Let's Go To The Dominican Republic!

Set 5 minutes of your time aside because I am about to tell you why you must, at least once in your lifetime, visit the Dominican Republic as part of the KELOKE Bachata Adventure. The next experience is coming up in January of 2026, and I hope that after reading this blog you’ll decide to come with us.

The KELOKE is a meticulously thought-out immersive cultural tourism experience to the Dominican Republic. It is both entertaining and educational. I participated in the 2025 edition, and I’m hooked. Whether you are a dancer or not, the KELOKE is for you. The organising team has conceived for you a collection of experiences that summarise everything that is unique and awesome about the DR. Very importantly, and I want to vehemently emphasise this point: the KELOKE offers you an experience that most people visiting the Dominican Republic simply don’t get. So, what is so precious about the KELOKE Bachata Adventure? Let’s dive in with some highlights!

First of all, I need to start with the human component: the people. This is the la crème de la crème part of visiting the Caribbean island with the KELOKE folks: you get to have the rare experience of being in constant contact with Dominican people. For someone interested is learning how to dance Bachata, I can’t stress enough how incredibly valuable it is to dance with an experienced, local Bachata dancer. These KELOKE folks are always ready to happily dance with you, guiding you well and allowing you to learn the subtleties of real Bachata dancing. In the fun process, you get a feeling for the real deal, and you get the deeper understanding that Bachata more than a dance, is an identity. Very few countries in the world, and very few cultural tourism experiences allow for so much safe human contact for visitors from abroad. This was truly special to me, and that’s why I list it at the very top of what I love about the KELOKE.

The dancing, Oh Lord... I was so impressed seeing the Dominicans dancing Bachata. I didn’t know you could shake your butt so much to Bachata. The women were on fire, certainly setting themselves as true role models for all the aspiring bachateras visiting the DR. The combination of diverse workshops and non-stop social dancing will upgrade your Bachata by tenfold in this trip. Dancing is the main subject at KELOKE, and I highly recommend that you carry a bottle of water everywhere for energy replenishment. You will not want to miss the workshops taught by top international and local instructors like Junior Aquino, Carolina Bustamante, Edwin Ferreras, Dakhóta Romero, El Negro Dulce, Sueco, Farifeo and many more. Should you require personal attention, private lessons can also be arranged.

The music. Let’s keep talking about the exclusive, unique things you get to do in KELOKE, that nobody else visiting the DR gets to experience. Seriously, how many people visiting the Dominican Republic get to attend private concerts (or concerts at all) by the top Bachata stars like Raulin Rodríguez, Frank Reyes, Kiko Rodriguez, Joe Veras, Hector Acosta el Torito, Marino Castellanos and Joan Soriano, to mention a few … LIVE music is on your regular dance diet at KELOKE, and one cool side effect of having so much of it is getting your rhythmic senses fine tuned. The 2026 edition is announcing none other than Luis Miguel del Amargue among its roster or artists.

The country. The Dominican Republic is one of the most beautiful islands of the Caribbean. Everything that is gorgeous about this side of the world is concentrated in plentiful amounts in this well-preserved piece of land. They boast dozens of idyllic beaches, lush green mountains, waterfalls, rivers, a flower-loving culture, and the ever-shining Caribbean sun. Your activities at the KELOKE generally take place against a background of natural beauty. You could be taking Bachata workshops overlooking the verdant landscape of Jarabacoa, or dancing to live music by the paradisiacal beaches of Las Terrenas. The constant presence of sun, sea, blue sky and foliage accompanying you at KELOKE makes you feel very fortunate at every moment of the experience.

The hospitality. You will feel well taken care of at KELOKE. All the hotels where you stay are top quality and well located. You will also be well fed with lots of traditional Dominican food that will provide you with the energy needed for all the dancing awaiting you. Some of the dishes you’ll try are mofongo, La Bandera (a flavourful rice and beans dish with meat), sancocho (a hearty meat stew) mangú -–mashed plantains, which is a staple, often served with "Los Tres Golpes" (fried cheese, salami, and eggs). Other popular dishes include moro de habichuelas (rice and beans) and tostones (fried plantains), to name a few. You will also eat plenty of tropical fruit like guava, mango, pineapple, papaya and of course, your veggies. Pair your dancing with Dominican rum and you'll never be the same again!

On a final note, I want to mention that another strong point of KELOKE is how well organised it is. The team behind the experience has been doing these trips for over 8 years. Therefore, by attending now you are benefiting from the fine expertise they’ve attained. At this point, they’ve crafted an experience meant to blow your mind beyond expectations because, truth be said, not even this blog does justice to the real-life awesomeness of KELOKE.

Are you tempted? E-mail me at info@vancuba.com so I can get you a good deal on the upcoming 2026 KELOKE Winter edition taking place from January 18th to January 29th.

¡Nos vemos!