ARRIVAL IN PUNTA CANA, REPUBLICA DOMINICA
Customs coming into Punta Cana was virtually nonexistent. We had to pay $10.00 per person as we came into the country, but we have no idea why. Since we had no tour group, at the airport, we were picked up by VIP tours, who took us to a van to transport us to our resort. Unfortunately, we waited in a hot bus for almost half an hour before our driver decided it was time to leave. This turned out to be the only downside of VIP.
Once we got to the resort and met our coordinator, "Wilkie," we were glad we "hooked up" with VIP. Wilkie coordinated and planned all our excursions, and he was available in the resort to answer questions about the resort and the island. He even arranged transportation for us one day when we wanted to go to a specific gift shop. Only 21 years old, he was personable, friendly, and adorable. He makes only $250.00 a month via his 1% commission on tours, so we tipped him generously at the end of our stay.
THE RESORT?OCCIDENTAL GRAND (known to locals as the Flamingo)
The resort was wonderful, and we would go there again. Although we had been advised to get into Building 13 (which is on the beach), it was unavailable. Passing $10.00 to the reservation clerk got us into Building 12, but I?m not so sure that was the best thing to do. The resort is so spread out and so big that Building12 was close to the beach, but it was pretty far from the buffet, restaurants, and lobby. All buildings are 3 stories, and there are no elevators. All buildings appear to look out over courtyards or a pool, not the ocean.
The room was very spacious with a king size bed, plenty of storage space, a television, and a balcony. The ceiling was vaulted with a ceiling fan, and the floors were ceramic tile. The bathroom was modest, and at certain times of the day, the water pressure and hot water were minimal. The fridge and/or room were stocked daily with Presidente beer, wine, a bottle of champagne, and plenty of soft drinks and water. Since you CANNOT DRINK THE TAP WATER, bottled water was plentiful. The housekeepers are paid only $150 per month, and a small tip at the beginning of your stay will assure that you have a flower in your room and extra towels, if you need them.
The pools were only about 36 inches deep (except at the swim-up bar), and people sometimes put their chairs in the pool to get sun and cool off. Huts and chairs were plentiful. There was a playground for small children near one of the pools. The grounds were immaculate. Beach towels are provided and can be turned in daily to get fresh ones.
The beach, where we spent most of our "down time" was absolutely beautiful. Palm trees were plentiful, but you had to get there before 10:00 a.m. to get a chair. The sand was not hot, and the bar service was good. Even though we live at the beach and do not usually suffer from sunburn, the Carribean sun was unmerciful, and we both burned and peeled before the week was out. Be sure to bring sun screen and Aloe, since on-site prices are ridiculous for these items.
The Metamorphosis Spa offered lots of services. An hour massage was $90.00, and a facial (which I needed by the end of the week) was the same. I got a better massage at the beach hut (ask for Angela!!!) for $30.00 less. Of course, you have to remove your top in public, but no one seemed to notice, since the beach is full of topless sunbathers, skimpy bikinis and thongs, and even completely nude sunbathers. Small children enjoyed the beach and water without benefit of bathing suits.
The resort is full of various bars, but the drinks seemed watered down. Not even two martinis gave me a buzz. A "Miami Vice" drink appeared to be the drink of choice.
The buffet near the open-air lobby offered a good variety of breakfast foods. We preferred the hut buffet on the beach for lunch, since it was close, and bathing suits were allowed (even without coverups and shirts). The main dinner buffet was different every night (Italian, steak, oriental, local cuisine). If you sit in the same section each time, a small tip to the waiter will assure that the service is wonderful. The Sports Bar near the pool was the only place to get an afternoon snack.
The specialty restaurants have two seatings; unfortunately, we could not get reservations until the second seating each night, which was at 9:15 p.m. The Grill had no menu, but served sausage, chicken, pork, and filet from skewers brought to the table. Side dishes were rice and potatoes. I found the meat to be dry. The Italian restaurant had a salad bar, and you have the choice of pasta/sauce or a dinner. Tiramisu for dessert is a must. Our favorite was the Mexican restaurant, which also had a salad bar, a choice from the menu (the fajitas are good!!!), and a dessert.
