Visit the Dominican Republic for $202

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You can probably tell that we live in a not-so tropical climate because we’re always talking about getting out of the cold.  You might find now to be early, but planning a trip to somewhere warm next year should start RIGHT NOW.  Today we’ll focus on how to visit the Dominican Republic for about $200 per person.

Accruing points and miles takes some time and patience.  You’ve got to book your trips early to ensure that you’re maximizing your miles.  That is why you shouldn’t wait until November to start looking into your trip for January.  There simply isn’t enough time.

Boca Chica Sunrise

How do I Get to Visit the Dominican Republic for $202?

You’re normally looking at $600 for a trip to Hispanola.  This lowers the price by 66% of what most people are paying for their flights.  Everyone loves paying 33%, why don’t you?

First you’re going to need to score the The Frontier Airlines World MasterCard®. If you’re a couple, then you both need to get the card. We always advocate applying separately, because it doesn’t make any sense to share a huge frequent flyer bonus when you can each have one for your own. For more information about the card you can read an earlier post we did about the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard.

This card is going to offer you 40,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases in the first 90 days. Then up to 10,000 bonus miles on balance transfers (1 mile per $1 transferred) in the first 90 days . You pay off any charges immediately and don’t have to pay any interest- in fact, if you’re paying interest, you shouldn’t be doing this.

A visit to the Dominican Republic is only going to burn 30,000 of your EarlyReturns miles, which leaves you with 5K in the tank. You’ll have to be flexible to find the availability, but for that reason it is important that you’re starting this now for next year.

Here is a summary of your costs for the flight to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic:

• $69 Annual Fee on Credit Card (Not Waived)
• $103 Taxes (ouch)
• $40 Baggage (1 checked bag each way)
• = $202 Total

What Can I do in the Dominican Republic?

Rolling Tobacco leaves

Learn how cigars are made-  I know you’ve all wanted to smoke a Cuban.  Even our Mormon readers have probably thought about it.  Although these aren’t Cuban cigars, their tobacco is grown in a similar climate and they follow the same basic rules.  Certain tobacco leaves are designed for flavor, others for smell, and some for the outside.  This is all explained, by a professional, but it is incredible to watch them roll the cigars.

Learn about Christopher Columbus-  The Dominican Republic is the nucleus of Columbus.  Everything in Santo Domingo is named after the Italian born explorer who flew under the Spanish flag.  His attempt to find a faster way to the Orient “discovered” a new world.  His first of four voyages landed him on the island that we now know as Hispanola, which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.  Check out a book at your local library and learn about him and the island before you head out.

Blow your mind with a trip to Haiti- Even a well seasoned traveler has come across some very poor circumstances.  Having visited 30 countries I’ve been to some very poor countries, but absolutely nowhere is comparable to the country of Haiti.  I lived in Paraguay for 2 years and I’d tell you that Paraguay is a palace compared to Haiti.  The earthquake definitely didn’t help the poverty, but definitely made it worse.  It will humble you more than a slice of humble pie.  My trip in 201o, post-earthquake, made me more grateful for my circumstances than anything else I’ve ever experienced.  

Beautiful Beaches- The Dominican Republic is definitely known for its beaches.  Spend a lot of your time relaxing on the beach.

Cathedral of the Americas at Night

Visit the Oldest Cathedral in the Americas- My trip to the Dominican Republic was perfect in that they did a midday mass in the cathedral during the Semana Santa (Holy Week).  The cathedral was packed, and we were in the very back of the building, which  made it really hard to see what was happening.  Even though I’m not Catholic, it is incredible to see the first cathedral in the Americas.

Walk the Plank Zipline- There is an ecotourism resort in Samana, about 2 hours from Santo Domingo that is an incredible and inexpensive adventure.  Hike to waterfalls and isolated beaches, see how chocolate is made, feed the monkeys, and zipline through the jungle.  Check it out at http://walktheplankzipline.com/

Visiting the Dominican Republic is something that everyone should do in their life.  Why not do it for 33% of what it would normally cost you with The Frontier Airlines World MasterCard®?