A few words about the Dominican Republic
I’m not really the package holiday type these days, but October is a miserable time in England…so 30+ degree heat and as much Cuba Libre as I can drink seemed an offer too tempting to refuse. I must admit, I had my reservations about all inclusive in the Dominican Republic; I had fears that it was going to be the Benidorm of the Caribbean, and that after the first meal I would come down with some horrendous stomach bug like on Holidays From Hell. In my resort at least…this was gladly not the case.
We flew in to Punta Cana airport after 9 hours on a Thomsonfly flight. We didn’t get off to the best of starts however. Despite checking in far earlier than I normally would we still managed to get seats at the very back of the plane; as in, literally the back row next to the staff area and the rear door. If that wasn’t bad enough, the seat was almost vertical and could not be reclined at all due to being wedged in front of the crew area. There was no legroom and it felt very cramped. Fantastic. But, to our delight, just as we were taxiing one of the flight attendants came and ushered us almost to the front, in a pair of seats with shed loads of legroom. I had been upgraded…from economy…to economy…if there is such a thing? Overall, the service was not at all bad and I arrived in full holiday mode, but certainly ready for a beer.
On exiting the plane, I was immediately blasted with the Caribbean sunshine. Punta Cana airport is essentially a large straw hut, with a few fans and a small wall separating the departures lounge from the runway. The stewards were trying to get us away from the runway by telling us to all bunch up into a mob and then just filter through to passport control. The trouble is, this was an English flight. We like to queue and maintain order and most people did just that despite the attempts of the stewards. Once through Passport Control, we collected our bags..which were quickly whisked away by a bell boy and placed on our bus. I didn’t have any dollar bills….so I tipped him $5 as I’m not one for not tipping when someone does me a favour. I was sure to get some change for next time though….
The bus to the resort took about 40 minutes, but as it was air conditioned it was fine and a good chance to catch a first glimpse of the new surroundings. We passed through some fairly rural areas before coming through some small towns. One thing I noticed was how small the houses are and that the roads are pretty terrible. Fortunately, according to our rep Joseph, we had the best driver on the island because he was the only one with a license. Whether this was true or not remains a mystery. He kept the bus entertained for most of the trip with various amusing anecdotes.
We’re staying in the Grand Palladium resort in Bavaro and it’s huge, sporting 3 different hotels (ours is the Palace), several restaurants with a choice of buffet and surprisingly good a-la-carte, countless bars and a huge private beach in typical Caribbean style with palm trees and white sand. For sure the nicest beach I’ve been too. The whole resort is spotless. Being off season is definitely a plus; you don’t have to book for the restaurants, the beaches are not overcrowded and you can always get a seat on the little trains that shuttle around the resort.
Essentially, that’s it. A week of pure relaxation. In the mornings I enjoy a walk along the beach, calling in to the beach bars along the way for a refreshing Presidente, the local Dominican beer. In the evenings, some food, some drinks and banter…mostly with Canadians. The nightclub is terrible though, so we have been sticking to the bars.
We went on one excursion, Monster Truck Safari, which was a great way to see the island away from the sanctuary of the resort. We ventured west from Bavaro to Higuey, the nearest city, and visited some local towns, a school, and got a chance to sample Dominican fruit and coffee. A great buffet lunch was put on for us too with an array of Dominican dishes. I pigged out as usual.
Anyway, as I write I’m sitting in the hotel lobby bar. It’s been chucking it down for the past 20 minutes and it seems to be clearing up. Ideal time to write a quick entry! This is the first real rain we have had all week, which is lucky for this time of year!
Sadly, today is our last full day. We fly back tomorrow afternoon. However, as soon as this trip is over, another one begins. I’m back across the Atlantic just a few hours after I get home….stay tuned.
[...] you read my last post from the Dominican Republic, you may remember how I mentioned that the end of one trip meant the start of another. However, I [...]