Overview: There are two sides to the Dominican Republic, just like there
are two sides of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which the
Dominican Republic shares with neighbouring Haiti. On one side,
tourists languish in luxury inside the confines of the many resort
hotels along the beautiful coastline, sipping cocktails under the
palm trees and bathing in beautiful blue lagoons. The other face of the Dominican Republic can be found along the
country roads, among the sugar cane, coffee and cocoa bean fields,
where people labour in the sun and men play dominoes outside
tumble-down shacks. For the local people (there are 8.5 million
inhabitants of this well-populated part of Hispaniola), tourism is
an important source of income, and the thousands of visitors who
come to enjoy the resorts and to explore the Spanish Colonial
legacy in this country 'where America began', are warmly
welcomed. The South Coast contains some of the country's bigger cities and
national parks. The capital, Santo Domingo, was the first Spanish
settlement in the Americas. Christopher Columbus initiated the
first European New World settlement here in 1496. His legacy is
preserved in the bricks and mortar of the historic old section of
Santo Domingo, which has been turned into an entertaining and
interesting Colonial 'theme park'. The other tourist spots in the Dominican Republic are the
northern Amber Coast region around Puerta Plata, the beautiful
Samana Peninsula, and the resort communities of the east coast,
where stretches of pristine tropical beach have been bought and
developed into all-inclusive resorts. However, those who take the
trouble to explore a little behind the scenes will find plenty of
unspoilt tropical paradise off the beaten track in the Dominican
Republic, and locals ready and willing to offer warm
hospitality.
|