Hey guys. Getting married in May, and we are seriously considering a honeymoon in the DR. After looking for a while, and hearing the advice of someone who is from there, it looks like Punta Cana is going the be the place, and it just remains to pick a resort - we are going for the all-inclusive places. But neither of us has traveled out of the country before, so this will be a totally new experience for both of us. Any of you guys have experiences/advice with that part of the DR? Travel advice? Things to watch out for or avoid? Scams to steer clear of? Fantastic things to see or do? That kind of stuff.. Thanks, awesome CF folks
Going there in May also for the first time. I heard its awesome. Me personally, don't like the all inclusive hotels for the most part because it really hinders me from seeing the country. With drinks and food being included, one really doesn't feel like getting out and spending more money. But when I travel, I love seeing the country and trying different restaurants. Heard DR has amazing seafood, so can't wait to try that.
Visited there a couple years ago and stayed at the Hard Rock Resort. Wife and I had a blast. More of a active/party atmosphere than a romantic getaway, but there are definitely opportunities for romance throughout the facility.
I went w the wife 2 years ago to punta canta and stayed at http://www.thereservepuntacana.com/. As an outdoorms type guy I wasn't looking forward to it but the wife loves the beach so I agreed. Needless to say we had a blast. It was all inclusive so drinks/alcohol was included. They had a casino an free wifi in the rooms, clubs and lots of restaurants. Advice I can give you is make sure to take single dollars to tip people they will treat you nicer an always remember you. Once you get to Punta Cana grab a taxi and go straight to your resort, I paid 30 bucks cash. Once inside your resort you should be safe n free from crime. We never left the resort so I didn't worry about looking over my shoulder. We acutally did leave the resort a few times with a guide while doing activities. Cash is king especially for activities. We ended up doing 4 wheelers, catamaran, and swimming with sharks/coral reefs out in the ocean we also got to take pics with sting rays. I negotiated with the dude and he gave me a good price for that stuff. Take a book or magazine to read while enjoying the white sand and clear blue waters, it's relaxing and will clear your mind. Make sure to take a dollar or 2 to tip the guys bringing you drinks an he will keep em coming all day. Also make sure to bring some mamajuana back with you, it's an alcoholic drink from DR. Once again we had a blast an I'm sure you will also.
Went to Hard Rock there. It was great. There's a restaurant there that changes themes everyday. It was all good. We got played by the excursion companies there. We booked for one location, but they had as down for another, which was a 4 hour drive away! They said they'd give our money back, but we haven't seen it despite many follow ups and promises. Chalked it up as a loss. The outskirts of all those resorts seemed rundown. So if you want to explore the country, don't stay at a resort. They are all clustered in one area, and all of them have access to the ocean,which is beautiful. But it felt like if you ventured out of the resorts section, then you are in the middle of sketchy nowhere
Excellence Punta Cana. Stayed there a few years ago. It was fantastic...especially if you upgrade to the Excellence Club. We went in the summer, which is actually their off-season. It's hot but it's not much worse than being in Galveston (high 90's with very high humidity). Use an agent to help set up. We didn't end up leaving the resort other than a horse ride that was next door.