IMPORTANT:
There is now a curfew on establishments that
sell alcohol. Bars/clubs that sell alcohol must close at 1am
during the week, and 3am on Friday and Saturday. These regulations
don't affect bars/clubs inside the all-inclusive resorts.
Entry Requirements
For citizens of the United States and Canada no visas are necessary.
With a valid passport, you’re on your way. You are also able to
enter the country with a valid birth certificate (from the U.S.)
with raised seal, but with the heightened security and scrutiny, it
is not recommended. If you are traveling from a country other than
the U.S. or Canada and want to see if you need a visa, click
here.
Click
here for more information
about traveling from the U.S.
Immunizations
— No immunizations are
required, but it is wise to update your tetanus booster.
Exit Requirements —
All tourists must
pay a departure tax of $20 at the airport. You may pay in either
dollars or Dominican pesos. Also, check with your airline, sometimes
it is included in the price of your ticket.
DOMINICAN CONSULATES
If you need any information you can contact the
Dominican Consulate in the U.S.
AIRLINES
There are several airlines that fly to the
Dominican Republic. Listed below are your choices:
Continental Airlines
—
flies nonstop from Newark (N.J.) and Houston (to Punta Cana)
JetBlue —
flies nonstop
from JFK (NYC) to Santo Domingo & Santiago
(From JFK to Puerto Plata, starting Jan. 2008)
(From Fort Lauderdale starting Jan. 2008)
(From Orlando, FL. starting Feb. 2008)
Delta Airlines
— flies nonstop from Atlanta
& JFK
American Airlines
— flies nonstop from NYC, Miami, Puerto Rico and Boston
Spirit Airlines
— flies from Fort Lauderdale
United Airlines —
flies from Chicago & Washington, D.C. to Punta Cana
Copa Airlines
—
flies from all of Latin America with a hub in Panama City
Iberia Airlines
—
flies nonstop from Madrid, Spain
Lufthansa
— flies nonstop from
Munich, Germany
MartinAir
— flies nonstop from Amsterdam, Holland
Air France — flies
nonstop from
Paris, France (lands first in Punta Cana)
There are many charter flights from Canada and Europe. Please check
with your travel agent for more information.
Besides the links above, here some other links where you can
purchase your tickets:
Expedia
Travelocity
Side Step
Priceline
Cheapseats
SkyAuction
Orbitz
Yapta
WHAT TO BRING*
It's the Caribbean, so the sun will be VERY HOT! Bring plenty of
sunscreen. Below are some other suggestions:
Insect repellant
Personal toiletries
Anti-diarrhea medicine
Comfortable, casual clothes
Camera
Condoms and Lubricant
Pocket calculator (money exchange)
Pocket English/Spanish dictionary (IMPORTANT!)
Medications
*Santo Domingo is a large city of almost 3 million people. Most
items that are available in the States/Canada can be found here. So
if you forget something (except prescriptions) you can pick it up
when you arrive.
WHAT TO WEAR
The weather in the Dominican Republic is tropical. In the summer
months it can be very hot and humid. During the winter months the
weather is very beautiful, and sometimes at night it can get cool.
In most Caribbean countries they don't wear shorts, so if you want
to blend in and not look like a tourist, don't wear shorts.
Otherwise, whatever you wear in your home country during warm
weather will be acceptable here. If you are planning on going to
some nice restaurants or clubs, then you want to bring something
nice, otherwise khakis, linen, jeans, etc., will be fine.
At the beach most Dominican men wear boxer swimming trunks, you will
get disapproving stares for anything too skimpy, especially if
families with children are present.
HEALTH CARE
The Dominican Republic is a 3rd-world country, so you want to make
sure any serious health issues are taken care of before you arrive.
Most insurance from the States and Canada is not valid here, so you
should check with your insurance company to see if you are covered
for emergencies while in the DR. We have access to a competent
doctor trained in the U.S.A, but it can be expensive. In the
Dominican Republic you do not need a prescription in the pharmacy,
unless it is a narcotic. If you have a medical
emergency while in the country please understand that you will not
be treated until the facility is sure that you are able to pay.
Also, if you are admitted to any hospital you will not be allowed to
leave before the bill is settled.
Hospitals — If while on vacation you
need medical attention then we highly-recommend the Clinica Abreu.
