Dominican Republic
One of the more unusual places that I have visited was the Dominican Republic. This is a place not visited by many Australians as it is rather a long way to travel (and not necessarily somewhere that is on may people’s travel radar). It is very popular with American travellers, as it is very close to Florida and a short flight down from Miami to the capital, called Santo Domingo. You can also fly directly into the resort towns of La Roma and Punta Cana.
These resort areas boast fabulous golf courses and all inclusive resorts on a very attractive coastline. It is certainly great value for money also. The capital Santo Domingo, was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and boasts some wonderful history. It is a very poor country, but the historic area in the old colonial part of the city is kept very nice with lovely old buildings, churches and squares around which are some great restaurants and bars.
It is probably not a country to visit for first time travellers, but for someone spending time in and around Florida, and looking for somewhere different to visit, this is a place well worth putting in the memory bank.