Shopping

The Dominican Republic, with its good exchange rate, is a popular destination for shoppers. Hand-wrapped cigars are one prized purchase. Amber is another popular souvenir. Tree sap compressed for millions of years often containing fossils of living creatures, amber ranges in color from pale yellow to dark gold and, more rarely, blue and green.

In local markets you'll find coffee, local produce, plus amber items, straw products, wood carvings and an amazing array of other tempting crafts. Be prepared to haggle! Inexpensive Haitian-style art is also widely available from street vendors.

A word of caution. There are street vendors everywhere that sell all kinds of crafts and jewelry, but there are no guarantees on the quality or authenticity of the products. If you want amber I would recommend getting it from a reputable store in Santo Domingo or another large city. If you get it from a street vendor you are almost certainly purchasing plastic.