This hospital is recommended by the American Embassy and is located
in the Gazcue neighborhood of Santo Domingo.
Address: Calle Beller #42 corner of Avenida Independencia
(809.688.4411)
MOSQUITOES
Mosquito-borne illness are common all over the
tropics. There have been no known
Malaria
outbreaks recently in the DR. But, we are experiencing a
Dengue Fever
outbreak. Precautions against mosquitoes is advised.
Tap Water — Water from the tap is not
safe for drinking. If you have a very sensitive system, you might
want to even brush your teeth with bottled water. Drinking water and
using ice in reputable restaurants is not a problem. Restaurants use
bottled water for drinking and ice.
AIDS
The Dominican Republic has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates
in the Americas. Please beware of risky and unsafe behavior. Santo
Domingo has a large group of Buggarons (men who have sex with
tourists for money) who work in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo.
For more information on AIDS in the Dominican Republic
click
here.
MONEY
The currency of the Dominican Republic is the peso. The exchange
rate is set by the Dominican Republic Central Bank. ATMs are
available everywhere and credit cards are widely accepted. If you
bring dollars/euros they are easy to exchange at the many money
exchange "cambios" in Santo Domingo (and elsewhere in the country).
You can get a better rate at the exchange houses than with ATMs,
which charge fees. Because of the economic conditions in the
country, the exchange rate fluctuates rapidly. It is always sensible
to know what the exchange rate is for that day. If you go to
Oanda,
they will let you printout a handy pocket "cheat sheet," so that you
can know exactly how much money you are spending. It seems like when
you have pesos you have a lot of money, but believe us when we tell
you, they will FLY out your wallet quickly. In most establishments
you can pay with dollars, but it is not advisable. Stores,
restaurants and the like ALWAYS give a lower exchange rate than
banks and cambios. Also, it is easy to become confused. It is
recommended that you always pay in Dominican pesos. PLEASE do not
change money on the street and do not accept any money that has been
defaced or is torn.
Credit Cards —
Be careful
when purchasing something that is quoted in U.S. dollars. All credit
cards will be charged the equivalent in Dominican pesos, but what
shows up on your statement will often times be higher. The reason
for this discrepancy is that your banks' exchange rate may be
different from what is being offered in the DR. Your bank also
charges fees for converting dollars to pesos, along with other fees.
Make sure to keep up-to-date with the daily exchange rate.
Taxes and Tipping —
A 10
percent service charge is automatically added to restaurant bills,
plus another 16 percent government tax. The 10% service charge added
to your bill is divided among all who work in the restaurant. If you
find the service was very attentive and warrants an additional tip,
you can add another 5 - 10%. You will find that tips are greatly
appreciated and will get you speedier, more efficient service. Of
course tipping above the automatic charge is at your discretion.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
The Dominican Republic has a cheap and safe bus transportation
system to get you between different parts of the country.
Metro and
Caribe Tours are safe, reliable and run on a hourly schedule to many
parts of the country.
CAR RENTALS
Renting a car in the Dominican Republic is very easy. Though
driving, especially in Santo Domingo, is very challenging. It is
recommended that you use one of the reputable rental companies
(Hertz, Avis, Thrifty, etc.) and make your reservations online to
get the best deals. The company we found with the best rates is
Thrifty. At Thrifty if you rent with a gold or platinum credit card,
then you can turn down the extra insurance. Of course you should
check with your individual credit card company to be certain you are
covered.
TAXIS
Be very leery of picking up taxis on the street, especially in the
Colonial Zone section of Santo Domingo. Most of them are rip-off
artists, there to take advantage of tourists. We have heard of many
problems from people that take "tourist taxis." The best way to get
a taxi is for you to have your hotel call a taxi for you, speak with
the driver and confirm the price. If you speak Spanish we can
recommend Apollo Taxi (809.686.1212). We have used them many times
and have never had a problem. We also recommend Ruskin, who speaks
English and is highly trustworthy. He has a nice car that is
air-conditioned. He will cost a little more, but then he can speak
English and help you out with your errands. You can rent him by the
hour or day. His number is 1.809.765.4654, and tell him Monaga sent
you.
