Punta Cana was my husband’s and my first international trip together after we got married. We chose to do a resort in Cap Cana this time and even though parts of the resort were under construction, the views it offered was none the less amazing. The beautiful shore, the crystal clear waters, watching the sunrise from our balcony and the sunset laying in the pool was pure bliss<3
One of my favorite activities in Punta Cana was swimming with the Dolphins at Dolphin Discovery. I booked my ticket online and they threw in an offer for free pictures if I booked right then. The interaction was limited as it was with a bigger group, but it was just wonderful to see the dolphins. Understanding the debate of animal cruelty in training and being against it, I would have to say that these dolphins looked very happy. They were very calm and interacted in a way that I would like to think is normal. The leader was also affectionate to the animal and was not rushing us or being rude to the dolphin.
Would I do this again elsewhere? Probably not… I think it’s a great experience the first time and not something I would enjoy to do over again.
With that being said, Dolphin Discovery is a great place to meet these wonderful animals for your first time. They offer pick up and drop off to most resorts and hotels (in the Punta Cana location at least.)
Address: Carretera De Veron Bavaro La Altagracia Province Higuey Town, 23301
Click here for their website.
Our most favorite activity in Punta Cana!
We chose Flintstones Buggy Adventure for a buggy excursion and it was great! My husband rode the buggy the whole way and back and he loved it. Thanks to my short legs and the mud in my eyes, I was not able to ride it. I still had a great time enjoying the scenery and ride! We had a small group of five, so our tour guides took their time and were very thorough. Half way through, we stopped at a cave and hiked through it. We learned a lot about cave formation and more earth science (which seemed terribly boring back in high school). We also had a photographer the whole time, capturing every bit of the tour. The company also offered pick up and drop off to most hotels and resorts in the area. This was very convenient for us, because we didn’t have to worry about anything.
Address: Avenida Papo Aveja Bavaro, DR.
Phone: +1 849-754-6487. I was able to communicate with them through wattsapp.
Click here for their website or email them at info@flintstonesbuggyadventure.com. To get your pictures on a cd, it was around $50, at the time we went.
What to know before booking a buggy ride!
So… would we do this again? Definitely, It was so much fun! But there are a few things we brought with us that allowed us to fully enjoy the excursion. And a few things we didn’t have, which we will not forget next time around!
1. Bandana: Pick one up at the dollar store or get a whole pack Amazon. Double up and switch out if you mind mud in your face or mouth.
2. Sunglasses: Leave your expensive ones at home and bring a cheap one. This one is cheap, yet still offers a lot of coverage.
3. Proper clothing: I would recommend double layer and covering arms and legs all the way. We didn’t do this and it wasn’t terrible. The mud eventually dried and became dirt that you can wipe off, but if that grossed you out, cover up!
4. Footware: You must have shoes that you can wash out or throw away after the excursion. You wont want to take it back on the plane, unless you have time to wash and dry it before your flight. For the tour, I wore my famous black crocs and my husband wore his black crocs. I don’t care how much they have gone out of style. I wear these crocs so often that it’s totally worth the money (and creepy stares).
Another option is the Mishansha Water Shoes which are unisex and better looking.
5. Sun tan lotion & mosquito spray: Read my favorite brands in my Travel Must Haves post.
6. Plastic bag: We had our extra clothes and other things in a regular bag. They were mostly drenched once we were done with the tour. If I knew earlier, I would have brought something like this, to keep all our things clean.
Day trip to the Capital of Dominican Republic!
For our last day, we booked a private taxi for a tour to the capital of DR, Santo Domingo. It was a two hour drive, but it was worth it. We were able to see what the real Dominican Republic looks like as Punta Cana was very much touristy. Our first stop was the Faro a Colon, which is museum and monument honoring Christopher Columbus. It was interesting to see all the places he explored and artifacts. It was well worth it for the money, if you enjoy learning a little history!
Later, we toured the Independencia Park and went souvenir shopping down the long strips of stores nearby. We also visited a chocolate museum (or two) for insight on how they made chocolate and coffee infused alcoholic drinks. (And for the free samples:) We walked to the Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor, however were not able to go in. They were having a mass and we were not in church attire. Opps!
What else, you ask?
We spent the evening at Columbus Park, people watching and enjoying all the activities going on around the area. This was my favorite part of the day as everyone was busy doing their own things. Some people working hard for a living, while others, taking their family out for an evening of fun. Then there is another group just sitting around without a care in the world. On our way back to Punta Cana, we made one last stop and visited the Dominican Republic National Aquarium. We spend around two hours at the Aquarium, enjoying the variety of animals. We also stood outside in awe of the beautiful view of the Caribbean sea from that location.
After tasting all the coffee and chocolate infused drinks at the museums, we ended up purchasing one of each. I tried looking for the same kind online and found the coffee infused one here: Coffee infused Vodka!
Food
Another thing we did a lot of was eat (nothing new here)! Punta Cana is famous for their seafood since it is surrounded by water. Our favorites in Punta Cana was the shrimp, fish and calamari. It’s also famous for plantains, yuka and a lot of other starchy vegetables, both cooked or fried.
-One of our favorite restaurants to eat at was Restaurante Nakamura, which was combined with a casino. We found it the first night we were there and went back another two to three times. The food, service and atmosphere was great and they even had free taxi service to and from our resort.
-We also ate at Trattoria Y Pizzeria El Pórtico located inside Cap Cana more than once. Both times when we came back from a tour and were very hungry. We did not think that pizza would be a big thing in Punta Cana. Due to the influence of Spain, there were a lot of great pizza restaurants and this was one of them!
-Another restaurant we ate at more than once was Api Beach Bar. It had a great, relaxing view and friendly service. We had the fish and calamari ceviche with fried tapioca fries.
-We toured the Blue Mall located next to the airport, however we felt it was very Americanized. So, we walked down a highway (my idea) and found a fun, lively center called Punta Cana Village. It had a lot of restaurants and stores and was a good place to hang around. We stopped by La Casita de Yeya for a snack, and had some authentic chicken empanadas!
A lot of these restaurants don’t have websites, so I am attaching their google maps link for your reference! We did eat at several other restaurants. However, these were our favorite among them and the ones we would recommend you try out if you’re in the area!
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