Moon Dominican Republic, 5th Edition

Travel writer and photographer Lebawit Lily Girma was nine months old when her parents moved the family from Ethiopia to Côte d'Ivoire. She grew up and studied in francophile Africa, England and the United States, and fell in love with travel and exploring cultures. After graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law and practicing in Washington DC at a top US firm for several years, Lily took a leap of faith to pursue travel writing and photography. She focused on the Caribbean, a region she has now explored and loved for the past 10 years. The Dominican Republic, Belize and Jamaica kept her returning, including for long term stays. While writing and researching this edition, Lily spent a full year living in the Dominican Republic and traveled the entire country solo, in addition to her past visits. Her Spanish fluency helps her blend in like a local, finding those uncrowded spots that travellers crave and capturing the nuances of Dominican culture. Her favourite base is the Puerto Plata coast, for its diverse landscape, cultural activities and proximity to the Cibao Valley. Lily's writing and photography on the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean destinations have been published in Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Here & Beyond Magazine, CNN Travel, BBC Travel, MorningCalm Magazine, Every Day With Rachael Ray, The Travel Channel, New York Magazine, and American Way, among others. When not living in the United States, Lily splits her time between the Dominican Republic and Belize.