Vacation in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Rewind four years – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Shauna, Sherma, Kara and I took our first official Girls’ Trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After a summer filled with laughter, exploring, meeting new people and engaging in different experiences we decided then that we would do a girls trip annually. We were young, free and optimistic and it was the summer of 2010 :-).

On the beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Sugarloaf Mountain -Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Four years flew by and although we traveled much, due to different circumstances in our life we did not travel together.

Fast forward four years to 2014 – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The destination was decided, tickets were bought and our bags were packed.  We were hyped and ready to go. It was now five girls as Sherise has joined us.

We kept an open mind :-). We were looking for new experiences and we were all ready for a fun vacation. I was also looking forward to practicing my Spanish. One of my life goals is to speak Spanish fluently. I would love to live in a Spanish culture preferably in Spain for a few months. If anyone reading this blog can help me out, let me know.

Traveling to Punta Cana

We experienced quite a few setbacks including cancelled flights prior to arriving in Punta Cana. What I will say though is this, if you have a group of friends that will keep you laughing when everything seems to be going wrong, hold on to them and travel with them. We were all so positive throughout the entire trip. I would travel with these girls any day.

Miami International Airport passing time trying on shades at Sunglass Hut – We were on the airport for eight hours!

Punta Cana – We arrived safely!

We arrived in Punta Cana and to our hotel Caribe Club Princess Beach Resort and Spa in high spirits. We joined Kerece who flew in prior to the four of us on our original flight. Girls’ Trip Punta Cana was then officially activated.

Princess Club Caribe Resort – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Strolling around at the resort in Punta Cana

On the trolley at the resort

We had perfect weather for the five nights we were there. I could write so much about this trip but I will just give some of the highlights.

 Dining in Punta Cana

We only ate at the hotel or during tours but the food was excellent. We ate at the Chinese, Mexican and Italian restaurants at the hotel. The buffet was also fantastic and I was pleasantly surprised with the wide range of options including loads of seafood which I love.

Restaurant at resort in Punta Cana

Restaurant at resort in Punta Cana

Activities in Punta Cana

Romana – Cueva de las Marvillas (Cave of Wonders)

We were in Punta Cana so La Romana was over an hour and 25 minutes drive away. We were interested in seeing the cave so we made the journey. I thought it was worth it. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside.

Outside of the Cave of Wonders – La Romana

Adventure Boogies

On arrival for this tour, the instructors split the group of visitors into Spanish speakers and English speakers to give us directions for the use of the Adventure Boogies. There were three times as many Spanish speakers as English speakers. The main instructor said his name was Coca Cola and assured the English speakers that he was going to tell us the same thing he told the Spanish speakers. He spoke to the Spanish speakers for about 10 minutes. There was a lot of laughter, some moments of seriousness and a lot of reiteration. He then turned to the English speakers and I kid you not, he spoke to us for three minutes and then he said to everyone ‘Let’s Go. Time to Drive.’ My friends and I looked at each and we were thinking he definitely did not tell us everything which we found hilarious.

Adventure Boogies in Punta Cana

Sherma was at the front of the Adventure Boogie line, followed by Kerece and Shauna and then Sherise and I. I took the wheel first and Sherise drove later. Once I was strapped in and I knew the difference between gas and breaks, I was ready to go. I loved the fact that we were on a females only trip as for most of the other riders, the men appeared to do most of the driving. We explored some rugged and very dusty back trails in Punta Cana in these Adventure Boogies. It was a rough ride but so much fun. I love speed. Would I try driving on a racetrack if given the opportunity? Yes I would :-). We stopped on the beach to relax and supported the young entrepreneur who insisted that we pose with this iguana.

The Iguana!

Adventure Boogies in Punta Cana

Brief stop on the beach during the Adventure Boogie Tour

Sherma, Shauna and Kerece’s adventure

We split up on the third day. Sherma, Shauna and Kerece went off to Semana and this beautiful waterfall and horseback riding happened. They said it was an awesome tour.

horse back riding in Semana,DR

Waterfall in Semana, DR

Sherise and I stayed at the hotel for a day of relaxation. We did a catamaran tour, went swimming and met some more of the locals.

Zip Lining

Our final day on Punta Cana was epic and I do not use that term lightly. Our first activity was ziplining. None of us had done it before but we were eager not to let the opportunity pass us by. We listened carefully to the safety instructions and the directions about the 16 zip lines we were going to cross.

Ziplining

We were securely fastened in by these wonderful guys and we were on our way. I thought I would have been super nervous but it was actually exhilarating, relaxing and beautiful at the same time. The hardest part may have been the hikes between some of the lines.

Zip Lining with Canopy Tours in Punta Cana

Ziplining with Canopy Tours in Punta Cana

Ziplining with Canopy Tours in Punta Cana

Ziplining with Canopy Tours in Punta Cana

Canopy Tours in Punta Cana

Boat Ride

After zip lining we got back to the hotel in time to eat, bathe and change for the boat ride. We were looking forward to this boat party as it would culminate our trip. We got on the bus and saw a few other persons who were already hype and we became fast buddies. The staff on the boat was already full of energy when we got on boat and we knew it would be a good time.

Sherma and Kara on the boat

The girls on the boat

Our first activity on the boat was snorkeling. We strapped on our life vest, our goggles and fins and jumped in the water. My first experience scuba diving in Anguilla opened up my eyes to the beauty of what is underwater and I enjoyed seeing all the fish in the ocean in Punta Cana. After about an hour in the water, it was back to the boat for some drinks, music and dancing.

Snorkeling in Punta Cana

Snorkeling in Punta Cana

Our friends on the boat ride in Punta Cana

Our next stop was a large pool in the middle of the ocean. One side had a ‘shark’ and other side had sting rays. We posed with the shark and then went over to the other side to swim with the sting rays. Don’t be alarmed they no longer had their stingers. I enjoyed watching them under water though.

The girls with the ‘shark’

Our final stop was in the middle of the ocean, in an area where the water was only waist deep. We had a party in the ocean and all of our cares just seemed to melt away. When we got back on board, there was more dancing and laughter as we headed back to shore. We did not want that afternoon to end. The only regret at that point was that my hubby was not there to share the experience.

Waist deep in Punta Cana

Punta Cana

After five great days and nights in Punta Cana, it was time to spend the remaining days of our trip in Miami. We had fun shopping, had dinner at Gloria Estefan’s restaurant Bongos Cuban Cafe and attended Shaq’s All-Star Comedy Jam where Aries Spears was the headliner.

There were many other memories during our girl’s trip that are just for the five of us but I am glad I was able to share some of our experiences with you. Thanks for reading!

Leaving Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

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We hope you had a wonderful summer!