dominican Republic

Mrs wolfrider wants to go there on holiday this year. Unsure myself. Anyone been?

Been to a really crappy all-inclusive. Avoid that like the plague unless you only want hot sun, cheap and awful food and cheap and awful drink.

However, if you were going to a nice resort or were planning to stay outside Colditz, that might be a good idea.

what are her reasons/interests— humanitarian or vanity ?

Have been there twice and loved it.

If you go stay on the south of the island flying into Punta Cana, rather than the north and Puerto Plata. The beaches and sea are much nice on the south side.

Did some interesting stuff there, and there is loads more to the place than just beaches and All Inc hotels. I think they filmed some of jurassic park there and a trip off into the jungle is a must. We did a jeep safari and saw some local jungle villages, the places where they grow and process coffee, cocoa, tobacco etc. Absolutely stunning.

Also did a day trip to Santo Domingo the capital, was a few hours on a coach either way but again massively worth it. Its the oldest European city in the Americas, with the first street, the first cathedral etc There is a massive lighthouse where they say Columbus is buried, and the house his family lived in when they discovered the island. Also a lot of stuff about the Dominican history, freedom fighters, revolutionaries etc.

Yes been a few times as I have friends who live there. its probably one of the best places to learn kitesurfing/windsurfing if thats your thing.

If you are in the Puerto plata area then do the 27 waterfalls trip such great fun climbing up falls and jumping/sliding down others great day out when its hot. hotels organise trips but you can just turn up too. it is run by the local community and they are very proud of it.

+1 for santo domingo great place to spend a couple of days

+1 that there are some pretty nasty looking all inclusives but i’ve never stayed in one

Hotels may tell you that its dangerous on your own and you need to go on organised trips but its really pretty safe, so long as you are sensible and remember it is a very poor country.

We have helped out with some charitable work out there too such as http://sosuakids.com/ they always need help with equipment etc.

I’ve been too.

Its a really interesting and beautiful country if you venture out from your all inclusive resort.

We did a snorkelling trip to “Paradise Island”; a guided mountain bike tour; a day of canyoning; a horse ride on the beach; and on off-road safari. I also took some kite surfing lessons

Outside the resorts there is quite a lot of poverty evident but nowhere felt unsafe

Been once to Puerta Plata. Stayed at the the ‘Bahia Principe’ Resort, They don’t cook the food properly and I got pretty ill and was on glucose for a week whilst there. About half a mile’s walk along the beach of our resort (private, there was a sewage pipe spewing it’s stuff. Oh and the all-inclusive bars closed at 10:30 yet some bars that weren’t all-inclusive were still open beyond this time so watch out for this when booking.

The good bits were the resort and staff at the resort were really lovely people who couldn’t do enough for you, the place, bits you could see at least were nice and clean.

A couple of the excursions we went on , catamaran, jet-skiing and a sight-seeing tour were all really amazing too.

what are her reasons/interests— humanitarian or vanity ?

😆

Its a really interesting and beautiful country if you venture out from your all inclusive resort.

It probably is, and I normally would have, but it was a “lads’ trip” that I went along on after someone bought my ticket as my “I can’t afford it” excuse was apparently too convincing… Never again!