Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The Vacation Express trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic begins in Atlanta on a UPS charter flight. The UPS charter flight was a completely pleasurable experience. The flight attendants were extremely courteous and we were given hot towels followed by a hot meal. The leg room was generous and the flight only a little over three hours.

When we arrived in Punta Cana the first thing we saw was the thatched roof airport amid beautiful coconut palms and lush vegetation. A Dominican band was playing as we entered the airport and we immediately identified our Vacation Express Rep who was holding up a sign identifying herself as such.

The ride to our Resort ( Barcello Bavaro Beach) was a short one. The Barcello Bavaro Beach Lobby was beautiful and open air. We toured all of the hotels offered by Vacation Express and
all were quite lovely. All of the hotels are all-inclusive and on the beach. They all offer several restaurants both ala carte and buffet. The food is quite good with a lot of fish and fresh fruits. The alcohol is mostly domestic but Heineken is offered at some of the bars for an extra charge.The local beer is Presidente and is quite good. You will not find any American beers. All of the hotels have “animation” teams comprised of young people who work all day and night keeping guests entertained. They do everything from meringue lessons to elaborate Vegas style shows. Almost all of the resorts have a spa and a children’s program.

The beaches in Punta Cana are absolutely gorgeous. They are quite expansive with coconut palms growing all the way down to the water, sand that is a pinkish white and turquoise water. The grounds of all the resorts are very lush and tropical.

There are excursions outside of the resorts including jeep safaris and snorkeling trips, but other than these, there is not much to do outside the resorts. And you would certainly not want to rent a car as there are no street signs and they seem to make up the traffic rules as they go.

The resort’s staffs are mostly Spanish speaking, but the managers and concierges speak some English. Also, the Vacation Express reps are available by phone as well as having a few assigned times at the tour desk of each hotel when they are available for booking excursions and answering questions.

The guests are largely European (topless sunbathing), but we were told that many Americans are discovering Punta Cana as a great vacation destination and to book trips there.

Punta Cana is a Caribbean paradise only a three hour flight from Atlanta and a tremendous value!