Miss Dominican Republic at Miss Universe 2009

Our Beauty Ada Aime, in the Miss Universe 2009!!



Congratulation to our Dominican Beauty!! She was the "vireina" like Vice Queen!!! lol

Dominican Music

Dominican Music

Acordeon, Guira y Tambora are the principal instruments to play MERENGUE!

When people talk about "merengue" they are talking about Dominican Republic. The most contagious rhythm that make everybody move their feet and their hips at the same time, it is imposible to stay sitting when you hear the tambora sound!



Our typical music is unique, and when the musician put those instruments together in a song, make dance the most quiet person in the world.

Take a look of this tourist dancing merengue in the beach.

So next time that you come to visit the Dominican Republic, remember to dance some merengue and you will never forget that vacation!!

Hasta Pronto!

Dominican Republic has it all

People say that one image said more than thousand words, I'll say "One video say more than million words... enjoy!!!!

Dominican Republic has it all.

Saona Island or Isla Saona

Saona Island or Isla Saona

I still remember the first time that I was in the Saona Island, I was in my second or third quatramester in the university (over there the school year is divided into four parts), and my teacher say that we going to have an excursion to Saona, in that moment everybody was jumping like kids in the middle of salon, including me, I was so excited. when finally the day came, a very nice bus was waiting for us, and all of us of course were ready to go and have one of the mos excited experience ever.

When we get to the borders, I see all those little boats ready to take us across to the other side of the water. I remember that I had my hands out of the boat feeling the water in my fingers all the way long, was wonderful, we were like ten at each boat and that was motivating us to made competition with the other boats telling to the driver, go fast we have to win getting there first, yes exactly like kids.

When we get down to land, my eyes was absolutely surprised, what beautiful beach, how many palms trees and what soft white sands, everything was so perfect, was really like to get into a paradise. I had so many pictures for this incredible experience. After that, I don't remember how many time I come back to the Saona, and every time is like the first one, just wonderful.

About Saona Island

Collaborations - Tour Guided Colonial Tour and Travel.

The Saona is a tropical island located a short distance from the mainland on the south-east tip of the Dominican Republic, near La Romana Province. It is a government protected nature reserve and a popular destination for tourists from all over the Dominican Republic, thousands of people arrive in fleets of catamarans and small motorboats every day. The Island is famous for the natural beauty of its beaches, and has been used on many occasions by film-makers and advertisers looking for a stereotypical 'desert island' setting for their film or product. It is promoted amongst European visitors as the setting for the famous Bounty chocolate bar adverts. The seas around the Island are rich in wildlife, with many species of birds and tropical marine fish, and there are large areas where natural sandbars offshore bring the depth to just a few feet. These are once again popular with the tourist trade, with small boats stopping hundreds of meters off the beach and disgorging tourists into the waist-deep shallows where they snorkel, drink and check out the fields of starfish indigenous to the region.

History of Saona Island

The Island Saona was baptized "Saona" by Christopher Columbus, who discovered it in may 1494 on his way to the Americas. The name was meant to honor the commune of Savona, where Columbus lived at the time. Columbus named Michele da Cuneo, his friend and a savonese himself, first governor of the island. Saona Island and the modern city Savona, in Italy, still have twinning relationships; the small power plant in Saona Island is a gift of Savona.

The Visit to Saona Island

This is a excursion you have to do when staying in Punta Cana, La Romana, Bayahibe, Boca Chica, Juan Dolio or Santo Domingo.

The tour include:

- Transportation picking you up and driving you back to the hotel.

- Catamaran (water transportation).

- Buffet lunch and drinks.

- Volleyball, meringue and salsa dancing

- The tour ran from 9 am - 5 pm, and the trip to the island is about an hour and a half via the scenic route.

This tour can include other optional sub-excursions like:

- Bus for Altos de Chavon, a perfect recreation of a 15th century Mediterranean village. Enjoy a relaxing to visit the impressive amphitheater, small church, art galleries, boutiques and a great view of Rio de Chavon.

