Punta Cana: A Dry Resort

Q I have plans to go to Punta Cana soon. What have you heard about the situation there after the floods in the Dominican Republic and Haiti?

Sylvana Saunders

Silver Spring

A Punta Cana, on the Dominican Republic's far eastern tip, is more than 200 miles from the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where the floods occurred. Torrential rains caused the River Solie to overflow during the pre-dawn hours of May 24; more than 3,300 are either dead or missing. In D.R., the village of Jimani was especially hard hit.

The Dominican Republic government is urging tourists to go on with their vacation plans. "There is no reason tourists should not go," said Judith Marcano of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic, adding that the flooding was in an area not frequented by tourists.

The country has not seen any decrease in tourist arrivals since the flooding, according to Tomas Otano, director of the Dominican Republic Tourist Board in Miami. "People are pretty much aware that this took place very far from the resorts," he said. The only tourists who usually venture to the Jimani area are bird watchers visiting nearby Lake Enriquillo.

Our family of 14, ranging from 4 to 73, would like to visit Oahu. There are four families involved. Should we rent a van or small bus that holds 14? Should we reserve a suite for each family? We'd like to do this as economically as possible.

Virginia Novak

Laurel

It'll be more economical to share the housing and split up the cars.