Off the Beaten Path on the North Coast

I am one of the lucky few able to live on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. I am reminded about the many beautifull things to see in this caribbean gem when new eyes come visit.  How you choose to see the Dominican can make or break your vacation.

At the eXtreme hotel, we have many adventure tourists, solo travelers, and sports enthusiasts. All are looking to experience the country at their own speed. Sometimes it may seem easier to be packed on a tour bus and herded around the various tourist destinations like cattle. But in the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, it is just as simple to rent a car or take a taxi and go where you want, when you want to.

To compare, I recently went with some guests on a tour of a zoo, plantation, Blue Lagoon and a couple beaches- basically a ‘most bang for your buck’ kind of day. The bus stopped at a local grocery store to pick up rum and coke for the bus ride. It quickly became apparent that many of the other tourists on the tiny bus had not spent much time off the beach. As myself and the other eXtreme guests did some regular grocery shopping and searched for bananas in the local colmado, the other attendees wandered the aisles- amazed that crackers and soda were as readily available here as they were at home. We quickly grew restless with the slow pace of the tour at the first few stops and jokingly ‘mooed’ as we were slowly ushered along through the gift shops. My my crew had already followed recommendations to visit our local, organic farm and the shops of local artisans. So, they had no urge to see a guinea-pig eating crocodile poke his head out, awoken from his morning nap by the poke of a rebar pole, or haggle for the best price of a glitter coated key chain.

eXtreme guests want to walk among the friendly locals, practice their spanish, enjoy delicious local food and explore off the beaten path. I loved hearing our guests passing on dinner recommendations for authentic Dominican food and advice about how to enjoy the local culture. It showed that rather than viewing the Dominican from behind paned glass, they were really feeling comfortable immersing themselves in the culture. Just one of many times I’ve felt overjoyed and proud to be a part of the off the beaten path, adventure tourist culture in the DR.