Without exaggeration, the “Paradise concept” is represented in this part of Dominican Republic… So, what can you do in Punta Cana? Sure: A lot!
Mainly, it’s a place to relax and experiment the good life.

It was my first time relatively far of my country. Latest was in Quito, Ecuador in 2012.
We were invited to a Cousin marriage in Punta Cana beach, and we made reservations through an agency in Chile; so, our work were only “enjoy and not have major concerns”, because the travel pack had all included.

In Dominican Republic and others places as Jamaica or Mexico, the “Resort all-inclusive concept” is very popular and preferred by a considerable quantity of tourist, because you’re not preoccupied of things about transport, lunches, etc.
Yes: all have a price, but it is acceptable.

When you arrives in Punta Cana after a few hours of flight, you realize that airport is friendly with tourists. Agency in Chile had all prepared and Otium services transported us to Iberostar Bavaro Suites.

Iberostar? Wow, a great entrance.

Location: Higuey, La Altagracia Province. RD.
When we were transported from airport, we saw entrance of Resort: a synonym of majesty and class, with a nice Golf course around it. We can see the villages and different roads from different hotel complexes as Dominican, Punta Cana, Bavaro and Grand Bavaro. Our destiny were Bavaro, and I think that is the most balanced in price/quality. Highly recommended.

When you arrive to Bavaro, you can appreciate the majesty, beautiful decoration and a warm welcome of receptionists. This set a good first impression and a precedent of how would be our stay.

Once check-in is done, you go to rooms and these are as little houses, with all that you could need. In our case, the Frigobar was our first victim.
The first day in hotel, we meet with our family that arrived later, and in group, we began to walk and know in the Resort.

What things we found?

First: Bavaro beach

Read more about Bavaro, in La Altagracia Province. (In Spanish)

Had you seen photos of Caribe and their beaches? If your answer is yes, then you have an idea of how could be a beach in Caribe. But how reality is much better, here you can enjoy a real beach. Yeah, beaches are the dreamed: pretty and clean, and turquoise color make that sea be a spectacle to watch. Beach in coast are not deeper than beaches in South Pacific Ocean, so; you can walk a lot distance. Consider that beaches in Miami South Beach — aka SoBe – are more deeper than in Bavaro, Punta Cana.

Bavaro beach is, without any doubt, one of most famous beaches in Dominican Republic and the world. Bavaro beach has a white and fine sand. In this place you can find a lot of Spanish complexes as Iberostar, Riu, Catalonia, among much others! Here you can enjoy fruits (don’t miss the pineapple) and tropical sodas.

At beach, you can enjoy activities such navigate on Catamarans, practise snorkel and enjoy the environment in a paragliding. (it’s cool, if you have the opportunity, don’t miss it).

Second: Sunshades on the beach

Do you want relax and sit on the beach? You can choose a lot of beach chairs with sunshades to enjoy a good reading afternoon in company of sun and an incomparable climate! If you want enjoy the hotel complexes at maximum, consider be more of one day on the beach.
Don’t fortget the solar protector.

Temperatures in a tropical zone as Bavaro is around 80ºF / 26ºC in months as April, when is spring.

Third: “Tenedor libre”, Restaurants and Snack

Inside the Resort there are several places to lunch and eat “off hour”. First, the special thematic restaurants with certain type of lunch of determined cultures and countries; the “Tenedor Libre” where you can choose whatever you want and mix different dishes. Well, “Tenedor Libre” was my favorite place.
If you eat “off hour” you can go to Snack zone, where sodas and fast food are always available to satisfy your pleasures (but hey!, Snack isn’t as a Restaurant or a “Tenedor libre”, so you don’t have hope in found a sophisticated lunch).

Fourth: The activities off Resort

Resorts have a lot of activities to do: beach, pool, volleyball, spa, discos, among others. If you want enjoy and know more of Punta Cana, you should take some tour packs. Here, I prefer recommend official Resort tours and not others by security. Resorts tours could be a bit more expensive and you can pay it with credit card, but you should think more of twice before take a tour with external people on the beach. If you take a tour on the beach, surely you must pay in cash (USD). So, as in any other place, keep attention.

I believe that the most recommended activities are:

Know Santo Domingo and Dominican Republic history

You can read more about Santo Domingo here. (In Spanish)

If you always want know about history of a country or a city, this cultural circuit is imprescindible. You learn about Dominicans, the poverty in country, political, wars, history and future challenges; in an itinerary on a bus and walking through city.

Buggy: You can run wildly

If you never had taken a buggy or if only had driven one in a GTA race, then forget the expectatives because the experience is most wild than a videogame. Generally, a buggy had two seats and is majority open. Before start the experience, consider have a sunglass, a handkerchief due to dust and not dress your best clothes.

Believe me that I was with a new t-shirt and I never could restore after many washes. Don’t forget this!

