Visas: All visitors require a valid passport; citizens of Albania, Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Curaçao, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Surinam, Switzerland, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela and Yugoslavia are eligible for a 90-day tourist card. Check with the Dominican consulate for the latest visa requirements.
Health risks: Malaria, dengue fever, dysentery, giardia, typhoid, and hepatitis A and B. Don't drink Dominican tap water, and be wary of food that may have been washed in tap water.
Time: GMT minus four hours, with no adjustment for daylight saving time
Electricity: 115-125V AC, 60 Hz, two- and three-pin flat-pronged plugs; many areas receive up to 12 hours of rolling blackouts each day.
Weights & measures: Metric with some US measurements

Currency: peso (RD$)

Meals

• Budget: US$5-8
• Mid-range: US$8-20
• Top-end: $20+
  
  Lodging
  
• Budget: US$20-40
• Mid-range: US$40-70
• Top-end: US$70+

Back in the good old days, the Dominican Republic was blanketed with lush rainforests teeming with diverse flora and fauna, including some 1500 species not found anywhere else. Today, many of the swamps have been drained and trees cut down for charcoal, but there are still isolated pockets of untamed nature enough to satisfy the most adamant ecotourist.

The main challenges facing the environment are overpopulation and poverty. It's a familiar cycle: Forests are razed to provide firewood, building materials and farmland; the mountainous countryside and heavy rains conspire to send the fragile topsoil into the ocean; and the earth is rendered all but barren. Various organizations in the DR are working to build a sustainable relationship between the growing population and the increasingly pressured ecosystem, but any such changes are difficult to make.

Despite all this, the Dominican Republic boasts some seriously beautiful countryside, from mangrove swamps to highland cloud forests, dozens of gorgeous blooming trees and more than 218 species of birds. Offshore the wildlife is even more spectacular, particularly the famous gathering of humpback whales in the Bahía de Samaná during the breeding season. Manatees, pilot whales and more than eight species of sea turtle call the waters surrounding Hispaniola home.

A plethora of cultures have left their stamp on Dominican society. Traditional Taíno foods and medicines are familiar today, and Taíno words - like hammock and tobacco - still pepper the language. Spanish settlers gave the country their language, the Roman Catholic faith and a deep strain of machismo. Africans brought here as slaves brought their own faith, inextricably bound in the dominant European offering, as well as art and music. Even US troops left their mark - Dominicans love baseball. It is a heady mixture.

Music and dance is at the heart of Dominican culture. The most popular form is merengue, which will be blasted, full volume, almost anywhere you go in the country. A tad more pastoral is bachata, Dominican country music, with plenty of songs about heartbreak and loss. Salsa probably makes the third favorite musical type in the DR's holy trinity, though you'll find plenty of jazz, rock, hip-hop and just about anything else that'll keep your feet moving.

The Dominican art scene is also quite healthy, thanks in no small part to dictator Rafael Trujillo. Creative freedom was not a hallmark of his reign, but the man did have a soft spot for painting. He founded the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes (National School of Fine Arts) in 1942, basically instituting the country's fine painting tradition. 'Primitive' art, which relies less on perspective and shading and more on color and action, is also popular; keep your eyes open for it. And to check out what's happening in edgier scenes, drop by the Museo de Arto Moderno in Santo Domingo.

Architecture is another important part of Dominican culture, from the well-preserved colonial Spanish buildings of Santo Domingo, the Americas' first European city, to the brightly colored farmhouses of the countryside. Color and style are ignored by no one in the DR, which makes for some very interesting sightseeing.

While in the Dominican Republic, remember that politeness and a polished appearance will get you farther in just about any situation. Whining or complaining, on the other hand, will make you look foolish and do nothing to change your situation. Roll with the punches, relax and enjoy yourself; after all, how often do you visit a tropical paradise?