Think about it, that`s the easiest way to be happy.
Let`s talk about your luggage first.
The most important things are:
-Tanner (definitely needed)
-Fins, masks, diver certificate
-GPS Navigator
-Sneakers/Slippers
-Photo/Video camera + SD cards, replaceable accumulators
-Aquapack `and for phones, cameras and instruments that are not soaked in the sea)
-Your medicine kit (if you are an allergic person) with antibiotic or indigestion tablets
-Mosquito-repellent (not everywhere, but you may need it in case of “wild trips”)
Really, you can buy it Dominicana, but my wife, for example, she likes to travel with her own bed-clothes...



A few useful tips below.
Step 1. First of all, you need to buy tickets… Using Expedia I found 270 dollars tickets of “America Airlines” from Miami to Santo Domingo (capital of Dominican Republic).

Step 2. Then you should purchase some gps-navigator, like Garmin for example (so we did). It`s better to buy a navigator than using dominican guide services, and it`s cheaper, guys! Then you search in Google for GPS Garmin map of Dominican Republic (http://dominicana.cc/ was our choice), and download the map…
I`am finding the price a little bit higher than expected (87 dollars), but the quality of this gps map is really nice. Look here, I made a few screenshot-fotos (I`am not a professional, sorry):



Also they offer free to download GPS Garmin tracks, which guide you to dominican waterfalls, Constanza city, Enriquillo lake with crocodiles or what you want
http://dominicana.cc/content_map_dominicana_free_tracks_maps_solcity.html
And you can send them your own track with description. We wanted to do it, but I could not turn on the track function in my garmin device.

The guy which sold me the Garmin map, told that they are going to release Windows mobile/Android/Symbian/BlackBerry/IPhone compatible dominican maps. But I had no time to wait, that`s why I bought a Garmin device! *confused*
http://dominicana.cc/content_map_dominicana_mobile_cityguide_order_form.html

Step 3. Now you are in Dominican Republic! Start explorering this beautiful island.


TIPS1. It`s not necessary to rent a house for a long time, really, when we came to Dominican Republic I ordered an hotel for one week (you know, acclimatization and relax).
2. Dominican “rent`a`car”. You need to pay attention, cause most of them don`t have a car-insurance (!!!). The best choice are european rent`a`cars like AVIS or EuropCar or something else. If not – you need to check all the details (oil, brakes, engine, transmission) and do a trial ride.

If you are planning a lot of traveling – jeep like Montero Sport – is for you. We rent it from owner for 1 month, the cost was 40 dollars daily. Excuse me, I don`t remember the tel. of that guy…


3. Dominican republic has lot of small cute motels named “cabanas” all over the country. The estimated price is 20-30 dollars per night, with your own closed parking place, clean room, hot water, sometimes it`s equipped with a big plasma TV (sure is chinese) and always has good air-conditioning. Usually they have a snack-bar with dominican “pica-pollo” (KFC) and cold beer.
So, you will not spend lot of money traveling to Republica Dominicana. I wanted to give you a little bit more of useful information.
4. Dominican currency is Dominican peso (RD $). Flights, tours and taxis – it`s better to pay in dollars, everything else - in pesos.

Prices:
1 US$ = approx. 37 pesos
Gas – 187/gallon Premium Class
Cigarettes – 100 pesos for package (20)
Beer – 60 pesos (1 liter)
Bottle of water – 10 pesos (0.5 liter)
Pineapple – 50 pesos
Coconut – 25 pesos
Watermelon – 150 pesos
Meat – 150 pesos/lb
We made a lot of BBQ in Barahona beach…
Who told I`am a vegetarian?


Lobster – 190 pesos/lb




Lobster-parties in Punta Cana.


Some guy selling “langosta”.


Shrimps – 180 pesos/lb


Crab – 130 pesos/lb
3 foot barracuda – 1000 pesos
Dinner in a good restaurant – 150 pesos/person
Dinner in a luxe restaurant – 500 pesos/person
Taxi (we don`t use taxi, but if somebody need) – 200 dollars from Santo Domingo to Samana, 200 dollars from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo, 500 dollars from Punta Cana to Puerto Plata.

Rent 2-motor 150` fishing boat – 150 dollars for two persons, 4-5 hours of fishing.

Yeah, it was the biggest marlin I ever seen, but it was not mine .


My first dominican dorado. Tasty as a Floridian dorado!


People in Republica Dominicana
This old man is 98 y.o, he has 12 children, ultimate one is 14 y.o (!!!!!). In this foto he is smoking tobacco inside the orange tree leaf.


