The glossy promotional material handed out by Dominican Consuls and Tourist Agencies are pretty to look at but seriously lacking in hard facts. With the emphasis on the package vacations that have earned the country so much money, they hold little value for independent travellers. Their maps are likewise relatively useless, though there are several excellent ones of the country available, including the 1:600,000 Dominican Republic map published by Berndtson & Berndtson.
Websites
The Dominican Republic maintains a large presence on the web , though, as ever, ferreting out a specific piece of information can take some time. The following are a few tried and tested sites. The most heavily trafficked tourist message board, and a useful daily news bulletin on the country.
A good site dedicated to Dominican tourism, with a Dominican Spanish phrasebook, daily weather and an interactive map of Cabarete.
An exhaustive news bulletin and comprehensive roundup of tourist attractions and businesses in the Puerto Plata area.
