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Top Things To Do
Catch some baseball
Baseball isn't so much the national sport as the national obsession - male and female, young and old, they're all hooked. The domestic seasons lasts from October until late January, providing a chance to experience the game in all its noisy, rum-fuelled glory (www.lidom.com). Dance, dance, dance Throw yourself into Santo Domingo's nightlife by dancing to down-and-dirty merengue with the locals along Avenida Venezuela's row of nightclubs and ‘super-colmadons'. City boardwalk the Malecon has a number of further lively options. Drink like a local Order a cuba libre servicio - a small bottle of rum, a coke and a bucket of ice - from one of the country's omnipresent colmadons (grocery stores-cum-bars) and practice your Spanish on the locals. Join the carnival The city of La Vega bursts to life each February for its annual carnival, renowned as the most colourful and raucous in the country. More than 100,000 people cram the streets over the last weekend of the month. Mountain-biking The country's geographical diversity makes the interior great for mountain-biking, with the Cordillera Septentrional a particularly good choice. Iguana Mama (www.iguanamama.com) offer this and other adventures. Offshore fishing Those staying at coastal resorts won't have to look far for the chance to go offshore fishing - hotels, in fact, can usually arrange the activity themselves. Marlin, dorado and sailfish are among commonly found game fish. Pick up some amber Arguably the most authentic Dominican souvenir on the market, amber is widely available at reasonable prices - the semi-precious stone is usually set in jewellery. Be mindful, however, of fakery. Tee off Enjoy a round of golf under the Caribbean sun. Several of the country's courses enjoy dramatic ocean-facing settings. For more information, contact the Federation of Dominican Golf (FEDOGOLF) (www.golfdominicano.com). Whale watching When thousands of humpback whales make their annual winter arrival off the Samana headland, it makes for an incredible spectacle. The season generally stretches from mid-January to mid-March. Windsurfing The waters around Cabarate on the north coast are said to offer the best windsurfing in the Americas. Equipment can be easily rented - beginners are best off taking to the sea in the early morning. |
