Travel Diary: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

I may just be the last one in the world who has never been to an all inclusive resort 😲! During my most recent trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, I was able to wet my feet into the world of all inclusive vacationing, and boy was it a pleasant experience! In this blog post, I am going to share some photos of the resort we stayed at, Paradisus Palma Real, as well as some of my personal travel tips that I feel helped me to make the most of my trip here.

Whenever I have seen any photos of this resort, this bridge is always the main photo and I totally get why, it’s absolutely stunning! Talk about great photo opportunities! This bridge often had a DJ right in the middle playing music that seriously got you in the mood to dance! This pool pictured is the main infinity pool, it wraps all the way around to the far end of the resort pool area but is split into many smaller sections depending on preference. Do you want a more shallow area? A swim up bar? Lounge chairs in the water? Deeper areas? This pool offered it all!

Our Room

This was a photo of our actual room during our stay. I am a sucker for detail and this room really was so cute! This is a King size bed fit for a tropical vacation with its canopy 😊 Now, lets talk bed comfort because if you’re like my husband, this is seriously all he talks about when we travel haha This bed was SO comfortable. It was not too firm and not too light, almost like the perfect memory foam bed. The pillows were also really well received by him as there were a mix of softer pillows and firmer ones too! Each night the staff provided us with turn down service with our slippers and robe set on this bed, the perfect final touch 😉

This is a real life photo of what we found in our refrigerator. I had to be quick to snap this photo because the Presidente beers, the beer of the Dominican Republic, were gone almost immediately! lol For those of you who have never been to an all inclusive resort, these are fully included in your stay so take and drink as you please and they will refill them however often you would like!

A cute little seating area which honestly, would come in handy if we had company over but we just used it as extra room for our luggage and all the “stuff” we needed to put somewhere lol

This view as you can see is of the main garden area. This little road was most frequently used by golf carts which generate basically zero noise. We seriously never heard a single thing aside from birds and other tropical animals like a resident flamingo 🌴

Oh, hello gorgeous bathroom! We didn’t use the tub, I am so weird with tubs!  I am a germaphobe sooo yea it was a no go for me lol 🤷‍♀️ BUT it sure was stunning! The bathroom had a separate stand up shower fit with many jets to clean your lower, your middle, and everything in between haha. Separate closet for your toilet as well, which I really appreciate! lol Also, for those of us who notice these things, the toiletries provided were from Thierry Mugler and smelled so good! I brought my own shampoo and conditioner but I used the lotion provided and it was so silky smooth, I loved it!

The Spa

This spa was amazing! My sister in law booked a massage for each member of her bridal party. Pictured above we see the various water facilities. They had a plunge pool, various forms of hydrotherapy, a hot tub, foot massage stones, and much more! Here I go with my inspecting eyes looking for cleanliness…you guys this spa was immaculate! Definitely two thumbs up! 👍 👍

The massage room where I received an amazing massage. Outside of those doors is a private shower facility as well to rinse off the oils from the massage.

Pictured are these little cabanas that were located right behind the various little pools at the spa. These were perfect for relaxing before or after using the facilities or a massage. It really was such a peaceful vibe at this spa. I found that the calming music, trickling water, tropical animal sounds in the background and the overall peacefulness of the spa really helped me to enjoy it fully. Our group of 7 were also some of the only people I ever saw while walking around the spa. It wasn’t overcrowded which I loved because with too many people I could see this getting very “un-peaceful” lol

 

Travel Tips for an All Inclusive Resort:

• Choose a resort that fits your needs! Within this resort there were various sub sections including a separate area for adults only as well as a main area for families.
• Travel off season to ensure that you are getting the best rates! All inclusive resorts can be a little more expensive since they really include EVERYTHING so choosing a low season can really save you a lot of money! Remember, off season for you (winter) is still going to be hot in any tropical location 😉
• Spend time when you arrive getting to know the resort! I seriously cannot stress this enough!! Getting to know where everything is and a mental map of the resort helps cut down time for you later because you know where you’re going! Map out where the restaurants are, the bars, the pools you may be interested in and for me, I mapped out where I wanted to lay out by the pool so that I could secure that spot first thing in the morning! ☀️
• Be friendly. Be FRIENDLY WITH EVERYONE, especially the workers. These are the people who will make your vacation go from great to AMAZING. We brought some cash with us to tip those staff members who really went out of their way for us, which was basically everyone. They are so grateful for everything you tip them and creating this great relationship has many perks! (Including early reservations for that perfect spot on the beach 😉)
• If you spot a restaurant you like, be sure to make a reservation ahead of time, like the evening BEFORE. The reservations at our resort were booked to capacity the evening before for the next day.
• Room service is included (plus a small delivery fee, ours was $5)…so pick up your phone and order it! A little breakfast in bed never hurt anyone 😜

Have you guys ever been to an all inclusive resort? Which is your favorite? I now feel like I can ONLY do all inclusive when I travel to tropical locations…yep, I’m an “all inclusive” snob now hahaha