Author Topic: What to do in Punta Cana?  (Read 3796 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Claw

  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 4462
  • Location: Edmonton
  • Ride: 05LGT | [s]06S2k[/s]
What to do in Punta Cana?
« on: September 02, 2009, 09:44:46 am »
One of my groomsmen at my wedding is getting married in November - November 11 to be exact in Punta Cana.

What else is there to do down there? 

Neither my wife nor I have been there, what's a good length of stay down there?  I see Westjet has some decent prices around that time (seat sale for the way back).  Is there enough to do if we stuck around for a week, or is that too long?  Would 4 days suffice?

Thanks..
They're going to park their car over there. You're going to park your car over here. Get it?

Offline mwyhui

  • Patchy Faced
  • ***
  • Posts: 214
  • Location: Calgary
  • Ride: '06 FXT
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2009, 09:55:45 am »
They have a bunch of little tours to the towns and such, but the one tour that I found was amazing was the Outback Safari tours. You get to see how the locals live, stop off to buy rum/ cigars and such and to top it off, you get to go boogie boarding afterwards. When I went down to the Dominican, I was down there for 10 days and found that it was a bit on the long side for my liking. There was the all inclusive resort, and a few tours to the small towns just outside, but other than that, I personally didn't find too much to do out there.
"I'm gonna sing the doom song. Doomie doomie doom, doom doom doom..."

Offline Tabibito

  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 1396
  • ***gleefully bitter***
  • Ride: 2012 2.0i Sport Wagon, and big white box with blinky lights.
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2009, 09:58:39 am »
This is my personal bias, but I *hate* Mexico. My advice would be to find a nice all-inclusive resort, and just relax on the beach and drink for a week.

Edit: LOL, turns out I am a complete moron without my morning coffee...
===========
A filthy Subaru is a happy Subaru.

Offline snackers

  • WSC Pot Stick Posse
  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 9082
  • More uneven camber than the Westerner lot
  • Location: Deadmonchuk
  • Ride: Bucket of bolts and sadness
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2009, 10:05:19 am »
I was there for 14 days. It wasn't long enough.

The Saona full day excursion was fantastic. You take a bus ride through the country (small towns and so on) to a port, where you take a catamaran to Saona island. Drinks can be had. (Dominican Rum ftw)
Spend a few hours on that beach.
Then a speed boat back, where you stop at a place in between the island and mainland where the ocean is only about 3-4 feet deep, and play around with the different fish and stuff that live there.
Then a bus ride back where you stop in more towns (and tourist traps) to buy stuff.

Quad excursion - Spend a day (or half day) on a quad (1 each or 2 on 1) and speed around the local towns. They took us through a hotel that was only half completed before the local mafia scared out the builder, so now it's abandoned.

The safari is cool as well (mentioned above).

I didn't fish, but spending a day out on the water is always good (and its the dominican, so there will be rum)

There is a longer excursion that takes you into the capital city (Santo Domingo), see the sights, spend some money.

Manati Park - I never went, but apparently this is good as well.

All of these things I booked through the travel company at the hotel after I arrived. I'm not sure if you need to book them ahead of time.

Here are some examples.
http://www.puntacana.com/assets/File/PUNTACANA%20Excursions.pdf
http://www.puntacanaexplorer.com/activities.html
http://www.colonialtours.com.do/Englishsaona.htm

Offline snackers

  • WSC Pot Stick Posse
  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 9082
  • More uneven camber than the Westerner lot
  • Location: Deadmonchuk
  • Ride: Bucket of bolts and sadness
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2009, 10:05:58 am »
This is my personal bias, but I *hate* Mexico Dominican Republic.

Geography. It's not just for grade 5 students.

Offline wingless

  • WSC Supporter
  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 6081
  • testing, testing, 1,2,3...!
    • Shane
  • Location: Tuscan Hills, Calgary
  • Ride: 2018 WRB STi and 2000 JDM Forester STi
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2009, 10:07:30 am »
This is my personal bias, but I *hate* Mexico. My advice would be to find a nice all-inclusive resort, and just relax on the beach and drink for a week.

Good think PC is in Dominican eh... lol.

NINJA Edit: damn snaks...

