First time holiday abroad eeeekk

Voyager2002

zagfles wrote: »

It's unusual to book a holiday so far ahead so that's why you're having difficulty. What are the cancellation terms of the holiday? You might not lose a lot cancelling so far ahead.

While the comparison sites will not work for a holiday so far ahead, I am sure that you will have no problem buying insurance now. So you could look for a cheap policy that covers cancellation. Perhaps use a comparison site with dummy dates in order to identify a policy that would be reasonable value and then buy direct from the insurer.

Remember that Directline does not appear on comparison sites but often offers good value for money.

stoneman

Do not leave the resort boundaries on your own. DR is not a safe place for foreigners. Check if there are any local holidays when you go. If there are forget about getting served at the resort bars, they will be full of locals and you won't get a look in. Also take anti diarrhea tablets, you're gonna need them

Voyager2002

stoneman wrote: »

Do not leave the resort boundaries on your own. DR is not a safe place for foreigners. Check if there are any local holidays when you go. If there are forget about getting served at the resort bars, they will be full of locals and you won't get a look in. Also take anti diarrhea tablets, you're gonna need them

Aren't you being a little bit alarmist?

Better to say: take local advice about which places outside the resort are safe to visit. The DR does have a rather high crime rate: while it is worse than Cuba it is a good deal safer than somewhere like Florida.

One common complaint about these AI resorts is that locals are never allowed in except to work there, so not sure how there can be a problem getting served in the bars there. Anyway, a good way round the problem is to get to know the bar staff as soon as you arrive, and give some modest tips to help them remember who you are.

Anti-diarhea tablets are not a good idea in medical terms. While they can be life-savers if you have to take a long bus ride it is always better to deal with the problem. Your resort will know how to find an English-speaking doctor, and make sure that your insurance will cover this. If you are nervous about stomach upsets then don't eat at buffets (or at least get to them early and be selective about what you take from them).