There are some small shops on the resort for souvenirs, but better prices can be found at the market, which is a 10 minute walk down the street. The bell captain can get you a ride in the golf cart down to the gate. The venders will try to get you into each of their shops, but a polite "no thank you" will stop their aggression. Be sure to bargain with them, and don?t pay over 50% of the asking price. If you start to walk away, the price will come down drastically.
If you?re looking for quality amber or larimar set in 14k gold, I suggest Harrison?s at the resort. Celia will give you the best cash price (even better than Harrison?s at the market.)
EXCURSIONS
Safari Trip: This adventure takes you to a sugar cane field, cigar factory, lunch at a ranch, and a short horseback ride on the beach. "Jackie Chan" was our guide, and he was delightful. Travel is by open-air truck, so your skin and hair take a beating. It?s a great way to see the "real" Dominican Republic and learn about the culture and land. Children often approach the truck, so bring along a bag of penny candy for them. It?s like Christmas to see their faces when you give them candy.
You can sample Mamajuana (a local rum drink) at the cigar factory and purchase hand-rolled cigars. Lunch at the ranch is local cuisine, but it is quite good. You also travel into the mountains and tour the home of one of the locals. You can see how the people live in those small bamboo houses with an average of 6 children. You also get to watch a cockfight, which is apparently legal there. Not to worry, the cocks do not fight more than a few seconds and don?t hurt each other.
The horseback ride is a 25 minute walk down the beach and back on the most docile horses imaginable. On the way back, you ride through a rice plantation and stop at one of the one-room schools. Beer and rum on the return trip are plentiful. From pickup to delivery at the resort, this trip takes about 12 hours and is pretty exhausting, but I?d definitely recommend it.
Do not get this trip confused with the Monster Truck trip. Several people who were scheduled to take the Monster Truck trip were disappointed two days in a row, when their transportation did not show up at the hotel.
Water Falls and Whale Watching in Samana: This excursion was the highlight of our week. Between January and March each year, the humpback whales migrate to the bay in northern Domican Republic to mate and bear their young. If you?re staying in Punta Cana, you must charter a flight to Samana. We flew for about 35 minutes in an ancient plane that carried 16 passengers. It flew low enough that taking pictures of the landscape was easy. When we arrived at the airport in Samana, we got into another open-air truck and went to another ranch. There we were each matched with a horse and guide to help us get to the top of the mountain. We crossed streams and traveled up the mountain to a breath-taking view of the valley below. Once at the top, we left our horses and headed on foot down the other side of the mountain to the base of the water fall. The path was muddy and sometimes slippery, but the guide was always there to lend a hand. At one point, we had to cross a stream. The guys plodded across, but the women were carried across by the guide (Pedro was my guide, and I loved him.) Once at the falls, you can swim in the crisp water or simply rest up for the hike back.
We were probably the oldest people (54/62) on this excursion, and our guides had some concern about whether we could trek back up the mountain. After we slowly and carefully climbed the first leg of our journey, we looked up and saw Gringo (my husband?s horse). My husband mounted the horse, and he and his guide headed back up the mountain. Once at the top, Gringo was sent back to get me and my guide. (See, sometimes it pays to be old and overweight!!!)
I particularly enjoyed the horseback ride back down the mountain. I had some riding experience, so I got a different, feistier horse. Pedro let me run him past the others, and we were first back to the truck. Of course, we were met with gallons of rum and coke.
Then we again had lunch at a local ranch. Salad, fruit, rice and beans, fried yucca, and grilled meats were the fare. Presidente beer or soft drinks cooled our parched throats.
Afterwards, we headed to the bay. We expected a larger boat for whale watching, but we had two small 16' skiffs for 16 people. The ride out was very bumpy. Once in the bay, we immediately saw a male whale jump half way out of the water. We then saw several whales, some of which were only 25' away. The highlight was seeing a huge mother whale and her calf coming out of the water several times and blowing away. On the horizon, where we dared not go in our small skiff, we saw an enormous whale breaching the water and shooting spray 30' into the air. We stayed on the water about an hour enjoying the hunt for those huge mammals. Once back at the truck, again we were greeted with (you guessed it) rum and coke.
