The pandemic hasn’t been easy for the precarious profession of travel writing. But as the world slowly loosens its shackles after 20 months of canceled contracts and frustrating false-starts, I’ve made it my job as Lonely Planet writer to get back on the road in search of spontaneity, inspiration and a good story. My latest stop: the Dominican Republic.
Why the Dominican Republic?
My choice of destination wasn’t all chance and serendipity. Throughout the course of the pandemic the Dominican Republic (DR), along with Mexico, has been one of least restrictive nations in the world for travelers to enter and exit. However, unlike Mexico where total deaths are edging toward 300,000, the Dominican Republic has navigated the vicissitudes of COVID-19 relatively smoothly. Entry requirements are relatively straightforward, in-country rules sensible without being over-zealous and, at the time of travel, active cases were low. However, as we know by now the coronavirus situation can change very quickly, and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) announced that new COVID-19 cases in the Dominican Republic has increased by over 40% in recent weeks.
Bike riding through the countryside of Dominican Republic ©B Cruz/Shutterstock
As a travel writer, the Dominican Republic tempted me with plenty of things to write about. In the lead up to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, I was looking for interesting eco-projects to lure travelers out of the mega-resorts. Fortuitously, the north coast of the possessed a slew of innovative ventures. But first I had more prosaic matters to deal with.
Planning a trip from Canada
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about travel in the time of coronavirus, it’s check, double-check, and check again. Rules change frequently, cases can surge and nuances differ from country to country. Back in the good old days, all you needed to go on holiday was a passport and a boarding pass. In 2021, rule-weary travelers must decipher complex paperwork, expensive COVID tests, and long-winded travel apps to allow them to get home.
Employing an attention to detail that’s second nature to a guidebook writer, I prepped for my DR trip from my home in Canada by phoning the Dominican Embassy in Ottawa, the Dominican tourist board in Toronto, and the perennially overwhelmed offices of Air Canada to ensure I hadn’t missed any hidden pitfalls.
A dapper Dominicano in the street ©Matt Munro/Lonely Planet
With no pre-trip COVID test necessary for residents of Canada, the paperwork ultimately came down to just two forms: a copy of a Dominican eticket (available online) to get me through customs in the DR, and printed proof that I had been fully vaccinated to show to my Canadian airline before boarding the plane.
Then there was the small matter of insurance. Some holiday companies include special COVID insurance in their packages. However, as I was traveling independently, I paid C$40 for ‘trip interruption’ on top of my personal policy in case I had to quarantine in the destination.
Additional checks on arrival in Dominican Republic
Having flown in the early days of the pandemic on planes that were three-quarters empty, I was surprised to find that both my Vancouver-Montreal and Montreal-Puerto Plata flights were almost full. But with the government of Canada mandating that all air passengers be masked and fully vaccinated, I shrugged off any lingering paranoia as our Airbus 321 cruised smoothly above the US eastern seaboard before descending into Gregorio Luperón International Airport on the DR’s north coast. Dominican customs was a formality. With my passport stamped and bags scanned, I dashed eagerly into the arrivals hall where cheering airport staff danced dexterously to a merengue backbeat. After nearly two years with practically no tourists, they were obviously pleased to see us. for more info visit the website dominican republic vacations
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