Where is Punta Cana?
Punta Cana is located on the far eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. During high season, the Punta Cana airport receives up to 250 weekly flights, with up to 65 international flights. At present, the Airport receives over 50% of all flights and passengers arriving in the country, making it the busiest and most important airport in the Dominican Republic.

How do I get to Punta Cana?
The Punta Cana Airport is conveniently located 10 minutes from the PUNTACANA Resort & Club and the PUNTACANA Center. Taxis are available at the airport for approximately US $25.00 or transportation can be arranged through the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation for larger groups. Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo is approximately 3.5 hours from the PUNTACANA Center. The airport is outside of the capital city of Santo Domingo and taxis are available for approximately US $200.00 or the PUNTACANA Ecological Foundation can arrange transportation for larger groups.

Public buses in the Dominican Republic are an inexpensive, but sometimes time-consuming way to travel within the country. They are generally safe for tourists and foreigners. There is a regular bus between Santo Domingo and Higuey, the closest city to Punta Cana, and then regular transport between Higuey and Punta Cana.

Visitors to Punta Cana can rent private vehicles from recognized rental agencies such as Avis or National rental cars. They can also arrange for private bus transport through the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation.

What papers are required to enter the Dominican Republic?
US residents can enter the Dominican Republic with a valid passport and the purchase of a $10US tourist visa at the airport. Citizens of some countries do not need a visa, PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR EMBASSY TO VERIFY. All non-resident travelers need to show a round trip ticket as proof of their departure.

What currency should I bring?
US dollars are an easily exchangeable foreign currency. Credit cards, ATM cards and travelers checks are also suitable for the Dominican Republic.

Is it safe to drink the tap water at the hotels?
Tap water should be avoided unless it has been boiled. This means that it is safe to use for teas and coffees. You may brush your teeth in unboiled tap water but if you have a sensitive stomach it is not advisable. Bottled water can be bought almost everywhere.

Is it safe?
There are dangers in the DR as well as any other foreign country. The crime rate is relatively low when it comes to acts of violence, whereas acts of petty theft, such as pick pocketing in urban areas can be common. Don't wear jewels that attract attention and don't wave your $$ around for everyone to see. Avoid walking in areas where there are no people around, take a taxi instead.

Do I need to know Spanish? Will this be a problem?
Thousands of people visit the DR every year without knowing any Spanish at all. If you at least know English, you should be able to get along fine. If you are just coming on a holiday you will be surprised how far a smile and sign language/pointing will get you. As with traveling anywhere, picking up a few key phrases in Spanish (like "por favor"-please, "gracias"-thank you), will bring many smiles and extra efforts to help you out. Most resorts will have someone speaking English.

Weather
What kind of weather should I expect?
The weather changes only slightly from season to season in the DR. Average year round temperatures on the coasts range from 25-30C (77-85F). Chillier temperatures can be found in the Cordillera Central mountain range (Jarabacoa and Constanza), where temperatures below freezing point have been registered. Showers are shorter and more scattered in Punta Cana and La Romana than in Santo Domingo. It also rains more up north (Puerto Plata and Samana) than in the south and east. This is apparent in the lush greenery of these areas.

September-April: These are the "cooler" months, when the temperature may descend to 18 C (64 F) on February mornings. Noontime temperatures on those same days are usually up to 28 C (82 F). Thus, you may want to bring a jacket or light sweater if you are traveling to the DR at that time of the year. During these months, expect windy evenings along the East Coast/Punta Cana area.

March-April: Throughout the country March and April are the breezy months.
May-June: Is historically the wettest time of the year. The most common weather forecast nationwide continues to be "partly cloudy, chance of short showers." Note it is more likely to rain in the afternoons than in the mornings.

August-September: This is the peak of the hurricane season (June 1 to November 30) for the Caribbean, though hurricanes are rare in Punta Cana. These are also the two hottest months of the year, with temperatures peaking at 32-34C (89-93 F).

