Before you go

Pack appropriately.  We encourage you not to bring anything you would be devastated to lose.   Check out our recommended packing list here.

Vaccinations are at the individual’s discretion.  Please consult with your physician or local travel clinic for up-to-date health information on traveling to the DR and Haiti.

Once you are there

Dehydration & Heat Exhaustion

Be aware of your physical limitations and ask for help if needed.  Una Vida staff will be there every step of your journey to support you, but it helps to know if you are feeling sick or tired, so we can make sure to accommodate you.

Dehydration is a constant risk in the Caribbean sun. Drink fluids constantly throughout the day and evening.  We will remind you of this (and you will see Una Vida staff constantly drinking water), but please make sure to respect your own personal limits.  It is often best to skip a day’s work or afternoon excursion to rest if you are feeling tired.  Take breaks in the shade, wear a hat, reapply sunscreen, and drink plenty of water.

Food & Water

We make sure your host family provides you with fresh, clean drinking water – agua buena, and hearty meals. Try to eat cooked vegetables and fruits that you can peel.  Oftentimes, the skin of fruit is the most contaminated, eating fruits like bananas, mango, pineapple, and papaya, where you peel away the skin,  helps to combat this. Traveler’s diarrhea is common. – there, we said it!  Respond with plenty of fluids and small bland meals until you recover.  Remember to pack an anti-diarrheal medicine and ask for help if you need it.

The Latin tradition of long lunches, the major meal of the day, is adhered to wholeheartedly. Most Dominicans eat a light breakfast with coffee in the morning and eat their biggest meal of the day at lunchtime. Many shops close 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.  Dinner is usually light.

Safety in La Descubierta

Buddy up when you are walking around town in the evening, its culturally appropriate to have a companion with you at all times.  “Pssst” is a noise you will hear frequently in the Dominican Republic, especially if you are a woman. It is the Dominican way of saying everything from “Excuse me waiter, check please,” to “Hey baby, where have you been all my life?” Do not be offended or scared, but you should expect a bit more attention than you are used to as a foreigner in a small town.