The buggy itinerary lasts approximately 2 hours, and you find a lot of children begging you alms (generally USD 1), but people that work in Dominican Republic is emphatic to say: don’t give any alms because you’re helping to raise criminals. It’s not the way to Dominican Republic grow and improve. So, forget the sentimentalism and continue your itinerary. (Yeah, it’s hard)

In buggy you must follow your group, so don’t stay behind nor lose sight of the one who is ahead of you.

The Saona Island & the Catamaran

In your stay on Dominican Republic, you must know the Saona Island (in Spanish). This island is at southeast of Dominican Republic. Is known by mangroves, coral reefs and beach lined with palm trees.

In the shallow waters of the island you can find starfish.
Island Surface: 110 km² | Island elevation: 35 m.

In Saona Island was filmed Caribbean Pirates. The beach are crystalline, with these special turquoise color of Caribe.

One of most recommended transports to enjoy the travel is a Catamaran. Sure, if you contract a travel pack is probable that includes it. In a Catamaran you can enjoy the Caribbean sea, the music and fresh air.

It’s important say that Catamaran’s can’t near to coast because their architecture, so, when you’re near to Island you must change to a boat to reach it.

The natural pool is an attractive that you must know. This is in Palmilla, near to Cotubanama Park, in the route to Saona Island. Here you can leave the boat to be at 1 meter of deep; so, you will understand why it’s the biggest natural pool in the world. You can walk free and enjoy the sun and sea.

The party is at Coco Bongo

Well, party time is now and my recommendation is go to Coco Bongo. This place has good music and you find much people of other countries visiting Punta Cana that come to fun here. A pretty place with a lot of lights and beautiful people, give the welcome you to the Coco Bongo experience: not only music and dance, also a first level spectacle. We were visited by “The mask” (not the real Jim Carrey, but… could be?) and have a lot of drinks. Attention was very good, but if you’re woman you’ll have additional benefits ;). Remind that chair sector is VIP, but the fun is at the center, in the general, at dance floor.

Coco Bongo has several shows at night, and ambience change to welcome it. Since thematic presentations as Michael Jackson until acrobatics in the middle of dance floor. Definitively, is an imperdible spectacle.

You can’t drop the opportunity of enjoy a place with nice music and interesting people of different parts of world. Multiculturality here is a rich that you should appreciate.

Enjoying the Resort

After all, if you want relax and keep quiet, the option of stay at Resort is interesting. I only enjoyed a few features of Resort because a week is too short to enjoy the interior and exterior.
Fortunately, Resort invites you to discover it and enjoy different activities inside. If you are looking for relaxing but not on the beach, you can stay in the Pool all day if you want. By other hand, if you want enjoy funny shows, you can be a spectator or participate of show’s activities (if you have an incredible personality).

If you have gastronomic pleasures, you can prove different food dishes.

If you want to practice sports here, you can play volleyball or rent the Golf course to play 18 holes. (Sure, playing golf requieres a minimum of 4 hours, but with a tropical climate, it’s not bad)

The ambience is very friendly. So, here we are on Check-in. Happy is in the air.

A Timeshare “offer”?
The ‘Pros’ and ‘Cons’

Do you unknown the Timeshare concept? Please read carefully this article about Timeshare. (In spanish) I found a good article on BCN Chile that permits you understand more widely how is a Timeshare and their variants.

If you go to a Resort, is highly probable that they “try” sell you the Timeshare. Here you must take things with calm, because some people consider it a scam; but you need take all pieces to take a good decision about it.

If you go to vacations sporadically, prefer choose destinations without a specific provider or simply prefer keep the freedom to choose such part of a travel, then isn’t a good idea contract this.

If you really like the Resort and plan go to vacations more frequently (more of twice at a year), if you could be a reseller to make your own travel agency, or consider that Membership has a lot of benefits that you will really use, then you can consider be Member. So, Iberostar don’t sell you the classic Timeshare that is very questioned, else a Membership that permits you get discounts in renting of hotels of same chain and others, and a lot of interesting discounts. So, you need make a cold analysis, think in your financial capacity and be sure that you travel more of twice times on a year. Else, forget this. Membership don’t have any sense if you plan travel one time at year or one time every two years.

If contract permits, you can sell packs to others, as if you were an Agency. Intermediares use this system to provide good offers and take their gain.

Timeshare problem?

The first problem with Timeshare is that a lot of people that visit the Caribe buy this membership but no use the benefits, in other words: no make the trade off between travel quantities and costs of their. Please, when a Timeshare be offered to you, review if it’s a classic Timeshare or a variant as Membership. Various Timeshare are abusive and others rightly, a scam.

So, when you decided coldly this, you must think in your present and future. If you consider it, you could get important discounts in the future.

Would I go back here?

Surely Yeah! Punta Cana has been one of my favs vacations place.

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