Dominican Republic & Haiti

Amanda traveled to the Dominican Republic (DR) and Haiti in November 2016 and then again to the DR in November 2017 and February 2018.

How to Get Here

There are a fair amount of flight options. Although not far from the US if you’re flying from the PNW it’s no quick trip. An American Airlines flight from Seattle to Atlanta to Santo Domingo. All-in-all about a 16 hour trip one way. Other major US carriers also fly into Santo Domingo. From Port-Au-Prince, Haiti it was a bit longer trip home…PAP to Miami to Dallas to Seattle.

Trip Length

In each case, Amanda’s trip lasted about 5-10 days. Unfortunately, there was not a ton of time to explore so it’s hard to say what would be a good trip length.

Where to Stay

Santo Domingo, DR – there are a few global hotel chains found in Santo Domingo. The Holiday Inn Santo Domingo is a reasonable option. There is a rooftop pool, bar and it is in walking distance to a few good restaurants. There are also some good AirBnB options and obviously the Dominican Republic is known for its all-inclusive beach resorts.

Port-Au-Price, Haiti – Amanda was fortunate to stay at a really nice hotel in Petionville a little drive outside the city. El Rancho was lovely even if just for a night.

What to Do

Zona Colonial

The historical district a few minutes from downtown Santo Domingo has a great central square with old churches and great restaurants. There are also plenty of shops to pick up a souvenir or two. Be prepared for street vendors to try and entice you with cheap prices. It’s fairly easy to get around using English but knowing a bit of Spanish would help significantly. We had dinner here a few times and walked around the old fort and into some of the old churches.