logo
logo
Sign in

Make the Most of Your Trip to the Dominican Republic

avatar
James Deutsch
Make the Most of Your Trip to the Dominican Republic

Getting ready to take a trip to the Dominican Republic? This article will tell you all you need to know before traveling to this Caribbean paradise so you can make the most of your travels and enjoy all this beautiful country has to offer. 


When to Go 

Experts advise that the best time to go to the Dominican Republic is between December and April, which is when the country experiences its drier months, making for beautiful beach weather and easy travels. The rainy season stretches from June through October, which can bring storms and hurricanes to the coasts. One of the loveliest times to make travel plans, if you have flexibility, is during the month of May, which helps you avoid peak tourist season but allows for lots of idyllic weather.


Most Popular Destinations

The most popular destinations in the Dominican Republic are Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, and Puerto Plata. Each region is beautiful in its own right but is known for specific characteristics and depending on your travel goals and the kind of experience you are looking for, you may want to spend more time (or all of your time) in one of these three hot spots.


  • Punta Cana


Found on the Eastern edge of the country, Punta Cana is the most well-known region of the Dominican Republic. It’s the area with all of the famous, all-inclusive resorts and glamorous celebrity-favored hot spots. If you’re looking for a luxury experience, Punta Cana is a great bet. Some of the country’s best golfing is easily accessible from this area, as well as fabulous restaurants and glittering nightlife. But if you are traveling with children, it is also easy to find family-friendly resorts that can cater to your needs.


  • Santo Domingo


Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic and is on the country’s southern shore. The city center features well-preserved cobblestone streets that gesture to its rich history as one of the oldest cities in the Caribbean. This is a wonderful stop to add to your itinerary if you want to visit cultural and historic sights that will help you learn about the Dominican Republic’s rich past, while also enjoying great spots for dining, nightlife, music, shopping, and more. There are lots of fun ways to enjoy the sites, including guided tours with local insiders on foot, by scooter, or via bus. 


  • Puerto Plata 


Nestled on the north coast, Puerto Plata boasts many of the same perks as Punta Cana: stunning sandy beaches, bright turquoise waters, and fantastic golf courses. It is also home to a historic Spanish fortress and features colonial Spanish architecture in abundance. Puerto Plata is a great place for travelers looking for the best of both worlds: history and culture as well as fabulous coastal amenities. 


Transportation

Unless you are spending all of your time in bigger cities, there aren’t a ton of public transit options like railways or subways. The urban areas of the Dominican Republic do have bus lines and many tourists find that the public buses are very helpful in getting around once you arrive at your hotel. Airport shuttles, private taxis, and Ubers are also easy to come by. 


Because there is so much to do and see in the Dominican Republic, a lot of travelers find it incredibly useful to rent a car during their vacation. Renting a car will allow you to travel between smaller towns and more remote locations on your own schedule and can work out to be much cheaper than hiring a car for the day. 


Lodging Options 

The Dominican Republic is home to a variety of housing options, from villas that will accommodate an entire bachelor party, bachelorette party, or wedding party, to all-inclusive luxury resorts and smaller, more intimate boutique hotels. Home rentals like Airbnb are also popular in the Dominican Republic and can allow you to experience life a little more like a local by staying in an apartment or home—a great option if you want to do some of your own cooking and want a little less structure than an all-inclusive hotel.


Documents and Visas to Bring

You definitely need a passport to visit the Dominican Republic so be sure to bring yours when you leave for your trip. All tourist visitors to the Dominican Republic are required to pay a $10 tourist card fee but that fee will be built into your airfare costs. You don’t need a visa if you are visiting the Dominican Republic unless you are planning on staying longer than 30 days, so most tourists won’t have to worry about that. However, once you land and experience the stunning scenery and fun-loving Caribbean culture you might be tempted to extend your stay! 


What to Pack 

What you bring for your trip largely depends on what time of year you are visiting. If you are traveling during the drier months your packing will be a little more straightforward than if your visit to the Dominican Republic falls in the rainy season. The weather during the dry season will be temperate and pleasant, so count on bringing swimsuits, sandals, coverups, and your favorite warm-weather clothes. You can generally wear casual clothing almost anywhere, but make sure you look up the restaurants and any nightlife destinations you will be visiting so you can plan on bringing dressier attire if it is required. 


If you are traveling during the rainy season you will likely want to stash a few extra items in your bag, such as a waterproof phone case, a rain poncho that folds up, and a small umbrella—as well as a few extra layers to change into if you get caught in a storm. 


Because there’s so much to do in the Dominican Republic in terms of outdoor activities and water sports, you’ll probably also want to bring some active clothes that will be good for hiking, riding a bike, kayaking, or exploring via zipline. And it is always a good idea to have some light layers handy for any boat excursions or nighttime walks on the beach just in case. Extras like an underwater camera can be a fun way to commemorate your trip and snap some great action shots while you splash, boat, and snorkel. 


Because the Dominican Republic is in the Caribbean you will have to deal with mosquitos, so it is a good idea to pack bottles of bug repellant in your checked baggage or mosquito-repelling wristbands that will help keep pests away. 


Food and Beverages

Definitely take advantage of the opportunity to try lots of local flavors on your Dominican Republic trip. Traditional Caribbean food is local, seasonal, and super flavorful so your taste buds are in for a treat. Look for regional specialties like fried, fresh-caught fish, tostones, sancocho ( a tasty meat stew), and mangu (plantain mash) that represent the standard national cooking. In terms of libations, one of the most popular drinks is mama juana, which is a spicy, herbaceous beverage made from red wine, rum, herbs, and honey. 


You can also look forward to sipping lots of rum-spiked and coconut-infused drinks, especially if part of your trip will be spent on the beach. And of course, no trip to the Dominican Republic is complete without trying their world-famous coffee, with Arabica beans harvested and roasted locally so you can savor the perfect cup. 


One note to keep in mind: be careful about drinking water. The CDC recommends that tourists only drink bottled water that has been sealed to avoid getting sick. Luckily bottled water is easy to come by at all major resorts and at stores in smaller cities and towns—if you plan on traveling off the beaten path, though, be sure to have plenty of bottled water handy and packed with you for your journey or for any day trips you might take. 


Outdoor Activities

While you can certainly pass your entire Dominican Republic vacation laying on the beach—nothing wrong with that!—there’s also plenty to do for folks looking for an active trip. Take a four-wheeler tour that allows you to see the countryside, or experience a boat tour that gets you a new vantage point on the shoreline. If boating is your thing, you might also consider a fishing charter, and with any luck you’ll be able to catch the freshest dinner you’ll ever have. If you prefer an aerial view of things, you might consider a zip line experience that is sure to thrill. 


Ecotourism

While you’ll see and hear a lot about the beaches in the Dominican Republic, much of the country’s terrain is actually made up of rainforests, making it a wonderful place to engage in ecotourism and go green while you travel. See some of the most interesting and unique plant and animal species in the world, along with gorgeous waterfalls, streams, and mountains. For the more adventurous and eco-minded traveler, there are lots of campgrounds where you pay a small fee to pitch a tent, or simple rustic cabins at the major national parks so you can wake up surrounded by lush natural beauty on a budget. 


There’s so much to do and see in the Dominican Republic, and within a few hours, you’ll quickly understand why this is a treasured vacation spot for travelers of all stripes. 


image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/q5z92_n_HxY

collect
0
avatar
James Deutsch
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more