Happy Fri-yay, party people. Today’s post is about my trip last week to the Dominican Republic! My husband and I had an absolutely BLAST and I can’t wait to break down the best parts of the trip – must see places, food you HAVE to try, the best resort to stay at, and the BEST activities to do while you are there!! By the end of this post, you are going be booking your ticket there. Let’s dive into it!
The New Traveler’s Guide To The Dominican Republic
This post is sponsored by Catalonia Gran Dominicus. All opinions are mine and mine alone.
Call me a newbie, but I really like staying in all inclusive resorts. I know that seasoned travelers like doing it themselves but I really like when everything is pre-packaged, so all I have to worry about is having a relaxing vacation, and getting myself from one place to the next.
WHERE TO STAY:
We stayed at the Catalonia Gran Dominicus in Bayahibe. The resort was GORGEOUS. It was clean, bright, and very well accommodating. We stayed in a privileged suite so we had a little patio, a king sized bed, a walk in shower, an a large closet (not to mention 24 hour room service).
The customer service is so friendly, and they make the best effort to try and make everyone happy. The wait staff and clean staff are so excited you are there and they really make the resort. The beaches were SO stunning. The sand what white, the water a clear turquoise. It was warm, and the waves weren’t overwhelming while we were there. The resort is fairly exclusive, so it wasn’t crowded at all on the beach.
My one struggle (and this is 100% my own fault) is that very few employees speak English. Thank goodness my husband speaks fluent Spanish, or else I would have had a really hard time talking and understanding the language. However – when you go to another country that doesn’t have their main language as your main language, that is what to expect! I will make sure to brush up on my Spanish next time we go so that I can do a better job of speaking and understanding.
Slight warning to those wanting to travel with children: while this resort is definitely kid friendly, the beach doesn’t have any discouragement from women going topless on the beach. It caught us off guard the first day, and I don’t know that I would have felt super comfortable bringing kids with me. That being said, it didn’t overly bother my husband and I once we knew where to sit so that it wasn’t directly in our face.
WHERE TO EAT:
The restaurants in this resort were fairly good. The buffet was the best part, and I feel we got the most authentic version of the food you’d typically find in the Dominican. There were quite a few more Americanized restaurants but I just felt so-so about them.
The bread was AMAZING — fresh baked, soft, fluffy and basically I wanted to stuff my face with ONLY bread for the entire trip. They also had a traditional rice and red bean dish I really enjoyed, and home-made crepes in the morning for breakfast. The fruits and vegetables are locally grown and taste incredible.
WHAT ACTIVITIES TO DO:
Well..there is the obvious (the beach, of course). We had the best time swimming in the ocean. It was SO clear and so beautiful. The water was warm enough that you could swim in it without freezing. It was supposed to rain while we were there but it never actually did. We were able to lay out in the sun and enjoy relaxing.
There are also other fun activities like scuba diving, snorkeling, parasailing and we really loved the ocean kayaking! It was so fun to go out into the water because you could see down to the sand and it was so deep but so clear. You could take your pick and plan your activities with the activity department right there on the beach.
We also walked down the shoreline until we hit the line of beach shops! This was such a fun part. I loved looking at all the different handmade items and talking with the shop owners. Again – I was glad Adam spoke Spanish! That always makes my life a little bit easier when we are abroad.
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PIN THIS FOR LATER:
[ctt template=”2″ link=”mG5lf” via=”yes” nofollow=”yes”]How to plan the best vacation to the Dominican Republic if you’ve never been before![/ctt]
I am so grateful that Adam and I were able to take this vacation together. It was much needed after such a crazy year! I am so blessed to be able to travel with my best friend and partner. I can’t wait to plan our next trip! We would go back to this resort in a heartbeat if we could.
Have you ever been to the Dominican Republic?? Let me know in the comments below what you loved/hated and where you stayed!
I absolutely love staying in all inclusive resorts when I visit the Caribbean. I like knowing everything is already taken care of and I can sit back and enjoy! I’ve been to the Dominican Republic 3 times now and I always have a wonderful time.
