Dominican Republic Cigars

When most people think of the Dominican Republic, they think of exotic beaches and vacation destinations. The beautiful beaches, outdoors excursions, party cruises and cultural and historical attractions make this area one of the most popular Caribbean vacations destinations. It’s easy to see why so many make Dominican Republic their first choice for Caribbean vacations.

What most don’t think of when thinking about the Dominican Republic is cigars. That’s right, the Dominican Republic actually produces more cigars than any other county in the world. Amongst many cigar aficionados, the Dominican’s also produce some of the highest quality cigars in the world. Some popular Dominican cigar brands include Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta and Montecristo. Taking an afternoon away from the beaches and resorts allows visitors the opportunity to learn a little about the history and economy of the Dominican Republic.

The next time you’re in the Dominican Republic, consider a cigar factory tour if you’re interested in learning more about the cigar manufacturing and rolling processes. Fabrica Anilo de Oro (809.580.5808) and Tabacalera Jacagua (809.580.6600), both located in Tamboril, are just two of the many Dominican cigar companies which offer tours. On either tour, you’ll be interested to learn about cigar tobacco procurement and the cigar rolling process that is used to produce the finest cigars in the world. And of course, you’ll have the opportunity to sample to the goods and purchase cigars to take with you.

El Museo del Tabaco (809.689.7665) is a free museum in Santo Domingo offering exhibits on tobacco history, tools and production processes. Here’s visitors learn how tobacco is grown, procured and rolled into the final product. The museum is free to enter and has limited hours of operation so call ahead and check to see when they’re open.

Take advantage of any of these tours while in the Dominican Republic and you’ll be glad you did. And of course, bring back a souvenir for the cigar aficionado in your life.

5 must-see historical places in Italy

Italy… a country so rich in culture, art and history that it's hard to narrow down its highlights. The number of books on the subject shows just how fascinating the area is to so many tourists with a yen for historical discovery, and this article could in fact be several tomes in length. For brevity, I have picked out the very best Italy has to offer – if you only visit 5 historical places in Italy, these should be them. Unfortunately, they're not within easy reach of each other, so you may have to book several luxury resorts in Italy if you wish to tackle them all in one go!


Basilica di San Miniato al Monte - When it comes to Florence, it's hard to narrow down the spot which captures the very essence of the history, but for me the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte is as close as you can get. Construction on this beautiful church was begun in 1013 in the name of St. Miniato – an Armenian Prince beheaded for being a Christian. Legend has it that after being thrown to the beasts in the Amphitheater, a panther refused to eat him. When beheaded by the emperor, Miniato is alleged to have physically carried his head up the hill of Mount Fiorentinus to his hermitage, which later became the site of the church. Whether or not you believe the legend attached to it or not, there is no doubt that the Italian historical sight is truly beautiful, and it is one of the most tranquil places in Italy, let alone Florence.




Duomo di Milano - One of the world's largest Cathedrals, the Duomo di Milano is a magnificent structure that really makes an impression from the second you first see it. Work building it began in the 14th century, and continued all the way up to the 19th – in a way, it is still unfinished as work continues to be performed upon it. Its spire reaches 349 feet, and it has a capacity of 40,000 – if you're used to seeing local parish churches, this is a real eye-opener!



















The Vatican City - The smallest independent country in the world warrants its own place as an historical sight in Italy. With a population of just 932, the holy city still manages to never feel empty thanks to the seemingly constant influx of tourists and Catholics eager to see the Pope. In terms of historic value, the place oozes it – from the medieval walls to the city to the Sistine Chapel and its famous ceiling painting to the seemingly endless stream of museums, the Vatican City should be on every historical tourist's Italy hit-list.




The Ruins of Pompeii - Over the last 200 years, the ruins of Pompeii have been successfully excavated to reveal an incredibly preserved city that was lost to Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 A.D. Having lain in ash for 1700 years, wandering round the ruins is a haunting, yet fascinating experience and something that everyone with an interest in ancient history. As the ruins cover such a large area, this may not be one historical place in Italy that you can see in within a single day.














The Coliseum - Rome's Coliseum is another one for those interested in ancient history – but even those who aren't can't fail to be impressed by the structure! Standing 165 feet tall and measuring 600 feet long, this legendary historical place in Italy held up to 50,000 screaming spectators for blood soaked fights to amuse the gathered crowds – which would include the emperors of the time. Although the fighters in the ancient ring were typically trained gladiators or convicted prisoners of war, you would occasionally get glory hunting members of the public wanting to try their luck – though, more often than not they overestimated their skills and suffered the ultimate consequences for their bravery…

Of course, if you're serious about your history, then this will only be the first of many visits to one of Italy's luxury resorts. It will take you many days to catch up with the thousands of years of history that have occurred in this magnificent country, but once the initial curiosity is in you, the days will simply fly by!


By Antonio Cresce

Uncovering the Galapagos

An active volcano, fuming; lava crawling down its slope—it's something of wide-angle cinematic scenes or bed-time stories; surreal, but tangible. Taking a trip to Galapagos Islands' Sierra Negra Volcano, one comes to realize the marvel of peering up to something so gargantuan, and of such reserved force.

