Know the best time to spend your vacation.

There are two climates you should be wary about when visiting the Dominican Republic. The first is the hurricane season which runs from June to November. The second is the time of the year when the temperatures could go pretty high and the humidity, very uncomfortable. If you don’t mind experiencing some strong storms or hot weather, try visiting during these time frames. Otherwise, consider visiting during the most comfortable parts of the year.

Bring plenty of sun block lotions and insect repellants.

Whether it’s summer or winter, the sun is ever-present in the Dominican Republic’s sky. Be sure to bring plenty of sun block lotions with you. Also, mosquitoes are notorious for ruining vacations for they can potentially cause malaria. Bring with you a lot of insect repellants.

Bring with you a Spanish-American dictionary.

The official language in the Dominican Republic is Spanish. A decent Spanish-American dictionary, therefore, comes in handy when traveling around the country. There are also areas in the country where English is not spoken or English-speaking representatives are lacking. You will have a good advantage in dealing with locals when you know a few Dominican words and phrases.

And of course…

Familiarize yourself with Dominican Republic holidays.

Dominican Republic has a barrage of holidays that offer nothing short of a spectacle. While there are hundreds of holidays that are celebrated by the entire nation, there are always those that are more enjoyable than others.

February is the month when the entire country celebrates the Carnaval – a very festive celebration that spans the entire month of February. The highlights of the celebrations happen on all Sunday afternoons. Whether your plan is to stay very long in the island or enjoy the best part of the year, you consider spending your vacation at this time of the year. It is also not a bad idea to truly enjoy the various events held in the country. nearly every town has their own Carnaval.

There are plenty of other festive occasions throughout the year such as the regional feasts held in honor of the various Patron Saints in the land and other national public holidays. There are also music festivals and patriotic holidays which could give you a feel of everything that is Dominican. Determine what type of celebration you want to participate in so you could enjoy the country’s holidays better.

Perhaps the least enjoyable part of the year is during Christmas. Not only is it hot – which could get very uncomfortable if you are used to cold weather during this season – it is also considered the ’spring break’ of the Dominicans. Most hotels are occupied and there aren’t much of a celebration to enjoy.

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February

The highlight of the Dominican Republic holidays falls on the second month of the year. It is called the ‘Carnival’, a celebration whose history dates as far back as 1867.

Carnival is celebrated throughout the month – on all Sundays – and climaxes on the 27th of February, with the Dominican Republic Independence Day. Every town in the country add their own twist to the holiday and everyone – local and tourists alike – are invited, in fact expected, to join the grand parades, street dances, and activities in most towns.

March to April

After the festivities of the preceding month, the Dominicans prepare for the holiest week of all. During this month, ‘Semana Santa’ or Holy Week is celebrated starting on the Easter Sunday and ending with the Black Saturday. Christian celebrations, however, coincide with the voodoo celebrations typical of the areas where Haitian migrants live and near the country’s borders.

May

The fifth month of the year begins with a holiday – the Labor Day. The Dominicans living in the San Felipe de Puerto Plata then celebrate the feast of San Felipe on the 3rd day of the month. The month is then ended with the feast in honor of San Fernando, the local Parton Saint of Monte Cristi.

June

June is marked by various celebrations in honor of the Parton Saints of different towns in the Dominican Republic. People living in San Pedro de Macoris celebrate the San Pedro Apostle de festival. On June 10, the Feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated in most towns. On the 13th of June, a religious festival held in honor of San Juan Batista is celebrated alongside the Fiesta Patronal of Sosua and Bonao – the feast of San Antonio.

On the first week of the month, Puerto Plata Cultural Festival is celebrated and on any date of the month, the three-day long Latin music festival kicks off in the Santo Domingo Olympic Stadium.

The Dominican Republic holidays continue throughout the year with celebrations from July to the last day of December.

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Dia de la Altagracia, or Altagracia Day, is a feast day and annual holiday in the Dominican Republic that is being celebrated every January 21st. It was originally held every August 15th, but was later changed to January 21st to commemorate the country’s victory over the French in 1690.

Being regarded as the first country in the New World to be evangelized by the Catholic Church, the Dominicans see the image of the Lady of Altagracia as their spiritual mother, and as the one who watches over their land. They pay homage to the Lady by celebrating its feast day with a lot of vigils, church going, singing, dancing and candle lighting in many of the towns across the country.

THE PORTRAIT

The painting depicts the Nativity scene, where it shows the Virgin Mary looking over the baby Jesus sleeping in the manger. Her radiant eyes embody the warmth and affection that a mother gives a newborn child.

