I’d been looking forward to this vacation for months, and I wasn’t disappointed.  Arriving in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic is much the same as many tropical airports.  Stairs are wheeled to the plane and you walk out onto the tarmac and into the open air thatched roof airport.  The customs/immigration/baggage went quickly and we were whisked away in a van to our hotel.  I was travelling with my parents and my best friend.  This is the first time I was able to bring a friend.  Usually my sister comes on vacation, but she is in her first year of college and couldn’t come along. 

We were greeted with a cold drink at the reception of the Grand Palladium Punta Cana.  I have come to love all-inclusive hotels.  It is a concept that practically started in the Dominican Republic.  The price of the hotel includes the room, all the food, drink, and many activities.  My friend, Kenzie, and I were in a room next door to my parents.  This worked well because we slept until noon and they went to bed by ten.

The hotel had four pools, tennis courts, basketball courts, workout center, and spa.  It was ocean front to a three mile section of white powder beach.  There were six ala carte restaurants, buffets, and beach snack bars.  The water sports included snorkeling, kayaks, and windsurfing.  The evening offered amphitheaters with entertainment and a disco.  It was an endless selection of options.

Most of our days were spent waking about noon and heading to the lunch buffet.  After that it was a debate about pool or beach and we would be set for the afternoon.  After a shower and checking our phones, we would head to dinner with my parents.  A couple times we went separately.  The meals were fine, but not amazing.  Sometimes even surprising.  After dinner we would roam the resort and finally end of in our room around midnight.  Every day the weather was 88 degrees and mostly sunny. 
 
The first excursion we took was to Scape Park.  Scape Park is an ecological theme park with numerous attractions.  The options we chose were zip lining and visiting Hoya Azul (blue hole).  The zip lining was fun and exhausting.  There were eight separate lines and in between there were stairs, caves, and ladders to access the next line.  Hoya Azul was a beautiful natural water hole in a cave.  The guide explained that it is salt water from the ocean that is naturally filtered through limestone and becomes fresh water.  The hole is 250 meters deep.  It was absolutely breathtaking.

The other excursion that Kenzie and I took was a snorkeling cruise from the resort to a reef off the island.  It was a beautiful place.  There were many different colored tropical fish and coral. 

The Dominican Republic is a great vacation destination.  The weather, all inclusive hotels, and excursions offer something for everyone.  There were older couples and young families with small children.  The DR also has community service options.  There are parts of the island that are not as developed and in need of assistance. A combination vacation and service trip might be an option. 

I live on the west coast and the long flights are a good opportunity to get homework completed.  Maybe I’ll do that next time.