You CAN afford a taste of paradise!
THE Caribbean is the perfect place for serenity-seekers to recharge their batteries. Once you’ve landed in this dreamy destination, whitesand beaches, turquoise seas, rustling palms, smooth rum punch and intoxicating rhythms are never far away.
Each island has a unique history, but they all share a warm sense of hospitality, a love for carnivals and a distinctly laid-back vibe.
Over the coming months, the price of direct flights and hotels falls, creating budget-friendly deals that can make a Caribbean holiday cheaper than a comparable week in the Med. Temperatures and humidity might be higher, but you get beautiful, clear night skies which are ideal for stargazing. Occasional sharp downpours cool the air and are generally followed by bright sunshine and blue skies.
A TROPICAL PARADISE THAT’S AFFORDABLE
THE friendly, affordable Dominican Republic is a firm favourite with pleasure-seekers – and for good reason. Beyond the powdery white-sand beaches, this island that is twice the size of Wales has rainforest-cloaked mountains, magical lagoons stuffed with wildlife, colonial towns and courteous locals with a laid-back approach that’s textbook Caribbean.
You can pretty much count on blue skies – there are about 300 days of sunshine a year – making for utterly relaxing holidays in a tropical paradise, wafted by cooling sea breezes.
What’s more, the Caribbean’s budget beauty queen has gone upmarket in recent times, so there is now a fantastic choice of lavish all-inclusive resorts, where the service and value is outstanding.
These low-rise, family-friendly or adults-only resorts with fabulous spas sit in lush grounds alongside 250 miles of dream-like shores.
Take Punta Cana on the Coconut Coast. It’s the choice of families and A-listers who are drawn by its idyllic 28-mile beach, turquoise waters and fringe of coconut trees.
You can tee off at an ocean-side golf course, watch the sunset with a rum cocktail in hand, learn watersports, snorkel over coral reefs and shipwrecks, thrill yourself on a zip-line adventure and find your perfect stretch of sand. Alternatively, laze on the stunning Samana Peninsula on the north-east coast, where, if you’re lucky, you might even spot a pod of migrating humpback whales in winter.
And on the Silver Coast, close to the Puerto Plata resorts, you’ll find the must-see, 27-tier Damajagua waterfalls. Follow nature trails yourself, or join a guide, don a helmet and slide down into beautiful, blue-green swimming holes below. There’s more to enliven a stay in this tropical paradise, which has a distinctive Spanish flair and a fascinating history, including discovery by Christopher Columbus and raids by infamous pirates seeking Conquistador gold.
In the capital, Santo Domingo, history buffs could find their jaws dropping in awe of the Zona Colonial as they stroll to the cathedral through cobblestone streets, passing stately houses restored to their 16th Century glory. This was the first city to be built by Europeans in the New World and is now Unesco-listed. Explore inland on a Jeep safari adventure, visiting lushlu plantations where cocoa, coffee, coconut oil and vanilla are produced – or villages where locals roll some of the 40 types ofo cigar. Then choose fromfr white-water raftingra expeditions, boat trips through mangroves and visitsvis to turtle sanctuaries,sa or delvede into caves, wherewh carvings and pictographs by indigenousind Taino peoplespeo cover the walls. And if that doesn’t grab you, enjoy the great grilled fish served everywhere and the seductive sounds of merengue music, as danced to in chic clubs and on street corners. The Dominican Republic is also home to dozens of vibrant fiestas celebrating the patron saint of each town. These street parties and processions offer visitors another chance to see the country in full, passionate swing. It means that when you come to the Dominican Republic, you’re guaranteed the perfect mix of history, adventure, spectacle, exceptional beaches and, of course, the kind of luxurious hotel stay for which the Caribbean is renowned.