Do you want to remember your vacation on white tropical beaches for a long time? We tell you what to bring from the Dominican Republic. Prices for popular souvenirs and gifts. Travel advice on how to choose and where to shop.
Larimar jewelry
The milky blue mineral is one of the symbols of the Dominican Republic. A rare semi-precious stone is mined in the south of the country. Consider a piece of jewelry to avoid buying a fake. The drawings are not repeated on the original stones. The color can be different - from pale blue to sky blue.
Price... The pendant costs 2050-3600 DOP, earrings - 1500-2000 DOP, bracelet - 3600-4000 DOP.
Advice... Take small stones 2-3 cm, 750-800 DOP each and insert them into the frame at home.
Natural cosmetic
What can you bring from the Dominican Republic as a gift to a woman? They produce good organic cosmetics to maintain the beauty of the skin and hair. One of the leading lines of Dominican perfumery is products based on cocoa butter. They are great for skin care and have a pleasant smell of chocolate. Tourists are delighted with cosmetics with coconut oil, ointments with snail mucus and scrubs made from coffee beans, sea salt and cane sugar.
Price... Can of cream - 400-500 DOP, cocoa butter or manteca de cacao, 240 ml - 400 DOP, ointment with snail mucus - 450 DOP.
Advice... Buy a universal gift - black soap made from plane trees or vegetable bananas. It exfoliates perfectly and is great for problem skin.
Cigars and cigarettes
What to bring a tobacco lover from the Dominican Republic? Local cigars, of course! In terms of quality and aroma, they are not inferior to the famous cigars from Cuba. If you want to be sure that the product was made in the Dominican Republic, ask the seller about it.
Cigars are sold individually and in packages. Among the Dominicans, the brands Carbonell, La Aurora, Courvoisier, Juan Clemente, Davidoff, Avo, Carlos, Knockando and Antonio Fuente are popular.
Price... A pack of cigarettes costs 125-150 DOP. Cigars sell 200-3540 DOP apiece.
Advice... Never take your tobacco products from beach vendors! They often try to sell low-quality goods to tourists.
Rum
What can a connoisseur of strong alcohol bring from the Dominican Republic? One of the tropical nation's brands is rum, a hard liquor made from sugar cane. Exposure affects the price: Anejo - up to a year, Extro Viejo - from 3 to 5 years, Reserva - over 5 years.
The choice of varieties is large. Some people like the light, soft drink Blanko. Others prefer golden rum, or Dorado. Still others are in love with a dark rum with a rich Dark rum flavor. There are varieties for real gourmets. It is a flavored rum that is blended with tropical fruit juices. Popular brands are Brugal, Bermudez and Matusalem.
Price... A bottle costs from 500 to 2000 DOP.
Advice... The cheapest Dominican rum is sold in supermarkets.
Mamahuana
Another alcoholic drink worth bringing from the Dominican Republic is a tincture of honey and herbs in rum or wine. Mamahuana has an original tart taste and is valued for its medicinal properties. Dominicans consider her to be an elixir of youth and a good aphrodisiac!
Keep in mind that not everyone likes the taste of the drink, so be sure to try it before buying! The best is Mamahuana, made from strong rum and cane sugar, infused with herbs, plant bark and spices.
Price... A 0.5 liter bottle will cost 1250 DOP, 0.7 liter - 2000 DOP.
Advice... The drink is easy to make at home. The stores sell a dry set for making tinctures for 150-350 DOP.
Coffee
The question of what to bring from the Dominican Republic to a coffee lover is easy to solve. The inhabitants of the country drink coffee in huge quantities. They do not like instant coffee, prefer ground coffee and usually opt for the popular brands Santo Domingo and Induban.
Price... A 450 g pack of Santo Domingo costs 500 DOP, Induban - 400 DOP, a pack of green coffee - 500-800 DOP.
Advice... Choose your coffee on your factory tours. Here you can taste the drink before you buy it.
Cocoa and chocolate
The tropical country is one of the world's largest exporters of cocoa beans. Have you decided what to bring a sweet tooth from the Dominican Republic? Take a pack of cocoa powder! Tourists leave flattering reviews about cocoa balls, which are used to make cocoa, liquid chocolate, ice cream, desserts and cocktails.
In the Dominican Republic, chocolate tea is in demand. Do you like regular tiles? There is a huge selection of chocolate in stores - from bitter black to sweet milk
Price... A 250 g pack of cocoa powder costs 250 DOP. Cocoa balls sell for 50 DOP each. To save money, grab a jar of 10 balls for 250-400 DOP. A 200 g pack of chocolate tea costs 350 DOP.
Advice... We recommend buying chocolate from the brands Promociones Industriales, Chocolate Antillano, Cafiesa, Dulcería Dominicana, Cortés Hermanos & Co, Xocolat, Munné & Co, Productos Alimenticios Nacionales and Rizek. The Viz Conde del chocolate factory makes wonderful sweet souvenirs - small figurines made of chocolate.
What else can you bring from the Dominican Republic
- Painted plates with national ornaments - from 250 DOP.
- Coconut and shell magnets and decorations - 150 DOP.
- Vivid paintings by Dominican artists - from 400 DOP.
- Deck of cards with country landscapes - 150 DOP.
- Boomerang from Punta Cana - 400 DOP.
- Patchwork carpet - from 750 DOP.
- Wooden masks - 250-600 DOP.
- A doll without a face Lime - 200-300 DOP.
- Tropical fruits, 1 kg - from 50 DOP.
What cannot be exported from the Dominican Republic
The country has a ban on the export of local currency and art. In addition, corals that are not decorated in the form of jewelry are prohibited. The customs will stop tourists with tortoiseshell shells, some types of orchids, objects raised from the seabed, and the heart of a palm tree.
There are restrictions on tobacco products. It is allowed to export up to 200 pieces of cigarettes in standard packages, that is, ten packs, or one block. They can be seen on 50 pieces of cigarillos and cigars or 250 grams of tobacco.
You cannot take out more than 3 liters of alcoholic beverages - 1 liter of strong alcohol and 2 liters of non-strong alcohol. It will not be possible to pick up more than 1 liter of rum! Do not forget about the restrictions on import to Russia. Only 3 liters of alcohol are allowed to be imported into our country duty-free.
What is not worth bringing from the Dominican Republic
General travel tips
- Bargain when buying souvenirs! For local residents, gambling discussions about the price are something like a national sport. If you conduct a dialogue correctly, they will definitely yield to you.
- Be careful with silverware! In the Dominican Republic, it is of poor quality.
- Buy rum and cigars from supermarkets and specialty tobacco shops. There are usually discounts here, and the purchase will be cheaper.
- Souvenir shops and hotels sell natural cosmetics at inflated prices. To save money, take your favorite creams and skin and hair care products from the cosmetic departments of supermarkets.
- Jewelery and figurines made of semi-precious stones are sold at the Larimara Museum, which is located in the historic center of Santo Domingo. Jewelry is also sold in all resort areas.
- Buy cheap souvenirs, carpets, ceramics and wooden crafts in the markets. The largest market in Santo Domingo is El Mercado Modelo.
- We advise you to choose tropical fruits unripe. So they will not deteriorate on the way and are guaranteed to get home.
