The Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic - Punta Cana
The Dominican Republic can be found on the relatively small island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the country of Haiti. It benefits from what can only be described as a constant summer and its white sandy beaches, palm trees and crystal clear waters only help to drive that impression home for its visitors.
The place has seen a pretty healthy amount of development, and while it is much better off than Haiti, it is still somewhere under the Caribbean standard, but that shouldn’t be taken as a bad thing per se.
The Dominican Republic’s tourism industry revolves mostly around small fishing villages which attract both local visitors but mostly backpackers from abroad, and the large all-inclusive style resorts and hotels which cater to couples and families.
Due to this lack of high-end development some call the Dominican Republic “the poor man’s Caribbean” and believe it or not some individuals are actually kept at bay by that ‘reputation’, but we don’t see absolutely nothing wrong with being able to stay at an all-inclusive five-star hotel in Punta Cana for the same amount of money that would only buy you a stay at an average three-star establishment in Antigua.
Punta Cana is the fastest growing resort in the country, and that says a lot about the place because in the ’70s the whole area was basically jungle wilderness – nowadays the place has thirty-five miles of wonderful beaches and about fifty low-rise, and rather large hotel complexes.
Let’s talk a bit about the beaches that can be found in Punta Cana. These are some of the best in the region, their powdery sands being very carefully cleaned by teams of hotel workers each day, and they are also lined with soaring palm trees. There’s an offshore reef which protects them from the errosion action of powerful waves and also means that the beaches are mostly very calm which makes them ideal for swimming and water-sports.
One other draw to the place that not many may be aware of is the golfing opportunities, there are about ten or so golf courses and there are plans to build more and larger ones as well. Golfing enthusiasts won’t be wasting their time if they chose to enjoy their vacation in Punta Cana.
However, the place might not be for everyone, as mentioned earlier the place isn’t as developed as other countries in the Caribbean, and outside the hotel complexes, private estates and golf courses the resort isn’t much more than some apartment blocks, offices and shops strewn around the place, it’s not for everyone but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a careful look into.