She is clothed with a starred blue robe, with a white scapular tied in front that seals the garment. The Dominicans distinguish the colors that are in the Blessed Virgin’s garment as the same ones in their national flag, thus, associating their national identity with the Blessed Virgin.

HISTORY

Trusted sources say that the portrait of our Lady of Altagracia was painted towards the end of the 15th or the start of the 16th century. A school in Spain was said to have kept the image, but in 1502, the brothers Alfonso and Antonio Trejo brought it into Santo Domingo. These brothers were said to be among the first European colonizers of the island.

The brothers then moved to the city of Higuey, and they decided to hand over the image of the Lady to the parish church. Not long after, people from the island began revering the portrait of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Altagracia. The first shrine was completed in 1572 and was consecrated to the Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia in 1971.

A popular tale among the Dominicans exemplifies their faith on the Lady. According to the story, there was once a merchant whose daughter has wanted to have the portrait of the Our Lady of Altagracia.. Eager to give it to his daughter, the merchant searched for the portrait throughout the island of Santo Domingo, but to his dismay, he did not find it.

He continued his search, this time moving to the town of Higuey. He was still not successful. Not willing to go home to his daughter without the portrait in his hands, he spent the night in his friend’s house. As he recounts his unsuccessful journey, an old man suddenly gave him a painting and said, “This is what you are looking for.” The portrait was indeed the image of the Our Lady of Altagracia. At the crack of dawn, the old man disappeared.

The Dominicans revere the Blessed Lady as the protector of their land. Their victory against the French in 1690 was celebrated in honor of her, thus making that day in January 21st as her official feast day. If you are a devout Catholic, spending the holidays in the Dominican Republic in homage to the Blessed Lady is a spiritual experience that should never be passed up.

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Here is why.

In many countries, when a girl reaches 16 years old, the girl has approached womanhood. Celebrated, well yes, but not as grand. In Spanish influenced countries, 15 or quince is the right time. It is the transition from being a child to a marriageable age. The celebration starts with the most important component, the thanksgiving mass or the misa de accion de gracias. The thanksgiving mass closely approximates a wedding where the girl will march the aisle flanked by godparents, dressed in full length fancy dress, a matching headdress and sits on the foot of the altar conducted in her honor. As many as seven maids of honor and chamberlains form part of the entourage selected among close family and friends. At the end of the mass, commemorative favors are passed to those in attendance and the girl deposits her bouquet at the foot of the Virgin Mary.

After the mass the partying begins.

The party is as opulent as the resources of the parents allow, although several padrinos and madrinos are usually invited to sponsor the dress, the band, table favors, the venue, the bar and other multiple expenses incurred in the celebrations. Visitors to one of the Dominican Republic holidays observing or invited to these celebrations will find out often that the opulence is often so grand compared to most birthday bashes in most countries. Here we are speaking of birthday cakes with decorations to match the celebrant’s dress and which might require removing the door from its hinges if the cake is to be brought inside the celebration hall.

All throughout the celebration, a raucous cumbia, salsa and banda tunes dominate. These stop only when the celebrant and her number one escort dance the obligatory waltz. Usually, when the parents are well heeled, a viaje follows the celebrations where the celebrant travels to European destinations.

Not every girl wants to celebrate her quinceanera in a spectacular fashion, in the manner that not all brides want a spectacular weeding. The tradition, though, is to please the parents and to have a celebration as much as resources allow. No matter, the purpose of the celebration is to remind the girl what the celebration is about and to remind everyone that the girl is now a woman.

If seen from the outside, the quinceanera is a celebration to advertise the daughter to possible grooms of good standing. The origin, however, is suggested to have come from ancient Aztec tribes where the community celebrates the passage from childhood to womanhood. Regardless, this rite of passage is one for those holidays and celebrations that has kept Latino culture and family firmly grounded with the community.

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Take a Tour to the Nation’s Capital

Santo Domingo is Dominican Republic’s capital. You’ll find many historic places and monuments in this area. Some of the places that are worth including in your itinerary are the following:

• Columbus Park

• Puerta de el Conde

• Plaza de la Cultura

• Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center

• The Presidential Palace

• Paseo de los Indios

• Centro de los Heroes

You can also visit the colonial towns and have a peek of the country’s rich past and culture.  A tour to the different cathedrals, the Alcazar de Colon, The Pantheon and Fortress Ozama would take your breath away.  To see some of the country’s crafts, you can visit and shop at Mercado Modelo.