October-November: Like May-June, these are generally the wettest months of the year. The forecast of "partly sunny, chance of short showers" is by far more likely than heavy rains.

Can I call home while in Punta Cana?
If you’re staying in the hotel please note that calls to the US are expensive from your hotel room.
The Center provides phones that students can add prepaid phone cards to at their own expense. Prices for these phone cards start around $10 and can be purchased at pharmacies, ATMs or other phone store locations.

If you have an “unlocked phone” (the Google phone is usually unlocked, for example) you can simply buy a new SIM card in the DR and purchase minutes like you would with any other prepaid phone. All incoming calls are free on Dominican phone plans, so even if you run out of minutes you will still be able receive calls.

Please note that toll free calls made in the United States are normally not toll free from the DR and international rates will apply.

We highly recommend using internet-based communications (e.g. Skype, Gmail chat, etc.) to avoid expenses on phones.

Will I have access to the Internet while in Punta Cana?
Both the PUNTACANA Resort & Club and the Biodiversity Center have free wireless internet available. The signal at the Center is usually accessible throughout the building no matter where you are. In the hotel, depending on what building you are in, you may be able to get a signal in your hotel room. However, it is strongest in the lobby and by the main hotel pool.

Where is the nearest Hospital? Do they accept North American insurance?
Should you need medical attention for any reason while you are here in Punta Cana there are a few options to choose from depending on the severity of the situation. In the hotel we have two doctors on staff that are open to receive anyone from 9am – 12pm and then 2pm – 7pm. The doctors are also on call 24 hrs in case there is an emergency outside of their usual hours. Prescription medicines for most common ailments are available on site but if need be there is a pharmacy nearby in the PUNTACANA Village. A note of caution; a visit to the onsite doctor can be very expensive. You should check with your medical insurance provider before your visit to the Dominican Republic because very few, if any, forms of North American insurance are accepted here.

The second and most economical option for medical attention is to go to the Rural Clinic in Verón. This clinic is free to the public and is run in part by the Dominican Government, Grupo PUNTACANA and the Virginia College of Medicine (VCOM). Both the PUNTACANA Ecological Foundation and the PUNTACANA Foundation work closely with the Rural Clinic and in the past our medical needs have been met with excellent and timely care.

The final option is the local branch of Hospiten located in the neighboring town of Verón. Hospiten is a private hospital company based out of Spain with locations throughout the Caribbean and Mediterranean. We recommend Hospiten as a last resort because it can be very expensive and slow. If a student or client of the Ecological Foundation is experiencing mild symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, etc.) we recommend either of the first two options. However, this is the best-equipped facility in the area and therefore the best prepared to handle serious medical emergencies. Major credit cards are accepted and some US insurance plans may be willing to reimburse for expenses. You can learn more about Hospiten by clicking here. Please check with your insurance provider to see if their coverage is accepted at Hospiten.

What are my living quarters like?
Students generally stay at the Center for Sustainability (in some instances groups have had to stay in the Marina Apartments or in the Hotel). The first floor of the Center houses the Foundation offices, laboratories, classroom, conference room/library, and computer room. The second floor of the Center is where the student dormitory is located. We have a total of 28 beds split between 12 rooms. Rooms 1-8 have two beds in each and share a bathroom with the adjoining room. Rooms 9-12 each have three beds and their own bathrooms. We have a staff of three housekeepers who will clean your room twice a week, roughly every Tuesday and Friday.

Aside from the bedrooms there is a full kitchen on the second floor open 24 hours, a large dining/lounge area with four large round tables, three sofas and a TV with cable. The second floor has its own wireless internet router as well.

Can we invite our friends to visit in the dormitory?
The Ecological Foundation has a security guard present at the Center for Sustainability from 5pm until 5am. We do not police the dormitories, but try to restrict the use of the dorm to students or other collaborators of the Foundation. Please do not invite any guests to stay at the dorm without previously advising the Foundation. Visitors should not enter the dorm after hours without notifying the Foundation. This is for the safety of all students.

