Punta Cana, who would have guessed it would be so scenic. This place is filled with Palm trees and Coconut trees. This was a family trip with our family parents and all for as a birthday celebration for my dad who turned 70. This was a fun vacation for all there, children, us and both mine and my husband’s parents. Everyone had a great time with plenty to do for everything. Since this was a family trip and time for relaxation we mostly spent our time at the resort. We stayed at Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe, a great resort for families.
Punta Cana is a place for people who love the outdoor activities. Great activities available for speedboating, catamaran sailing, , deep sea sport fishing, discovery cruises, private yachts, swimming with dolphins, snorkeling cruises, swimming with sharks and stingrays, whale watching, reef exploring and visiting small islands like Saona and Catalina
Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe - All Inclusive
Also the resort has so many activities for the all age groups. They had salsa lessons, aerobics on the beach (our mothers loved that), a giant chess board alongside the pool, that you can actually play, as well as other various activities. There is a schedule posted in one of the covered hang out activity areas that list what activities they are doing at what time, as well as many competitions you can compete in to win small prizes.
The best part of the resort was the swim up to Bars. Kids loved it because they could go order whatever they wanted and there were so many choices of non-alcoholic cocktails for them, they were in heaven.
Also close to the beach is a little gift shop. Looks like a hut, and very different looking. Great place to buy swim outfits, and beach gear.
Some of our favorite restaurants the Barcelo Bavaro were Kyoto (Japanese Restaurant that also did Hibachi), as well as Mexico Lindo. They have 2 wonderful buffet restaurants that are open during breakfast and dinner. It’s a great for kids who can be very picky as well as when you need to feed them when restaurant reservations are late.
There is a special kids club at the resort for kids to spend the day especially if you want a break or some alone time. They have outdoor activities and arcades as well as movie time for kids. My kids loved spending the time there. Also there is a water park area with a pirate ship close to the kids club. This is an additional cost (not included in the all inclusive package), if was a little secluded if you ask me, and not many people were there, but was a nice hang out place for a few hours
The beach water was nice and warm, only part that I didn’t like was the seaweed. I don’t like seaweed that’s washed up on shore, but once we were past that, the water was clear, blue and beautiful. We got some lively pictures from there, it was lovely. The dock was great too. It was nice to hang out at the end of the dock, and watch the boats go by smell the fresh air.
Saona Island
While in Punta Cana, we decided to do a full day excursion. After flipping some ideas around, we thought going to Saona Island would be fun. This was fantastic, definitely well worth the money and a day well spent. We absolutely love it. The trip there was on a speed boat, return was on a catamaran. You have a professional photography with you the whole time, and you will have the time of your life. We sure did.On the way there we did the speed boat. They go half way to Saona Island and stop for people who want to Snorkle to allow them to Snorkle. I personally didn’t do it, but my husband and kids did. They said it was wonderful. They were surrounded by so many different kinds of fish in the water and the water was actually warm, not cold. After spending 30 minutes here, everyone got back on the boat and we moved on. Right before we arrived at Saona Island we stopped again, this time at the shallow turquoise waters. Here the water is literally Turquoise and not so deep. This was different. Here we actually got to see starfish and take pictures with them
Saona Island is perfect. You wouldn’t have seen anything like it. The sand is clean and white; the water is clear and blue. Fantastic spots to take pictures and as mentioned earlier they provide a professional photograph who actually take great pictures. I’m far from a model but have to say he took some great snaps.Hint: always try and negotiate on the price if you decide to buy their pictures. The island is lovely. They had great people who did great massages, which were very inexpensive. Even the kids got great massages, they loved it.
They provide a fantastic buffet lunch on the island, which was included in the cost of and I have to admit the food was pretty good. The photographer took some great clicks of us, that even though we weren't wanted to buy the pictures, they were so good, we just as too.
They had salsa lessons and performances from people working on the island. It was great entertainment. We had a lot of fun here, definitely worth it. There are some great opportunities for some wonderful photos even if you are not a model.
After a wonderful day on Saona Island, the trip back to Punta Cana was the highlight. The ride back on a Catamaran with so many people was so much fun. They served beer on the ride back with music and dancing. They had some great dancers who were awesome and danced with everyone and anyone. Kids had a ball too, they were so happy. The sun beat down on us it was beautiful. Great views of the ocean, with music, such a relaxing trip back to the land. We all had a wonderful time.
I definitely recommend this trip to anyone who is looking for a fun excursion to do from Punta Cana. It was lots of fun, and well worth it.