Columbus Lighthouse

Christopher Columbus reached the country in 1942. He made Santo Domingo the first capital of Spain in the new world. The remains of Christopher Columbus is said to be buried in this area. Don’t forget to visit the Aquarium when going to the Columbus Lighthouse. Here, you will see Dominican’s rich marine life.

Los Tres Ojos and Puerto Plata

Craving for some adventure? Take a tour of Dominican Republic’s four underground lakes. 3 of the four underground lakes are inside a big cavern.  Appreciate nature by taking a tour to these lakes.

Puerto Plata, located in the North Coast, is one of the places that you should visit when you are in Dominican Republic. The Amber Museum and The Fortress of San Felipe are located in Puerto Plata. You can also experience riding the cable cars in Isabel de Torres.

Cave of Wonders

The cave of wonders has a very high archeological value as it is the first natural museum that showcases ancient art in the Antilles region.

Lake Enriquillo

Visit Lake Enriquillo at the country’s south coast near the border separating Dominican Republic and Haiti. Discover the country’s natural riches. In this area you will be able to see many endangered species like pink flamingos and iguanas. You can also take a dip at Las Barias and La Descubierta. Lake Enriquilo is located in Isla Cabritos National Park. They say the sulfured water of the lake can help cure some skin diseases.

Take a Tour at Cabral

Bird lovers will find the town Cabral very interesting. This is a town where you will see different bird species.  Laguna de Ricon is also located in this area.  Ride a boat and admire the wonderful lagoon. You can also visit Los Patos, the shortest river on Earth with a length of 200 meters.

You can also do an outback jeep safari, go biking on the countryside and have a helicopter tour over Puerto Plata.

There are many things you can do in Dominican Republic. Plan your trip well so you can get the best out of your Dominican Republic Holiday!

Dominican Republic prides itself with its rich culture and tourist destinations. If you’re planning to visit this great traveler’s haven, make your trip more meaningful by knowing the country’s background and profile. Here are some good-to-knows about Dominican Republic that will help you appreciate your travel to this country.

An Overview

Dominican Republic is in the island of Hispaniola, located in the Greater Antilles region in the Caribbean. It is a country influenced by Spanish, French, Haitian, and African cultures. Its population is very diverse, majority of which are Europeans and Africans. You would also see a number of Haitians, Asians and Americans. The official language of the country is Spanish and Castilian. English, Chinese, Italian and French are also used in different transactions especially in their popular tourist destinations. The government is a Representative Democracy and the currency they use is Dominican Peso. Majority of the population is Roman Catholic. Other religions in the country are Protestant, Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist and Mormon.

History

To appreciate a country more, it’s important that you know a few things about its history.

Christopher Columbus reached the area in 1942 and put up the first permanent European settlement in the region. Santo Domingo became the capital of Dominican Republic and the first capital of Spain in the new world.  After the Spanish rule, French and the Haitian took over the country.

The country gained independence from Haitian rule in 1844. During this period, Dominican Republic faced numerous political strife and tyranny. Spain took over again in 1861. In 1865, Spain left the country after 2 years of fighting against the United States of America.

Government

The founding fathers of Dominican Republic are Juan Pablo Duarte, Ramon Matias Mella and Francisco Del Rosario Sanchez.  The country follows a Representative Democracy type of government with 3 branches, which are the executive, legislative and judicial. The president and vice-president have a 4-year term. Their government’s legislature is bicameral. The senate has 32 members and the Chamber of Deputies has 178 members.

Election is held every 2 years alternating between the presidential elections and the congressional and municipal elections. Today, the president of Dominican Republic is Leonel Fernandez.

Society, Climate and Culture

Dominican Republic is a tropical country. The average temperature is 25 ° C. The coldest months are January and February while the hottest month is August.

Dominican Republic can be viewed as a melting pot of many cultures because of the mix of population in the country. Visiting the country would let you experience a blend of Spanish, French and African cultures. Dominicans love fast and lively music, which is represented very well by their music known as Merengue. They also excel and are passionate about baseball.

Eco tourism is one of the reasons that people want to visit Dominican Republic. They pride themselves with their lovely beaches and mountain ranges. Some of the most popular places in the country are the towns of Jarabacoa and Constanza, Pico Duarte, Baha de las Aguilas and Puerto Plata.

Have a Dominican Republic holiday and see for yourself what this rich country has to offer.

