Trip Report Punta Cana / Samana Nov week 1 and 2.
Overnighted and left car at Wyndham hotel in Chicago on Thursday had a great start to a vacation at the hotel bar. Left Chicago early Friday am swapped planes in Miami and arrived at 1:30pm Punta Cana. We had 2 suitcases and 2 boxes the boxes had toys and clothes for the needy. Customs checked out boxes with only little problem mainly curiosity. Acting dumb was easy for me and the customs guy let us through. Next time we will use suitcases.
Night one Barcel? was AWESOME. Sorry to hear many negative comments from many of you did not like Barcel? but even though it was one night we had a blast. Food was great as well as the drink. They had a cool Tropicana show as well. The staff at this All Inclusive kindly gave us late checkout.
Week1 ? Traded Marriott Week. Saturday checked in at Cayena at LTI? again AWESOME staff, room, and the kindness at check in was better than expected. The other guests at Cayena many US as well as the staff were great. Breakfast and lunch are served at cayena private bar and restaurant for Cayena guests only. The lunches at Cayena are off a menu and the absolute best. They were better than any meal by far. The wait staff at Cayena were top notch. The one pool on Cayena grounds is for Cayena and the ample beach area is reserved for Cayena guests only as well. The views at night from the Cayena bar or club house on the second floor was beautiful and we closed out many nights there. The food at each of the 3 restaurants as well as the buffet was very good.
Did a snorkel excursion on site and had fun. By far the reef stop was a better time than the penned up HUGE sting ray and sharks at the second stop.
The Staff at Cayena (they are so great Barbara and Melanie) oops Izzy as well?. got us a driver to take us to an orphanage in La Romana and one of the staff went along as well. The orphanage was heart warming and those kids are so well taken care of it really set up a great experience. Did some shopping and had lunch in la Romana.
The wife did a shopping trip up the road and hated it? High pressure cheapy cheapy. I stayed by the pool, beach and bar. Wife had a medical thing nothing to do with the trip and the Doctor and Medic staff was top notch.. prescription and all.
No reef from shore to snorkel but took bread to feed many reef fish and some HUGE tangs snuck up on me. I went early before the water taxis chum up the water with seaweed and sand?.
Begin week 2. Took air trip to Samana from Punta Cana via Takeoff Destination Services- AWESOME toured Samana ? El Limon - Bacardi Island ? a plantation. For less than $300 could not be beat. They then took us to our hotel on Playa Bonita the Hotel Acaya. Not part of Interval paid cash. This was not an AI hotel in the US would call a high end bed and breakfast. The reception was wonderful. The hotel room all in all was large but average except for the balcony with an awesome view - no phone and no television. Too great. The surf woke us up and lulled us to sleep. I cannot remember a more relaxing time. The hotel restaurant was the absolute best (I am discriminating) it was 5 star food and family type service. I never had such wonderful food at one place with so many variations. From crab freddy to coffee vanilla sauce on grouper I even had the steak tartar (yes in the DR). We will definitely make this a tradition. Met up with a DR1er mountainfrog and visited needy families in barrio giving clothing food and candy. It was a blast. I cannot thank Mfrog enough. The highlight of the trip. We walked the beach for what seemed like miles to an AI way way far away it seemed maybe a Wyndham? Swam the surf there. Tried to snorkel a reef during the trek but water too cloudy and choppy. Last day on way to airport POP looked at property near Cabrera ? Orchid Hill too wonderful. Definitely will make another trip and enjoy this island again.
Overnighted and left car at Wyndham hotel in Chicago on Thursday had a great start to a vacation at the hotel bar. Left Chicago early Friday am swapped planes in Miami and arrived at 1:30pm Punta Cana. We had 2 suitcases and 2 boxes the boxes had toys and clothes for the needy. Customs checked out boxes with only little problem mainly curiosity. Acting dumb was easy for me and the customs guy let us through. Next time we will use suitcases.
Night one Barcel? was AWESOME. Sorry to hear many negative comments from many of you did not like Barcel? but even though it was one night we had a blast. Food was great as well as the drink. They had a cool Tropicana show as well. The staff at this All Inclusive kindly gave us late checkout.
Week1 ? Traded Marriott Week. Saturday checked in at Cayena at LTI? again AWESOME staff, room, and the kindness at check in was better than expected. The other guests at Cayena many US as well as the staff were great. Breakfast and lunch are served at cayena private bar and restaurant for Cayena guests only. The lunches at Cayena are off a menu and the absolute best. They were better than any meal by far. The wait staff at Cayena were top notch. The one pool on Cayena grounds is for Cayena and the ample beach area is reserved for Cayena guests only as well. The views at night from the Cayena bar or club house on the second floor was beautiful and we closed out many nights there. The food at each of the 3 restaurants as well as the buffet was very good.
Did a snorkel excursion on site and had fun. By far the reef stop was a better time than the penned up HUGE sting ray and sharks at the second stop.
The Staff at Cayena (they are so great Barbara and Melanie) oops Izzy as well?. got us a driver to take us to an orphanage in La Romana and one of the staff went along as well. The orphanage was heart warming and those kids are so well taken care of it really set up a great experience. Did some shopping and had lunch in la Romana.
The wife did a shopping trip up the road and hated it? High pressure cheapy cheapy. I stayed by the pool, beach and bar. Wife had a medical thing nothing to do with the trip and the Doctor and Medic staff was top notch.. prescription and all.
No reef from shore to snorkel but took bread to feed many reef fish and some HUGE tangs snuck up on me. I went early before the water taxis chum up the water with seaweed and sand?.
Begin week 2. Took air trip to Samana from Punta Cana via Takeoff Destination Services- AWESOME toured Samana ? El Limon - Bacardi Island ? a plantation. For less than $300 could not be beat. They then took us to our hotel on Playa Bonita the Hotel Acaya. Not part of Interval paid cash. This was not an AI hotel in the US would call a high end bed and breakfast. The reception was wonderful. The hotel room all in all was large but average except for the balcony with an awesome view - no phone and no television. Too great. The surf woke us up and lulled us to sleep. I cannot remember a more relaxing time. The hotel restaurant was the absolute best (I am discriminating) it was 5 star food and family type service. I never had such wonderful food at one place with so many variations. From crab freddy to coffee vanilla sauce on grouper I even had the steak tartar (yes in the DR). We will definitely make this a tradition. Met up with a DR1er mountainfrog and visited needy families in barrio giving clothing food and candy. It was a blast. I cannot thank Mfrog enough. The highlight of the trip. We walked the beach for what seemed like miles to an AI way way far away it seemed maybe a Wyndham? Swam the surf there. Tried to snorkel a reef during the trek but water too cloudy and choppy. Last day on way to airport POP looked at property near Cabrera ? Orchid Hill too wonderful. Definitely will make another trip and enjoy this island again.