LINKS
Centers for Diasease Control Travel Info:
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationDominicanRepublic.aspx
Information on the Dominican Republic:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/dr.html
Information from U.S. State Dept. regarding the Dominican Republic
http://travel.state.gov/travel/dominican_republic.html
Dominican Republic Travel FAQs page:
http://dr1.com/travel/thedr/faq.shtml
International Currency Converter:
www.oanda.com/
Lonely Planet Guide to the
Dominican Republic:
www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations
Don't speak Spanish? This site helps you to learn some phrases:
www.hispaniola.com
Information on obtaining a U.S.
passport:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/index.html
Dominican Republic Tourist Offices:
www.towd.com/search.php?isindex=Dominican%20Republic
Photos of Historical Treasures of the Colonial Zone, Santo Domingo
http://psych.fullerton.edu/navarick/dr.html
American Embassy in Dominican Republic
www.usemb.gov.do/index.htm
LANGUAGE
The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish. In areas
where tourists congregate there will be some people around who speak
English and possibly other languages, but don't always count on it.
You can't assume that everyone speaks English, they don't. You
should make a concerted effort to pick up a few words in Spanish.
This will go a long way in ensuring that your holiday is a success.
By the same token, understand that when you go to bars/clubs the
music will always lean toward Merengue, Reggaeton, Salsa and Bachata.
Many places play American music, but again, you will be vacationing
in a Spanish-speaking country. If you just can't live without
American, or any other music, bring it and play it in your room.
Please remember that you are on vacation and go with the flow and
you will have a great time. Promise!
IDENTIFICATION
You should make a copy of your passport and leave the original in
your safe. Carry the copy with you at all times.
POLICE
The police in the Dominican Republic make a very low salary, and for
that reason many of them are corrupt. If you are stopped and asked
for money you should not pay. As long as you have done nothing wrong
you are okay. Do not be intimidated. Once you give the police money
they will be looking for money from you all the time. If you have
any problems you can report it at the Tourist Police station on El
Conde, corner of Jose Reyes. You can call them at
809.689.6464. You can also call the U.S. Embassy @
809.221.2171.
SAFETY
The Dominican Republic is a relatively safe place to visit. The
Colonial Zone, which is where most of the gay activities are
centered, is one of the safest areas in the DR. It has its own
police force and because of all the tourists and historical sites,
there are many national police and military patrolling the area.
Other areas of Santo Domingo and the Dominican Republic are safe for
travel, but common sense is always prudent. You will find that the
Dominican Republic is MUCH safer than places like Brazil, Puerto
Rico, Jamaica, Costa Rica and the like.
CHARITY
If you would like to bring down some things to give to an orphanage,
hospital or school, your donation will be most appreciated. Listed
below are some suggestions:
Condoms -- Expensive here and not given
out for free.
Used Clothing --
There are orphanages that could use old clothes (clean, of course)
Hospital Supplies -- Many of the public
hospitals are seriously lacking supplies
School Supplies --
Pens, pencils, books (in Spanish) or any other supplies that can be
used in schools
An organization that we have chose to spotlight is the La Casa
Rosada AIDS orphanage. Go to the link for more information about how
you can help.
GAY/LESBIAN
The Dominican Republic is surprisingly tolerant of Gay & Lesbian
tourists. The one thing you need to keep in mind is that it is a
conservative, Catholic society. That said, it is NOTHING like
Jamaica, or other Caribbean islands. In the DR as long as you
practice discretion and decorum you will not have any problems at
all. So, if you are determined to walk down the street hand-in-hand
with your partner, or you must show affection in a crowd, then you
might have a problem. Otherwise, treat the people with respect and
you will shown the same courtesy. Dominicans are a very proud people
and have a great pride in their country and culture.
MISCELLANEOUS
Do NOT (!!) mess with any drugs in the Dominican Republic. The laws
here are VERY strict and there is nothing that your embassy
will do but refer you to a lawyer. Once in the Dominican Republic
you are subject to all the laws of the country. Also, you should be
very careful about engaging in sex with minors. A new law has been
passed and you can get 20 years for engaging in sex with anyone
under 18 years old. Please consider yourself warned.
Monaga Corp., S.A., does not
promote sex tourism or venues that are strictly fronts for
prostitution, which is illegal in the Dominican Republic. We are
dedicated to improving the image and quality of life of gays and
lesbians in the Dominican Republic (and Latin America). As AIDS
activists, we encourage adults to practice safe sex and to respect
local laws and customs while on holiday. |
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