Dominican Republic

athlete010688

We're thinking of taking a family vacation to the Caribbean in February/early March of 2015.  I've been looking at Punta Cana.  DH and I are hoping to stay around $3000-$3200 for flight & all-inclusive resort for 7 nights.  We're coming from Indianapolis.  Would you recommend Punta Cana?  I've seen some all-inclusive resorts (which is a must) for the price range I'm thinking of.  What do you recommend to do in Punta Cana?  Is there other areas in Dominican Republic you'd recommend?

Are there any other all-inclusive resorts on other Caribbean Islands where we could stay for $3200?  I've been looking, and it appears most other islands are more expensive than Dominican Republic.

AprilH81

We went to Excellence Punta Cana which unless you can find a sale is probably over your budget. The resort was one of the furthest from the airport so when we did excursions we had a lot of travel time.

We really liked our resort, but we were unimpressed by the surrounding area.  I was expecting something a little more lush and tropical and the area was more prairie grasses than palm trees (except for resorts who had the manicured landscapes).

There are less expensive resorts out there that will fit your budget but I'm on the fence about returning to PC in the future.  We had a great honeymoon, but I've been to more beautiful places.

athlete010688

AprilH81 said:

We went to Excellence Punta Cana which unless you can find a sale is probably over your budget. The resort was one of the furthest from the airport so when we did excursions we had a lot of travel time.

We really liked our resort, but we were unimpressed by the surrounding area.  I was expecting something a little more lush and tropical and the area was more prairie grasses than palm trees (except for resorts who had the manicured landscapes).

There are less expensive resorts out there that will fit your budget but I'm on the fence about returning to PC in the future.  We had a great honeymoon, but I've been to more beautiful places.

AprilH81 - Thanks!  Where else have you traveled?  We're open to anything that's an all-inclusive

laurakay0705

We booked our honeymoon in September at the Grand Palladium Bavaro in Punta Cana.  We chose that resort based on price as well as proximity to the airport and nearby amenities.  It's right next t a very popular marina and wildlife preserve as well as a marine wildlie park.  A co-worker just returned from there and said the resort was amazing.

AprilH81

athlete010688 said:

AprilH81 said:

We went to Excellence Punta Cana which unless you can find a sale is probably over your budget. The resort was one of the furthest from the airport so when we did excursions we had a lot of travel time.

We really liked our resort, but we were unimpressed by the surrounding area.  I was expecting something a little more lush and tropical and the area was more prairie grasses than palm trees (except for resorts who had the manicured landscapes).

There are less expensive resorts out there that will fit your budget but I'm on the fence about returning to PC in the future.  We had a great honeymoon, but I've been to more beautiful places.

AprilH81 - Thanks!  Where else have you traveled?  We're open to anything that's an all-inclusive

This was our first AI but I have been on several cruises.

Grand Cayman and Antigua has some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. 

St. Lucia is very beautiful with lush tropical landscapes and mountains.  Since it is a volcanic island the beaches aren't as pretty as you would imagine.

St. Thomas and St. Martin are beautiful but very crowded and commercialized (and I don't think any AIs) due to the many cruise ships that visit.

St. Croix is beautiful but not a lot (in my opinion) to do but lay on a beach.

San Juan was fun and I would like to go there for a longer stay so I can explore more of the island.  I've been twice, but only as pre-cruise 1 night stays.

Jamaica is so-so as far as cruise stops go but they do have a lot of reasonably priced AI resorts that may fit your budget.