Punta Cana 2023~
We had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect and it was fun to do a non-Disney trip!
My pictures might be a little mixed up as some are from Heidi, some are from Chris and then there are my pictures.
We came in from Philly on Monday and the overall Monday day wasn't the best. Anyone who has flown internationally knows that the airports are always crazy. The heat hit us and we eventually made our way to the resort after some hiccups with our ride. Check-in was also way longer than expected and overall it took around 4 hours from the airport to when we finally got our room. We were tired and overwhelmed. Too many people trying to "help" us get on our way but also trying to get us to sign up or pay or whatever. I told Chris I felt like were always 2 seconds from trying to be scammed and too many people yelling at you for things.
After Monday, we got our bearings and started getting things in order. Breakfasts and dinners were great at the resort. Lunches were a challenge and we found ourselves trying to figure out food or waiting until 12:30 until they were maybe cooking burgers. Island time is too slow for us. ha. I would say this is the biggest complaint of the resort is I could always find a drink if I wanted it, but we were struggling to find food from 10:30 to 12:30 and 3:00 - 5:30. We got lucky a few times and they were grilling chicken, which was amazing but wasn't every day.
We would eat breakfast, head to the pool or beach, and just hang out. They had a lazy river, 11 different pools, two kids water parks, and plenty of other options. The staff was very nice and we enjoyed the pools and beach for sure. We also rented a golf cart and this was really a must. This place was HUGE and even with a golf cart and being in a pool for most of the day, I had 18K-20K steps every day.
In the main lobby/building, they had bowling, arcade, ice cream shop, escape room, laser tag, virtual games, coffee shop, sandwich shop, TONS of shopping and more. It could get a little busy in the main building, but still not too bad.
Bowling...
Heidi and her selfies... Lucy was over it.
The sun was real. I came prepared with my SPF shirt and hat and I did not care what I looked like. The girls, at first, thought they would be ok but quickly learned they needed a hat and shirt too.
When they would grill - the food would be AMAZING!
Yes. I'm a dork but I didn't get sun burned. Also, a pro tip would be to bring a tumbler for your drinks - its hot and things melt quickly. Even the girls had tumblers for their drinks.
Very beautiful grounds.
This is the last picture I snapped on the way home was Heidi loving that they had Taco Bell, Lucy was eating Wendys behind her and Chris got excited for $35 rare Whiskey in the Duty Free shop...
Our saving grace - this golf cart.
It took a day or two but Heidi finally listened to me on the sun. She is now peeling like crazy...
We would always encourage everyone to take breaks out of the pool and get some shade...
The bag is our waterproof bag for money and phones etc, though I ended up just keeping money in it as you would reach into it soaking wet. I didn't care how I looked - I was all about protection and functionality!
We convinced Heidi to get a SPF shirt herself and she was very grateful.
Lucy probably drank 100 kids Pina Coldas..
There were so many pools, they were never really crowded, except for maybe a foam party or some game, which we avoided.
Hats were key!
Quick nap after big steak dinner and sun all day.
I did a really bad job of tracking pictures of our dinner meals. They were so good.
This was one of the 2 pools we spent most of our time. They both had in pool swim-up bars and then these little pool Jacuzzis. The music was fun and the bartenders were nice too.
Silent Disco... super funny as always. Heidi at first was pretty reserved but was laughing the entire time. Lucy was a dancing queen.
Chris and I took a mixology lesson from one of the bartenders and it was really fun.
The kids had no issues getting their own drinks and they could make such a variety of non-alcoholic beverages for the girls.
We only went to the beach during the day once (twice at dusk/night). It was beautiful but the waves were too rough to swim safely. They played in the sand and had fun, while I found a shaded chair.
The evenings were great - they had great restaurants, plenty of places for drinks, different performers, and a variety of things to do. I think Heidi was a little
Sun tired Heidi.
Sometimes naps were needed in the afternoon...
Sushi was A+
The main building was really a mall with a casino at one end and a convention center at the other.
We didn't escape. We tried and were 3 puzzles away.
Silent Disco was really funny.
More of the Mixology lesson...
This meal was SO good!
Pirate Party of the beach with an amazing band.
Lucy found their freshly made popsicles and loves them.
We had the Islander 2 king suite. It included a nice bathroom with a separate toilet and shower, two king-size beds, a lower level with a couch and table, and then a nice balcony with lounge chairs and this jet tub.
We had a blast and were happy to be there. We will now try to mix in some of these all-inclusive vacations in with Disney!
