USEFUL INFORMATION
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
General information about Dominican Republic
Since many of you want to combine the wedding visit with the annual vacation, you will find below some information about attractive travel destinations, so that you have an overview of where you can do what activities and look for flights accordingly.
First of all, it is recommended to plan a stay of at least 14 days, since it is a long-haul flight. There is no need for a visa from Germany to travel to the Dominican Republic. No vaccinations are required for short-term stays, but you can still check at Tropeninstitut.de.
The Dominican Republic has 3 main airports that are flown to from Europe. The other three are secondary airports and are usually operated from the United States.
Let's start with Punta Cana (airport code: PUJ). Punta Cana is located on the south coast of the island and has the dream beaches you see in travel catalogs. Punta Cana is also very well known for its large all-inclusive resorts. Most European airlines fly to Punta Cana, which usually results in cheaper flights. Famous destinations around Punta Cana are Barahona, Bavaro, Bayahibe, and Boca Chica. As mentioned above, the region is known for its beautiful beaches and national parks.
Santo Domingo (airport code: SDQ) is the capital of the Dominican Republic. For people interested in city trips, culture, and history, it is definitely worth visiting for 2-3 days. The beaches in Santo Domingo are unfortunately polluted, so it is not recommended for a beach vacation. Santo Domingo is a 3 - 4 hour drive from the south coast (Punta Cana) and 3 hours from the north coast.
The main airport on the north coast is in Puerto Plata (airport code: POP). The wedding takes place in Cabarete on the north coast (30 min car drive). The North Coast is famed for beautiful beaches, waterfalls, jungle trekking, and many water sports from kite surfing to scuba diving and other extreme water sports. Tourist towns around the north coast are Cabarete, Sosua, and Rio San Juan. Two hours drive from Cabarete is the beautiful peninsula of Samana. In Samana, there are the towns Las Terrenas (more active in terms of nightlife) and Las Galeras (more peaceful for nature lovers). Between Sosua and Samana there are many beautiful lagoons, waterfalls, and beaches like Playa Grande, where the brunch will take place on the 6th of August. Cabarete is about five hours by car from Punta Cana. There are also buses (Metro, Caribe Express) from Sosua to Santo Domingo and Punta Cana. For about 10 € you can get from Sosua to Santo Domingo.
You can find more information about attractions by clicking on the following link: https://www.domrep.org/tourinfo.html
Flights
Unfortunately, not many airlines fly directly to the Dominican Republic. One of the few German airlines that fly directly to the Dominican Republic is Condor. Condor serves all the main airports mentioned above (PUJ, SDQ, POP). Eurowings (Discover) sometimes operates flights during peak season, but at the moment no information is available about Eurowings' summer flights. Another airline based in the German-speaking region that flies to all major airports is Swiss Air. Airlines that fly with stopovers are Air Europa, KLM, Air Brussels, and Air Canada.
It is recommended to look for flights to the Dominican Republic mainly on Fluege.de. There you can compare prices to get an overview of which airlines fly on which dates. Afterwards, one should always check the website of the respective airline, because sometimes the airlines offer better fares than third-party portals.
Usually, it is cheaper to fly from Frankfurt, but there are also several flights from Cologne and Berlin. Another option would be to fly to the United States, especially Miami, and from there to the Dominican Republic, as it is only a 2.5-hour flight from Miami. Fly Norse offers cheap flights from Berlin to Miami and New York for about €250, and flights from Miami to the Dominican Republic currently cost about $450.Accommodations
Below are some accommodations in Cabarete, with which we had good experiences and would recommend at any time. You can also get an overview yourself via the following maps link: https://www.google.de/maps/place/Cabarete
All the accommodations listed below can also be found on Booking.com, Expedia.com, or any other booking portal:
- Cabate Condos
- Villa Taina
- Millenium Cabarete
- Wyndham Hotels
- Velero Beach
- Ulta Infinity Hotel
- Hotel Magnifico
- Bahia Cabarete
- Ocean Deeam Apartments
Many tourists also prefer the districts of ProCab and Kitebeach in Cabarete.
Sosua is near Cabarete (approx. 14 km) and is a cute little town on the north coast. There is a German-Spanish language school that also offers accommodations. There are at any time carro publicos (public cabs) that will take you from Sosua to Cabarete for 1 € each way per person. Another accommodation in Sosua that is recommendable:
FAQ
Is there any wedding gift list?
Your presence on our wedding day is the most important gift you could ever give us. However, if you wish to honor us with a gift, a financial contribution towards our world trip, something we have been dreaming of for a very long time, would be greatly appreciated.
Paypal: merve.k-95@hotmail.de
Will the accommodation be provided?
If you are traveling alone or would like to stay in a shared accommodation with a larger group, please let us know. We will try to coordinate it as much as possible.
Will there be vegan food?
There will be lots of Caribbean, vegetarian and vegan food - don't worry the bride is vegetarian too. :)
What is the dress code?
The theme of the wedding is Primavera - Spring. Pastel tones would be a great fit. Remember you will be in the Caribbean - rather airy than very tight. We would greatly appreciate it if you don't wear black or white.
How to get to the party?
The ceremony and the subsequent party with buffet will take place in a private villa in Costambar in Puerto Plata. A shuttle will be available to take you from Cabarete to the location in Puerto Plata. The shuttle will depart from Ocean Dream in Cabarete at 3.30 pm. Please let us know in advance if you are taking the shuttle as there are limited seats.