That looks amazing! Giving me all of the beach vibes… I want to take a Caribbean trip so bad now!
– Katie
http://www.brewingupstyle.com
DYING for a vacation – let’s book a trip @ T?!?!?!
Coming Up Roses
Nice tips, I love DR is so stunning. I want to go back there.
Your trip looked so beautiful!! Where you stayed looks amazing! I’ve been looking to do a trip there but so happy you told me the topless beach part as I would have brought my children and had been fairly shocked lol.
You swimsuits are also super cute!
HAHAH I know. My husband and I were definitely caught off guard. LOL
This resort looks amazing! Love that turquoise blue water…and that 24 hour room service is so KEY on vacation! 🙂
Marissa
http://www.quartzandleisure.com
Those photos are beautiful, especially the ones of the beach! I am definitely pinning this for later, because I’d love to visit the DR at some point in my life. 🙂
This has never had a place on my bucket list, but after reading about your stay and seeing your beautiful pictures I’m adding it to my long list of places I need to visit! The water looks incredible!
The Dominican Republic is very affordable and is often an overlooked Caribbean destination. So I am sure your post will encourage more readers to give it more consideration for future vacations.
I’m going in August!! Ahhh, this post is getting me so hyped for the DR. I have heard that the poverty is especially bad there, and you aren’t really allowed to venture off for dinner or activities. Not really a problem, just my family and I love to venture haha. This resort looks stunning, though. I’m so glad you had such a fun time with your husband! Just living the dream 🙂
xoxo Bryanna
This place looks adorable! We’ve been thinking that we want to go to the Caribbean for next year’s vacation…maybe we could go here!
That water is so crystal clear and beautiful! I love browsing local shops and speaking with the owners, so that would be on my to do list. Looks like y’all had a really good time! You make a super cute couple, btw 🙂
Thank you so much!!!
Great post! It really sounds like you had a fantastic time! I’m super jealous! I loved all your pics – you are so cute and have some awesome swim suits! You should do a post about where you buy your swimwear! 😛
xoxo Lauren | Glitter & Grandeur
GIRL. I did! Check it out here: https://taylorlately.com/best-one-piece-swimsuits-summer/ 😀 😀
AHH!! Looks like SO much fun!!! you guys are so cute!! I want to go now!
I have wanted to bite the bullet and take an all inclusive trip. We have gone on many cruises but never to a resort. These pictures are very inviting!
erika || http://www.entirelyerika.com
You would LOVE it!!!!
Looks like such a fun trip!! And that resort looks beautiful! Glad you had such a great time!
xo, Jessy | http://www.currentbliss.com
I can’t even tell you how jelly these photos make me!! I need a tropical vacuum ASAP.
It sounds like you guys had an incredible time! I’m so glad it was so much fun! I hope I get to visit there one day!
Thanks for the tips. The DR is on my bucket list! Looks like you had a great time and the pics are beautiful!
It was wonderful!!
I stopped in the Dominican Republic on a cruise a few years ago and really enjoyed my time there. The people, food and beaches were lovely.
Yes it was all lovely!!! I miss it already!
All inclusive resorts are my fav! I’ve never been to the Dominican but it’s on my list.
Your vacay looks like it was a LOTTT of fun! And I’m loving your bathing suit girl 🙂
Kristen | http://www.sophisticatedgal.com
Hey Taylor, I’m going on vacation with my boyfriend and his family to Punta Cana. Your post was very helpful in understanding how thinks will work, seeing as I’ve never been out of the US. I would like to know what kind of clothes you brought on your stay there so I can prepare for my trip. Thanks
Hey Alyssa!! Here is the link to several posts I have on what the pack for vacations (+ a handy little guide for you as well):
Packing List: https://taylorlately.com/ultimate-vacation-packing-list/
Clothing Suggestions: https://taylorlately.com/packing-your-bags-caribbean-cruise-edition/ , https://taylorlately.com/vacation-fashion-must-haves/
Makeup Suggestions: https://taylorlately.com/vacation-beauty-must-haves/
I hope these help!!!! Enjoy your super fun trip!!! 🙂