As with most locations of such mystique, reaching Sierra Negra is much easier said than done, even residents and adventure tour visitors of the Galapagos are sent through a grueling process just to experience the volcano.

While on could always spare the hassle and expense involved with visiting Sierra Negra by taking a Galapagos Islands tour, making it there on your own is still realistic and similar to piecing together a puzzle.

Departing from the Galapagos Capital of San Cristibal Island, one can either take a 35 minute jaunt by plane to the island of Isabela, or traverse the ocean in a speed boat which could end up affording 3 hours that would otherwise be spent at the volcano.

Once you arrive, a 45 minute cab ride will deliver you to the base of Sierra Negra, and a horse-ride around the caldera will bring you to black and red fields of moltenous land, an area where horses can not tread, and must be addressed on foot.

Beyond, you will be taken to other, radically different volcanic cones and terrains that should be left up to only your imagination and experience.

Top Pools of the Dominican Republic

Vacations and children—not necessarily the most synonymous concepts; so when the two combine, compromises must be made, right? Do you go to the museum or Six Flags? Is it ice cream or sorbet? Do you see the latest animated flick or something with subtitles? In Punta Cana there really are no compromises and if you're ever forced into a situation where one must be made, it will be strictly on your terms.

A way to keep everyone happy and still come out a hero is to choose a hotel with an extremely lavish pool; one that mimics something from Indiana Jones; with multiple tiers and palm trees covering the sky, branches fluttering with the breeze. The pools of Punta Cana truly leave nothing to be desired, so that's why winnowing the best from the rest may seem like just the solution to keeping your kids at bay and smiles on their faces.

The pool at Paradisus Pinta Cana is not really a pool; more of a secret lagoon buried in a jungle, which just so happens to be buried in a sprawling luxury resort.

It features a blanket of blue shimmering water interrupted only by large rock clusters, fountains, and swim-up tiki-bars. Lounge beneath thick fans of Dominican jungle flora and unwind to the soothing tune of rushing water and Punta Cana's wildlife.

The pool at Club Med is seemingly larger than Paradisus', and much more oblong, snaking alongside bushels of Palm and huts of thatched roofing.

We came to the conclusion that, although an otherwise dazzling presentation, the pool at Club Med is certainly geared more towards children as its depth is, for the most part, shallow and its location, not as secluded.

A TripAdvisor.com consensus named Iberostar Bavaro a top budget hotel in Punta Cana; no wonder, then, that their pool is epic in size, with only a prominent bouquet of trees and foliage at its center.

Similar to Paradisus Punta Cana, the pool of Iberostar Bavaro is portal to a tropical oasis, teeming with lush vegetation; developing into a setting perfect for lounging under the shade or basking in the sun.

These three pools are products not of trend—no gimmicks to mindlessly entertain here—but instead, blend leafy jungle aesthetics into warm, tranquil waters. If not to keep the kids entertained, these pools will have you out of the room and in the sun all day, as they did us.

The Only Worthwhile Tip for Cancun

It was only as I was sitting on a red and teal bench in the park, getting pummeled by one of the worst rain storms Cancun had experienced in over three years, did I start to formulate a list of need-to-know tips that I wish someone would have shared with me.

I had arrived to Cancun with a supple fold of pesos and two glossy credit cards—one Visa, the other, MasterCard—stiff, and virgins to any card swiping. A man in a stiff, straw hat hurried to my side, snatched my bags, and quickly shoveled them into the trunk of a cab. "Gran Melia Cancun," I said, and away the old Crown Vic sputtered, to one of the more chic and extravagant hotels I have stayed at during my many trips to Mexico.

The concierge at the hotel ordered my luggage up to my room and by his suggestion, saw me off to the Roots Jazz Club; a swanky little juke joint with acoustics that would reflect the percussion, remarkably, at any and every spot in the house. I visited on a night when there was no cover charge and the kitchen was still open at the early hours of the morning.

As soon as I was able to fall into a trance of thick bass riffs, I recognized a dreadfully familiar face that would force me out of my cush, bed-like booth and back out to the streets.

I was beginning to walk my buzz off and needed to nurse it back to health. A minute down the road, I located what appeared to be a margarita bar, La Habichuela. I slipped through the entrance and nestled into an empty seat at the bar. Four drinks later and only a few pesos left in my pocket saw me skulking from the bar to hail a cab.

We were only about two miles into the ride back to my Cancun hotel when panic fluttered down my chest and into my stomach.

I hope this guy takes plastic, I thought to myself.
"¿Tomas tarjeta de credito?"

The cab ceased, abruptly, rain began to pour, and I was envisioning myself outside, standing in a muddy ditch that was slowly filling on the other side of the glass.

"No," the cabbie replied. My biggest fear was confirmed.

And there I was, retracing every event that had led me to that bench, where I soaked in the chilled pour of an otherwise pleasant Cancun night.