Planning a Trip

Sugar-white beaches, inexpensive resorts, and rich natural beauty have long attracted visitors to the Dominican Republic. But at the same time, a not-entirely-deserved reputation for high crime, poverty, and social unrest has scared away many travelers. So which is it: a poverty-stricken country rife with pickpockets and muggers, or a burgeoning destination of beautiful beach bargains?

The answer, of course, is a little of both. The people of the Dominican Republic are among the friendliest in the Caribbean, and the hospitality here seems more genuine than in more commercialized Puerto Rico. The weather is nearly perfect year-round, and the Dominican Republic's white-sand beaches are some of the Caribbean's finest. Punta Cana/Bávaro, for example, is the longest strip of white sand in the entire region.

Safety is still a concern here, but that shouldn't dissuade you from planning a vacation to the Dominican Republic. Crime consists primarily of robberies and muggings, and most of it is limited to Santo Domingo (although the north-coast resorts around Puerto Plata and Playa Dorada are not as safe as they should be). There is little incidence of violent crime against visitors, however. Follow simple common-sense rules of safety, and you should be fine. Lock valuables in your hotel safe, carry only a reasonable amount of cash or (better yet) one or two credit cards, and avoid dark, deserted places, just as you would at home.

The combination of low prices and scenic tropical terrain has made the Dominican Republic one of the fastest-growing destinations in the Caribbean. Bargain-hunting Canadians, in particular, flock here in droves. Europeans arrive by the planeloads in summer. Don't expect the lavish, spectacular resorts that you'll find in Puerto Rico or Jamaica, but do expect your vacation to be much less expensive.

Although referred to as "just a poor man's Puerto Rico," in reality the Dominican Republic has its own distinctive cuisine and cultural heritage. Its Latin flavor is a sharp contrast to the character of many nearby islands, especially the British- and French-influenced ones.

Nestled amid Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico in the heart of the Caribbean archipelago, the island of Hispaniola (Little Spain) is divided between Haiti, on the westernmost third of the island, and the Dominican Republic, which has a lush landmass about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. In the Dominican interior, the fertile Valley of Cibao (rich, sugar-cane country) ends its upward sweep at Pico Duarte, the highest mountain peak in the West Indies, which soars to 3,125m (10,253 ft.).

Columbus spotted its coral-edged Caribbean coastline on his first voyage to the New World and pronounced, "There is no more beautiful island in the world." The first permanent European settlement in the New World was founded here on November 7, 1493, and its ruins still remain near Montecristi in the northeast part of the island. Natives called the island Quisqueya, "Mother Earth," before the Spaniards arrived to butcher them.

Much of what Columbus first sighted still remains in a natural, unspoiled condition. One-third of the Dominican Republic's 1,401km (871-mile) coastline is devoted to beaches. The best are in Puerto Plata and La Romana, although Puerto Plata and other beaches on the Atlantic side of the island have dangerously strong currents at times.

Political turmoil kept visitors away for many years, but even that is a thing of the past. Almost from its inception, the country was steeped in misery and bloodshed, climaxing with the infamous reign of dictator Rafael Trujillo (1930-61) and the ensuing civil wars (1960-66). But the country has been politically stable since then, and it is building and expanding rapidly. The economic growth hasn't benefited everybody equally, though. The country is still poor, even by Caribbean standards. Every day, many Dominicans risk their lives crossing the 87km-wide (54-mile) Mona Passage, hoping to land in Puerto Rico before attempting to slip into the United States.

The greatest threat to the Dominican Republic these days comes from hurricanes, which periodically flatten entire cities. The major resorts have become adept at getting back on their feet quickly after a hurricane. Still, if a hurricane hits the country before your trip, you might want to call ahead and make sure your room is still standing.

Traveler Beware: The Uneasy Border Between Haiti & the D.R. -- The troubled land of Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Many residents of the D.R., mired in poverty, flee their homeland every year, risking dangerous sea voyages on rickety boats to the nearby U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Once here, they can eventually make their way to the mainland of the U.S. and perhaps a more prosperous life.

To Haitians, mired in even greater poverty, the D.R. can appear like the promised land. The poorly patrolled border between the D.R. and Haiti has long been a source of conflict and even attacks and counterattacks.

The most notorious blood bath occurred in 1937 when the dictator Gen. Rafael Trujillo ordered that the D.R. be "cleansed" of Haitians. Soldiers and citizens alike slaughtered at least 20,000 Haitians, most of them sugar workers. The aptly named Massacre River along the two countries literally overflowed with blood.

Conflicts are still raging in the post-millennium era. As late as 2005, some Haitians were beheaded by machetes. Dominicans have been known to go on a rampage, burning dozens of shacks in Haitian ghettos on D.R. soil.

Since very few visitors ever cross from the D.R. into Haiti by overland route, these dangerous border flare-ups will rarely concern the average visitor. All of the major D.R. resorts are far removed from the dangerous border.