Dancing through the Dominican Republic

You sign up through the sign-up form. I’ll get back to you within two days — email, WhatsApp or phone, whichever suits you. That way we get to know each other and I can answer whatever is still unclear.

The trip goes ahead once there are eight sign-ups. At that point I open the booking and you get a written confirmation with the conditions and the payment details. If I don’t reach that number, I’ll let you know at the latest eight weeks before departure — and you won’t have paid anything by then.

You reserve your place with a 25% deposit. More is fine too. The rest is due at the latest six weeks before departure, in one go or in instalments. Let me know what works for you — the date is fixed, the way you get there isn’t.

Cancel up to eight weeks before departure and you only owe the deposit; the rest is refunded. Cancel later and the full trip price is due, including in unforeseen circumstances. So take out cancellation insurance. I would.

That way you never pay for a trip that doesn’t happen.

With a Dutch or other EU passport you don’t need a visa for a stay of up to 30 days. Your passport must be valid on the day you leave. If you hold a different passport, check what applies to your nationality.

You do need to fill in the Dominican e-Ticket beforehand, a digital entry and exit form. It takes five minutes and is free on the official site: eticket.migracion.gob.do. Be careful: there are many sites that look identical and charge for it. Check that the address ends in .gob.do. I’ll send you the link again just before departure.

There are no compulsory vaccinations for the Dominican Republic. DTP and hepatitis A are recommended. Whether protection against dengue makes sense varies from person to person. Get advice from a travel clinic about six weeks before departure; in the Netherlands, lcr.nl has up-to-date country information.

Malaria occurs in parts of the country. Discuss with your doctor whether tablets are needed for this route. Dengue is also present, carried by mosquitoes that bite during the day. Use a repellent containing DEET.

Don’t drink the tap water; bottled water is available everywhere.

Bring your medication in your hand luggage, in its original packaging. There’s a pharmacy in every town and a lot is available without prescription, though not always in the brand you know. Bring a small first-aid kit too: something for diarrhoea, rehydration salts, plasters and sunscreen.

Travel insurance with medical cover is compulsory.

The currency is the Dominican peso (RD$). For cash machines you’re best off at Scotiabank, the red bank — at other banks it doesn’t always work. You can exchange money too, but check the rate first.

Bring a credit card as well as your bank card. You can pay with it in a lot of places; in colmados, small restaurants and on the street it’s cash. If you don’t have one, apply well before you leave.

Restaurant bills usually already include a service charge, but that doesn’t always reach the staff. So do leave something extra if you were happy. Tips for the driver and the local guides you give yourself, at the end of the trip.

For food, drinks and personal spending, expect around €40 a day.

Try to keep it to one suitcase of 20 kilos maximum, plus hand luggage. Not a hard rule, but luggage space on the bus is limited.

Bring shoes you can dance in — heels aren’t practical everywhere, because you’ll also be dancing in the street and on uneven floors. Also shoes that can get wet for Damajagua and El Limón, a warm layer for Jarabacoa and a quick-drying towel. You can bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent, but they’re on sale everywhere there too.

And earplugs. Dominican music is loud. Everywhere, all day.

January is the dry season. On the coast it’s around 28 degrees during the day and the sea is warm enough to walk straight into. In the mountains around Jarabacoa it’s noticeably cooler — pleasant during the day, and in the evening you’ll want a jumper.

Clothing is informal everywhere; there’s no dress code anywhere on this trip.

It’s five hours earlier than in the Netherlands. On the way out that works in your favour: you land in the afternoon and simply join in that evening.

The Dominican Republic runs on 110 volts with flat American plugs, so bring a travel adapter. Check your charger for “100–240V” — if it says that, the adapter is all you need. Devices that only handle 230 volts, like some hairdryers and curling irons, won’t work properly there.

Power cuts happen, but hotels almost always have a generator, so you’ll barely notice.

There’s wifi in all the hotels and in most restaurants. If you want coverage on the road as well, set up an eSIM before you leave or pick up a local SIM from Claro when you’re there. Check your own provider first — some bundles already cover the Dominican Republic.

Breakfast every day is included, plus eight lunches, the welcome dinner and the beach BBQ. The rest you eat on your own; expect €15 to €30 a day. For each place I’ll point you to somewhere good, from a simple local spot to something more elaborate.

On the coast you eat fresh fish, in a lot of places you’ll get patacones (fried plantain), and the fruit is on another level: mango, papaya, passion fruit — and they often have fresh juices too.

Vegetarian is perfectly doable, but outside the bigger towns the choice in restaurants is small. Let me know about dietary requirements and allergies when you book and I’ll take them into account.

From day four we have our own Toyota Coaster with a driver — a small bus for the group, not a big coach. Plus boats for Saona, the whales and Cayo Levantado. All transfers are included.

For the first few days in Santo Domingo we don’t need a bus: you can walk everywhere in the Zona Colonial, and beyond that we take the metro.

Longer distances we break up with good stops along the way. You’re never in the bus for more than two hours at a stretch.

Mid-range hotels: private bathroom, air conditioning and breakfast included. No luxury resorts, but comfortable and well located — in the centre or on the beach, so you can walk straight out in the evening. Several have a pool.

Exactly which hotels depends on availability; the standard is the same throughout. You’ll get the final list well before departure.

You share a twin room as standard. If you’re travelling alone, you’ll share with another solo traveller of the same sex. If you’d rather not, you can book a single room for a supplement.

Eight to twenty people. That’s what fits in a small bus, and what you can bring into a colmado without taking the place over. I’m with you for all fourteen days: I arrange things as we go, translate where needed and I’m the person to come to if anything comes up.

Within the group we speak Dutch or English. On location we work with local guides who live there, and I fill in the gaps.