Discovering Punta Cana

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While Dominican Republic is full of beauty everywhere you look, you’ll find many of its best treasures in playa de Punta Cana.It's home to hundreds of 24-hour all inclusive hotels surrounded by the Caribbean exuberance.

Why concentrate on this area in particular? Punta Cana is a wide area in the DR island and it’s also not as developed as the rest of the Dominican Republic. Once you factor in the country roads, but still within easy reach of the sea, you will enjoy a vast beach with crystal clear water and white sand.

I would recommend 5 nights. You could technically fit more in if you were determined to.

I had six days in Punta Cana with my husband, my parents and grandma and we spent all of it by the pool with unlimited cocktails from the pool bar.

The cuisine of the Dominican Republic offers a wide variety of dishes, with flavours and colours as dominant features on its plates. Dominican cuisine has received influences from African and Spanish cooking, and includes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that enrich each dish with a unique flavor. They include themed restaurants on site, but I found the buffet food more flavorful and better variety.

RIU Palace Punta Cana

To be honest, RIU Palace suites fell a bit beneath my expectations. The rooms do need a little upgrade and more TLC. The garden views were breathtaking — and while it was certainly beautiful, the massive crowds put a damper on the pool area so you must arrive early to get good seating. That said, I do recommend you visit — just know that it’s not the be-all and end-all of all inclusive hotels in Punta Cana.

The best thing to do:

The beaches of Punta Cana are considered to be some of the most beautiful in the world. There you can breathe in an authentic Caribbean atmosphere with palm groves, coconut palms and a unique feeling of peace in the world. If you want to go on excursions or visit the surrounding area, you’ll have the opportunity to visit fabulous places such as the Marinarium marine park, the beautiful sugar fields of Higüey, Altos de Chavón, Isla Saona island, the Caribbean Cachondeo where you can ride a horse or many other options.



The best thing to do at RIU Palace? During the day, head to other RIU Resorts since it's complexed together with the Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro, Hotel Riu Palace Macao Hotel Riu Bambu and Riu Naiboa, and like its neighbours it offers an entertainment programme that you can enjoy all day long. The All Inclusive system gives you the opportunity to try out various activities and sports such as table tennis, gymnastics, water polo, volleyball, windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, bodyboarding and much more.



Bonus: Isla Saona



I’ve been yearning to visit this islands for years, but there just wasn’t enough time on this trip! Located in the Caribbean Sea, Saona Island is a protected Nature Reserve and one of the most stunning location in the Dominican Republic. They have daily excursions that set sail to Isla Saona to enjoy the breath taking views of the East National Park.





Thanks for reading!

Jules

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