The only hitch to any excursion happened next. We stopped in downtown Samana to transfer to an air-conditioned bus. We sat on the side of the street for some time, but the bus did not come, so we got back into the truck. As soon as we had the truck loaded, the bus arrived. We got back out of the truck into the bus, which took us to the airport. When we arrived at the airport, the plane was not there. We waited almost 45 minutes for the plane to come back from Punta Cana. Tired from our excursion, we got into the plane, but the air-conditioning was not working well, and we could smell the fumes of the fuel. Once back at Punta Cana, we boarded yet another van and returned to the hotel.
This all-day excursion cost $249.00 per person, including the airfare. If we were going to do it again, we would probably book the flight ourselves and book the whale watch on the Victoria II, which is owned by Kim Beddall. The Victoria II is a larger, double decker boat, which could venture into deeper water and stay out longer, but her trip does not include the trip to the falls. The whale-watching excursion is not listed in any brochure at the resort, but again Wilkie came through and got us the excursion we came to the Dominican Republic to see.
Carribean Festival: Our last excursion was a half-day snorkeling trip. We took a short ride in a palm-covered school bus down to a beach where we boarded a small skiff to get to the Carribean Festival, a party boat. This boat took us to a reef, where we could snorkel for 45 minutes. The water was not very clear, and we saw only the "usual" fish. Then we went to an area which was fenced in and contained rays and nurse sharks. After a 30 minute swim there, the rum and mamajuana started to flow, and the crew entertained us. Dancing began, and a conga line was formed. Then we returned to shore, boarded the skiff, and then the bus, and returned to the resort.
This trip was $70.00 per person, which was significantly overpriced and disappointing.
RETURN TO NORMAL
We left the resort 3 hours before flight time. At the airport, security agents rummaged through our bags and confiscated our batteries from our checked baggage (I have no idea why). The lines were long and slow, so by the time we got through security, it was almost time embark. I did have time to buy duty free cigarettes for less than half what they cost in the states (limit 3 cartons per person).
Our flight was uneventful; we made it through customs in Charlotte pretty quickly and with no hassles. When we got back to our final destination, we had one leaky suitcase?a bottle of red Dominican wine had broken on the last leg of the flight.
CONCLUSION:
We would return to the Occidental Grand. We loved the people and the country. The weather was magnificent. We intend to brush up on our Spanish so that we can say more than, Hola, Adios, No comprende.
Customs coming into Punta Cana was virtually nonexistent. We had to pay $10.00 per person as we came into the country, but we have no idea why. Since we had no tour group, at the airport, we were picked up by VIP tours, who took us to a van to transport us to our resort. Unfortunately, we waited in a hot bus for almost half an hour before our driver decided it was time to leave. This turned out to be the only downside of VIP.
Once we got to the resort and met our coordinator, "Wilkie," we were glad we "hooked up" with VIP. Wilkie coordinated and planned all our excursions, and he was available in the resort to answer questions about the resort and the island. He even arranged transportation for us one day when we wanted to go to a specific gift shop. Only 21 years old, he was personable, friendly, and adorable. He makes only $250.00 a month via his 1% commission on tours, so we tipped him generously at the end of our stay.
THE RESORT?OCCIDENTAL GRAND (known to locals as the Flamingo)
The resort was wonderful, and we would go there again. Although we had been advised to get into Building 13 (which is on the beach), it was unavailable. Passing $10.00 to the reservation clerk got us into Building 12, but I?m not so sure that was the best thing to do. The resort is so spread out and so big that Building12 was close to the beach, but it was pretty far from the buffet, restaurants, and lobby. All buildings are 3 stories, and there are no elevators. All buildings appear to look out over courtyards or a pool, not the ocean.
The room was very spacious with a king size bed, plenty of storage space, a television, and a balcony. The ceiling was vaulted with a ceiling fan, and the floors were ceramic tile. The bathroom was modest, and at certain times of the day, the water pressure and hot water were minimal. The fridge and/or room were stocked daily with Presidente beer, wine, a bottle of champagne, and plenty of soft drinks and water. Since you CANNOT DRINK THE TAP WATER, bottled water was plentiful. The housekeepers are paid only $150 per month, and a small tip at the beginning of your stay will assure that you have a flower in your room and extra towels, if you need them.
The pools were only about 36 inches deep (except at the swim-up bar), and people sometimes put their chairs in the pool to get sun and cool off. Huts and chairs were plentiful. There was a playground for small children near one of the pools. The grounds were immaculate. Beach towels are provided and can be turned in daily to get fresh ones.
