Shopping With A Difference
For those who like shopping, the Dominican Republic has plenty of bargains to offer! The country is well known for its sought-after ambar and larimar which is used to make jewellery, trinkets or just enjoyed as it is.
Brugal and Barcelo are worldwide brands of rum, and yes they are Dominican.
The DR is a big cigar producer and its top brands rival those from Cuba.
Lots of coffee is produced here, and exported around the world. Most people drink real ground coffee here as it's not expensive, whereas imported instant coffee is expensive and rarely seen.
Mamajuana is another drink that everyone hears about when they get here. It's widely available although its exact recipe consisting of various twigs, herbs, spices, sometimes rum and honey, varies. It's known as a 'cure-all' but is also rumoured to improve 'potency'!
All these items you may be able to buy back home, but when you are here, you can buy them at a big discount, and in some cases even visit the factories where they are made.
Being a semi-tropical country, you must avail yourself of the many local fruits and vegetables on offer here, such as guavas, avacados, soursops and plantain. The local shops here are known as colmados and are a good place to start. If you can, try to visit a local market, where you will find stalls overflowing with fresh local produce at nice low prices!
