From Puerto Plata to Punta Cana, hopping on an inland safari is a great way to get a feel for the Dominican countryside. Major tour operators offer a variety of excursions into the nearest villages and towns, where you’ll be the only tourists, as you ride deep into the hills on all-terrain trucks, or drive in your own ATV or quad, taking in the scenery and meeting our locals along the way. In Puerto Plata, excursions take you along the north coast’s lush hills and into traditional homes where you’ll sip on freshly chopped coconut to cool off. In Punta Cana, safaris ride through towns like Otra Banda, where meat shops hang their produce outdoors, and end with sun and sand at Macao Beach.

Inland safaris, available from most tourist hubs, reveal the DR beyond the beach.