What should I do if there is a maintenance issue in my room?
Please report all maintenance problems (bathroom problems, lights, leaks, pests, etc.) to the Foundation Staff and we will report the issue to the maintenance department and work to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. For lesser issues (e.g. your trash needs to be taken out, your floor needs to be cleaned, etc.) please write your room number and a brief description of your need on our Items For Attention whiteboard, located upstairs in the housekeeping room, and they will attend to the matter as quickly as possible.

As a guest of the Foundation, can I use the facilities at the hotel? Is there a dress code in the hotel?
Guests of the Foundation are welcome to utilize the facilities and equipment of the Resort. However, our guests should have their identification cards on them at all times and they should pay any required fees (i.e. snorkel, boat rental fees, charges at restaurants and bars, and gift shop). Participants should not sleep on the beach, misuse resort equipment, or take ANYTHING from the hotel (especially beach towels!). When entering the hotel participants should enter the PUNTACANA Resort & Club through the employee entrance (“Puerta dos”) directly across the main road from the PUNTACANA Center. Participants should avoid entering the resort through the main reception area.

Please keep in mind that the PUNTACANA Resort & Club is, first and foremost, a business. While participants are welcome to use the Resort facilities, they are not paying customers to the Resort. Any time you enter the hotel grounds, please dress respectfully and have respect for customers and employees of the Resort. This also goes for the Ecological Foundation, as it too is a place of business. Accordingly, please behave respectfully (e.g. do not walk around in only a bathing suit or without shoes and please wear a shirt at all times). Any negative comments or lewd behavior can jeopardize the future success of the PUNTACANA Ecological Foundation.

Are there laundry facilities at the Foundation?
The Center for Sustainability has both a washer and dryer available for use between 8am and 5pm. Washing and drying (including soap) is US $3. Students can hang their clothes outside to dry should they not wish to use the dryer. However, we ask that you wait until after business hours to put out your clothes as tours frequently pass through the Foundation. The Foundation will provide clotheslines, so please do not hang clothes out the windows or on any railings.

Will I have a meal plan while in PC?
Guests housed at the Center for Sustainability will have breakfast and lunch at the Center. Breakfast includes toast, eggs, ham, cheese, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, and coffee. Every morning from approximately 8am to 10am the Foundation staff will put out breakfast options for students.

Lunch is catered at the Center daily from 12am until 2pm.

For dinner, students have the option of eating at the employee dining facility, La Tortuguita (between 8:15pm – 9pm) or at Franco’s Pizzeria (6pm until 10:30pm).

Tortuguita serves more traditional Dominican food like rice, chicken, yuca, salad, and fruit. Pizzeria Franco offers a limited menu set up specifically for students. At Franco’s students have the option of selecting from one of four items: a pepperoni pizza, margarita pizza, hamburger or chicken burger.

At both dining facilities the hotel asks that you wear long pants, closed toed shoes, and shirts that cover your shoulders (no spaghetti straps or tank tops). This is a cultural difference from the United States and we must be respectful of Dominican culture.

Professors or guests with reservations at the Hotel will enjoy the breakfast buffet at La Cana and then have the same options for lunch and dinner as our guests at the Center for Sustainability unless otherwise specified in their Hotel reservation.

The Center for Sustainability is equipped with a kitchen, open 24 hrs to students. Please feel free to purchase your own groceries to prepare your own meals as well. This might be a good idea if you are vegetarian and especially if you are vegan or adhere to a strict kosher diet. While we have options for the latter diets, these are very limited.

What is transportation like in Punta Cana?
If you are flying into PUNTACANA International Airport we normally arrange for transport service to meet students and professors.

Once in Punta Cana you will find that it is very much its own community. Within Punta Cana we have a free shuttle service which runs approximately every other hour to Playa Blanca (restaurant, bar, and beach) and then on to the PUNTACANA Village (shops, restaurants, supermarket) from 10am until 11:30am.