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Getting to Venice

Depending on your location, Venice could be reached via plane, trains and cars. Once you arrive in Italy, there are many ways in which you can reach Venice and one of the easiest—not to mention the fastest—would be via plane from the Marco Polo Airport. Actually, the airport could be considered as an attraction itself because of its high-tech features and facilities. The airport system is very passenger friendly to avoid confusion especially on foreign visitors. It basically consists to two floors—the ground floor mainly reserved for various rental agencies, desks for water-taxi reservations, booths cruise agents, escorts and guides, area for public transportation and kiosks for tourist information while the first floor is where the gates for departure as well as the duty-free zone that offer various Italian products for easy and convenient shopping experience.

If you are flying to Venice from the United States, it is best to rely on Delta Airways because they are the only one who has direct flight. From JFK airport in New York, you can fly directly to Venice without so much hassle but if you are coming from other areas in the States, you can have connecting flights to other cities in European like London, Rome, Frankfurt, Milan, Paris, or Amsterdam off to Venice.

If you are coming from neighboring cities such as Rome, Milan, Treviso, Florence or Padua, you can take the train into the Santa Lucia railway station. Since Venice is serviced by national and regional train lines, you can get to the city in no time. But if you prefer to get there by car, you will have a big problem since Venice is literally built on water, so it is considered a “no car zone”. However, you can still get near Venice using the car only up to the terminal using the bridge Ponte della Liberta coming from Mestre. From there, you can park your car and take the ferry from Lido and then you will have to take the “vaporetti” off to Venice.

Before arriving in Venice, it is a must that you have a plan in staying there since it can be quite complicated especially for first timers. The major things that you should consider include the time since you are not familiar with the country, it is best to know when is the best time to get to Venice so you can enjoy almost everything it has to offer.

Also, the length of the vacation so you can have almost everything you need and the weather and climate so you will not get sick while on vacation.

Venice the city itself is very historic. So while on a vacation there, sight-seeing opportunities could be unlimited. When you go there on a vacation, it is a must to see the main—if not the major—tourist attraction offered by the city: the Piazza San Marco or the St. Marks Square. Here, you can visit the wonderful St. Marks Basilica, The Doges Palace with its amazing bell-tower as well as many other local establishments that are great for sightseeing and photo opportunities.

A visit in the St. Mark’s Square is only the “appetizer” in the list of must-see attractions in Venice. The next would be riding the world-famous “Gondolas” which is a staple picture of any Venice vacation. Riding the Venetian Gondola is a must for those who set foot on Venice the first time because it provides an ease and comfortable tour of the city. Gondolas a usually rented for a specific period of time and you can ask the driver to cruise you along the narrower canals inside the inner quarters of Venice. You can take a tour of the city via The Grand Canal first then you can take the back canals which will provide you a more intimate feel of the city.

Next would be a tour of the Grand Canal which is the biggest—and most detailed —tourist attractions in Venice. This canal stretches from the railway station down to the far end of the city where St. Marks Square is located. The ideal means of touring the Grand Canal would be through the Grand Canal Boat Tour that offers convenient route for the most wonderful sites within the city.

Aside from visiting the St. Marks square, the Basilica, and the Doges Palace located in the San Marco District, other must-see attractions in Venice would ideally include sightseeing in the Castello District that features the “Arsenale,” the “Biennale Art Exhibitions” as well as other public gardens. You can also visit the main attractions offered by the Dorsoduro District including the “Accademia,” the “Peggy Guggenheim Museum” that features rare Gondola workshops as well as the “Campo Santa Margherita.”

If you have more time, try to go around the Cannaregio District where you can find the “Jewish Ghetto,” and the “Ca D’oro,” as well as the San Polo district for great bargains at the “Venetian Mercantile Empire” and “Rialto Fish Market,” and a wonderful features of the “Friari Church”.

A complete tour of Venice would include a visit to its museums and art galleries where you can see the works by almost all great Venetian masters like Titian, Bellini, Tintoretto and Giorgione.  Aside from the Peggy Guggenheim museum, other museums and art galleries that you must visit should include “The Correr museum,” the “Naval Museum,” the “Gallerie dell’Accademia,” the “Museo Civico Correr,” and the “Glass Museum at Murano.”

How to spend your time and money wisely

While on a vacation, there are two important things that you should spend wisely: TIME and MONEY. Since you don’t have all the time in the world to explore Venice, you should plan you visit very well. It would really help if you would write your itinerary even before you leave so everything is carefully scheduled. If you are able to plot your schedule well, you can maximize your time in visiting as many places as you can.

