Dominican Republic Travel Tips
Put another pin in the world map! I am talking about all things Dominican Republic as today marks our return from Spring Break only a week ago. Writing this makes me sad because I really don’t know if I’ve experienced island life like this country has to offer. I am a well seasoned Caribbean traveler and I fell in love with this country.
Get my honest opinions and tips below…
The WWW’s…
What: Spring Break family trip in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
When: March 19-March 27, 2021
Where: Dreams Punta Cana
How: Researched Trip Advisor, CostCo Travel, Chase Travel and Expedia. We sought all-inclusive resorts that had a rating of 4.5-5 stars. If I am being honest, once we narrowed down the results, we rolled the dice. That’s where we were at mentally.
Covid travel tips: It was not a mandate that we Covid test upon entry but our family opted to as a responsibility to other travelers. However, it is a mandate exiting the country in order to enter the United States. Our resort, like most resorts, offered free Covid tests on-site. God forbid you have it, you stay on the resort and quarantine for two weeks for FREE. Honestly, not the worst situation.
Value: Full disclosure, we paid approximately $500 per night which included a preferred suite and services complete with a concierge, all our food and drinks, cabanas and pool/towel service. Add that up for a family of four otherwise and you’ll see what a deal that is! It’s insane. Jack and I drank champagne, beers and mojitos all day long and the kids could snack at their will after swimming for hours on end. The service was impeccable.
Excursions: You can book your excursions on the hotel premise. We booked two and looking back, we could have easily booked a third. The first excursion was Monkey Land with ATVs. It was a BLAST! Great for the entire family with a dose of adventure. We booked with Runners Adventures. It was a full day and I have so much coverage of these little fluffy, two pounders. Kids loved it. We also learned about and sampled organic Dominican coffee, rum, chocolate and more. It was a really memorable day for us.
The second excursion we did was with Sea Pro. We chartered a boat for the day and I never wanted it to end. I’ve never witnessed waters like Punta Cana. We had our own private boat with snacks and beers; even a photographer. We snorkeled, saw sea turtles, dolphins, nurse shark and Dory! It was a wonderful day. Like something out of a Corona commercial. Couldn’t recommend this enough. Cue Bob Marley…
Covid 411: One thing you should know is that the service industry in Dominican required all workers to be vaccinated. The tourism industry was dormant on the island for nine months hence the government required all workers to get vaccinated if they wanted to work again. They still wore masks. I spoke with the Sea Pro guys heavily on the topic. It was essentially an ultimatum if they wanted to continue to provide for their families.
Know before you go: The entire country speaks Spanish and English, of course. I used it as an opportunity to practice Spanish as much as I could. Like every country, people appreciate that. Also, our resort was at about 30% capacity so now is the time to travel. Truly.
We arranged for a car to pick us up from the airport and take us back to avoid bussing with gobs of people. Your hotel can assist with this. It took about 40 minutes door to door. Another tip, like Mexico, do not drink the water or eat ice cubes. If you stick to bottled, you will be A-ok. None of us got sick.
And no matter what resort you stay at, and there are many, level up and get the VIP package. It’s worth it. We had our own bar, towel service, booking agent and concierge service. It was great. These people are so hungry to bring tourism back to their country.
The Covid testing they offer on the hotel premise allows you to find out the results same day. Take it 72 hours before you leave. Most likely the hotel will help you schedule it before you leave.
Likes: I loved the ease of an all-inclusive for our family. We don’t do them regularly but coming out of 2020, we just didn’t want to think. We were all mentally fried. I love not carrying a purse around. I loved the service, too. The grounds of the resort were impeccable. Beautifully kept and manicured. You truly have no reason to leave save for family excursions. Our resort had six restaurants on-site so we just bounced around. And the beach, oh that beach! It was so beautiful without a filter. You don’t get views like that in life often so inhale the good shit and exhale the bullshit!
I also loved the nature that surrounded us. Flamingos and greenery. It was stunning. We could walk up to a cabana on the beach and just plop down. Everything was EASY and I am all about that life.
They also had a gym on-site, nightly entertainment plus a Kid’s Club for those seeking these type of amenities. If you wanted to learn how to meringue, you could do that, too! Always activities running…a bit like summer camp!
Dislikes: If I am being honest, the food was meh. I felt like they catered to Americans too much and I am a food snob. I want culture and foods I’ve never tried. I don’t want burgers…I want tortas, tacos, etc. I didn’t love it but I also didn’t gain weight on this trip so there’s that. I loved the fresh fruits but I wanted more. Kids = loved it! Also, the coffee was weak as hell. I was dreaming of my Nespresso. I know, spoiled brat. Not all of the restaurants were open at all times, either. Really had to do with staffing and Covid capacity so expect to repeat some menus.
The only other thing I can say is, sometimes I felt like a barrage of sales people were going to swarm me when I walked by the excursion tables in the lobby. I don’t like being sold but I feel that is everywhere.
Final thoughts: I would return back again and again. I would, however, test out other resorts. I think I would opt for five star hotels and level up our daily spend a bit more. Jack agrees. I think we could have used a bigger suite with ocean views. Just saying. But I ain’t mad at it and I am grateful.
All in, just GO! The people, the culture, the beaches…all deserve a Grange double thumbs up!
It’s time to come out of hibernation. While January has been cold and gray, I’ve uncovered an amazing, suburban exhibition that is worth leaving the house for…and it’s only here through the end of March 2024. You must get tickets to the Downton Abbey Exhibition located at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie. It’s open weekly from Wednesday-Sunday.