You will definitely have no problem using USD in DR. When you use USD in DR you get peso back, so you should be ok. We changed about 80 dollars with our hotel. The rate was 1 USD to 32 peso when we visited during the week of June 20- 27, 08.

I am not sure about Amber since we didn't visit the museum.

You can use USD however you will get a better prices if you change some of your money to Pesos. Do NOT change at your hotel as the rate is usually pretty low there. Use a bank or the Caribe tours on the very western edge of Cabarete (opposite Ocean Dream) for the best exchange rate. (34.10 to the dollar this morning). Therd is also a bank at the airport just to the left of where you will exit after getting cleared through customs. Their rate is pretty good and better then the hotels or most of the street vendors. You might want to change some money there so you have some pesos for any immediate needs.

As far as the amber goes sorry i cannot help you there as we buy ours from the miners themselves or the folks that pan for it along the river. I would not buy it from a beach vendor however.

Have a great trip

BObK

Hi there.

RE: Amber & Larimar

Both these are best to get from the Factories. If you do the Puerto Plata City tour you will visit both the Amber and Larimar factories where you will be able to safely buy the "real" stuff. They will also tell you how to tell the fake from the real thing. e.g. Amber if you have a bowl of Salty / Sea water the real amber will float but the fake Amber will sink. You will find Larimar only in the Dominican Republic and is a lovely stone.

A lot of the vendors on the beach and the ones that occasionally set up stalls in the hotels are suspect as they are "cheap".

Hope this helps.

Martin