To ensure that you will visit the major attractions in Venice, include in the list the main places to go to including the St. Mark’s Square that houses the St. Mark’s Basillica and Doges Palace in the San Marco District which is considered as the central area. Aside from visiting the attractions here, you can also visit nearby districts including the Castello District, the Dorsoduro District, the Cannaregio District, and the San Polo District.

These districts offer other interesting sites such as the “Arsenale,” the “Biennale Art Exhibitions,” the “Accademia,” the “Campo Santa Margherita,” the “Jewish Ghetto,” the “Ca D’oro,” the “Venetian Mercantile Empire,” “Rialto Fish Market,” and the “Friari Church” among others. You can also take a peak of the art museums and galleries where you can see the works of traditional Venetian masters like Giorgione, Bellini, Titian, and Tintoretto as well as the art pieces of many contemporary artists. You can tour the various public and privately-run museums and galleries like the “Peggy Guggenheim Museum,” the “Correr museum,” and the “Naval Museum” among others.

To ensure that you spend your money wisely, it is a must to convert your local currency to Euro. Although you can exchange travellers cheques and foreign money at public places such as banks, railway stations and airports, it is best if you exchange your money prior to your visit because the rates are more convenient. If you choose to, you can also use credit and debit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, and Diners Club which are widely accepted in major establishments. However, if you are eyeing a shopping spree in smaller stores, cash at hand is more ideal.

If you want to save some money on tour vacations, dining, and shopping, you can consider public options. In mode of transportation, you can ride public means such as the “vaporetto” and “traghetto” instead of hiring a private gondola. When eating out, opt for “baracos” and “osterias” instead of dining in expensive restaurants. And instead of buying souvenirs and other items in specialty stores, you can find great buys in local markets.

Once you have decided to go on a Venice vacation, you should also consider the peak seasons, type and length of vacation, as well as the legalities and confirmations for your vacation.

Most of them are not from Venice, although there are some few locals who also take advantage on their unsuspecting visitors. Like in other places of the world, it is always a mixture of the good and not-so-good people.

Not all incidents, however, are bad. Some are funny, surprising, and some are the results of being too gullible. Here are some tips taken from actual experiences of previous tourists. As always, your common sense is your best guide.

Some survival tips

***Beware of fake signature handbags sold on the streets. Ignore them because they are illegal. There is a hefty fine (3,000 Euros) simply for buying from them.

***Be careful if you plan to buy those famous Venetian masks – they can be overpriced.  Worse, they might be imported fakes from abroad. There are still shops around where you can witness the actual papier-mâché process. Buy from them to be sure.

***Ordering food from sidewalk cafes, especially fish, can be tricky. Fish in these places are sold by weight, not by piece. 7 Euros means 7 Euros per etto (or 100 grams), so a regular fish weighing 5 etto (500 grams or half a kilo) might cost you 35 Euros, rather too steep for fish. Always ask.

***Do you want to have some coffee and sit at St. Mark? Check for hidden cover charges. They could be more expensive than your coffee, simply because you were listening to some live orchestra playing while sipping your latte. (Try Campo San Polo or Campo Santa Margherita. Their coffee is lovely even without the music and they are reasonably priced.)

Side note:  Like in most of Italy, sitting down and consuming your food and drinks costs more than doing the same (eating and drinking) standing at the “banco” (bar area).

***Original Murano glass pieces, hand-blown and designed by authentic glass masters are generally very expensive. However, items sold near Piazza San Marco are greatly discounted because of too much competition among the shops.

Sometimes, bigger discounts are also available at Burano or some other outlying areas away from the commercial centers. Of course, you still have to be wary of fakes imported from Asia and passed on as original Murano glass.

Practical tips

If you are staying in spring and summer, ask for mosquito repellents. The beautiful windows of many of La Serenissima hotels do not have screens. Hotels have small electric mosquito repellents.

Buy yourself a small pocket flashlight. It will be handy looking at your maps in the evenings. Venetian street lamps are quite dim, very romantic and mysterious, but do not help you in seeing what’s on your map.

Maps of Venice are given out FREE along with your transport ticket pass at the airport. Everywhere else seems to be selling the maps to unsuspecting tourists who don’t have theirs. (Some hotels also have free maps of the city available at their reception.)

If you took note of some of these tips, it might help you survive your stay in one of the world’s most enchanting and truly fascinating cities. These difficulties notwithstanding, Venice is still the best.