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Dominican Republic


Selling tips


Promote the low season: Look beyond the beach to find other attractions and point out excellent value of resorts and hotels out of season


Sell the value: Even when you include flights, a family holiday or honeymoon package can cost a


considerable amount less than a similar trip to Europe.


Talk up the chance for adventure: With everything from safari trips to dune buggy outings, canopy adventure zip-line tours and coral diving, there’s plenty for adrenalin-activity lovers to enjoy


Capture the eco market: Eco-lodges and environmentally friendly hotels are popping up all over the country, and there are plenty of eco tours for clients who want to visit the national parks and mountains.


Sell the wildlife. The Dominican Republic has a wealth of natures reserves and protected parks where wildlife — including the Hispaniolan trogon, American crocodile and a profusion of marine life — is sure to be a huge draw for nature lovers.


Rhinoceros iguana, Isla Cabritos. Right: snorkeling with starfish


where sea pelicans perch like long-nosed judges, to a near-deserted beach covered in soft, white sand dotted with thousands of seashells. Donning my snorkeling gear, I slide into


the mirror-clear sea. Immediately, I’m surrounded by an explosion of color: just below me, starfish walk on pointed feet near angry-looking, white-spotted Caribbean lobsters, while vivid blue and yellow queen angelfish, and black-and-orange spotted butterfly fish flutter around my head. After an afternoon swimming and lazing on one of the world's most perfect beaches, I make the last leg of my trip to Lago Enriquillo. Tis vast, 42-mile-long saltwater lake, which was once part of a channel that united the Bay of Neiba and Haiti’s Port-au-Prince,


is a wonderland of strange and rare flora surrounding the island of Isla Cabritos. Before taking the boat to visit, I stop off to


see Las Caritas. When Christopher Columbus arrived on Hispaniola in 1492, Taino Indians inhabited these cliffs and they carved Las Caritas ('the faces') and other petroglyphs into the soft, porous rocks. Trough strange landscapes of leafless


trees, the boat glides to Isla Cabritos past flocks of flamingos, and logs that turn out to be endangered American crocodiles who float just beneath the surface, peering up at us out of their greenish, marbled eyes. Isla Cabritos is a tiny, sandy, cactus-covered island inhabited by Ricord's iguana and the rhinoceros iguana. Both types of rare lizard rush up to us as the boat docks, hoping to be fed.


Sample


A five night spa package at Casa Bonita Tropical Lodge (casabonitadr.com), near Barahona, including ground transfers to and from Santo Domingo Airport, selected spa treatments, nature hikes and breakfasts, for two people sharing a Deluxe Room or luxurious Ocean View Suite, from US$2,455.


After the intense heat of Lago Enriquillo,


I head for La Azufrada, a large natural pool near La Descubierta, whose sulfur-rich waters are said to make you feel younger. I’m not sure if it’s the water, or my mesmerizing trip, but I certainly feel rejuvenated after spending a week in the Dominican Republic.


ASTAnetwork | Summer 2017 | 97


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