Just got back from Dominican Republic

[375hh1973]

We were looking to spend a week in the sun n sand.

Originally looked at Florida Keys, but prices were crazy for just hotel rooms. Wife found us an all inclusive with air faire to a resort in the DR that was cheaper by3 a lot

Dang!

Why haven't I done this before!!!

We got a swim-up room. Walk out ur sliding door, take 3 steps and you are in the pool.

Nice room.

Small fridge full of waters, pepsi, 7up and two Presidente Lights.

OK, 2 light beers a day was NOT going to work. Gave the guy a $5 bill and wow, 10 regular Presidente beers would be there every day

Every day, go have breakfast, walk in the ocean, come back, get some sun by the pool. Start drinkin beers, get in the pool. The girl would come by and bring my wife some kinda rum banana drinks.

Met a nice couple from Ottawa Canada, they had the room next door. Late 40s like us. Would like to see the total number of beers we put down in 5 days lol.

All in all, a great time, much needed sun n fun. Didn't get too sunburned or hung over

Delta flights were smooth both going and coming.

Will definitely do it again, value seems good.

 

[contender]

Sounds like you had a great time! If it were me,, I'd more likely drink less beer & spend more time in scuba gear! (But I ain't you!)

 

[Kevin]

Awesome! We really like Puerto Rico ourselves. But haven’t been for about 5 years now.

Did you leave the hotel resort any? I’m curious how the rest of the island is?

When I was in high school, my dad went on a field trip to Haiti. He came back saying it was just unbelievably poor. No all inclusive resorts back then.

I can see the fiver getting you more beers everyday. Glad you had fun!

 

[9x19]

We took our kids to Punta Cana for a week, several years ago. Stayed at a Riu Palace hotel. They had four other hotels on the same stretch of beach and we could use the facilities at any of them. So, we had re-fueling stops the whole length of the beach for our own walks. :D

 

[dannyd]

Just don't ever vacation on the West Side of the Island. :)

 

[Cholo]

I have a friend who's gone there multiple times and loves it. He's trying to get me to go with him.

Some trivia about the DR that some might find interesting. My brother-in-law has a Dominican wife my entire family just loves. They both live in the DR now after building a house. Anyway, the trivia:

1) You can legally own and carry a gun if you're a resident in the DR. I asked Louisa if my BIL, a USA citizen, can carry a gun there and she said yes.

2) A drunk driver can't be charged with a crime if he causes an accident. Why? It wasn't his fault, he was drunk.

Interesting...

 

[LuckenbachTexas]

I like Key West.

We stay on the Navy Bases for chump change, buy our drinking materials at the Navy Exchange, and both the best beaches are Navy only.

We buy two bicycles and donate them to MWR before we leave.

Like home away from home

 

[krw]

Usta love vacatioing in Mexico. We have had lots of good trips there

 

[375hh1973]

Didn't leave the resort

This was just a get warm, drink some beers in the pool and relax trip

Next time will be fishing and diving

 

[rkrcpa]

I was down to the DR the first week of January. It appears that all normal driving rules have been suspended.

I was reading up on the possibility of having a firearm there, and while it is permitted, you can not bring a gun with you. My understanding is your only choice is to acquire one there and that almost guarantees you a POS revolver.

 

[bowzette]

Sounds like a great time. We are off tomorrow on a cruise to DR, PR, and US Vir Islands. Unfortuanately the Woke cruise lines block gun forums from their web service. :-( I'll have to go a week cold turkey off the forum. Can't trust those Italians!

 

[WAYNO]

We're in Florida as we speak, cruising to St. Maarten and more. Escaping 20 degrees for 80 degrees and sunshine is truly uplifting.

 

[375hh1973]

We're in Florida as we speak, cruising to St. Maarten and more. Escaping 20 degrees for 80 degrees and sunshine is truly uplifting.

Is that the place where you can be on the beach and jets go over at 100 feet?

Always wanted to do that, lotsa youtube vids about it

 

[dannyd]

We're in Florida as we speak, cruising to St. Maarten and more. Escaping 20 degrees for 80 degrees and sunshine is truly uplifting.

Yes, it's hard to live with 80 degrees in February, but we soldier on. Was 92 yesterday:)

 

[WAYNO]

Is that the place where you can be on the beach and jets go over at 100 feet?

Always wanted to do that, lotsa youtube vids about it

Yep. And it's great. Sometimes it seems the pilots are putting on a show.

 

[RC44Mag]

We did Punta Cana about ten years ago. Nice inclusive resort but the food was mediocre, most everything else was pretty good on the grounds. Did a couple beach SCUBA dives and snorkeling but didnt get to charter a fishing trip which is usually number one thing for me to do. We were warned by everyone don’t go outside the wire.

I like to venture into new lands but respected the wife’s wishes and certainly didn’t want to get jammed up with street predators who‘ll shive you for $20. We haven’t been back since that trip a decade ago, one and done. Too many other places to go that going off the the property doesnt make me go into protection dog mode.

 

[mjpchief]

Setting on the beach in Cancun as I’m reading this. Beautiful weather and nice people.

