Monique and I spent a week in Santo Domingo a few years ago and loved it. We’ve often talked about going back, but somehow never quite got around to it. I mean, the world is a big place and while I’ve been to 60 countries, that leaves a whole lot of the planet to see before going back to places we’ve already visited, right?
However, that’s changed and now really is the time for us, and every Jamaican, to start thinking about visiting the Dominican Republic. In many ways Dom Rep is similar to Jamaica. It can boast of stunning beaches, world-class resorts and has fabulous waterfalls and tropical mountains, just like Jamaica. Of course, the reason to visit is not for the similarities, it’s for what our Caribbean neighbour offers that is different to Jamaica that matters.
If you are planning to travel anywhere in the near future and haven’t finalized these plans, I highly recommend that you pause. Before you make that booking take a few moments to consider Dom Rep as an alternative. There are at least 6 reasons why Jamaicans should visit the Dominican Republic now.
Table of Contents
1. Convenient and Affordable Flights
On Monday 14 November, Dom Rep based airline Arajet commenced twice weekly, direct flights between Kingston, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic capital city, Santo Domingo.
I conducted several searches using the Arajet website for flights in January and February 2023, and they ranged in price between USD325 and USD329 for return tickets. This is similar to direct flights on Jet Blue to Fort Lauderdale, although slightly more than flying with Frontier to Miami.
This is a game changer as previously, there were no direct flights between Jamaica and Dom Rep. The most common route was via Turks and Caicos on InterCaribbean Airways. This meant a change at Providenciales Airport, so it was impossible to fly the short distance in less time than a direct flight from Kingston to London. Arajet has changed this, as their flights are scheduled for one hour and 25 minutes.
These improvements to convenience and cost are primary reasons why our attitude about a future trip to Dominican Republic has shifted from “we need to do it” to “we need to do it now!”
2. Jamaicans Don’t Need a Visa
The inconvenience and expense of visas is an unpleasant reality for Jamaican travellers. Thankfully, Jamaicans can visit Dominican Republic for up to 30 days as tourists without the need for a visa. While this was the case when we visited, what has changed is the need to pay entry/departure taxes at the airport. These haven’t gone away and are now included in the price of your air ticket, so while you don’t save money, it is at least more convenient.
You will be required to complete international arrival and departure forms, and the easiest way to do this is through the Dom Rep Electronic Ticket Portal. You can do this 72 hours in advance of your trip and once you’ve done this, print a copy of the QR code or save it on your phone. This will speed up your progress through airport immigration formalities.
3. A Value for Money Destination
Sadly, the Jamaican dollars in our wallets don’t go very far these days, especially when we travel. Costs in the most popular destinations for Jamaicans (US, UK and Canada) are always significant, and visiting many neighbouring Caribbean counties is little better.
To borrow a line from a local telecoms provider’s recent advertisements, Dom Rep is a country where you can “stretch di dolla.” Travel budget website Budget Your Trip, estimates the average costs for a budget traveller to Dominican Republic to be USD$46 per day.
A quick Expedia search produced several decent options for hotel stays in January 2023 within the Zona Colonial starting at USD23 per night. If you can manage a nightly rate of USD50, there are some lovely boutique hotels available in the old town (and we wouldn’t stay anywhere else). Alternatively (and we wouldn’t), you can stay at an all inclusive resort on the beach for USD118 per night.
We also found eating out to be great value. We don’t mean greasy fast food consumed on plastic chairs either. Our budget during our trip was super tight and we managed to eat fresh local food under the night sky every night.
We used taxis extensively when we visited the country, and I suspect that we overpaid on most occasions, even though the rates were still reasonable. This won’t be a worry for our next visit as Uber is not only become available in Dom Rep, it has quickly become very widespread, especially in and around Santo Domingo.
4. The Wonderful Hispanic Culture
If you are anything like us, immersing ourselves into different cultures is a highlight of travel. Despite being so close to Jamaica, Dom Rep is very different. It is certainly a better cultural experience than the UK, US or Canada, and is distinct from English speaking Caribbean cultures.
The culture in the Dominican Republic is a heavy mix of Spanish, Taíno and African, which I suppose makes it the Hispanic equivalent of Jamaica.
The most noticeable facet of Dominican culture is their music. There are three notable genres, Merengue, Perico Ripiao, which is also known as Merengue Tipico, and Bachata. All three compromise both music and dance styles, and are deeply ingrained within the Dominican culture. Merengue is the most well-known and apparently, it’s a simple matter of swaying your hips side to side and lightly stamping each foot. While it sounds easy, it was too much for me to handle!
