LET'S GO TO PUNTA CANA

LET'S GO TO Punta Cana!

Added a new place to my list of travels & I am already ready to go back! As if extending our stay wasn't enough, we could bask in the Dominican sunshine for as long as time allowed! One of our other couple friends asked us to go with them about a month ago & y'all know me... I never pass up an adventure! I logged on the next morning & had flights & the hotel booked faster than you could take a tequila shot!

WHERE WE STAYED:

We stayed at Royalton Punta Cana - Hideaway! None of us had ever been & it was such a beautiful location. It is all inclusive & has so much to offer! Linking their site HERE & be sure to tell them I sent you! We in no way collaborated & everything that I showed/did on the trip was all out of my own pocket. We just wanted to enjoy the trip with no worry about "having" to post or promote! The location was about 45 minutes from the airport & we just grabbed a taxi shuttle from PUJ (the airport we flew into!)

The lobby was HUGE & stunning! We went into the Diamond Club to check in & enjoyed snacks & drinks while we waited to be taken to our room. I purchased the "Ocean Front View" but we were infront of the pool & half was over the sand. When I asked about this, they said that they don't have any that face directly out, but this is their closest that they have. So if you are wanting a full ocean view to wake up to, this will not be it.. However, it was still beautiful! I just was personally disappointed that I paid extra then they said that isn't really an option.

We had a personal butler that would book our dinners & reservations for us, which was so helpful! Anything we had questions about, we just used the WhatsApp to communicate with him & he was there in a hurry! We had Victor & he was so fun!

This resort does allow children so be aware of that going in! I didn't do a ton of research on this place, since we were just joining our friends, so I didn't even think to look into that. If y'all are looking for a place to go as a family, this is great because there is lots to do to keep everyone entertained. If you are looking for more of a "couples" style, I recommend upgrading to the Diamond Club & getting a Cabana on the beach to have some space away, or looking into a couples resort close by!

We did love this resort & would still recommend it for anyone looking for a beautiful resort with lots to do, different options to eat & fun events each night!!

WHAT WE ATE/Drank:

Everything we could! Like I mentioned, it was all inclusive, so we took full advantage of that! Y'all know I love to eat! We were usually at breakfast around 9: 30 or so (the morning buffet is open from 9-10:30am I believe) & would be out enjoying a mimosa or two with breakfast! For lunch we usually just ate by the pool or beach, enjoying anything from burgers, nachos, salads, or wings! The servers would usually bring food to you, or you can sit at the little beach-side restaurant to eat! Once we were all cleaned up for dinner, we would go wherever we had made reservations for that night! (Check with the hotel once you get there to book each day so y'all have it planned & arranged ahead of dinner time!)

We indulged in fancy steak dinners, perfect pasta at the Italian restaurant, ate yummy soups, salads, seafood, burgers, pizzas, ribs, honestly whatever we wanted once we sat down! I personally did not try one thing that I did not LOVE; it was all incredible! I even tried new things, expanded my food & wine palette & enjoyed some dessert after each meal... sometimes even two! I always say that one of my favorite parts of traveling is the food & this trip was no exception!

As for drinks, they have the typical fun, fruity cocktails that we loved all week long! Mimosas were a must with breakfast & starting off our days on the beach. Mai-Tais, Miami Vices, Pina Coladas, Margaritas, Banana Mamas & more were delicious each & every time!

WHAT WE DID:

Y'all, this place had it all! We went deep sea fishing, went to the waterpark, jumped waves in the ocean, rode a boogie-board from the gift shop, relaxed with morning walks on the beach & enjoyed lots of food, drinks & sun! There were more excursions that we REALLY wanted to do like the monkey jungle & zip lining, but we just did not have enough time! Guess that means we just need to go back hahaa!

Waterpark:

There was a TON of fun rides, slides & park adventure across the street from our hotel. I am not sure if this is open to everyone in the area, but we LOVED having it right there! We would be casually laying on the beach, then randomly be like "Wanna go to the waterpark...?" Then after a short 3-5 minute walk, we'd be zooming down slides & racing on the each other for hours! It was a blast!!

