By Daisy Blue
Dominican Republic is a symbol of my firsts; first time to visit South America, first time to fly more than eight hours, first time to see a waterfall, first time to kiss a dolphin, first time to drive a buggy, and many others. If you need any vacation ideas, this country is perfect because of its warm weather all year round.
Straw everywhere
First cultural shock happened as soon as we landed. The entire airport’s roof was covered with straw. Even our villa, dining room and every other buildings were covered with it and that is kind of expected. But the airport? Not even in my dreams.
Dominican time
Locals are great at negotiating, quite good at driving and terrible at timing. Do not be too surprised if your 2 o’clock date arrives half an hour late. One minute in Europe is ten minutes in Dominican Republic; this is called Dominican time.
Prepare your wallets
Have I already mentioned that they are great negotiators? Well, you better have great nerves because they will not stop until they sell you something. Many people earn their living walking on the beach all day while offering you different trips and activities. Price for the same experience can vary, it all depends on your negotiating effort. My advice, ask for the price and walk away pretending you are not interested anymore. It will take them just few moments until they come after you with a better deal.
By the way, for all of you who do not know me well enough – I would never supprt animal abuse. They take good care of the dolphins. All the tourists are taught where they are not allowed to touch the dolphins before approaching them. They live in the sea, not in captivity.
Driving
Before flying there we were thinking of renting a car to discover the country ourselves but after reading a lot of scary comments about driving in the Dominican Republic we changed our mind. When we got there, we realized all of our second thoughts were not justified. Roads are paved and safe. When renting a car just be sure to do it in a legal way. You do not want to have an accident and not be insured.
You will probably gain some weight
Most of the hotels have an “all inclusive” type of stay which means you can never be hungry. You can start with a breakfast at 7 a.m., eat a pancake at 11 a.m., continue with a lunch at noon, go for a dessert or fast food at 3 o’clock and choose between traditional Dominican, Brazilian or standard all you can eat dinner in the evening. This and lying down on the beach every day does not help much with staying fit but oh, I would do it again, anytime. I just do not care about my weight at all.
Post cards
It lasted 6 months to deliver the postcard I sent from the Dominican Republic to Croatia. #justsaying
It is a real paradise
“Palm trees, ocean breeze, salty air, sun kissed hair.” – Unknown
I love this quote. It is so simple and it perfectly describes every tropical place, Punta Cana included. If this is a type of a vacation you prefer, I can confidently suggest you staying in Tropical Princess Beach Resort & Spa in Punta Cana or Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Plata. Let me know if you have been there or are planning to visit the Dominican Republic someday soon. I am totally planning to spend another vacation there.
Article originally from: https://dreamingmylife.blog/2018/03/24/my-week-off-in-dominican-republic/
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