting museums and churches, it is important that women do not wear challenging clothing, but make sure to cover their shoulders and do not wear short skirts or the like. Men should not, on these occasions, wear shorts, training shoes and screaming t-shirts but should dress neutrally. The people are deeply religious.
Problem solver
The tour operator is very helpful because the country is very corrupt. Do not trust the police, but if you are arrested, it is best to pay what is requested and then leave. Discussions lead nowhere.