Dominican Republic · Caribbean

Overview

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The vibrant lifestyle of this sun-drenched, Latin-Caribbean country, where Spanish is the national language and where the people are hospitable and good-natured, makes the Dominican Republic a different cultural experience. If you pick up the rhythm of life here, as free-wheeling as the island's trademark merengue, this can be a beguiling tourist destination. And it's still one of the least expensive of the Caribbean islands.

Dominicans will extend a gracious welcome, saying, "This is your home!" and indeed are happy to share what they have, which is a physically beautiful island bathed by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Among its most precious assets are 1,500 km (1,000 mi) of gorgeous beaches studded with coconut palms and sands ranging from pearl white to golden brown to volcanic black.

The Caribbean sun kisses this exotic land (warm temperatures average 82°F year-round), which occupies two-thirds, or 76,192 square mi (48,442 square km), of the island of Hispañola, sharing the remainder with the Republic of Haiti. Cuba is due west, and to the east is Puerto Rico. It's a fertile country blessed with resources, particularly cocoa, coffee, rum, tobacco, and sugarcane.

A land of contrasts, the island has alpine landscapes, brown rivers with white-water rapids, rain forests full of wild orchids, and fences of multicolor bougainvillea. Indigenous species from crocodiles to the green cockatoo, symbol of the island, live in these habitats. Bird-watchers, take note: there are 29 endemic species flying around here.

The contrasts don't stop with nature. You can see signs of wealth, for the upper strata ofsociety lives well indeed. In the capital, the movers and shakers ride in chauffeur-driven silver Mercedes. On the country roads you'll be amazed that four people with sacks of groceries and a stalk of bananas can fit on a smoky old motoconcho (motor bike/taxi). Similarly, Dominicans can be fair-skinned with light eyes, or black, but mostly they are shades of brown. This is a land of mestizos, who are a centuries-old mix of native Indians, Spanish colonists, and African slaves, plus every other nationality that has settled here, from Italian to Arabic.

Accommodations now offer a remarkable range -- surfers' camps, exclusive boutique hotels, and amazing megaresorts that have brought the all-inclusive hotel to the next level of luxury.

Most Dominican towns and cities are neither quaint nor particularly pretty; poverty still prevails. However, the standard of life has really come up along with the growth of North American tourism. With the weakness of the dollar, it's not the cheap date it has been; prices remain competitive, but a vacation in the D.R. can still be a relative bargain.

Islanders have an affinity for all things American: the people, language (more and more speak English), electronic products, fashions, and lifestyle. A great Dominican dream is to go to the States as a shortstop or pitcher and become the next Sammy Sosa, then return to be a philanthropist in one's own hometown.