Best time to visit the Dominican Republic

Stay in an all inclusive resort. Although there are exceptions, all inclusive holidays generally create limited local economic benefits and have a large environmental footprint. Responsible alternatives often exist with the same convenience and price as an all inclusive. You can, for instance, book a holiday that has activities, accommodation and meals included in the price through a responsible operator. Just as convenient, but you’ll also discover more about the destination and local cultures and increase the benefits to local communities. Read more about our stance on all inclusives. Sosúa by day is family friendly and great for diving, but by night it is a sex tourism hotspot. Dominican and Haitian sex workers flock to its bars and men are openly propositioned. While local police tolerate this, child sex tourism is never acceptable, so if you suspect or see teens or children being abused, don’t fail to act – report it to your hotel, tour operator or the local authority. You can also flag it with ECPAT, a global NGO committed to ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children. The Dominican Republic has hundreds of kilometers of coastline and a lot of life happens on the beach, but don’t ignore the interior, a wild landscape of fertile plains, rainforests, mountains and even desert. Get a taste of authentic Dominican rural life here and try a host of adventure activities.

“The area of Punta Cana in the southeast corner has the highest concentration of all inclusive resorts in the world. That being said, there is always a Yin to the Yang. The growth of sustainable, responsible tourism has been on a steady rise over the past decade. Taken as a whole, the Dominican Republic is 48,442km². Inside this are four mountain ranges, the highest peaks in the Caribbean, the longest river, the deepest lake, countless waterfalls, incredible beaches, caves and natural beauty around nearly every turn. The all inclusive market has its place, but so has small scale, eco based tourism. The country has recently formed an ecotourism association, which has not only caught international tourism’s eye, but the local Dominican tourism market as well. The Ministry of Tourism’s official slogan is ‘Dominican Republic has it all’. They are actively striving to make that slogan true.”

“We have created two types of activity holidays. One is for those that wish to really push their limits, more mentally than physically, with each day bringing a new adventure – sometimes two adventures! It really takes people out of their comfort zones, and a good amount of fitness is necessary for our extreme activity holiday. The other we call our family adventure holiday. It is not limited to children, but could include them. This offering is for those that wish to have a great time in the outdoors but aren’t really comfortable ‘pushing their limits’.”

“Oh where to start! My favourite thing about travelling besides adventure is food! The food here is more on the savoury side and not spicy. Dominican cuisine uses fresh garlic and oregano and any dish with the word ‘creole’ next to it is a meat or vegetable dish with a fresh tomato base. Breakfast should start with mangú, a green plantain mash. Rice and beans are a staple and there are so many different ways that they are cooked here. The seafood here is fresh and plentiful. Asopao is one of my favourite dishes and words! Pronounced ahso-pow, it is seafood rice stew. Avocados and mangos here grow to the size of a human head and usually find themselves on the side of every plate. Locally grown coffee and cacao (chocolate pods) make for a great start to any adventure. The spirit Mamajuana is a local digestif and usually drunk after dinner.”