After a Caribbean bargain? Try the Dom Rep

If your after a Caribbean bargain break, the Dominican Republic may not immediately spring to mind.

But the Dom Rep (Dominican Republic) has long been a bargain Caribbean stronghold, with some of the best all-inclusive travel deals in the West Indies.

It’s not just sunshine and sand in the Dominican Republic, she has a huge wealth of natural attractions and upmarket accommodation options for those seeking more than a cheap blue seas escape.

The Dom Rep also has the most golf courses in the West Indies. There are 28 in all, some designed by the likes of Greg Norman and Nick Faldo.

First impressions

Almost twice the size of Wales, the DR, as the locals refer to it, lies east of Jamaica and west of the British Virgin Islands. It is home to the largest lake, tallest mountain and highest waterfall in the Caribbean. Journeying around the island, the first thing that hits you is the ever-changing landscape. There are the banana, sugar cane and coconut plantations you would expect of the region, but these are equalled by vast citrus groves reminiscent of the Mediterranean.

At the centre of the island, lies the towering peak of Pico Duarte. At more than 3,300 metres, temperatures at the summit often dip below freezing, a perfect conditions for the fringe of Alpine forests and wild flowers – a walkers paradise.

In contrast, you could take a hike through the more temperate rain-forest, kayak the lakes, white-water raft on the rivers or cool off under the waterfalls. Animal lovers, meanwhile, will be wowed by the wildlife including whales, crocodiles, rhinoceros iguanas, flamingos and turtles.

Activities
Given the variety of offerings at their disposal, it’s worth suggesting clients pack more than just their beachwear. Attraction World sells 21 different excursions here. Options from Punta Cana include Country Adventure, which takes clients into the rural interior to see the changing landscape, visit villages and see agricultural communities at work (adults £55, children £27).

A trip to the capital on the Santo Domingo Tour (adults £54, children £27) is a must for history lovers. Santo Domingo is the oldest city in the Americas and the zona colonial, or old town, dates back to the 16th century and was Christopher Columbus’s New World stomping ground when the Dom Rep was a Spanish colony. Santo Domingo also makes a great twin-centre option for those looking for culture as well as coast.