The beach, where we spent most of our "down time" was absolutely beautiful. Palm trees were plentiful, but you had to get there before 10:00 a.m. to get a chair. The sand was not hot, and the bar service was good. Even though we live at the beach and do not usually suffer from sunburn, the Carribean sun was unmerciful, and we both burned and peeled before the week was out. Be sure to bring sun screen and Aloe, since on-site prices are ridiculous for these items.
The Metamorphosis Spa offered lots of services. An hour massage was $90.00, and a facial (which I needed by the end of the week) was the same. I got a better massage at the beach hut (ask for Angela!!!) for $30.00 less. Of course, you have to remove your top in public, but no one seemed to notice, since the beach is full of topless sunbathers, skimpy bikinis and thongs, and even completely nude sunbathers. Small children enjoyed the beach and water without benefit of bathing suits.
The resort is full of various bars, but the drinks seemed watered down. Not even two martinis gave me a buzz. A "Miami Vice" drink appeared to be the drink of choice.
The buffet near the open-air lobby offered a good variety of breakfast foods. We preferred the hut buffet on the beach for lunch, since it was close, and bathing suits were allowed (even without coverups and shirts). The main dinner buffet was different every night (Italian, steak, oriental, local cuisine). If you sit in the same section each time, a small tip to the waiter will assure that the service is wonderful. The Sports Bar near the pool was the only place to get an afternoon snack.
The specialty restaurants have two seatings; unfortunately, we could not get reservations until the second seating each night, which was at 9:15 p.m. The Grill had no menu, but served sausage, chicken, pork, and filet from skewers brought to the table. Side dishes were rice and potatoes. I found the meat to be dry. The Italian restaurant had a salad bar, and you have the choice of pasta/sauce or a dinner. Tiramisu for dessert is a must. Our favorite was the Mexican restaurant, which also had a salad bar, a choice from the menu (the fajitas are good!!!), and a dessert.
There are some small shops on the resort for souvenirs, but better prices can be found at the market, which is a 10 minute walk down the street. The bell captain can get you a ride in the golf cart down to the gate. The venders will try to get you into each of their shops, but a polite "no thank you" will stop their aggression. Be sure to bargain with them, and don?t pay over 50% of the asking price. If you start to walk away, the price will come down drastically.
If you?re looking for quality amber or larimar set in 14k gold, I suggest Harrison?s at the resort. Celia will give you the best cash price (even better than Harrison?s at the market.)
EXCURSIONS
Safari Trip: This adventure takes you to a sugar cane field, cigar factory, lunch at a ranch, and a short horseback ride on the beach. "Jackie Chan" was our guide, and he was delightful. Travel is by open-air truck, so your skin and hair take a beating. It?s a great way to see the "real" Dominican Republic and learn about the culture and land. Children often approach the truck, so bring along a bag of penny candy for them. It?s like Christmas to see their faces when you give them candy.
You can sample Mamajuana (a local rum drink) at the cigar factory and purchase hand-rolled cigars. Lunch at the ranch is local cuisine, but it is quite good. You also travel into the mountains and tour the home of one of the locals. You can see how the people live in those small bamboo houses with an average of 6 children. You also get to watch a cockfight, which is apparently legal there. Not to worry, the cocks do not fight more than a few seconds and don?t hurt each other.
The horseback ride is a 25 minute walk down the beach and back on the most docile horses imaginable. On the way back, you ride through a rice plantation and stop at one of the one-room schools. Beer and rum on the return trip are plentiful. From pickup to delivery at the resort, this trip takes about 12 hours and is pretty exhausting, but I?d definitely recommend it.
Do not get this trip confused with the Monster Truck trip. Several people who were scheduled to take the Monster Truck trip were disappointed two days in a row, when their transportation did not show up at the hotel.
