Dominican Republic travel tips: Good to know before travelling!
Known for plenty of beautiful and pristine beaches, Dominican Republic is a destination not to be missed this summer! If you are going to plan a trip to this island country, why not check out some travel tips which are good to know before you go.
1. The Dominican Republic allows citizens of 103 different countries without a visa
Know for sure that you need to have a passport that is valid for six months and has been issued within the last ten years. This paper is compulsory for all travellers to enter the Dominican Republic. If you are a citizen from Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Israel, Japón, Perú, South Korea and Uruguay, you don’t need neither a visa nor a tourist card.
Besides, from April 2018, nationals from 95 countries can enter the Dominican Republic with just a tourist card and it is not necessary to have a visa. To get this card, you can apply at a consular near your areas or you can also obtain it at the airport upon arrival. A tourist card costs about $10 and it is valid for 30 days from the date of entry. Otherwise, for other nationalities, you must contact the Dominican Republic Embassy in your home residency country for visa requirements.
2. Get to Dominican Republic by boat or by plane
There are two ways with which you can choose depending on what you want or your wish.
The first one is by plane. The Dominican Republic has eight international airports spread across the country such as Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, Samaná etc. and some aerodromes for domestic flights.
In addition, The Dominican Republic is an island country so the second way is by boat. It could be a fabulous way for you to have amazing experiences. There are two main harbours where most of the cruises can arrive: Santo Domingo Harbour and La Romana Harbour.
3. Best period to traveling to Dominican republic is from December to April
This island country has tropical climate. So, the humidity and temperature is usually high through a year. There are two high tourist seasons: the summer season of July and August; the winter season is between December and late February. But the most fashionable time to visit Dominican Republic is from December to April. In these months, you can escape the cold weather and also, you can avoid getting stuck in a hurricane season with heaviest rainfall.
4. You should discover charming beaches
Are you looking for a beautiful beach where you can admire the natural beauty and enjoy some boating activities and watersports such as kayaking, sailing, jet ski, paddle etc.? Do not miss charming beaches in the Dominican Republic because it will satisfy all your desires.
5. Bring more shorts and swimsuits
If you want to go to the beach in the Dominican Republic, it is evident that you need to prepare more shorts and swimsuits and beach bag to have excellent times with no worries.
6. Learn more about local laws and customs
In the Dominican Republic, there are some local laws that you should know for a friendly and safe trip. The first thing is that PREVENT yourselves from getting involved in illegal drugs of any kind. Because if you own even a small amount of drugs, this can lead to a long prison sentence. Moreover, the LGBT community is NOT legally recognised by the locals even though it has been legalized in this country. So you should avoid expressing your affection (such as hand-holding or kissing) to avoid negative attention in the public area.
7. Learn Spanish
The Dominican Republic is a Spanish speaking country. So that will be useful if you learn to speak some sentences in this language. Now, just take a look at some helpful popular sentences for your trip.
- Hello. Goodbye. See you later. - Hola! Adios. Hasta Luego!
- Please. Thank you. - Por Favor. Gracias.
- Where is the toilet? - Donde esta el baño?
- Do you speak English? - Habla usted inglés?
- I don't understand. - Yo no comprendo.
- I am allergic. - Soy alérgico.
- I am lost. Can you help me? - Soy perdido. Puedes ayudarme?
- My name is.... - Mi Nombre es....
- Please, where can I find a taxi stand? - Por favor, donde puedo encontrar una parada de taxi?
- How much does it cost? - Cuanto cuesta?
8. Do NOT drink tap water
Keep in mind that no one drinks tap water in Dominican Republic because it does not undergo any filtration treatments. That is why bottled spring water is widely provided and you should make sure that the cap is sealed before drinking any bottled water to avoid any health problems.
9. Try drinking Mamajuana
Mamajuana is considered as one of the first distilled spirits in America. It is a rum, red wine and honey mixture soaked in a bottle with various tree bark and herds. This is a drink that should not be missed when traveling to Dominican Republic.
10. It is better if you pay in local currency (the Dominican peso)
You can also pay in dollars there but it is better to prepare some local currency - The Dominican peso (RD$ or DOP). In this way you can avoid high rate of exchange and not subject to bank fees.
To exchange Euro to the Dominican peso, you can check HERE
To exchange Dollar to the Dominican peso, you can check HERE
