15/09/2023
Dominican Republic - Fast Facts:
Louise Rush - Once in a Lifetime Holidays is currently out in Dominican Republic, scouting for the perfect hotels for our clients and getting a feel for the area. None of the team have been, until now...
๐ฉ๐ด Caribbean holiday hotspot!
๐ฉ๐ด The time is GMT-4 (currently 5 hours behind UK due to British summer time).
๐ฉ๐ด Average flying time 9hr 15 mins direct (my outbound was closer to 8 hrs 30 mins).
๐ฉ๐ด Local currency is the Dominican
Peso. ยฃ10 is roughly 710 DOP. US dollars are widely accepted.
๐ฉ๐ด The country shares itโs island with Haiti.
๐ฉ๐ด Santo Domingo is the capital, a colonial city with UNESCO world heritage status.
๐ฉ๐ด The annual carnival held in February is a colorful tradition with elaborate costumes and lively parades.
๐ฉ๐ด DR is home to the highest peak in the Caribbean, (Pico Duarte) as well as the lowest point (Lake Enriquillo).
๐ฉ๐ด Sargassum (floating seaweed) is generally worse during the summer months as the hurricanes wash it to shore but it is unpredictable and like many places. Some resorts/ areas donโt experience seaweed at all. Note - Dreams Macao doesnโt get seaweed at all. This is now abundant in many areas of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.
๐ฉ๐ด Some of Jurassic Park 3 was filmed in the Dominican Republicโฆ
๐ฉ๐ด And leading on from that oneโฆ DR is known for itโs amber that often contains prehistoric fossils, making it a valuable resource for both jewellery and scientific study.
๐ฉ๐ด Baseball is the most popular sport.
๐ฉ๐ด Some beaches have golden sand and green water and some have pure white sand and blue oceans so choose wisely depending on your preference!
๐ฉ๐ด The Atlantic Ocean merges with the Caribbean Sea so some beaches tend to be choppy waters, unsuitable for swimming.
๐ฉ๐ด Mosquitos are a thing. Use bug spray from the your hotel - itโs much more effective than what we get in the UK.
๐ฉ๐ด Lake Enriquillo is the largest saltwater lake in the Caribbean and home to crocodiles, iguanas, and flamingos.
๐ฉ๐ด DR one of the Caribbean's largest economies, with major industries including tourism, agriculture (especially sugarcane, coffee, and cocoa), and mining.
๐ฉ๐ด Before the arrival of the Europeans, the island was inhabited by the Taรญno people. Many words, such as "hurricane", "canoe", and "barbecue", originate from the Taรญnos.
๐ฉ๐ด DR is the birthplace of merengue dancing.
๐ฉ๐ด Sanoa island is a paradise island baby sister to Dominican Republic and used for scenes in Pirates of the Caribbeanโฆ today weโre going there on a catamaran!!
Photo of Louise on one of the beautiful beaches. Get in touch if you want to find out more about the hotel recommendations. We have our very own in house expert ๐โ