While I couldn’t cope with their dance, despite loving the music, especially Bachata, I had no such challenges with the Dominican food. While many of the ingredients, casava, goat and plantains are very familiar to Jamaicans, the Spanish influences produces very different results. We found wonderfully affordable options available in the Zona Colonial of Santo Domingo, and my personal favourites were Chivo Guisado, an amazing goat stew, and Catibia, a sort of cross between Empanadas and Jamaican patties.
If you want a heightened Dominican experience, try to visit during Carnival. Dominicans celebrate Carnival during almost the entire month of February, with it culminating with a massive party on the 27th of the month. Throughout February you can enjoy public events that celebrate the music, dance, dress and food of this wonderful culture.
5. Stay in the Best Old Town in the Region
For Monique and me, the only place to stay in Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo’s Ciudad Colonial or Zona Colonial. The entire area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is the oldest town established by Europeans in the Americas. It covers just over a square km and is surrounded by walled defences.
We were so pleased that we chose a traditional hotel, located just outside the old city walls, as we could easily spend much of our time soaking up the atmosphere of the colonial city. Despite its size, there is so much to see and do.
Alcázar de Colón
Alcázar de Colón was the home of Diego Columbus, eldest son of Christopher Columbus and the first fortified European palace in the western hemisphere. Completed in 1514, by the early 20th Century, the building had fallen into serious decay. Fortunately, in the 1950s the palace was restored and today is a museum that provides a fabulous self-guided audio tour in all major languages.
Ozama Fortress
Fortaleza Ozama or Ozama Fortress is part of the original city wall and is the oldest surviving European military building in the Americas, having been built between 1502 and 1508. You can stroll the walls and get fabulous views of both the old city and the sea by climbing the main tower.
The Cathedral of Santa María la Menor
The Cathedral of Santa María la Menor is the oldest Christian cathedral in the Western hemisphere and is a stunning building. Less ornate than many major Roman Catholic houses of worship, its simpler 16th Century colonial gothic style is, to me at least, more appealing than the grandeur of more recent Catholic cathedrals. It houses a treasure-trove of religious art as well as many tombs and monuments. The highlight for me was the empty tomb that had been the resting place of Christopher Columbus until 1795.
While these three may be the highlights, the entire Ciudad Colonial is a wonderful place to wander around as it is so well-preserved and there is so much to see and enjoy.
6. Fantastic Shopping
While not exactly my idea of fun, I know that shopping is an important consideration for many Jamaicans when planning a vacation. This is a box that Santo Domingo well and truly ticks. The city boasts many malls, ranging from mid-market to high end as well as craft markets, traditional food markets and even Chinese street market.
Our favourite was Agora Mall on Av, John F Kennedy . An airy indoor space with plenty of natural light, it offers a wide selection of shops and restaurants, including the obligatory KFC. You will find many well-known international brands as well as a wide selection of local stores.
Other major shopping centres include Sambil Mall, Blue Mall, Galleria 360 and Downtown Center. For a more authentic and affordable Latin American marketplace, head to Mercado Modelo on Av. Mella.
One shopping experience that I did enjoy was Merca Santo Domingo on Autopista Juan Pablo Duarte. It’s a fabulous traditional food market selling fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and seafood. You can also pick some amazingly affordable eats at the stalls located in the market.
We also visited the Ikea store on Av. John F Kennedy. While we didn’t have space for a Högbo flatpack bookcase in our luggage, we did pick up several small items from their marketplace section such as a pepper grinder and decorative napkins.
Dominican Republic is so close to Jamaica and offers fabulous cultural experiences but is usually overlooked by Jamaican travellers. This is a pity, as Dom Rep has always been a great destination for Jamaican travellers, despite the lack of direct flights. Now that we can fly there directly, Dom Rep really should be right at the top of every Jamaican traveller’s list of dream destinations.
Author
Nick Abbott
Hi, I’m Nick. Visiting foreign countries has been an important part of my life since my parents moved to Kano in Nigeria in 1977. Since then, as both a military officer and in later jobs I have enjoyed the huge privilege of being exposed to many different countries and cultures.
I am delighted to be able to support my wife Monique and Yes2Yolo primarily by contributing travel articles, providing editing and proof-reading services and being a general sounding board.
Very good article. I’ve come to love reading these. I was looking at flights to Dom Rep earlier. Then this popped up. Certainly made the decision easier.
Thank you Jerome. Seems like the article was very timely. Hope you enjoy your time in Dom Rep. I promise you won’t regret it!