Culturally diverse, you can experience both ancient and modern cultures that are distinctly Caribbean in a single day. he Dominican Republic's music, art, sports, religion and especially its food appeals to all. To truly understand the depth of the Dominican people you must understand the importance of two primary pastimes; Baseball and Carnival. Much more than a national pastime, baseball is a major source of national pride and identity. In fact, almost 40 percent of players in the U.S. Major League Baseball and minor leagues come from Latin America - with most of those coming from the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican version of Carnival, the annual celebration of independence, is like no other and is judged to be one of the best celebrations of Carnival in the Caribbean. It is hard to describe and must be experienced. The celebration centers around Santiago and there are many hotels and resorts near the Carnival celebrations.

Another favorite festival is the Festival de Merengue: Santo Domingo. Few things are more quintessentially Dominican than the annual Merengue and Bachata Music Festivals.