I was in the Dominican Republic for like, I don’t know, 14 hours (?) on a layover from Panama City to Frankfurt (Germany). That was on the 27th/28th of June, 2014 in Punta Cana on the eastern tip of the island Hispaniola. Perhaps one day I’ll write a little piece about my layover experience. Though I did some essential things – hitchhike, buy cigarettes, drink a beer, swim in the sea, use the loo – in the country in those few hours, I’m aware I haven’t really been to the Dominican Republic.
Perhaps there are some other countries I’ve written about that interest you, such as Colombia or Spain?
Next Time in the Dominican Republic
- Hitchhike even more with locals! The two rides I had to and from the airport were incredible fun
- Visit the capital Santo Domingo: the (pre, colonial, and post) history, the culture, the food, and the metro
- Make a trip to the Samaná Peninsula and visit Los Haitises National Park. The latter seems like an excellent place for kayaking and enjoying nature and quiet
- Visit Fortaleza Ozama and see the river of the same name. I’d like to see the Rio Ozama a bit further upstream as well where it’s cleaner. Here and here seem like good places to maybe swim or kayak a bit in the river
- Cross the land border with Haiti either into or out of the Dominican Republic. The same goes for the ferry to Puerto Rico if it still exists by the time I return
- Enjoy some beautiful lighthouses (suggestions welcome!)
- Hike up Pico Duarte (3098masl) if I’m up for the challenge. This seems like a pretty tough multi-day hike so I’ll have to consider it carefully. This peak is the highest in the Caribbean, which is really intriguing.
- Travel off to Lake Enriquillo, which is a salt lake below sea level. The lake also has an island called Isla Cabritos that looks cool to visit. Should I mention again that I’d like to go kayaking if possible?
- Visit Puerto Plata in the north and take the cable car
- There are apparently many beautiful waterfalls, almost too many to count
- Perhaps visit a remote island like Isla Alto Velo (a Guano Islands Act island), Isla Beata, Isla Catalina, or Isla Saona
- Maybe there are some abandoned airports I can visit?
- See the weird of Altos de Chavón
If you know cool places and things to do in the Dominican Republic, comment at the bottom of this page so I can always find your suggestions again once I start plotting my return! Los consejos son especialmente bienvenidos si eres Quisqueyano
Are you a travel blogger and do you have good posts about the Dominican Republic? Drop them in a comment below and I’ll read them!
Getting My Yellow Fever Vaccine (+Bonus Shot!) in Trujillo, Honduras
I wrote this post in 2021 many years later after the actual events. Back in 2014, I had barely started the first iteration of this blog (Escapist) and it was basically a Tumblr. So this post about how I got my yellow fever vaccine in Honduras is based on memory and photographs. My First Medical Tourism Experience While hitchhiking from Mexico to Panama, many fellow travelers going up or down the Gringo Trail exchanged information. So basically all insights about travel and vaccination requirements came from hearsay. I was 22 years old and had freshly dropped out of university. AndContinue reading