I have been all over the Caribbean and Latin America, so going to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic wasn’t a new feat for me. Although, I’ve only been to one all-inclusive resort before, and that was in Cuba. Now I’m more of an adventure traveler, but the wife likes the relaxation and luxury of all-inclusive beach vacations, and I can appreciate the luxury and indulgences in between action packed adventure trips. Now despite being used to travelling across the Caribbean and Latin America, I haven’t been to Latin America since Puerto Rico. Since then, I’d been to Asia and The Bahamas, which is actually a former English colony. So, I was excited; it was time to get back to the beach, practice my Spanish and eat yuca, plantains and beans!
Despite a lackluster view from the window of the plane, arriving at the Punta Cana International Airport didn’t disappoint. We had to exit the plane and walk through the blistering Caribbean heat across the runway to the view of the thatched roof of the airport. Inside the airport there was music, luggage valets and people drinking beer while collecting their luggage. After tipping a few hundred pesos to skip the security line, we had our luggage and were waiting for our shuttle van to the hotel. And in traditional Caribbean fashion, there were guys selling beers in the parking lot. I grabbed an overpriced beer and water and waited eagerly, while sweating profusely, to get going.
We arrived at our hotel, The Melia El Caribe Beach Resort and were immediately impressed. A more comprehensive review and Vlog of the hotel will be coming shortly. Immediately we noticed how friendly the staff were, and this was a common theme throughout the trip. Dominicans are friendly and fun. Like all tropical and third world/developing countries there are vendors selling their services from massages, photos with parrots, hand crafted souvenirs and counterfeit cigars. Surprisingly, Dominicans weren’t as pushy as some of the other places I’d been like Mexico, Colombia and the Philippines.
Like I said, the people were friendly and fun. Dominicans like to party and dance, as was apparent by the local staff dancing up a storm on our party boat back from Saona Island. Most spoke English, especially on the resort, but I had a lot of fun practicing my Spanish throughout the trip, and everyone was impressed by my effort and happy to practice with me. Off the resort and a few of the service staff didn’t speak much English, so knowing un poco de Español will be helpful.
I’ve been to Varadero, Cuba, at the Melia Las Americas, and it was a wonderful stay with amazing beaches. So, I had high expectations leading up to Punta Cana. The atmosphere was the same, but the beaches of Punta Cana didn’t compare to Cuba. Although that may have been due to the high velocity winds of the season, which we experienced for most of our trip. The water was a beautiful turquoise blue, but because of the waves and a bit of Sargassum, it wasn’t as clear as Cuba. I was also slightly disappointed being that our last vacation was in The Bahamas which had some of the clearest water I’ve seen. But I will say this, Bavaro Beach, where we stayed in Punta Cana, was much nicer than Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. The white sand was super soft and the water super blue… but again the waves, which can be fun, were a bit of a spoil. Still though the beautiful sand and vastness of Bavaro was amazing, and to top it off the beach was lined with beautiful palm trees and sun beds/umbrellas throughout.
I knew the food would be better than Cuba, but would it compare to Mexican food? I hadn’t been on a resort in Mexico, but I explored the country for a month including Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The food at our resort in Punta Cana was amazing, and when we had local food it was great too. It didn’t top Mexican tacos, but the fresh fruit, abundance of heavily spiced meat, plantains, yuca and beans were excellent. There was also a wide variety of vegetables (including extremely tasty grilled and spiced peppers) with any meal we ate, on and off the resort.
And besides enjoying our resort and Bavaro Beach, there are plenty of excursions to choose from. We booked an excursion to Saona Island (detailed review coming soon), apparently one of the lushest islands and best beaches in the Dominican Republic. The trip did not disappoint. We stopped at a Natural Pool in the middle of the Caribbean, several kilometers from where we docked at Saona and swam in the crystal blue, warm and shallow waters while enjoying a few drinks. These natural pools are common around Punta Cana, and we actually visited to another one, closer to Bavaro on our last day. But as for the trip to Saona Island, it was amazing. The beach on Saona Island crept into my top 10 beaches with its lush palm trees and crystal blue water.
In addition to beautiful beaches, island and boat tours, there is also MonkeyLand, adventure parks, diving with dolphins, cenotes, coffee plantation tours and horse back riding through the jungle. If we return, we definitely want to try one of these inland tours, or even a full day excursion to Santo Domingo, one of the oldest cities in the Western Hemisphere.
So, if you plan to go to Punta Cana, you’ll have a blast. There is lots to do and a diversity of activities to choose from. But besides the activities, the resorts are large, upscale and despite the waves, the palm tree lined beaches of Punta Cana and Bavaro are beautiful places to relax, have some drinks, listen to music and soak up the sun. The people are fun and friendly and love to party and dance. The music taste in the Dominican Republic, from Bachata to Latin Pop and Reggaeton is excellent too. If you are considering Punta Cana, I’d recommend it. The beaches aren’t quite as nice as Cuba, but they’re better than Mexico. And even though the food isn’t quite as good as Mexico, its still excellent and the infrastructure and ease of travel is just as convenient.
The only warning is that when booking excursions on the beach and with the locals, it can get expensive as everyone has a hand in the tourist industry; the guy on the beach/middle man, the driver, the camera man and the company itself just to name a few. It’s better to shop around and book online with websites like GetYourGuide. And in Punta Cana they prefer the USD compared to Dominican Pesos which we brought. So, bring USD when you visit, and don’t worry about the vendors, they aren’t too pushy, but things get expensive. They will negotiate but they are much firmer than some of the other places I’ve travelled to.
I’m not sure when, but we’ll be back in Punta Cana; we had an awesome time and it was an excellent Spring Break trip. The food, the culture, the parties, the resorts and people were all positives of the Dominican Republic. The only negative was the wind, a bit of Sargassum and some of the prices.
So if you’re considering it, research the weather and season and book it.
Remember, Viajar es Vivir.
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