La República Dominicana Revealed…

The Caribbean's Dominican Republic is an affordable getaway for families and couples alike. lowcostholidays.com feature dozens of All Inclusive beach resort hotels offering outstanding value for money, and now, to help you on your way, present a insider's guide to the island...

How do I get around?

With a varied landscape, the Dominican Republic offers a resourceful transport service to help you get around the large island. A choice of buses, coaches, taxis, motorcycles, guaguas, and subway trains offer an efficient and affordable transport system on the island. It will cost you around 100-500 DOP (Dominican Republic Pesos) for a bus or train ride depending on how far you travel, try to keep correct change for travel tickets, simply for convenience.

Car rentals are recommended if you plan on making long distance journeys across the island. 25 is the minimum age for car renting. Make sure you are a confident driver before you hire your vehicle as driving on the island is more reckless than that of the UK. lowcostholidays.com suggest renting a secure and reliable 4 wheel drive for unpredictable road conditions and rainy weather circumstances.

You should take extra caution when driving on the island; it is legal take over on the left and right hand side of vehicles so be aware when you turn corners. Try to avoid driving at night, as there are poor road conditions and animals are likely creep out on to the road.

Remember traffic in Dominican Republic moves on the right hand side of the road and speed signs will be displayed in kilometres instead of miles. Make sure you wear your seatbelt at all times to avoid a hefty fine.

Currency:

The Dominican Peso is the currency of Dominican Republic and is not available outside of the island. Local banks and exchange houses typically offer greater exchange rates in comparison to commercial bank cash points located in hotels. Although commercial banks offer a less favourable rate, it may be your best option in terms of convenience.

Be aware; by law you can only exchange back 30% of the foreign currency you cashed in for the Dominican Peso and receipts may be required for evidence.

A gozar! “Let’s have fun!”

The buzzing nightlife of Dominican Republic offers an array of lively options. From drinking, dancing, socializing and festival going, you can enjoy your nights in traditional bars, classy lounges, delicious restaurants or energetic super clubs.

Head out between 6pm and 8pm to catch the local happy hours for great drink deals, most nightclubs usually get lively around 10pm so there’s no huge rush to get ready.

For an exciting evening, raise the stakes in a Dominican casino. There are many gaming houses dotted around the island with most major hotels providing in-house casinos. You can bet in Pesos or your national currency, nonetheless only gamble with money you can afford to lose. Be careful, many tourists have lost large amounts of money playing a game known as super keno; players criticized the game rules where unclear or misleading. lowcostholidays.com recommend you play games you are familiar with to avoid gambling away all your holiday spending money.

Dining in Dominican;

You won’t go hungry in Dominican Republic, with more restaurants than any other Caribbean Island; expect international and local cuisine to fill the streets with food.

The local cuisine consists of a blend of Spanish influences and local produce. For lunch lowcostholidays advise trying the most popular dish in the republic; La Bandera Dominicana, which translates to "The Dominican Flag." A combination of rice, beans, stewed meat, salad and fried plantains is a true taste of the island culture.

You will find dinner is a typically light meal. Maybe consider dining out for lunch instead of dinner if you want a more filling satisfactory meal. A 10% service charge will usually be included in restaurants and hotels so make sure you check the bill before leaving a tip as it is not necessary if you’re paying a service charge.

Avoid purchasing food from street vendors and only eat dairy products that you know have been pasteurized; you don’t want an upset tummy to ruin your vacation.

Drink:

Mamajuana, the native drink of the Dominican Republic, is a brew of sticks, leaves and herbs, with rum, red wine and honey. Love it or hate it? Providing you’re 18, lowcostholidays recommends giving the creative drink a try.

The locally brewed Presidente beer is a national representation of the Dominican Republic. Served ice cold in most bars and restaurants on the island, it is so popular that if you ask for a beer, you will be served with a president beer, so be specific if you don’t want one. Another popular drink is of course Dominicans famous dark rum; again you will find this is served in most bars and restaurants.

Shopping:

There are many shopping opportunities in the Dominican Republic; you will find your best buys range from decorative jewellery to woodworks, pottery and artefacts, as they are all products made on the island.

Bargaining is recommended, and in most cases expected. Don’t be surprised to see a mark-up of at least 100% on most products.

Useful Tips:

• Make sure you visit your local doctor or a travel health clinic 4-8 weeks before departure, as you may need vaccinations and medication to prevent any diseases you may be at risk with on your travels. It is also advised you pack antibiotics or antidiarrheal tablets to be on the safe side.
• Avoid drinking tap water, fountain water and ice cubes, be on the safe side and buy bottled water and drinks. Antibacterial hand wipes and alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also useful for general hygiene.
• Make sure your tetanus vaccination is up to date before travelling and do not touch or feed any animals, even cats and dogs that look healthy can carry rabies or other diseases.
• Relevant sun protection is essential in Dominican Republic. With a tropical climate and average temperatures of 28°C, it is easy to get burnt.
• Protect yourself from mosquitos, use plenty of insect repellent.
• Spanish is the local language but you will find most residents also speak English.
• The American style, two pin plug is used in Dominican Republic so don’t forget your travel adapters for your electrical appliances.

Check it out:

La Briciola Restaurant, Santo Domingo.

Hippocampo Dive Centre, Sosua and Cabarete.