Dominicans, like all Latin American people – are very happy, they don`t know nothing about aggression.


The best place to sit during “siesta” is a plastic chair, I think is a dominican symbol – sitting near “lying policeman” and looking “full HD video”.

During 2 months we had:

1. One day I found something like a spear in a beach. Probably somebody of dominican fishermen forgot it there.


My extraction in 2 hours =) Prepared with “green jalapeno” sauce and a bit of lemon.


2. We`ve visited Altos de Chavon, small city constructed in a colonial style. Very beautiful place.


3. Lot of sunshine-beer parties in a beach.


4. Whale-watching in Samana peninsula.


The cost was only 50 dollars/person


It`s a great spectacle looking to this giant animals (It`s not a fish!) with their babies. Dancing, jumping (it`s safety, don`t be afraid).


5. Waterfall near El Limon city.



Don`t forget about dominican “siesta”, when all the shops are closed (except hotel gift shops): from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. I think some restaurants are closed too =)

Obligatory to take away from Dominican republic:
- Cigars
- Rum (Haitian Barbancourt, Dominican Barcelo Imperial, Brugal)


Note: how you remember, “Barbancourt” factory was destroyed during the powerful earthquake in Haiti, so that`s the ultimate opportunity to buy it. It`s really tasty! I have never tried anything similar in my life.
- Cocoa. In the cold winter, sawing off small slices and putting them in a coffee grinder, it will be pleasant to remember of Caribbean Islands breezes.
- Flavorous dominican coffee, except “Santo Domingo Cafe” (its taste seemed to me bitter)
- Haitian pictures, don`t pay more than 20 $US for each (!!!)


- Fresh mangoes,
- “Noni” juice,


- Blue amber. It can be found near Santiago (I don` remember the city), 700 pesos for this piece of amber.


- Larimar.


Small info about Dominican Republic.


Capital: Santo Domingo
Language: Dominican (seems to be Spanish)
Average annual air temperature: 28 `S.
Average water temperature: 28 'C in summer and in winter is 25 `S.
Climate: Tropical

Sincerely yours, Yan and Mary.
P.S. Excuse me of my English, I am from Czech Republic. Happy travel!!! =)

Great summary about how to get the best value of a budget vacation in the DR.

One question for you and I am curios to know, but how does a guy from Eastern Europe, in this case the Czech republic, know about or rather how did you discover the DR?

Second how did you manage not to get the prices jacked up as soon as they saw you coming?

And finally, in addition to English to you also speak Spanish?

98 years old my foot. Please cut the exaggerations. Dominicans know nothing about aggression? Im laughing as i read this stuff.

You got to remember Mirabal, he was a tourist on a low cost vacation. You are happy, serene and see everything through rose colored glass and with all the cheap food and liquor, you are in definitely in heaven. It happens to all of us, while on vacation in the DR, we all want to move back right away and live there once again. However, one thing is to be in sojourn but it is another to live the day-to-day drudgery. Over time those $20 motel rooms we thought were so cheap, all of a sudden seem to be very expensive.

Nevertheless, his perception of a peace loving people has some validity. In general we are warm, open, happy go lucky and in spite of the many vicissitude, we tend to be and remain in a festive mood most times. Additionally, he come from Eastern Europe and the cultures are totally opposite to us. So no matter how aggressive we may appear to be, it is probably no comparison with the gray/cold attitudes of the people from Eastern block nations.

Just think of how he may feel if he heard Perico Ripiao. Especially due to the fact that Europeans are familiar with the accordion. You make good points and i failed to notice where he was from. Thanks for clarifying. The cold attitudes stem also from years of socialism that failed them which has given them a tough exterior.

Hello)) I speak a little bit of spanish, and I had my electronic translator with me - it realy helps in the foreign country. Also I read a lot about Dominican Republic in internet before going to this beautiful country.

"Second how did you manage not to get the prices jacked up as soon as they saw you coming?" - I know how to bargain. It`s not necessary to speak spanish)) You can even be a japanese.

He told me he was 98. Cause I saw one woman of 60 y.o, and i thought she was 40!!
Dominicans are not aggressive, I`am sure (in comparison with european).

Rose colored glass?)) I don`t think so. Here, in Europe the life is much more difficult, and everybody needs to have a good relax in such kind of country like Dominicana is.
The price of 20 dollars per night - you receive an average quality "cabana" in Republica Dominicana, and for the same money you can book a bad hostel in Prague. We were living in Santo Domingo`s Hilton too (very nice place, I liked it) and some 4-5 stars hotels in Bavaro.