 

[375hh1973]

We did Punta Cana about ten years ago. Nice inclusive resort but the food was mediocre, most everything else was pretty good on the grounds. Did a couple beach SCUBA dives and snorkeling but didnt get to charter a fishing trip which is usually number one thing for me to do. We were warned by everyone don’t go outside the wire.

I like to venture into new lands but respected the wife’s wishes and certainly didn’t want to get jammed up with street predators who‘ll shive you for $20. We haven’t been back since that trip a decade ago, one and done. Too many other places to go that going off the the property doesnt make me go into protection dog mode.

Food was definitely mediocre

First thing we did was hit the Wendy's drive thru for a baconator and a coke on the way home from the airport!

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Jimmy Buffett - Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes

 

[krw]

Setting on the beach in Cancun as I’m reading this. Beautiful weather and nice people.

Please hav a SaltyDawg or 3 for Me!!

 

[Johnny-Baseball]

Like home away from home

Yeah, me too. But I also like Leaky (that's pronounced La Kee) for you outsiders. Right in the middle of Texas' best two-wheeler roads - the "Holy Trinity" of SH335, 336 and 337 (aka the Three Twisted Sisters). One of my ancestors is buried in Medina, so I frequently rode my Harley or my Honda blackbird there to ride the roads, eat at the Lost Maples Cafe, and visit the graveyard. Stayed at a little motel near Leaky.

 

[mjpchief]

Please hav a SaltyDawg or 3 for Me!!

Will add that to the list.

 

[wolfsong]

Usta love vacatioing in Mexico. We have had lots of good trips there

For the longest time I was planning on retiring to Mexico. The people, the food, the fishing, the weather, the siestas, the cost of living...
Now the actions of some of the people - the cartels, with the cooperation of the government - have nullified all of the other amenities to a point that it simply isn't safe any longer.

I miss the food and the fishing.

 

[LuckenbachTexas]

On a side note my retired GI boss is Haitian by the way of Ohio and is married to a DR and they live in FL and DR. He said the biggest danger is drinking the poison “all inclusive” booze. He said just buy bottles of liquor and beer and enjoy. Life is too short to get the cheap chit.

 

[Armybrat]

Awesome! We really like Puerto Rico ourselves. But haven’t been for about 5 years now.

Did you leave the hotel resort any? I’m curious how the rest of the island is?

When I was in high school, my dad went on a field trip to Haiti. He came back saying it was just unbelievably poor. No all inclusive resorts back then.

I can see the fiver getting you more beers everyday. Glad you had fun!

I lived in Puerto Rico 1950-54 when my Dad was stationed at Fort Brooke inside the old El Morro fortress grounds.
Fascinating place for a kid.

 

[steveodtw]

I have a friend who hauls his big 5th wheel from Michigan to Key West to winter there. He & wife stay on a Navy base RV park. They love it, have done this for some years. Looks like one big family party.

 

[WAYNO]

I love the Keys!

 

[willicd76]

We were looking to spend a week in the sun n sand.

Originally looked at Florida Keys, but prices were crazy for just hotel rooms. Wife found us an all inclusive with air faire to a resort in the DR that was cheaper by3 a lot

Dang!

Why haven't I done this before!!!

We got a swim-up room. Walk out ur sliding door, take 3 steps and you are in the pool.

Nice room.

Small fridge full of waters, pepsi, 7up and two Presidente Lights.

OK, 2 light beers a day was NOT going to work. Gave the guy a $5 bill and wow, 10 regular Presidente beers would be there every day

Every day, go have breakfast, walk in the ocean, come back, get some sun by the pool. Start drinkin beers, get in the pool. The girl would come by and bring my wife some kinda rum banana drinks.

Met a nice couple from Ottawa Canada, they had the room next door. Late 40s like us. Would like to see the total number of beers we put down in 5 days lol.

All in all, a great time, much needed sun n fun. Didn't get too sunburned or hung over

Delta flights were smooth both going and coming.

Will definitely do it again, value seems good.

Can you give a ballpark on cost for a trip like this? I need to take my wife somewhere nice!

 

[Gator89]

Can you give a ballpark on cost for a trip like this? I need to take my wife somewhere nice!

How much do you have?


Bring it all!

 

[JohnW]

The DR can be a great trip. Been there 4 times, each time back at the same resort (Barcelo Bavaro Beach). We went there on our 25th anniversary trip in 2019. Wasn't our first choice for that trip, but extenuating circumstances kept us from going back to Maui that year. Actually was a really nice trip, and had a very good private anniversary dinner on the beach, while watching the moon rise out of the ocean. Most of the restaurant choices at the Barcelo are quite good, in contrast to what I hear about other DR resorts.

We were back there again last fall. Interesting thing is that after our first visit there in 2015, there are a few of the staff that have remembered us each time we have gone back. As in, greeted us like old friends. I don't think we are that memorable, and we aren't throwing Benjamins around as tips, either. Yes we do tip, just not like that. We've also heard that the service is not so good at other DR resorts, but we find the service there to be on par with the best we have received in Riviera Maya.

We should probably try another DR resort, but there is something about the Barcelo. We've been to at least a dozen different Riviera Maya resorts, from Cancun Hotel Zone all the way to Tulum (well, almost) and have only returned to one, the Valentin Imperial. That's another great resort, but its getting really pricey.