I've been to the Dominican Republic, and it like other colonial administrations vacated by the Spanish and the British are economic morasses. It's fine if one restricts one's self to the safety of the resorts, but what's the point? I like melding myself in the local cultures whose countries I visit, and on many Caribbean nations, you wouldn't want to wander the streets, or the wrong neighbourhood at night and even in broad daylight. Petty crime against tourists is all too common, and the local police will only give you a blank stare when you try to report. It's too bad, because those islands are replete with natural beauty.Hardatwork said:
The only Caribbean islands I would recommend would be those that are still colonies of Holland (Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao) and France (Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Barthelemy, etc...). The locals there are generally better educated, are gainfully employed and have a much higher standard of living. Unfortunately, they are also the most expensive islands to visits, but then again, that is the price one pays for contributing to the health of these nations.
One grim reality of the Caribbean resorts is that the resorts are owned by outsiders who milk the profits back to their homeland, leaving little if any benefits behind for the locals, other than cheap labour.
