Best inclusive Resorts

Need to relax, change your vacation routine and have an exciting vacation; see below some of the beautifull places that we have in Dominican Republic

Dominican Music and Dance

Merengue

As the national music and dance of the Dominican Republic, the merengue has a colorful history. As with all Dominican stories, there are many versions. One story about the development of the merengue claims the dance was the result of a group of partying villagers who, out of sympathy for a war hero who had just returned home with a limp, danced as though they too had been wounded.

 

 

 

Bachata

Bachata, another popular music and dance in the Dominican Republic, originated in the more rural areas of the country and has long been associated with the lower, working class and the dark-skinned people of the nation. It is a guitar-based music derived from the bolero. Bachata tends to be a bit more on the dramatic side, dealing with lost love, lost hope, and betrayal, all in a fog of heavy drinking and sex — filled with sexual double entendres.

 

Cost of Living in Dominican Republic

            

The Peso floats freely against the U.S. dollar which means that the official exchange rates can change rather drastically from day to day.
Nearly all hotels in the Dominican Republic list their rates in U.S. dollars, while most restaurants and shops deal with both U.S. and Dominican Republic Currencies.

1.00 USD	=	40.2499 DOP
US Dollar	↔	Dominican Peso

Restaurants
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	275.00 RD$
Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	963.60 RD$
Combo Meal at McDonalds or Similar	240.90 RD$
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught)	80.30 RD$
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	116.44 RD$
Cappuccino (regular)	55.11 RD$
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle)	40.15 RD$
Water (0.33 liter bottle)	19.03 RD$
Markets
Milk (regular), 1 liter	50.79 RD$
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g)	57.56 RD$
Rice (1kg)	51.26 RD$
Eggs (12)	80.30 RD$
Local Cheese (1kg)	240.47 RD$
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg)	244.25 RD$
Apples (1kg)	151.41 RD$
Oranges (1kg)	105.82 RD$
Tomato (1kg)	85.61 RD$
Potato (1kg)	65.44 RD$
Lettuce (1 head)	34.95 RD$
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	29.57 RD$
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	446.83 RD$
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	66.65 RD$
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	73.33 RD$
Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro)	125.05 RD$
Transportation
One-way Ticket (Local Transport)	25.00 RD$
Monthly Pass (Regular Price)	1,104.12 RD$
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)	150.00 RD$
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)	105.30 RD$
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)	110.23 RD$
Gasoline (1 liter)	61.09 RD$
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	728,100.18 RD$
Utilities (Monthly)
Basic (Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment	5,009.38 RD$
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans)	7.34 RD$
Internet (6 Mbps, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)	2,609.75 RD$
Sports And Leisure
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	2,000.00 RD$
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	200.75 RD$
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	205.57 RD$
Clothing And Shoes
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)	2,104.12 RD$
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	2,810.50 RD$
1 Pair of Nike Shoes	2,755.62 RD$
1 Pair of Men Leather Shoes	3,994.92 RD$
Rent Per Month
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	17,063.75 RD$
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	8,030.00 RD$
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	27,000.00 RD$
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	15,000.00 RD$
Buy Apartment Price
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre	48,597.50 RD$
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	25,052.50 RD$

History

The History of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo, capital city of the Dominican Republic, is the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in the Americas, having been founded in 1498 by Bartholomew Columbus, brother of Christopher. The city has a long and fascinating history, having been victimized by pirates, overrun by slaves, re-named by a dictator and more. It is a city where history comes to life, and the Dominicans are justly proud of their status as the oldest European city in the Americas.

Hispaniola and Santo Domingo took a long time to recover from the pirate raid, and in the mid-1600’s, France, taking advantage of the still-weakened Spanish defenses and looking for American colonies of its own, attacked and captured the western half of the island. They renamed it Haiti and brought in thousands of African slaves. The Spanish were powerless to stop them, and retreated to the eastern half of the island. In 1795 the Spanish were forced to cede the rest of the island, including Santo Domingo, to the French as a result of wars between France and Spain after the French Revolution.

