Escape to Paradise - Dominican Republic
¿Qué lo qué, bori? That's the first thing I heard as soon as I got out of the airplane. It literally means what is what, Boricua? but they mean what's up. Boricua is another way to call Puerto Ricans. Dominican Republic is located in Central America in the Caribbean region. Puerto Rico is to the east and Cuba to the west.
Interesting facts:
- Dominican Republic is one of the two countries that make up Hispaniola, the other being Haiti.
- They use the Dominican peso (DOP). Today 53.00 pesos is approximately one US dollar.
- The official language is Spanish but they also teach basic French and English in schools.
- We visited Punta Cana which is located east of Dominican Republic in the province of La Altagracia and the Higüey municipality.
- Punta Cana is known for water sports, its beaches and all-inclusive hotels.
- The average annual temperature varies from 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) to 35ºC (95ºF).
Tips for those traveling to DR for the first time:
- Find a travel agency to make your life easier and reduce stress. Travel agencies usually include an all-inclusive stay, round-trip flight, round-trip hotel-airport transportation, non-motorized sports and tourist card.
- Paying in the local currency is always cheaper. However, be careful of the fee they want to charge to change from dollar to Dominican peso. Verify the current currency exchange before making the transaction. Calculate in advance how much money you will spend on your stay to avoid having to make more than one currency exchange.
- Yes, they speak Spanish, but if you want to learn some local phrases, access this dictionary: https://www.colonialtours.com/dictionary.htm
- The hotel area is safe, however, if you go out, I recommend doing it in a group or with a tour guide.
Here our plan in Bávaro, Punta Cana:
- The hotel we chose had an exclusive area for adults that included a pool, bar, restaurant, hammocks and beach.
- We could also enjoy the pools outside the exclusive area, several restaurants, theater, shops, bars and events at the hotel.
- In addition, it had a water park and non-motorized sports.
- Through discount websites, we bought tickets to swim with dolphins, boogie adventure and visit the Coco Bongo nightclub. All include roundtrip hotel transportation.
- In the end, the what I loved the most was the tranquility I felt and the politeness and hospitality of hotel employees. They farewelled us like this:
It was bacano and I will definitely return one day :) If you want to know more details about our trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, feel free to send me a message via Facebook One Way Ticket @ k1wayticket