If you wish to travel outside of Punta Cana there are two options: taxi or public transportation. We are located approximately 15 minutes outside of the working community of Verón and about 30 minutes from the resort area of Bávaro. For personal, local excursions, we recommend a taxi service, as these prices can often be more economical and flexible in their service. We have contacts with a local taxi company, Bávaro Taxi, whom we have used extensively and they have been excellent in their services. Normally we advise that the driver stay with the client as catching another taxi that will not charge you a “tourist price” can be exceedingly difficult.

The public bus passes in front of the Center for Sustainability approximately every hour. You can flag down the bus and then be dropped off anywhere on its route. This is generally a safe bus service used widely by hotel staff and other people working in the community. Don’t be surprised if you are sitting next to someone holding a chicken. Please speak with Foundation staff for more information about the public bus.

The Foundation can also arrange travel with the resort transportation company (PUNTACANA Viajes). For personal transportation to farther destinations PUNTACANA Viajes might be a more economical and reliable service.

What should I bring to Punta Cana?
Ultimately this will depend on the specifics of your program, however there are several basic items that we recommend you bring:
· Plenty of sunscreen (the higher the SPF the better) and aloe vera gel
· Bug spray
· Soap, shampoo and any other toiletries (these items can be expensive in the DR)
· Bathing suit
· Closed toed shoes (these can be casual or athletic, you will simply need closed-toe shoes to eat at our dining facilities)
· A pair of long pants and shirts which cover your shoulders (again for dining purposes)
· Flip flops for the beach
· Batteries (AA, AAA - batteries are just very expensive here)

There are enough pharmacies and grocery stores in the area that you should be able to cover all of your basic needs. However, for certain items the prices can be exceedingly high (especially for aloe vera gel and sunscreen). We recommend that if you are concerned about the availability of any given item you simply bring it with you in your luggage.

Can I receive mail while in Punta Cana?
Dominican mail is highly unreliable. The Foundation does not recommend sending anything of value or any perishables by standard mail. Federal Express and other major mail services are available but they can be very expensive. If you still would like to have a package sent here, you might want to consider sending it prior to your departure to hedge against the expected delay. All mail goes directly to our corporate offices in Santo Domingo and from there an internal courier delivers the mail directly to the Foundation. Our mailing address is:

Fundación Ecológica PUNTACANA
Avenida Abraham Lincoln No. 960
Ensanche Paraíso
Apartado Postal 1083
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

What’s the nightlife like in Punta Cana?
We are consistently asked about the social opportunities that are available to our guests here and this is always met with a formal explanation: We view it as a great privilege to have so many talented students and professors pass through our facilities but the PUNTACANA Ecological Foundation works in accordance with all of the local businesses in Punta Cana. Accordingly we are held to the same, if not higher, standards of conduct. Students and visitors to the Foundation have the same access to the resort facilities as guests of the PUNTACANA Resort and Club (not to be confused with Tortuga Bay, our premier boutique hotel, to which access is strictly prohibited). If a guest of the Foundation jeopardizes this relationship due to their inappropriate behavior that guest will be asked to leave immediately. We are not disciplinarians; any further action against a person will be carried out by their host institution.

Most university programs adhere to the principle that students, while studying abroad, must abide by the local laws of the country in which they are studying. In the Dominican Republic it is legal to drink if you are 18 years old or older and we ask that our guests are careful and respectful should they choose to consume alcohol. In general you will find that the resort is a relatively quiet and relaxed community. There are a variety of restaurants to choose from with food ranging from Caribbean cuisine, sushi, Mexican, Italian, Portuguese, Wendy’s and more. There is one main bar in the PUNTACANA Village, Punta Cava. Bávaro has several clubs and bars that are very popular with tourists and locals alike. If students choose to go out outside of Punta Cana, we strongly recommend that they always travel in groups and that they have dependable transportation that will stay with them at all times. Like anywhere else, if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, bad things can happen. We only ask that our guests be aware of their surroundings and that they exercise caution whenever they are out exploring on their own.