Today we visit the Dominican Republic, a Caribbean country known for it’s beautiful beaches and all-inclusive resorts. Throw in the rainforest, and you have a beautiful, fun country to visit whether you prefer to just soak up the sun at the beach all day or get your adrenaline pumping with zip-lining and cliff jumping in the rain forest. There is something for everyone in the family, or you can make it a romantic trip at an adults only all-inclusive resort.
Dominican’s Two Most Popular Public Beaches
Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata. This beach is located in Puerto Plata, which is on the northern portion of the island. Playa Dorada beaches have soft sand, ocean front resorts, and is perfect for water activities, such as snorkeling and windsurfing.
Bavaro Beach, Punta Cana. Punta Cana is a well known beach and resort destination. Bavaro Beach is very popular so it has many restaurants, bars, and resorts ranging from luxury to budget. It is great for snorkeling, kayaking, and swimming.
How to Get There
Fly into the country and stay at an All-Inclusive Resort in Punta Cana or Puerto Plata. Punta Cana was amazing. Even with the storm for the first two days, it was wonderful! We stayed at Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar, an adults only all-inclusive resort. They were very diligent about cleaning and sanitizing during the pandemic. I would definitely go back! The water was very blue and the views from the resort were stunning as you can see below.
Take a Cruise. Amber Cove, Dominican Republic is one of the cruise ports with plenty to do. They have their own small water park that you can lounge at all day, you can do an excursion, or if you have time, you can do both. We visited Amber Cove, DR, on a cruise with our 2 kids. We did the Damajagua Falls Excursion, which was fantastic, and we also spent a few hours at the water park. The water park is free with your stop at the port. At Damajagua Falls, we were able to see lush, green rainforest, jump into the falls, and slide down natural rock formed slides. It was a blast and it was gorgeous!
Most Popular Food in the Dominican Republic
La Bandera. That is the traditional dish of the country. It is a bean and meat stew type meal served over white rice. It is often paired with a side salad of lettuce and tomatoes. If you want to try it at home, here is one of the simpler recipes we found: https://theturquoisetable.com/la-bandera-a-traditional-dish-from-the-dominican-republic/
Popular Caribbean Cocktails in the Dominican Republic
Mamajuana. The Mamajuana is the official drink of the DR. It combines rum, red wine, and honey and then soaks in tree bark and herbs. It is considered an aphrodisiac and thought to have many medicinal benefits. You won’t typically find it at the tourist resorts.
Coco Loco a/k/a the Crazy Coconut. The top of a coconut is cut off and rum and fruit juice is added to the inside of the coconut, and you drink it directly from the coconut.
Mojito. This is one of my favorite drinks to order at any Caribbean island. They are refreshing. It is made with 5 primary ingredients: rum, club soda (sometimes substituted with Sprite), cane or brown sugar, lime and fresh mint leaves. You can even add strawberries or mangos for a fruity mojito. If you want to make this drink at home, visit https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/147363/the-real-mojito/ for a delightful recipe.
We hope you enjoyed learning about the Dominican Republic!