DEEP sea fishing:

Y'all know I love fishing! I had not been deep sea fishing in YEARS! I was SO excited!! However, I want to be honest. After about 2 hours of just riding & riding & riding on very bumpy water, we realized that this was not what I was expecting. The weather made the waves a bit crazy, so the ride is wild, but we just kept going...

Come to find out, this was a trolling deep sea fishing experience. For those that don't know, this is when the boat workers leave the lines out in the water, hoping something bites while we just ride for a few hours. We were thinking that we would be actually fishing, reel in hand, doing it ourselves. We got a tad discouraged, but then we caught some GIANT mahi-mahi & a HUGE marlin! We got so excited & it made it all worth it!

If you are looking to fish on your own, this is not what you are looking for. However, if you want to ride while they troll, bring water, dramamine & snacks with you, because we were NOT prepared for a full day like this!

COVID TESTING:

It is not required to get a Covid test or have the vaccine to GO. We did get tested just in case & just to be extra safe that we were good to go. Those results were negative. You do have to get tested coming back though, which was provided at our hotel. We knew that going into the trip so we were totally prepared. THEN we got to the Punta Cana airport & we got randomly selected for testing AGAIN... just our luck haha! Those were also negative. We got swabbed/tested at our hotel two days before leaving & got our results 2 hours later. Those results were again, negative. That is the test that we had sent to our email, saved to our phone & had to show at the airport upon arrival, before even checking our bags. We did not have to show it again after that, but have it handy just in case. I suggest screenshotting your results email to have ready at any moment!

THE WEATHER:

We were there late April & it was beautiful! We had about a ten minute block of light rain one day & apparently it rained one night, but we didn't even notice that! To be honest, it was a bit humid, especially in the morning, but that apparently was from the rain that night before & just part of their climate, But it wasn't so much that you couldn't enjoy yourself! It was still sunny & wonderful!

WHAT I WORE:

Y'all know I LOVE beach looks! Everything from bathing suits to coverups & fun looks in-between! For vacay dinner looks I usually lean toward flow/maxi dresses that are easy to dance & enjoy myself in! Each look is linked on my LTK HERE & some main pieces are down below for y'all to easily shop! Just scroll & click to see each piece & get the look!

BEACH LOOKS:

DINNER LOOKS:

QUESTIONS Y'ALL HAD:

What was the pricing?

This changes based on which package you get. We did the Diamond Club & highly recommend it. There are more perks & you get a separate section away from the kiddos & a more private experience. You can check out their website for more pricing based on room choice, Diamond Club deets & more!

Would y'all go back?

YES! I really did like the resort, but I like trying new places too! Punta Cana is amazing, but we would like to explore more options around the island too just to get a taste of more experiences!

Was this all inclusive?

YES! The only upgrades we did was at dinner that have a list titled "enhance your experience" for fancy extras that we did here & there! But there are TONS of amazing options that are all included! That was more of a "last night" thing we did when we wanted the BIG ole lobster hahaa!

Did we feel safe?

Yes! Covid-wise & safety wise!

Do you have to be vaccinated to go to Punta Cana?

You do not! You just get Covid testing done before leaving. If you are positive, you have to quarantine, but each place is different, so I would check hotel websites or call/email before booking!

Was this trip sponsored or did you pay for it?

I paid for every single penny of it. No sponsorship or collaboration in any way!

What airline did you use?

Delta! I mostly used points to book!

How did we find this resort?

Our friends had already booked this trip & invited us so we just joined along! I didn't even research anything about it... which I probably should have done, but we still really enjoyed it!

I will absolutely be back to Punta Cana! The location was beautiful, the people were so kind & the travel was wonderful... minus the delayed flights getting back home, trapping us in Miami & then Atlanta for the night... but that was all a weather issue! Other than that, even with Covid, it was a breeze for us personally!

The beauty of The Dominican was so stunning, that it is truly worth going back for! Nothing beats the crystal blue water, the bright orange sunsets, the beautiful mornings & time to relax with our toes in the sand... it was all just what we needed!

If you have been to Punta Cana or plan to go, tell us about what YOU are excited for, where you are staying or what you LOVE about this tropical oasis! Thank y'all for coming along, view my vacay stories on insta & checking out this travel post!!

Where are we off to next.... follow along on insta & be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out!

I LOVE YALL SO MUCH!!