Water Falls and Whale Watching in Samana: This excursion was the highlight of our week. Between January and March each year, the humpback whales migrate to the bay in northern Domican Republic to mate and bear their young. If you?re staying in Punta Cana, you must charter a flight to Samana. We flew for about 35 minutes in an ancient plane that carried 16 passengers. It flew low enough that taking pictures of the landscape was easy. When we arrived at the airport in Samana, we got into another open-air truck and went to another ranch. There we were each matched with a horse and guide to help us get to the top of the mountain. We crossed streams and traveled up the mountain to a breath-taking view of the valley below. Once at the top, we left our horses and headed on foot down the other side of the mountain to the base of the water fall. The path was muddy and sometimes slippery, but the guide was always there to lend a hand. At one point, we had to cross a stream. The guys plodded across, but the women were carried across by the guide (Pedro was my guide, and I loved him.) Once at the falls, you can swim in the crisp water or simply rest up for the hike back.
We were probably the oldest people (54/62) on this excursion, and our guides had some concern about whether we could trek back up the mountain. After we slowly and carefully climbed the first leg of our journey, we looked up and saw Gringo (my husband?s horse). My husband mounted the horse, and he and his guide headed back up the mountain. Once at the top, Gringo was sent back to get me and my guide. (See, sometimes it pays to be old and overweight!!!)
I particularly enjoyed the horseback ride back down the mountain. I had some riding experience, so I got a different, feistier horse. Pedro let me run him past the others, and we were first back to the truck. Of course, we were met with gallons of rum and coke.
Then we again had lunch at a local ranch. Salad, fruit, rice and beans, fried yucca, and grilled meats were the fare. Presidente beer or soft drinks cooled our parched throats.
Afterwards, we headed to the bay. We expected a larger boat for whale watching, but we had two small 16' skiffs for 16 people. The ride out was very bumpy. Once in the bay, we immediately saw a male whale jump half way out of the water. We then saw several whales, some of which were only 25' away. The highlight was seeing a huge mother whale and her calf coming out of the water several times and blowing away. On the horizon, where we dared not go in our small skiff, we saw an enormous whale breaching the water and shooting spray 30' into the air. We stayed on the water about an hour enjoying the hunt for those huge mammals. Once back at the truck, again we were greeted with (you guessed it) rum and coke.
The only hitch to any excursion happened next. We stopped in downtown Samana to transfer to an air-conditioned bus. We sat on the side of the street for some time, but the bus did not come, so we got back into the truck. As soon as we had the truck loaded, the bus arrived. We got back out of the truck into the bus, which took us to the airport. When we arrived at the airport, the plane was not there. We waited almost 45 minutes for the plane to come back from Punta Cana. Tired from our excursion, we got into the plane, but the air-conditioning was not working well, and we could smell the fumes of the fuel. Once back at Punta Cana, we boarded yet another van and returned to the hotel.
This all-day excursion cost $249.00 per person, including the airfare. If we were going to do it again, we would probably book the flight ourselves and book the whale watch on the Victoria II, which is owned by Kim Beddall. The Victoria II is a larger, double decker boat, which could venture into deeper water and stay out longer, but her trip does not include the trip to the falls. The whale-watching excursion is not listed in any brochure at the resort, but again Wilkie came through and got us the excursion we came to the Dominican Republic to see.
Carribean Festival: Our last excursion was a half-day snorkeling trip. We took a short ride in a palm-covered school bus down to a beach where we boarded a small skiff to get to the Carribean Festival, a party boat. This boat took us to a reef, where we could snorkel for 45 minutes. The water was not very clear, and we saw only the "usual" fish. Then we went to an area which was fenced in and contained rays and nurse sharks. After a 30 minute swim there, the rum and mamajuana started to flow, and the crew entertained us. Dancing began, and a conga line was formed. Then we returned to shore, boarded the skiff, and then the bus, and returned to the resort.
This trip was $70.00 per person, which was significantly overpriced and disappointing.
RETURN TO NORMAL
We left the resort 3 hours before flight time. At the airport, security agents rummaged through our bags and confiscated our batteries from our checked baggage (I have no idea why). The lines were long and slow, so by the time we got through security, it was almost time embark. I did have time to buy duty free cigarettes for less than half what they cost in the states (limit 3 cartons per person).
Our flight was uneventful; we made it through customs in Charlotte pretty quickly and with no hassles. When we got back to our final destination, we had one leaky suitcase?a bottle of red Dominican wine had broken on the last leg of the flight.
CONCLUSION:
We would return to the Occidental Grand. We loved the people and the country. The weather was magnificent. We intend to brush up on our Spanish so that we can say more than, Hola, Adios, No comprende.
