Dominican Republic (Other Places Travel Guide)

I can't speak to the other sections, but I found the Santo Domingo segment really useful for cultural and political history. In particular, it provided a thorough and efficient walking tour: we were able to use it, modifying it slightly (taking out/adding) to fit our interests. And if you're good walkers and start early, you can do it in a day.My one major gripe: a significant error. They mention that Diego de Velázquez who lived in Santo Domingo was the Spanish painter. This is not true: the painter never reached the colonies. Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar was an important conquistador on La Española and Mexico, and governor of Cuba, and must be the person whom they cite. This basic, although somewhat understandable, error really needs to be fixed to make this a completely well-informed guide, because it makes me wonder what other errors there were that I might've missed.

Very helpful for finding places that most tourists might not frequent, such as Barra Payan in Santo Domingo. Some of the names of places/prices are outdated though so be sure to call hostels etc ahead of time.

This is an awesome companion for the traveler who desires to venture away from the all-inclusive resorts and fully experience the DR in its entirety. The book pulls you in by introducing the reader to the country's rich history and from there builds describing the colorful culture, and music. This travel guide fully details the geographical highlights as well as many local spots of interest that are not to be missed. Particularly, its travel notes on La Samana introduced me not only to the many beautiful pristine beaches that have yet to be developed but also a national park which showcased the country's natural wildlife and artifacts of its indigenous people. I highly recommend this for the reader who wishes for something more than the generic tour book.

Great book with great advice. We used this and another book to guide our travels through the Dominican. We used both because at any given time both had current and outdated information (such is the Dominican). Overall the maps were a problem since the DR is rapidly developing its roadway systems. At any point at least one to all 4 maps we were using (two from the DR) were completely useless and outdated.This book had AMAZING recommendations. I fell in love with so many of the places recommended by this book. We actually changed our plans to stay longer at these places.

Although the book gave some good background, it did not go far enough in its explanation of sights to see. My husband and I have used a number of different travel books in our trips throughout the world and we did not find this book to very helpful. Part of this might have been due to its organization and the available maps. It would have helped to have had regional maps and suggested itineraries for shorter and longer visits.

As a former Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) going to the 50th anniversary celebrations in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, I wanted to have a guidebook that I could trust ... and this is a good one! I was a PCV from '62-'64, so i knew things had changed a lot ... even though I had been back in '74 and '07 for short visits. The country has changed so much. However, with this book in my backpack I was able to successfully negotiate Santo Domingo, and to travel by bus to Santiago and Jarabacoa, selecting hotels, restaurants, things and places to see. Highly recommended.

This is an excellent travel book; this will help you with all aspects of a Dominincan vacation if you want to see the country from a broader perspective. It gives you clear instructions for transportation and accommodations which are comfortable and reasonably priced. You will see the most charming places in the DR. With this book you can really make a special vacation. Please do learn a little Spanish....just a few words will show you are trying to communicate and are interested. (An experienced travellor in the DR).

The guidebook is well-written, well-organized, and offers an insider's view of the Dominican Republic. The restaurant recommendations in Santo Domingo were great, and the book offered great advice and insight for the areas we visited on the Island (Samana peninsula are-- Las Terrenas and Las Galeras). It was easy to navigate and the book offered a great history section, frequently used phrases, and tons of useful information. Highly recommend this guidebook. We used it for a trip in December 2013 and it was very much up to date.