We’ve all heard the famous quote from the Dalai Lama inspiring us to, “once a year, go someplace [we’ve] never been before.” While I wholeheartedly aspire to live by this little tidbit of advice (in fact, I’d rather aim to go somewhere new once a month, as opposed to just once a year), this is exactly what I did not do on my most recent international trip.
And did I mention that it was amazing and beautiful and I totally don’t regret not going somewhere new?
To tell you the truth, I’m not actually sure how many times I’ve been to the Dominican Republic. What I can tell you though, is that I’m already itching like crazy to go back. This most recent girl’s trip was my favorite by far, and it makes me want to share this gorgeous, charismatic destination with as many of you as possible. I’m planning an in-depth post on how to book the perfect all-inclusive vacation (which is what we did for this trip to the DR), but for now, check out these five reasons you absolutely must visit Punta Cana, Dominican Republic at some point during your life (and preferably as soon as possible!)…
And do let me know at the end of this post if I’ve convinced you it’s worth the trip! Orrrr, have you been here before? Spill on what YOUR travels were like! 😚
1. The Sunsets
Though I’ve been to Punta Cana a handful of times, I had never really watched the sunset until this time around. Boyyyyy, was I missing out. I’m not sure if it’s the same year round, but while we were there during the beginning of this month (February), the sky turned a beautiful orange color around 6 p.m. every night, provided that it wasn’t too cloudy. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen! Though I did edit the photos in this blog post, I edited them to look exactly like what I was seeing right in front of me. This really is what it looked like at night! SO beautiful, and I’d go back here again just for that reason alone.
2. The People
One of the things that I really enjoyed about our stay in Punta Cana was the people that we met. All of the staff at the resort we stayed at were incredibly kind and accommodating, and I was constantly in awe of their positive attitudes. So many of the employees we got to meet were proud of their positions, several of them even going so far as to say that they truly love their jobs. Knowing that the working conditions are much different in this country than in the U.S., this really put things in perspective. What feels like a “long” day for many of us is nothing compared to the 14 hour workdays that are the norm for some in the DR. We were also told that some of the employees only got two days off for every 12 days that they worked. Seeing their happiness shine through despite having to work so hard for so long was inspirational, to say the least.
3. The Beaches
Of course, one of my favorite things about the Dominican Republic was the beaches. The water was a bit rough, but overall it was beautiful every day. I SO wish I could back there right now!
4. The Geographic Location
Another great thing about the Dominican Republic is the island’s geographic location. Our flights were manageable, and we were able to get to our resort by the afternoon, giving us essentially half of a day to spend there even after traveling. I’m so excited to go to places like Hawaii and the French Polynesian Islands in the future, but I have to admit that it’s much easier to get to somewhere like Punta Cana if you live on the east coast! I’d also imagine it’s an easy trip from places like Florida, since it isn’t too far south from there on a map.
5. The Accommodations
Punta Cana is very much a popular tourist destination, which means there’s a wide variety of luxury accommodations to choose from. Whether you’re bringing the whole family, or you’d rather live it up at an adults only all-inclusive resort like we did, there’s options available for everyone. No matter where you stay, it’s pretty easy to relax and recharge in a place this beautiful!
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