Dominican Republic
By:Jennifer Harpaz
"First time
I ever did something like this, it won't be the last. I loved
having complete control over my choice of activities, but with
having someone else handle all the details. ...most friendly,
professional and helpful staff imaginable ... an unforgettable
experience", says Jim McDermott of Toronto, Canada about
Caribbean Bike Tours.
We must pay gratitude
to Bill Foley. Bill founded Caribbean Bike Tours in 1987 by
offering bike tours to his friends that requested his adventure
leadership around the country. Today, Bill continues to build
strong relationships with the island of Dominican Republic.
along with his guests. The tour company takes people to many
exciting areas around the island to do many spectacular things,
including a trek up the Pico Duarte, the highest summit of the
Caribbean at 3,175 meters.
Kerri "Ellin Schneider
of Miami Beach, Florida proclaim to Bill, "This was a great
way to travel....huge range of options. We got exactly what
we wanted and more. Thanks for helping plan the most exotic,
thrilling vacation ever. Hiking Pico Duarte was overwhelming!"
Aside from Pico
Duarte there are 5 mountaineous massifs that rise out of the
Dominican landscape. Extending from this range are 2 small chains
called Neiba and Baoruco in the southwest and Cordillera Septemtrionale
in the north. The Cordillera de Samana isolates the entire Atlantic
coast of the island. The plains in between the mountain ranges
are maintained as the most important agricultural (and economic)
region in the country, providing fertile agriculture and grazing
for cattle.
The expansive Dominican
Republic and the smaller country of Haiti share the island of
Hispaniola. Dominican Republic resides on the eastern 2/3rds
of the island. Surprisingly, Hispaniola is the 2nd largest island
in the Caribbean after Cuba.
Today, the Dominican
Republic is known for its seemingly pure white sand beaches.
A stroll around the island reveals rainforest, desert like expanses,
and an abundance of farming fields, especially in the Southwest,
where sugar cane, and banana groves span the spectacular countryside.
In addition, corn, rice, beans, and tobacco are harvested.
The Northern coast, along the Atlantic waters, provides the
most magnificent beaches of the Dominican Republic. The Eastern
coast also offers some stunning beaches with unique vegetation
such as creepers, sea grape trees, and coconut palms. Mangrove
lagoons are thriving within the waters, especially in Gri Gri
Lagoon in Rio San Juan.
The ocean waters
off the coast stay around 20 degrees Celsius and are a perfect
place for coral to make their homes. Tuna, kingfish, and sharks
are rarely seen, while plankton, parrotfish, boxfish, mullet,
angelfish, sponges, and sea urchins live in abundance.
Throughout the island
there are very few mammals, with the exception of the wild pigs,
imported during the colonization of the island. Nevertheless,
many species of animals call Dominican Republic home, including
mongoose, agouts (small rodent of the shrew family), iguana,
turtles, American crocodiles, manatee, humpback whales, brown
pelicans, frigate birds, great herons, cattle egrets, small
green herons, pink flamingos, coticas (small green and red parrots),
hummingbirds, carib grackles, turtledoves, and yellow breasted
sun birds called bananquits.
Christopher Columbus's
discovery of the island marked the beginning of the island's
Colonial past. The culture of the Dominican Republic today indicates
the country's varied history of Arawak, Spanish and French
communities. African immigrants were absorbed during the time
when the Dominican Republic was a Spanish colony. Over the years,
the arts have continued to reflect the influence of this culture,
and others. Literature has maintained support from University
of Santo Thomas de Aquino University, founded in 1530. Paintings,
music, dance, (the merengue to be exact) and baseball are popular
past times in Dominican Republic.
Travel to and around
Dominican Republic is fairly simple. You will need a passport
and a tourist card to enter. A Visa is not required. In addition,
a departure tax is required.
Making contact
with your local embassy is always a smart idea. The U.S. Embassy
can be reached at 809.221.2171. The U.S. tourist office is another
great resource. They can be reached at 212.588.1012.
Much to people's
surprise, there are 7 international airports in the country.
Although there are numerous airports to get you to where you
need to be, more adventurous travelers might be thrilled to
know that they can take a ferry from Puerto Rico.
