It is not surprising that the most visited island in the Caribbean happens to be the Dominican Republic. With a thriving economy, impressive tourism infrastructure and a delightfully topical year round temperature, flocks of luxury-loving tourists, many of them moms like myself make this island their choice of destination for their vacation.
The Dominican Republic has a particular appeal to us family travellers because of the array of accommodations to choose from, easy traveling to the island’s five airports, and the diverse family activities to choose from. As far as rentals to stay at, mom travellers find that choosing one of the many private family villas in the Dominican Republic is the best option to truly see this country in style.
- Adequate privacy while still feeling like you are in a beautiful resort.
- Great value while having the conveniences of fully furnished and equipped rooms, as well as outdoor areas such as pools and patios.
- Ample comfort and the feeling of staying in a genuine home
- Your own stretch of beach to keep the little ones from a temper tantrum when bored!
Although adults may find that their ideal vacation is relaxing with a book on a beach, many children require high-energy and out of the ordinary activities to keep them happy. Rest assured, the Dominican Republic offers many lively choices to keep the whole family occupied and content. When traveling as a family in the DR, here are things to take special attention of:
Monster Truck Safari
Both an automobile and a boat, this adventure will bring you through sugar cane fields and several rivers as you romp around the island in the zebra-themed truck. Expect lots of laughter and exhilaration from all age groups and watch your child’s eyes light up as they spot an exotic species!
Dolphin Island
This tour will whisk you off to an island off of Punta Cana where you get to encounter with dolphins and some other small marine life. There is also an aquarium in the park and local restaurants to enjoy – always a good idea to keep the kids’ blood sugar levels balanced!
Bavaro Runners Zip Line Adventures
This activity provides you the opportunity to soar through the sky and get to see rainforests, mountains, lakes, and wildlife. The tour is a true haven for those in love with nature. Equipment is excellent and guides are super-friendly keeping you and the family safe, informed and most importantly – entertained.
Manati Park Bavaro
Here you will find a combination of native wildlife and cultural exhibits all showcasing the unique attributes of the Dominican Republic. The trained horses, seals, dolphins and parrots are all great fun to watch. They even had a cage full of ‘love birds’ that would sit on your hand while you fed them. And, they had some native dancers from local tribes too.
Xtreme Dune Buggy
Offered as a half-day or full-day tour, this excursion will take you on an adventure through the island’s beaten paths on a beast of transport that resembles Fred Flinstone’s car. Take old clothes and shoes as you will get filthy (not that the kids care too much about that).
Horseback Riding
The island has many ranches and operators to offer visitors horseback riding tours on beaches as well as mountains. All these activities and more will keep every member of your family more than happy in the marvellous Dominican Republic and the only complaint you’ll get from your kiddies – is that you have to go home.