- On the way back, they stop at the "natural pool". This is an area of the sea that is very shallow and warm (waist deep). They stop to allow you to swim, and take pictures of the star fish (lots of them around). We call this natural pool, the star fish bank.

Spend the morning taking in the natural beauty is of this national park with its pristine white beaches and the marvelous clear Caribbean waters.

This is the chance of a lifetime experience. It is a very nice tour, especially prepared for you!!!

Dominican Republic All Inclusive Resorts

Is amazing how you can enjoy the all inclusive plan at everywhere in the Dominican Republic. you can find resorts at any size of the country and all the variety, since all family resorts to the only couple resorts (yes, no kids allowed).

At the end of your vacations you find out that you can't use all the free services that the resorts offered to you (activities, foods, shows, sports, etc.) and them, of course, you start making new plans to come back in your next vacations!!

Here I'll give you a list of the most important thing in the all inclusive plan.

The all inclusive plan:

- Room (single, double, triple, or quadruple). Maximum 4 persons in the rooms, adults or kids. (kids under 12).

- Breakfast buffet
- Lunch buffet

- Dinner buffet or you have the option to make reservation for one of the speciality dinner restaurants.

- Snacks.

- Soft Drinks/Cocktail.

- Coffee/Tea.
- All variety deserts.

- National alcoholics drinks.

- Non motorized water sports.

- Transportation to the beach ( in case that the beach need a little walk).

- Towels for the beach.

- Shows Time.

- Disco bar.

- Outdoor pool .

Some resorts include:

- Bike.

- Horses (1 hour) most of them charge a little amount.

- Half hour massage at the spa.

Other optional services:

Upgrade on Availability
AV equipment
Bellhop
Business center services
Childcare
Computer
Concierge
Copy service
Credit card access
Currency exchange
Day rate
Doctor on call
Dry cleaning
Early Check-in/ out
Faxing incoming-outgoing
Hair Dresser
Handicap Parking
Kid's Program
Late Check-out penalty
Laundry

Valet Parking
Local Calls
Local Faxes
Long-distance Access
Newspaper
Room Service
Tour Desk
Video Billing
Wake-up Calls

Others activities:

These services or amenities are subject to availability and local charges, where applicable.
Boating
Casino
Fishing
Game Room
Golf
Health Club - Extensive
Jacuzzi
Jogging Track/Trail
Massage
Playground
Recreation(Sports)Court
Sauna
Scuba Diving
Snorkeling
Spa
Tennis Courts

Excursions

When you came for family vacations time, be sure to ask for the all inclusive plan, and take all the advantage that you can for you and your kids to have the best all inclusive vacations ever!!!

Have fun!!

If you like golf, you'll love the Dominican Republic.

Is a big surprise for every golfer that go to the Dominican Republic for the first time to play golf.

They never imagine how many beautiful golf course they can find there, is to many choices starting with a simple one in the meddle of the city of Santo Domingo, to the very difficult and fascinated one at Playa Grande at the north west.

This beautiful island have more than 24 golf courses around the country with 9, 18 and 27 holes.

No only we have a beautiful golf course, we also have a very important international tournaments for professional (Amateurs) and important membership like: world Amateur Golf Council (WAGC), Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN), and of course we are member of the United State Golf Association (USGA).

I promise you that I'm going to describe each one of our golf course (location, holes, attractions, facilities, etc.) in another's post so you can enjoy every single one before your next TEE TIME.

Spring Break or Semana Santa.

Spring Break

Over Dominican Republic we call "Semana Santa" to the same vacation that we have in USA for spring break, but is not that long over there is just from Wednesday to Monday, the next Tuesday everybody go back school and some lucky people go back to work. If you work for any place that have something with touristic services "I sorry" but it's no time for vacations yet. that happen to me all the time, when my family and friends was on holidays vacations, I was in my office making sure that my clients have the best vacations posible, or somewhere taking care of some vacationist group in an excursion trip (that one I can say doesn't sound that bad :) .