The Dominican Republic had growing pains as a nation. It fought constantly with Haiti, was re-occupied by the Spanish for four years (1861-1865), and went through a series of presidents. During this time, colonial-era structures, such as defensive walls, churches and the Diego Columbus house, were neglected and fell into ruin. American involvement in the Dominican Republic increased greatly after the construction of the Panama Canal: it was feared that European powers could seize the canal using Hispaniola as a base. The United States occupied the Dominican Republic from 1916 to 1924.

From 1930 to 1961 the Dominican Republic was ruled by a dictator, Rafael Trujillo. Trujillo was famous for self-aggrandizement, and renamed several places in the Dominican Republic after himself, including Santo Domingo. The name was changed back after his assassination in 1961.

Present day Santo Domingo has rediscovered its roots. The city is currently undergoing a tourism boom, and many colonial era churches, fortifications and buildings have recently been renovated. The colonial quarter is a great place to visit to see old architecture, see some sights and have a meal or a cold drink.

 

Bunisses Hours

Business hours

The following hours are standard for the DR. Exceptions are noted in individual listings.

Banks 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday

Government offices 7:30am to 2:30pm Monday to Friday

Restaurants 9am to 10pm Monday to Saturday; most close between lunch and dinner

Shops 9am to 7:30pm Monday to Saturday

Supermarkets 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday

Tourist attractions 9am to 6pm; many museums and galleries close one day per week (usually Monday)
Liquor licensing laws, and hence bar opening and closing times, were in flux at the time of research. However, expect bars, nightclubs and casinos to be open from 6pm to late.

Getting Around and Where to go

Where to go

A long weekend:

 Santo Domingo

 Ciudad Colonial

Guayacanes and Juan Dolio.

One week:

 

 Puerto Plata

 

 

 

 Damajagua

 

 Cabarete

 

 

 

 Sosúa

 

 

Two weeks

 

 La Península de Samaná

 

 

 Jarabacoa

 

 

 Constanza

 

 

Getting Around

  Car & motorcycle

Renting a car is a great way to see the country without wasting time waiting for buses. Prices range from US$40 to US$100 per day. Motorcycles can also be rented, but only experienced drivers should do so because of poor road conditions. If you bust a tire – the most common car trouble here – a gomera is a tire repair and retail shop.

You must have a valid driver’s license and be at least 25 years old to rent a car. You will be required to show a major credit card or leave your passport as a deposit. Be sure to ask about the ‘deductible’ (the amount you pay out-of-pocket before insurance kicks in) and whether the insurance covers damage to your tires or windows.

Bus & tram

First-class buses are comfortable, have air-con, and often also have TVs and a movie. Fares are low – the most expensive is less than US$10. Reservations aren’t usually necessary.

The following companies have 1st-class services:
Caribe Tours (in Santo Domingo 809-221-4422; cnr Avs 27 de Febrero & Leopoldo Navarro) The most extensive bus line, with service everywhere but the south east.
Expreso Santo Domingo Bávaro (in Santo Domingo 809-682-9670; cnr Juan Sánchez Ruiz & Máximo Gómez) Connects Santo Domingo and Bávaro with a stop in La Romana.
El Canario (809-291-5594) Not exactly 1st-class vehicles, but the only daily direct service between Puerto Plata and Samaná (US$7, 3½ to 4 hours, with stops in Nagua and Sánchez.
Metro (in Santo Domingo 809-566-7126; Calle Francisco Prats Ramírez) Located behind Plaza Central Mall in Santo Domingo, Metro serves nine cities, mostly along the Santo Domingo–Puerto Plata corridor.
Terra Bus (809-531-0383; Plaza Lama, cnr Avs 27 de Febrero & Winston Churchill) Air-con service from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Gua-guas

Gua-guas vary in size, from minivans to midsize buses with room for around 30 passengers. They don’t have toilet facilities and only occasionally have air-con. Unlike regular buses, gua-guas stop all along the route to pick up and drop off passengers. Wherever long-distance buses don’t go, you can be sure a gua-gua does. Gua-guas rarely have signs, so ask a local if you’re unsure which one to take. Most pass every 15 to 30 minutes and cost US$1 to US$2. Simply wave to be picked up.