Health insurance
is recommended before travel to Dominican Republic. Malaria,
typhoid, polio, Hepatitis A, dengue, diphtheria, and tetanus
are concerns in Dominican Republic. Vaccinations are recommended.
Parasites residing in bad water are also prevalent. Be sure
to drink bottled water. Insects and snakes are abundant. A small
travel first aid kit is a great idea.
The climate of Dominican
Republic is straightforward. The dry season is November through
April, and the rainy season is May through October.
The rainforest
temperatures never go below 20 degrees Celsius. Pack items such
as an umbrella, sweater, long sleeve shirts, sandals for the
beach, closed toe shoes, and a long skirt to enter certain attractions.
When not traveling
with Caribbean Bike Tours, accommodations are endless on the
island. Budget lodges are found in downtown areas, medium budget
rooms offer air conditioning, and are found mostly in resort
towns and large cities. Luxury accommodations are located in
resort towns and large secluded properties. In addition, there
are all-inclusive resorts, cabanas, apart-hotels, bed and breakfasts,
and youth hostels available throughout the Dominican Republic.
Camping is also an option. Unfortunately, the only designated
spot to camp is in Armando Bermudez National Park in the middle
of the country. Fortunately, campers do have the option of camping
wherever they want outside of the National Park, with the exception
of private property.
The food of Dominican
Republic consists of lightly spiced meat, chicken, fish, seafood,
and plantains. Unique souvenirs to look for include amber jewelry
and Caribbean rum. Shop hours are normally 9-5. The currency
used is the peso. It’s recommended to travel with U.S.
dollars, mostly traveler’s cheques.
Among other attractions
on the island, there are several forts, caves, and Indian carvings
to experience in Dominican Republic. Jamaco, an Indian owned
hotel and restaurant located high in the mountains, is a special
place to consider visiting before or after your adventures with
Caribbean Bike Tours.
Adventure Week,
one of the most thrilling packages offered by Caribbean Bike
Tours, is an all-inclusive trip that showcases three different
parts of the country. The first night travelers stay at the
Sosua Bay Hotel in Sosua Bay, a lodge gleaming with European
flare. The first day of adventure begins with sailing and snorkeling.
The second day includes white water rafting and a stay at Rancho
Baiguate, a reputable eco-lodge. The third day offers canyoneering
and rapelling. Travelers “take a break” on the fourth
day by horseback riding and a short trip to Cabarete resort.
Thursday of Adventure Week brings downhill mountain biking,
and cross-country cycling. If that weren’t enough, the
last day is spent “aqua hiking”, or “cascading”,
up some 27 small waterfalls, a unique and unforgettable experience.
Bill has successfully
customized this Adventure Week for several special interest
groups, including singles and women. Surprisingly, the average
age of tour participants is 40, and more women than men join
him on his adventures.
Today, Bill is
the only non-Dominican in the company. Bill is proud to employ
in-country guides. These guides are certified instructors and
bi-lingual in Spanish and English, which make them capable of
providing a life-changing experience for all trip participants.
Bill is also catering
to the handicap, by way of partnering with Northern Coast Diving,
another tour operator in the area. Together, they are organizing
a special trip for the hearing impaired.
For families, Caribbean Bike Tours is ready and able to take
kids of a certain age range on several of the adventure activities,
including cascading, biking, hiking, horseback riding, and windsurfing
in the lagoon. In addition, Caberte resort offers a kids program.
Caribbean Bike
Tours is also involved environmentally. The company works in
conjunction with Fundato, a conservation organization, to clean
the precious beaches once a month.
Prices for Caribbean
Bike Tour packages are reasonable. Adventure packages range
from $800 - $1477. A 25% deposit is required before guests arrive
and the balance is due upon arrival. A 10% discount is available
to groups of 10 or more, with the incentive of a free trip for
the coordinator of the group.
Caribbean
Bike Tours Contact Information
Dominican Republic
(809) 571-1748 Office
(809) 454-5551 Mobile
USA
(617) 364-1866 Office
(617) 792-2069 Mobile
info@caribbeanbiketours.com
Dominican Republic
Airports
Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo 549 0651
Puerto Plata International Airport 586 0219
Air Santo Domingo, offers domestic air travel 883 6020
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