Best Tips For Traveling To Punta Cana

New York is still a little chilly even though I was hoping that when I landed from Punta Cana last week I would have somehow transcended the rest of winter and that I could just fast forward to spring. All I can say is that booking a beach vacation in the Dominican Republic in March was the best thing I’ve done for myself in a while.

This trip was actually a Major Big Deal for me because I didn’t bring my laptop for the first time I’ve traveled since I’ve been freelance so I truly took some time off and just got indulge in the warm weather and some offline, quality time with Andrew. Here are six tips for traveling to Punta Cana:

Stay at an all-inclusive resort

Seriously, this is what most of Punta Cana is anyway: resorts for tourists. We didn’t leave the resort the whole time we were there, which is why I decided not to vlog my trip. Usually those videos are city guides sharing the best spots to go to, but we didn’t really see much on the drive from the airport to the resort, which is why I suggest finding one you love and just staying put there.

We stayed at Grand Bahia Principe (a chain with hotels in other countries too) and really enjoyed our experience. Food, drinks, tip, and tax were all included in the price of our room which was amazing. Not having to pull out a credit card or stress about having “one more margarita” was glorious.

Stay at an adults-only all-inclusive resort

Okay, so the resort we stayed at was MASSIVE. We originally booked Grand Bahia Principe Punta Cana but when we got there they gave us a free upgrade to Grand Bahia Principe Aquamarine, which is an adults-only property. If you’re looking for a super relaxing and quiet vacation, I highly recommend doing that. We were so lucky to get the upgrade and I’m glad it worked out. We saw kids at the beach but being able to sit by the pool in mostly silence was definitely a game-changer.

Teach yourself a few words of Spanish

Most of the hotel staff spoke perfect English but we ran into a few servers or waitresses who didn’t know much. Learning “hola” hello, “adios” goodbye, “gracias” thank you, “de nada” you’re welcome, “como estás?” how are you?, and a few other words or phrases will go a long way!

Bring some Dominican currency just in case

I didn’t think to do this but luckily for me Andrew withdrew some Dominican currency to have with us just in case we needed to pay for a cab or in case of an emergency. The only time we needed money was to pay a cab from the airport and to buy food at the airport but they also accepted USD.

Pack sunscreen and bug spray

It is sunny in the Dominican Republic! There are bugs there! I recommend bringing both of these things with you. I wore both and still ended up with a slightly burned forehead and some bug bites but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it would have been if I hadn’t picked them up at the airport when we left.

Schedule a shuttle from the airport to your resort

This isn’t essential but I think it’s going to be way cheaper for you if you do this. Otherwise, we paid $40 USD each way from the hotel to the airport and vice versa.

Have you ever been to Punta Cana? Tell me in the comments!

yours,

Austen