Why We Love the Dominican Republic (and You Should Too)!
Yes, you read the headline correctly. You’re probably thinking one of these, “You must be crazy, did you not see on the news all the mysterious deaths in the Dominican Republic?”, “Gurl, DR? I wanna live!”, “No way, no how, I’ll be drinking my rum and coke over there.” Fair enough, we respect everyone’s opinion but, let’s get to the most important question of all.
Is it safe to travel around the Dominican Republic?
Our answer: YES! We are living proof of it as we backpacked the entire island for 2 weeks with our 4 year old and survived! Let it be known, we took local transportation, ate street food, slept in guest houses and hung out with the most friendliest bunch, the people of the Dominican Republic. No news worthy events to report here, EXCEPT we felt extremely safe. In fact, we are ALIVE, healthy and would go back again in a heart beat! There’s so much to love about the Dominican Republic, here are our favorites:
Welcome to sunshine, beaches and fun
The beaches. The most obvious, duh! Whether you visit the most popular beaches such as Playa Rincon or a hidden gem in Las Galeras, you will not be disappointed. Everything they say about the beaches in the DR are true! Beautiful, blue, and breath-taking. Nevertheless, our son’s favorite hangout was Alicia beach which was steps away from our guesthouse in Sosua. Alas, he didn’t get enough of the calm waves and white sand. Oh, and Alicia beach also had the best sunset views.
The boat rides. Can anyone say magnificent mangroves? On our way to Las Terrenas we stopped in a small beach town called Rio San Juan. This little town is well-known for its fishing and farming, but is quickly becoming a tourist favorite.
One of the best boat rides we’ve been on was in Rio San Juan’s Gri Gri Lagoon. At first sight, this private boat ride took us through some spectacular rock formations and never-ending mangroves. We even stopped at a pristine pool and a cave inhabited by swallows. The water was a clear cobalt blue (we kid you not)! This boat ride is not to be missed!
The waterfalls. Don’t even think of going to the Dominican Republic without visiting El Limon waterfall, the ultimate one of them all. This beauty is 52 metres high, nestled in between a mountain range. At the bottom of the falls, you will find a serene, emerald, still lake which is the perfect spot to cool down and refresh. At the time of our visit, the waterfall was dry but that didn’t stop us from taking a dip in the rock pool.
Adventure is always calling
Horseback riding. If you haven’t tried horseback riding before, the Dominican Republic is a good place to start. There are many places to ride a horse but we chose to do it on our way to the Limon waterfall since it was a bit of a hike for our 4 year old. Boy, did it not disappoint! Although it was a bumpy and rugged trail, our horses made it (with our trusty guide). Riding our horses through different types of terrain and water was an experience we will never forget.
The food. Our favorite topic! There are so many tasty foods in the DR to try and not enough time to post all of them. However, one of the most common dishes you’ll find in the DR is called “la bandera” (which means flag). This meal consists of a protein on a bed of beans and rice, fried plantains and salad. Don’t leave without trying it. Muy rico!
The people. Honestly, mostly every time we travel, we make an effort to connect with the locals. How else could we learn about a country if not for the people? One way we do this is through Couchsurfing. If you haven’t heard of it, check it out. We are grateful that we’ve had the opportunity to couchsurf in 42 countries all over the world. This trip was no different as we stayed with our host Shahey and her family in Santiago, Dominican Republic. They were so kind to us, they made us dinner and let us sleep in their air conditioned bedroom. Also, our son had his first experience walking “Happy” the chihuahua.
Equally important, whenever we travel, we prefer to volunteer and do our part as visitors. This time, we had the opportunity to donate a suitcase of medical supplies to a local clinic in need. To read about our experience or find out how to be more than a tourist, click here.
Let the truth be known
So, that’s our list of why we love the Dominican Republic (and perhaps you will too). Granted, we understand many are apprehensive about visiting with all the negative news out there these days. Nevertheless, we suggest when booking any type of travel to do your own research and do what’s best for you. In the end, with all the information we had, it wasn’t a big enough risk for us not to go….and we’re SO glad we did!
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