Top tips for travelling the Dominican Republic

‘The paths you take in life, make sure some of them are sandy’

If you’re thinking of booking Dominican Republic or your holiday is already booked... I’m excited for you!! 

You won’t regret it, what a fabulous place full of culture and beauty.

You need to be aware and do your research wherever you go in the world but here are my top tips for travelling the Dominican Republic.

Don’t drink the tap water!

The water doesn’t undergo any filtration treatment so it’s best to drink bottled water. It is available everywhere, you will even see people selling bottles on the streets and on the beaches. For extra caution use bottled water to brush your teeth with and try to avoid ice in drinks. Most resorts use bottled water for their ice but be wary. 

Bargain while Shopping

Don’t feel bad, it is expected. The prices are put slightly higher on items because the sellers know what we are like and there’s no harm in them trying to get a little more out of us if they can. Don’t go ridiculously low and make sellers feel awkward, start slightly lower than what you want to pay so then you end up meeting  in the middle. 

Spanish words 

It’s handy to learn a few Spanish words before you go. Even if it’s hello and goodbye just because the people in Dominican Republic appreciate you trying and its useful when trying to understand what’s going on. You pick up a lot while away but does come in handy when you need the toilet and the only people to ask don’t know any English. 

Be careful after dark!

It’s always best to be careful wherever you travel in the world. Don’t walk down alleys or quiet roads, don’t wander off and get lost and if you are going to remote areas on the island then try to go with a tour guide or group, there’s always risks. Most tourists stay in hotels and resorts and don’t venture off unless on an excursion, just be careful. 

Tipping

Tipping is completely up to you but I feel you should because the people work hard for little money. I don’t mean tip every time you eat, we tipped for evening meals, the maids on the last day of our vacation, porters who took our bags to the bus from the airport, when we was on excursions/trips and bus/taxi drivers when taking us places. It’s pretty much like we all do at home. It is not expected but highly appreciated. 

Cigars

Dominican Republic is known well for their Cigars and one of the best is called ‘Fuente Fuente Opus X’. We don’t smoke but we gave a cigar a go and enjoyed finding out how they’re made. If you decide to bring them back home, the maximum is 100 but every airline is different so check. 

Money

The Dominican Republic use Dominican Pesos as their money but most places accept dollars. We didn’t have any problems using dollars when out there, it was only when we were travelling around and stopping at markets or shops for a drink that we were asked for Pesos but they accepted dollars still. 

Tip - Make sure you have lots of smaller notes because it’s hard to get change.

Vaccines/Mosquitoes 

Check with your doctor but the main vaccines you need before going is typhoid and hepatitis A. You need to book these in before you go. Also Dominican Republic is known for mosquitoes so they do recommend you take malaria tablets; you can get these from a pharmacy or a online doctor like boots or Superdrug. We took them but we didn’t see any mosquito so you need to decide what you feel is best. The tablets do have side effects so you need to be careful. The Zika virus is also present so take extra precautions by using sprays and wipes. 

Travelling 

To enter the Dominican Republic a valid passport with two blank pages is required. At the customs and immigration desk you will receive a tourist card instead of needing a visa which is valid for 30 days, we had to pay $10 to enter and $20 to depart but I think the money has been scrapped now, check with your airline. You will need a visa if you go longer than 30 days. 

Amber

The Dominican Republic is renowned for its amber so when out shopping you will see lots of market places and shops selling souvenirs, jewellery etc made out of amber. 

Best time to go

The Dominican Republic usually has a hot climate all year round ranging between 25 and 28 degrees celsius but the best time to go is December to March. We went in August and had no issues with the weather, we had two evenings of rain and one very cloudy day. The rest of the time there was beautiful boiling sun. 

Most visitors spend days lounging on the beach and by the pool in the Dominican Republic which is great, but if you can tear yourself away from the soft sands and warm waters then you won’t be disappointed finding all the hidden gems around the island.

Just take note of these top tips and do your research!