So, on this holyday some families or couple go out to have some fun for 3 to 4 days at one of the "big list" all inclusive Resorts and Hotels around the country, and some others reserve those days to celebrate "quiet" the passion of Jesus Christ around their Church.

No Mather what is your way or what you decide to do, you can enjoy the best Semana Santa (spring break) ever around the country.

Here some attractions that you'll like to visit.

Best Beaches (Mejores playas):

Punta Cana, Bavaro, Juan Dolio, Samana, Playa Grande, Playa Dorada, those one are just some famous places. One of the last beach descovered is Bahia de las Aguilas, the most virgen and quiet white sand beach ever.

Mountain:

Jarabacoa, Constanza.

Adjacent small islands (one day excursions available):
Saona Island, Catalina Island.

Sports:
Golf, scuba diving, cayak, mountain climbing, cycling, and many others.

If you are ready for vacation and you are interesting to visit the Dominican Republic, just tell me what do you like to do, and I'll tell you where exactly you should go.

Have a great spring break!

Dominican Republic Location

The Dominican Republic is located in the middle of the Caribbean, what make her privilege of a wonderful geographic position.

The island was called "La Hispaniola" when christopher Colombus discovered, lately a border of 388 km separate the island in two different countries, The Dominican Republic in the East and Haiti at the west.

How you can see in the picture, the Island of Santo Domingo, how was called in time, is the second biggest island in the Antilles, is separate from Puerto Rico for the "Canal de la Mona" at the East, from Cuba at the west for the "Canal del Viento, up North have the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean sea in the South .

This wonderful Location allow the people to have a mix of the hot weather from the Caribbean Sea and a nice breeze coming from the Atlantic Coast.

Our only two seasons !!

When I got here for the first time was in February 2006, when I was getting ready for the trip people was telling me to be ready for a very cold weather, I never find out how seriously they was until I get out from the airport and I felt like somebody open a door for me to get inside in to a freezer. I really felt like somebody smack me with ice when I just walk out, that was my first idea of winter. Lately in 2007 I saw Fall, I mean in the reality (not on TV or Pictures) face to face for the first time and I definitely fall in love with that season, it's just amazing !!!

In my country, Dominican Republic, we only have two seasons, spring and summer all year long, is like to be on vacations for ever, any day you can call your fiends and invite them to go to the beach and have some fun over the weekend or just made a small party in your backyard for the holydays including christmas and new year.

Some days can be cloudy, or can be raining all day long like happen in may or around september, just keep an umbrella in your bag.

Something that I love is that all year around you can have flowers in your garden, green grass in your front and back yard and sunny days inviting you to get out of your house.

It's so relaxing how you can sit outside any day and enjoy a cup of coffee just looking the sky and feeling how the sun is offering you a beautiful good bye sunset.

What the turist love the most when they come for visit, is to come back home whith this natural and beautiful color in their skin after a day in the beach. Over there people always wear very confortable and open clothes and shoes, they have soft and cool drinks, they can have dinner in a outside restaurant anywere at anytime, this place is really a completely paradise!!

So, it's not bad to have just two of four seasons when you can enjoy it them absolute completely, right?

Meet my place!!

Bienvenidos!!!

Welcome to the Dominican Republic, this video is the perfect introduction.

Enjoy!!! Disfruten!!!!

Let me introduce myself

Hi everyone,

My name is Laura, I'm from the Dominican Republic, a beautiful, tropical and sunny island in midle of the Caribbean.

The reazon why I made this blog in inglish (knowing that I'm not that good in this languaje) is because i want to share some experiences and trips around my contry with some of my new friend and family in law, but they don't understand at all my spanish blogs, so i decide to create this one so everybody can have a litte bit from me.

I hope all of you can enjoy and particpate with your comments, questions, idea, ... i know my english is not perfect at all, but with your support and pacient we can understend each other and have some fun.

What I want to talk about is how people can anjoy more on vacations, (resorts, beaches, rivers, folklore, culture, hollydays, excursion...) talking about my experiences working in an agency travel and as turistic realtor in my beautiful country.

You are more than welcome to enjoy it !!