I wanted to share my Dominican Republic experience with you. First, I need to share some background information...So, my best friend and I decided to take our first trip out of the U.S together last year (2019). We booked our trip months in advance through Costco Travel for an amazing, all-inclusive deal. Fast forward a couple of months, and there are numerous travel adversaries for the area we booked, Punta Cana, because of unsolved resort deaths. We decided to go anyway because...
1) We were reimbursed some money because of the events that were taking place
2) We were super excited to finally have an out of the country trip planned together
3) We knew what to be on the lookout for, to stay together at all times, and to not leave the resort (other than for our private transfer to/from the airport)
Needless to say, we had a great time. While there were some slight issues on the resort grounds because of the staff shortage and the fact thousands of people canceled their stay, all in all, it was a relaxing, peaceful experience.
1) Where to Book/Stay
As mentioned, we booked through Costco Travel in order to get the best travel deal and package. I try to book through this site whenever I can. Ultimately, our vacation package included our round-trip flight, a private transfer to/from the airport, and an extravagant, all-inclusive resort. We stayed at the Melia Punta Cana Beach Resort (All-Inclusive) for four days and three nights for a pretty low price. While on vacation, we did not have to pay for anything other than souvenirs, which was an amazing feeling.
The resort itself was beautifully decorated, had numerous all-inclusive restaurants/buffets, a variety of pools, and public beaches. Our room was also beautiful and spacious, and we even had a private little balconly. Since so many people did cancel their trips due to the events taking place, it was quite isolated at times. As a result, some of the daily activities were canceled, which was a bummer. However, we never had trouble finding an open cabana on the beach or by the pool. While I know for a fact our experience would have been different if the resort was its usual, packed self, our time spent here was definitely relaxing.
2) What to do
As we all know, resorts tend to be more on the relaxing side. However, the resort did offer a variety of excursions (off of the resort), as well as free sailing and kayaking located on the resort's beach. Like I said before, we knew we should not leave the resort because of the events taking place at this time.
While we were not able to partake in the excursions, they looked like they would have been very fun. When you check-in, the resort will provide a pamphlet of the daily activities that take place. This included water sports, yoga, parties, live shows, and other forms of entertainment. Many of these activities were canceled or not as eventful since the resort was quite empty, but the idea behind it was nice, and like I said before, I know this experience would have been different if the resort was more crowded. Needless to say, there was always food, drinks, the pools, and the beach to occupy us!
3) Beware of...Flamingos?!
Melia Punta Cana Beach Resort is known for its abundant wildlife, which is one of the reasons we chose this resort versus our other options. While here for only a few days, we saw sooo many wild animals, including (but not limited to) dogs, cats, parrots, monkeys, peacocks, flamingos, and extremely fluffy ducks. If anyone knows me, you know how much I enjoy animals. So, when we saw the flamingos wandering around a pond, I just had to get as close as possible...which looking back, was not a great idea. Has anyone else ever had a flamingo hiss at them while flailing its huge wings??? Oh, just me?😂 The wildlife at this resort was truly amazing, and was a one of a kind experience. I wish I had taken more pictures of the wildlife during our stay, but I did get plenty of pictures of the flamingos.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic was an experience that I will never forget. This was definitely one of the more relaxing vacations I have ever gone on, but it was still a great time. I am interested to know what others' experiences were like, especially at a resort other than Melia Punta Cana Beach Resort. There are so many resort options, I am sure they all have their unique treasures. Since our experience was different because of the circumstances, I would love to go back one day when the resorts are bopping!😜
Many more adventures to come,
Ashley
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