Some practical tourist information that we hope will help you to get to know the Dominican Republic faster:

Currency:

The official currency on the Island is dominican pesos, but it's advisable to carry a certain amont of US dollars. Excursions, hotel bills, car rentals etc is often paid in US dollars, but you are recommended to keep small change in dominican pesos for local trips, drinks on the beach etc. Taxi drivers and salesmen often pretend they don't have change to get a couple of pesos extra. VISA card normally works in bigger hotels and restaurants, and in some banks you can also get cash in the machine. Don't change to more dominican pesos than you think you'll need, as it might be difficult to get the money changed back to US dollars. Banks generally give better exchange rates than hotels.

All inclusive & security:

A big amount of travellers to the Dominican Republic choose a full board hotel. The expression for this is "all inclusive" and these guests get a plastic bracelet around the wrist that shows everything is payed in advance. This system was developed when the tourism was rather new on the island and all hotels was closed resorts with guards. Then it was considered dangerous to leave the hotel area but now, as the tourism has increased and the Dominicans has become more aware of its importance for the countrys economy the situation has changed. The criminality is rather low in the tourist areas and it's no problem to travel around on the island. As in all the other places you always have to use your common sence, for example not to walk around in dark and empty places and not to flash with money. Apart from full board and free drinks you can often take part of a number of activities if you have all inclusive, for example sport activities, horseback riding, spanish lessons, merengue classes or free transport to town. What is included variates a lot from hotel to hotel. Are you staying at a big hotel or a hotel that is a part of a bigger chain you can normally choose between several restaurants while smaller hotels often only have one. If you have not booked all inclusive together with your trip some hotels sell all inclusive at the reception, but then the prices are higher.

Stomach problems and drinking water:

Don't drink the tap water on the island. Purified water is sold in different sized bottles and in some stores you can also find imported mineralwater, but normally to a very high price. In most restaurants and hotels the ice is made from purified water. Even if you are careful with what you eat and drink you could get some problems with your stomach. It does not have to mean that the food is bad, sometimes you might simply react on different eating habits or harmless bacterias that we are not used to. If you get sick in the stomach you are advised to eat plain rice which have a tranquilizing effect. Also the water inside the fresh coconuts have the same effect. If this or normal stomach pills for taveling does not help within a day or two or if you have very strong symptoms, contact the local pharmacy or a doctor. Most hotels have a deals with a doctor that will come to your room. Talk to the reception where you stay.

Driving:

If you want to rent a car you should bear in mind that this is a country where there are almost no traffic rules. The only rule that is respected on the island is the speed limit for tourist buses. Otherwise you see people driving on the left side of the road, the wrong direction or wherever, often very fast and after refreshing themself with a couple of drinks. If you want to rent a car in spite of this you must be 25 years old have a credit card and a valid driving license from your country. Due to the lack of traffic rules it's important that the rental company you use have good insurances. We recommend you to contact one of the big, international companies that you find in connection to the airports.

Transportation:

The transportation system might seem a bit complicated for a tourist during the first visit, but you have a couple of alternatives to choose between, and they are actually much more organized than they seem. Traditional taxis are often beige and they do not have a sign on the top. The name of taxi company is often written on the side doors or it simply says "turistico"on a sign or a sticker. Most of the time the fares have set prices, but it's recommended to make a habit of asking for the price in advance on all occations. Taxi meters do exist, but they never work.

If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to travel, all you have to do is stand by the road and wait. Between 6 am and 6 pm there are "guaguas" trafficing the major roads. Guaguas are minibuses that picks up everybody, and when they see you they will singnal and blink the lights. Make a sign and they will stop, and there is always room for everybody. Twenty people in one bus is quite common, but don't let this scare you. You might end up sitting to the left of the driver or have to change gears for hime while he's driving. This is a cheap and funny way of traveling and don't think about finding them - they will find you! The vehicle that look most like our taxis are the "publicos" They normally drive same routes as the guaguas and have small signs on top telling what route they are trafficing. They also run at a later time than the guaguas but the price is about the same. Shorter trips cost five pesos, but sometimes the tourists are asked to pay a little bit more. It's also a little bit more expensive to ride in the night.

A "motoconcho" might stop and ask if you want a ride. They are mopeds or small motorbikes that take one or two people. Three people on a moped is very common in the Dominican Republic and sometimes you see a whole family on the same vehicle. There are official companies for the motoconchos and these drivers normally wears a vest with a number, but anybody might stop and offer you a lift for a couple of pesos. Normally it's not dangerous to accept the offer, but let the situation decide and use your common sense. Many bigger hotels have their own drivers with free transportation for their guests. If you want to make longer trips we recommend that you contact Caribe Tours, a big bus company that is trafficing almost the whole island. ask in the reception for the nearest office.

Shopping and bargaining:

Almost all prices are negotiable on the Dominican Republic, especially in souvenir boutiques and on all things sold on the beach. It's common that these salesmen have an opening price which is more than double compared to what their products are worth. An unwritten rule is that you don't bargain in shops where the articles have pricetags, but on everything rest. Cigars and rum are popular thing to buy with you home from the Dominican Republic, but the island offer many other nice souvenirs, for example the cheramic dolls without faces. The salesmen on the beach will show you loads of necklaces made from different stones, clothes and other things. The light blue stone Larimar is popular in different types of jewellery like the dominican amber. If you are interested in a little bit more expensive jewellery we recommend you to visit a bigger shop that can guarantee the authenticity. Copies of amber are quite common, but there is an easy way to check yourself if it's real or not. Put the amber in a glass of coca-cola. Real amber floats while plastic copies sink.

Eating out, tips and taxes:

To eat out is quite expensive in the Dominican Republic and 8% government tax and 10% service tax is added to you bill. The service tax is not to be mixed up with the personal tip you give to the waiter, about 10% if you are pleased with the service. if you want to have a cheaper meal you can visit one of the local "comedores" where the dominicans eat. The food is normally simple but well prepared. Meat is not served red, and this reduces the risks for stomach problems. Compared to the other caribbean islands the dominicans don't use much spices in their food. No hot chili sauces that makes you sweat... Their national dish is called "La Bandera", which means the flag. It contains chicken, rice and a bean sauce and the dominicans eat this meal several times a week. These comedores normally doesn't have the same fees as the bigger restaurants, but it might depend from case to case. The salaries on the island are so low that many people live of the tip they get from the tourists, and you might get asked for tips in other situations than restaurants, for example, if you need to ask for the way or if you hurt yourself. The dominicans will be happy to assist you, but then they want a couple of pesos for their help. In some occations we might consider this rude, but the dominicans are very innovative when it comes to making money of the tourism. You should consider if you think their service is worth the money or not instead of if it's right compared to the values we are used to. If not, just use a friendly but clear no thanks - no gracias.

Postcards and international calls:

Postcards are for sale in most shops in the touristic areas, and you can normally buy stamps in the same place. Do this if you can, because there are not many post offices on the island. Many bigger hotels or shops for postcards have mailboxes, but you should be aware of the the dominican post system is not very reliable and mostly the postcards reach their destination long after you have come home if the show up at all. To call home is not complicated, but it happens that the telephone system breaks down for a couple of hours now and then just like the electricity. To call from the hotels is normally expensive, but telephone companies, internet cafés and some other shops have international lines through internet, and a call to Europe cost about 15 pesos a minute. The quality on the connection might variate and somtimes there is a one or two seconds delay. Ask on your hotel for a reliable place or make your calls from our office.

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