My Dominican Republic experience. Sounds a little more exciting than ‘my holiday in the Dominican Republic’. But it is the experiences that make a holiday memorable. 

This time last year I was recovering from an overactive thyroid and a dose of norovirus so lying in the sun, swimming in the sea, eating and drinking was just what my body needed. This year I needed that little bit more. 

Before I left the UK I’d booked a hike which promised a swim in the River Anamuya at the end. And when we were on the resort we booked a swimming with sharks and stingrays boat trip.

Only two trips but what was on offer was very commercially focused. Not the real Dominican Republic. 

The hike in didn’t include any big ascents. But for one woman even the few fairly easy ones were a surprise. She was suffering from long covid so easily became breathless. Nor was she that happy about the river crossings that we needed to do. It was across the same river and at one point we were knee deep. A number of hikers were not prepared for it having to change from trainers to flip flops each time. I was wearing walking sandals so easily managed the undulations, the river crossings and the muddy bits with ease. It can certainly rain in the Dominican Republic so there were a number of boggy, slippery areas to navigate. 

Our guide spoke in English. Great for me but some of the other hikers (12 in all) had difficulty understanding him. A number were from Finland and at least two from Germany. 

As we walked through the countryside our guide pointed out various fruit trees : mango pineapple, passion fruit and melon. We visited ‘cha cha house’ where we were served traditional coffee. Not so much a house but three sheds where a family slept, cooked and worked. Apparently cattle  racing brought in much of their income! 

Dominican Republic is beautiful. The views were breathtaking. My iPhone camera did its best but couldn’t do what I was seeing justice. But I was so grateful that I had escaped the confines of the resort. 

We ended up in part of the Anamuya River where we could swim. Before venturing in we drank from coconuts and ate freshly  chopped pineapple. 

Interestingly, I was the only woman that swam in the river. Only another three hikers ventured in. Were the others not prepared for it or just didn’t want to? Or were they put off by seeing a 63 year old woman having to scramble down the river bank to get into the water? I don’t know. I didn’t like to ask. But it was glorious.

By the end of the hike I was wet and a little bit muddy. But it had been a great experience.

My next outing was sea bound. An opportunity to do some snorkelling and swim with nurse sharks and stingrays. This was sold to us whilst relaxing on the beach by the on-site tour company. Maybe it was the sun or too much rum but we never questioned how this was going to be possible. I naively assumed that we would be taken to an area of water that was there natural habitat. We were told that we would visit them in a cave. If I misheard I was not alone.

But first we did a spot of snorkelling above a reef. It always takes me a minute or so to relax into the rhythm of breathing that snorkelling requires. Only breathing through the snorkel when your instinct is to suck air in through your nose. But once I’ve got it I always find it an amazing experience. So relaxing. Looking at beautiful sea life with only the sound of your own breathing. Always enhanced by the clicking of my mechanical aortic valve.

Next stop wasn’t a cave but a giant cage structure divided into three areas. One for the sharks, another for  dolphins and a pool for the stingray experience. Not what I expected. And no one had mentioned dolphins. I would never intentionally support the captivation of dolphins. I need to be more questioning in future. 

To swim with the sharks you step down into a large submerged cage then swim clockwise around it. The sharks were of various sizes, a few over 6 foot maybe a lot bigger. It felt as if you could just reach out to touch them as they swam beneath you. I did try. 

The swimming with the stingrays just consisted of a man holding a very large stingray and moving it along a line of people standing in the pool. Who knows how stressed this activity caused the poor the animal.

Anyway not what I expected and very expensive for what was a couple of hours out at sea. 

So a couple of reflections. Investigation is important. I was fully prepared for the hike by reading the reviews. I made assumptions where the second trip was concerned. I don’t want to support any activity where animals are used for entertainment. But am I supporting the very same by visiting a country who uses animals in this way. There were a number of photo opportunities on our beach to pose with monkeys, parrots and a iguana. It’s how some locals make a living. 

This led to a wider reflection on the impact of how travel impacts on the lives of animals and the environment. The Dominican Republic seems to be doing quite a lot to improve the latter but does the revenue from tourism allow them to do this or does tourism make the challenge ever harder? Something to investigate and reflect on.