Visit Dominican Republic > Travel Tips

The best season
The tourist season, which goes from early December until Easter, peaks between Christmas and New Year, as well as during Easter week. The best time to go is at the beginning or end of the dry season which lasts from June to September on the north coast, and November to April on the south. If you plan to visit only Santo Domingo, go in October, at the end of the rainy season.

Beware of the water
Tap water is not recommended for tourists, though bottled water is easily available. Of course, avoid ice cubes, lemonade, etc. since they are made with tap water, except in large hotels and resorts with several stars. 

Weights and measures
The metric system is the official system, although gas is sold in American gallons, cloth is sold by the yard and weight is sometimes calculated in pounds and ounces. The tarea is a local measure representing 650 square meters. 

Electricity
5 - 125 V, 60 Hz (as in the US and Canada).

Getting around
Driving can be dangerous in the Dominican Republic, particularly at night: poor visibility, secondary roads full of ruts and donkeys in the middle of the road...

Extreme caution is required at all times. Be careful of local roadmaps, which are not always up-to-date and which may have incorrect information. 

Taxes
The hotel tax is 23% and is not usually included in the published room price. When you reserve, always ask whether the price includes tax or not. 

Currency
The local currency is the Dominican peso (RDS), which is divided into 100 centavos.
There are 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 peso bills (the latter are gradually being replaced by 5 peso coins), and 1 peso, 50, 25 and 5 centavo coins.

Climate
The rainy season, punctuated by violent, but brief, downpours, as well as high heat, goes from May to September. The winter, from October to April, has cooler temperatures, particularly in the mountainous regions, but it is always pleasant near the sea (25° C on average). This is high season, as reflected by the hotel prices. The country is very humid, with humidity levels of 65 to 80%, and the water temperature ranging from 26° C in winter to 31° in summer. 

A few words
Hi: hola
Good morning: buenos días
Good afternoon: buenas tardes
Good evening/ Goodnight: buenas noches
Goodbye: adiós
How are you?: ¿cómo está?
Fine, thank you: estoy bien, gracias
Please: por favor
Excuse me: perdóneme
How much does that cost?: ¿cuanto cuesta esto?/¿cuanto vale?

Bahia de Samaná:
The humpback whale frequents Dominican waters. It is here that 80% of these animals come to reproduce each year, particularly in this bay in the northeastern part of the country. January and February are the best months to witness this unique spectacle. To impress their partners, the males propel their 30-40 tonnes out of the water and come down with an enormous splash. The females and young also take part in the aerial acrobatics. It's possible to see these frolicking scenes with binoculars from the coast, but nothing equals a trip out in a boat.