Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic by:
Antonio Trinidad

Discover the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic has quickly gained popularity as a vacation destination. The Dominican Republic is beginning to gain the reputation of being one of the friendliest, most affordable, and must fun island in the Caribbean. People do not necessarily know about all of the wonderful things that the Dominican Republic has to offer, but by taking a bit of time to learn about it you will find that it is an ideal destination for you to travel to. 

The Dominican Republic is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Basically it is just east of Haiti on the island of Hispaniola. While it is only 18,000 square miles in size the Dominican   Republic is jam packed with beautiful landscapes, fun activities, and gorgeous resorts. 

The main language spoken in the Dominican Republic is Spanish, but English is also widely spoken especially in the resort areas. Given that Spanish is the primary language the currency of the island is the Dominican peso. Again, the U.S. dollar is accepted in the resort areas. Speaking of money you need to be aware that at restaurants on the island it is customary for the establishment to add 10% gratuity to your bill. However, you typically want to add another 10% for a proper tip.  

In general, the weather in the Dominican Republic is really quite beautiful. Given the fact that the island has a 1,000 mile beach area you are going to want to spend a fair amount of time outside. Thankfully, the Dominican Republic weather tends to sit somewhere between 77 and 90 degrees year round. This makes for perfect beach combing weather. Speaking of beaches, one of the most popular beaches is the Sosua Beach. It is known for its glistening white sand, but it is far from the only white sand beach on the island.  

In fact, many of the resorts on the island back directly up to the beaches. The resorts on the island are designed for the islands visitors. There are many different hotels to choose from that offer you different amenities. However, you can count on the fact that you will find a hotel that features great restaurants, great rooms, and great pools on the property. There are even all-inclusive resorts for tourists to enjoy. If you want to stay someplace that gives you the true feel of the island culture you may want to look into some lodging near the capital city of Santo Domingo. 

While on the island there are plenty of sights to see and activities to take part in. One of the best things to check out is the capital city of Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo was founded in 1498, and it houses some of the oldest standing structures like the cities cathedral and monastery. Additionally, there are many water sports for you to have fun with. In fact, the Dominican Republic is known for top quality kiteboarding and windsurfing.