18.11.2021

New Year in the Dominican Republic: palm trees, Santa Clauses and… Voodoo!

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I have heard the opinion that the Dominican Republic is actually the same as Egypt or Tunisia, but further away and more expensive. Why do we need to fly to the other side of the world to pay more?

Well, this is absolutely wrong.

Firstly, the Dominican Republic has a fundamentally different nature and culture, much more authentic and interesting to the sophisticated traveler.

Secondly, the vacation in the Dominican Republic is not so expensive, and the flight is not as difficult as it is considered. And minor inconveniences can be endured for the sake of an incredibly high quality relaxation and reset.

Immersion into an entirely new cultural and natural environment renews and fills you with the pure, ringing energy you need to do new things. I’ve always known this, but spending a holiday in the Dominican Republic convinced me once again. And for New Year’s Eve there will definitely be a lot of fun!

The Dominican Republic on closer inspection

The Dominican Republic is a small island nation in the Caribbean. There is no shortage of luxury beaches in this region,and the Dominican Republic is the undisputed leader in this category.

Let’s start with the sumptuous pristine nature, which you don’t even have to go far to rendezvous with. It’s even present on and around restaurant tables as you eat fabulous fruit (many for the first time in your life) and seafood dishes freshly caught from the local turquoise waters, you realise that life is definitely a success. The flamingos wandering around nod their beaked heads in agreement with your thoughts.

The hotels are surrounded by fragrant gardens with uninterrupted birdsong. If you want to experience the island’s pristine nature up close, you can take an excursion into the wilds of the mangroves or to the beautiful lakes and waterfalls.

In short, relaxation in the style of “bounty” in the purest form! By the way, the famous commercial “Bounty” was not filmed on the same archipelago near New Zealand, but in the Dominican Republic, on the beach of the island of Saona. A film crew saga “Pirates of the Caribbean” was also attracted by the beach Riknona on the island of Saman. So you have a real opportunity to lie on the sand, on which Johnny Depp reclined as Jack Sparrow!

Beach Holiday

Dominican Republic – is, above all, a beach holiday for all tastes, from the lazy, with a glass of cocktail in hand, to the active and adrenaline-pumping. Snow-white sand, emerald palms with emerald leaves, picturesque bays, transparent azure water, somewhere absolutely calm, somewhere making waves, as if especially raging for surfers’ joy.

The Dominican Republic offers incredible opportunities for surfing, diving and other adrenaline-pumping activities. You can learn how to stand on a board or scuba dive directly at the territory of the hotel, on the simulator or on the beach with an instructor.

If you don’t want to exert yourself, you can just dive without any equipment and extremes. I’m not a fan of adrenaline, but that didn’t stop me from catching starfish and admiring the bizarre inhabitants in their natural habitat.

A little about hotels

In the Dominican Republic they grow sugar cane, coffee, cocoa, exotic fruits, and make very good natural cosmetics (don’t forget to have additional space in your suitcase!) and of course, specialty rums and cigars. But the main income to the state and its inhabitants comes from tourism, so hotels are in good conditions there.

We stayed for two weeks at the grandiose Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana. It’s a luxury hotel with the largest casino in the entire Dominican Republic, so you can scoop up a full spoonful of gaming adrenaline there as well. We had a room with a Jacuzzi in the middle of the room – another significant point for a full relaxation.

The hotel is All Inclusive, but this does not mean that you can only eat a typical buffet. All large hotels in the Dominican Republic have many a la carte restaurants, so you can dine in a chic steakhouse, and for dinner you can eat seafood with white wine on the terrace, admiring the game of waves.

But this is not the only format of the vacation in the Dominican Republic. For example, there are eco-hotels, where guests live in huts built among the jungle, or even in the trees. Ideal for catharsis in union with nature, isn’t it? And with all the comfort and safety: the island has almost no poisonous snakes and large predators!

And many wealthy people prefer to visit and have vacation on the small islands. They rent yachts, move between islands, dive, fish – in a word, enjoy life. Is it expensive? It depends on what you compare it with. Renting the same yacht in Monaco would cost about 20 times more.

The Dominican Republic and the Dominicans

Dominicans are very peculiar people. They don’t rush anywhere: they don’t seem to notice the passage of time. And if they say they are going to do something in an hour, at best it will be the next day, and tomorrow that it might not come at all.

This makes a double impression. Even in luxury hotels the staff, though they pamper the guests, do not rush to do their bidding. But in this spirit of “Akuna matata ” you unwittingly get influenced, relaxing and enjoying life.

On the other hand, Dominicans are very hospitable, smiling and musical. They are so lively that even I, who have always been indifferent to hotel animation, could not stay away from the general fun!

The Dominican Republic shares one island with another – the Republic of Haiti, known for total poverty, bloody dictatorships and, of course, the voodoo religion.

The local Bokoran shamans are visited by people from all over the world, and not by the poor or the afro american people. Some come obviously with evil purposes – we all know what voodoo witches are capable of, at least from the movies. And someone goes to bokoras for healing from various ailments.

For example, I watched a shaman treating a girl for migraine through immersion in a trance. It was a scary spectacle, but the result was obvious: the grateful patient even wanted to make a passport for the bokor who had healed her and take it back to St. Petersburg with her!

New Year’s Eve is even better!

In the Dominican Republic, they love the parties and organise them on almost any occasion. It’s New Year’s Eve, which means that the degree of fun rises several times. In the morning the beach is filled with tanned Santa Clauses and sultry mulatto women and the holiday begins, which lasts for several days!

Also, visitors to the Dominican Republic from January to early March can view an unforgettable spectacle: whales come to the shores of the island. They give the real concerts: jump out of the water, blow grandiose fountains, arrange couples dancing and even singing! You can experience this fantastic spectacle from your boat or even from your private balcony if you choose a Samaná Peninsula hotel.

Holidays in the Dominican Republic are always incredible, but they will be truly unforgettable if you get out of the rut of package mode. However, on your own without knowing the local realities is a bit difficult. You need to know which hotel better suits your inner aspirations, where and how to book tours to your liking, to rent a yacht or helicopter and a thousand and one little things.

But now you have me, someone who knows and loves the Dominican Republic and knows how to create exclusive tours that perfectly match the wishes of clients. Call and come to our office, visit royalsky.by, my Instagram @natus_ik – and you will surely spend an unforgettable New Year in Caribbean style!

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New Year in the Dominican Republic: palm trees, Santa Clauses and… Voodoo!