Getting There

 Getting There

Sea

Ferries del Caribe (in Santo Domingo 809-688-4400, in Santiago 809-724-8771, in Mayagüez 787-832-4400, in San Juan787-725-2643) offers the DR’s only international ferry service, connecting Santo Domingo and Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. The ticket office and boarding area are on Av del Puerto opposite Fortaleza Ozama in Zona Colonial. The ferry departs Santo Domingo Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 8pm and returns from Mayagüez on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm. The trip takes 12 hours and costs around US$129/189 one-way/return in an airplane-style seat, or around per person single/double US$182/311 one-way or single/double US$295/474 return in a private cabin with an exterior window.

 

Land

Border crossings

There are three main border crossings between the Dominican Republic and Haiti: Jimaní/Malpasse in the south on the road between Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo; in the north at Dajabón/Ouanaminthe between Cap-Haítien and Santiago; and further south at Elías Piña/Belladère. Borders open 8am to 6pm but it is always a good idea to arrive early.
When leaving the Dominican Republic, travelers will be asked to produce their passports and tourist cards. From Haiti, you must have your passport and the yellow entry card you received upon arrival.

Bus

If you want to travel to Haiti, Capital Coach Line (809-530-8266; www.capitalcoachline.com; 27 de Febrero 455), Caribe Tours (809-221-4422; www.caribetours.com.do; cnr Avs 27 de Febrero & Leopoldo Navarro) and Terra Bus (809-531-0383; Plaza Lama, cnr Avs 27 de Febrero & Winston Churchill) offer daily bus services to Port-au-Prince. Capital Coach Line has one departure daily at 10am and Caribe and Terra at 11am and 11:30am, respectively. All three use comfortable, air-con coaches and the trip takes from six to nine hours and costs US$40.

Air

Departure tax Air: up to US$20 depending on length of stay; land: US$20

Santo Domingo’s Aeropuerto Internacional Las Américas (SDQ; 809-549-0081) is easily the largest and most modern airport in the country; however, Aeropuerto Internacional Punta Cana (PUJ; 809-959-2473), serving Bávaro and Punta Cana, actually handles more passengers. Puerto Plata’s Aeropuerto Internacional Gregorio Luperón (POP; 809-586-1992) and Santiago’s Aeropuerto Internacional Cibao (STI; 809-581-8072) also handle a good number of international flights.
The following airports also service international flights:
Aeropuerto Internacional El Catey (AZS; 809-338-0094) New airport 40km west of Samaná that handles international flights from various European cities and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Aeropuerto Internacional La Romana (LRM, Casa de Campo; 809-689-1548) Modern airport near La Romana and Casa de Campo; handles primarily charter flights from the US, Canada and Europe.

Climate and Fun

 

Climate

Except in the central mountains, temperatures don’t vary much in the Dominican Republic, averaging a summery 81ºF (28ºC) to 87ºF (31ºC) in most places for much of the year. Tropical humidity can make the temperatures feel higher, though sea breezes help mitigate the effect. The rainy season is May to October, August and September constitute hurricane season.

The main foreign tourist seasons are December to February and July to August and Semana Santa (the week before Easter). Expect higher prices and more crowded beaches at these times – Semana Santa is especially busy. February has great weather and you can enjoy Carnaval and the whales in Samaná. November is good, too – you’ll miss the whales but catch baseball season.

Fast Facts

Fast Facts about Dominican Republic

• Population  9,956,648                           
• Ethnicity Mixed, white, black                                                    
• Religions Roman Catholic                           
• Median Age 26.1 years                           
• Literacy Rate 87%   
• Official name República Dominicana
• Area 48,717 sq k
• Famous for Baseball, cockfighting, merengue, cigars, Columbus landing here first
• Country code 809
• Language Spanish
• Capital Santo Domingo de Guzmán
• Phrase Siempre a su orden (you’re welcome); gua-gua (bus)
• People Dominicans