By M.Swint

As I rode up next to the mother on this dirt bike with this cute little child, we made eye contact, she cut her eyes at me with that look on her face “YOU BETTER NOT PHOTOGRAPH ME” but I took the shot anyway, 😁 and what a great shot. They say a picture tell a thousand words, that is so true of this wonderful place that I had the pleasure of visiting, The Dominican Republic, Punta Cana.

The people who live on this tropical island shared with Haiti are very much laid back just as many other islands like it. Getting away from the resort areas, as I like to do, exploring the inward parts of the island, trying to get a feel for how the people live, my family and I went on a outback safari jungle tour https://www.outbackadventuresdr.com/This particular tour is designed so that you can interact with the locals at many points of interest. For example one of the stops along the tour is a visit to a school, where you can contribute school supplies to the children of the Dominican, and of course you can donate money $$. This tour also include a tasty lunch.

Outback Safari Tour is a must.

If you are interested in this tour, you should probably put it at the top of your excursion list, why? Because it would set the pace for your entire trip in the D.R. and help you to get a feel for the people and the island. At some point in this tour you will be able to even visit the home of a Dominican family and see how they live, very much a hands on tour.

Getting to the D.R.

Most people fly into Punta Cana (PUJ) or Santo Domingo (SDQ) however it is much cheaper in cost to fly into Punta Cana (PUJ). From Michigan the going rate to fly to the D.R. would cost you about $500.00 round trip now. Back when I went in 2012 the cost was around $400.00 per person, soooooo, could someone tell me why airfare is steadily going up these days when fuel cost is down ??

Anyway, The airport in Punta Cana has a very tropical look made of straw. We were let out of the airplane right onto the runway, which I consider a plus, except for the smell of jet fuel. Either way the Dominicans are right there to warmly welcome you!

Where to stay

The D.R. is an island that is growing fast with it’s new construction and new condos etc. Punta Cana is known for it’s Beautiful beaches and All Inclusive Resorts, but the only Resort that I can speak for is the Bahia Principe Punta Cana  bahia-principe.com/…lic/resort-punta-cana Great resort, very well landscaped, clean, and the food is very tasty and of course you will get to enjoy the resort entertainment.

The All inclusive Bahia Principe Resort is designed for couples and families. This huge resort sits on Bavaro Beach also connected to (2) other Bahia resorts.

   Great Food selection

Bavaro Beach with the kiddies

Ask your resort for a professional photo shoot, Well worth it! (Bavaro Beach)

Bahia Rooming:

The rooms have that Spanish style, and you will be assign to a room maid, she will be your go to person for pretty much all of your resort needs, but guess what? some of them Do Not speaka English, lol. I do not speak Spanish, so you can imagine how that went, but all in all it worked out very well. The room maids will not take room tips until the conclusion of your visit, although it is an A.I. resort and you are not obligated to tip, it is a good jester that you do, and yes the service is great, if you tip you will walk away with a good feeling.

Another kind jester concerning your room maid:

• Take your room maid some toiletries such as : lipstick; eye shadow; nail polish; hair ties; combs; brushes, all the girly stuff, why? because these items are scarce for women who work at these resorts, the pay is not that great for many people on the island, plus it goes a long way with the up keep of your room.

The white sand beach that we had the pleasure of spending most of our time on was Bavaro Beach, right where the Bahia is located, however there was another Beach we enjoyed as we took a day trip to the Island of Catalina (day tour). If you are interested in this day tour check out this website getyourguide.com  you will be able to book it yourself. What’s included: A long bus ride through out the Island, lots of sight seeing, finally reaching the city of La Romana, from there we boarded a Catamaran boat and to the island we went, looked like a deserted island, but proved to be one of the most beautiful islands that I ever stepped foot on. We spent the day there snorkeling; eating lobster and relaxing, getting massages as we overlooked the Ocean. Before leaving the island, we did a family photo shoot, well worth it, and I might add we met a few friends along the way.

Catalina Island

Recommended Excursions:

• Isla Catalina day tour
• Outback Safari Jungle Tour
• Manati Park -swim/w/Dolphins

Manati Park

About the fifth day into our vacation, we jumped into a taxi, leaving the resort to go on a little adventure around town, my wife ask the driver where is the nearest mall, so to the mall we went. Being a Hard Rock Cafe collector,  I was thrilled to find the Punta Cana HRC at the mall. The mall was not that of a elaborate one, but it served the purpose for the locals.

As for the island of the Dominican Republic, consider it a wonderful vacation choice, I look forward to go back again, perhaps I will Stay in La Romana or Santo Domingo, or what about that place on the other side of the island shared with the D.R. a place called Haiti. Never limit your stay to one destination, when traveling always strive to find something new!

Please feel free to comment on this story, and join me on instagram @swinttravelblog to view more pictures.

Meet The Author 

Welcome to Swint Travel Blog! My name is Mark A Swint and I enjoy Traveling or you can say that I have the travel bug. The purpose of this website is to share travel ideas and travel tips that will invite inexperienced travelers as well as those who are well traveled get away and try something new. My family and I have traveled to many places around the United States as well as the Caribbean, Central America, and Europe. My goal is to get viewers and bloggers excited about going to see places you have never been. (Switching Careers) Living in beautiful Michigan all my life, I currently work in the Auto Industry, however it is my goal to switch to the hospitality/travel industry in the near future. There are so many places on my bucket list for travel, please feel free to share your travel experience with me so that we can have an exchange of ideas.

Thank you for visiting my website and I hope that the pictures and the travel tips get you motivated to try some place new!

Happy Travels!

M.Swint