I was there for about 8 days in Oct and it wasn't long enough... We too were there for a wedding and it was amazing! The resort we stayed at had tonnes to do, but the local shops were fun too. If you don't like being hustled to buy something stay in your room... however if you are good at bargaining, you'll be ok, and can have some fun.

oh, and get to know el 'presidente' he'll be a good friend!
__________________________
Signature

FS: 2014 BMW 320i x-drive 2.0 turbo awd. PM for details

Offline Zaider

  • WSC Supporter
  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 12621
  • <shifty eyes>
  • Location: Calgary, AB
  • Ride: Oh look at the kitty!
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2009, 10:09:51 am »
This is my personal bias, but I *hate* Mexico. My advice would be to find a nice all-inclusive resort, and just relax on the beach and drink for a week.

Que Pasa? Isn't Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic?

EDIT: Stupid long post... i shoulda known someone would beat me to it.

I was in the DR for 9 days with my girlfriend a year and a half ago. I loved it there. We stayed in Sosua, which is just east of Puerto Plata. We didn't make it to Punta Cana, but if you are open to staying elsewhere and just being in Punta Cana for a wedding, I know a great bed and breakfast in Sosua. Probably the best place i've ever stayed at, run by two british ex-pats.

I would say there is enough to keep you occupied for a week. Things to do:

Cable car ride up the mountain in Puerto Plata - Incredible views and there is a smaller version of the Jesus Christ statue on top like in Brazil
Go kite surfing or windsurfing in Cabarete. Its the capital of North America for those sports.
Take a day-trip via a tour group to Paradise Island. Its a small sand bar surrounded by a corral reef. There's drink stands on the island and you go snorkling amongst all the tropical fish.
Playa Rincon - Closer to Punta Cana than to Puerto Plata. We made the drive all the way out there and i'd have to say its one of the nicest beaches i've ever been to. Kinda hard to get to (rental car almost didn't make it due to the rocky road) but so worth it. White sandy beach backed by palm tree forest that stretches for 4.5km. Oh yeah, and its usually deserted.

Anyway... the DR was one of my favourite vacations... so relaxing... and lots to see. If you're feeling adventurous, take a guided tour into Haiti... they generally use bullet-proof busses with armed guards.

If you've got any more questions, shoot me a pm.
Go home Subaru. You're drunk.
Quote from: seat safety switch
audis are disposable suicide machines with 700lb of stupid interior itshay glued to them and 200 more horsepower than it needs so that their owners can never bring on track or drive anywhere more aggressively than a camry except when weaving in and out of traffic and letting the traction control soak up their incompetence

Offline Tabibito

  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 1396
  • ***gleefully bitter***
  • Ride: 2012 2.0i Sport Wagon, and big white box with blinky lights.
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2009, 10:59:34 am »
This is my personal bias, but I *hate* Mexico. My advice would be to find a nice all-inclusive resort, and just relax on the beach and drink for a week.

Que Pasa? Isn't Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic?



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, oh man, serves me right for surfing without coffee.... ;)
Yes, you are right.

That said, all-inclusive resort + drinking on the beach is still my advice.
===========
A filthy Subaru is a happy Subaru.

Offline Zaider

  • WSC Supporter
  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 12621
  • <shifty eyes>
  • Location: Calgary, AB
  • Ride: Oh look at the kitty!
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2009, 01:11:59 pm »
This is my personal bias, but I *hate* Mexico. My advice would be to find a nice all-inclusive resort, and just relax on the beach and drink for a week.

Que Pasa? Isn't Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic?



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, oh man, serves me right for surfing without coffee.... ;)
Yes, you are right.

That said, all-inclusive resort + drinking on the beach is still my advice.

S'alright. I had to google for like 5 mins to make sure I wasn't being an idiot.
Go home Subaru. You're drunk.
Quote from: seat safety switch
audis are disposable suicide machines with 700lb of stupid interior itshay glued to them and 200 more horsepower than it needs so that their owners can never bring on track or drive anywhere more aggressively than a camry except when weaving in and out of traffic and letting the traction control soak up their incompetence

Offline Tabibito

  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 1396
  • ***gleefully bitter***
  • Ride: 2012 2.0i Sport Wagon, and big white box with blinky lights.
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2009, 01:17:55 pm »
This is my personal bias, but I *hate* Mexico. My advice would be to find a nice all-inclusive resort, and just relax on the beach and drink for a week.

Que Pasa? Isn't Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic?



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, oh man, serves me right for surfing without coffee.... ;)
Yes, you are right.

That said, all-inclusive resort + drinking on the beach is still my advice.

S'alright. I had to google for like 5 mins to make sure I wasn't being an idiot.

Haha, nope it was me. Internal process was something like this:

Eyes: ...Punta Cana... ok, sending that to Brain.
Brain: *snnnnooorrrrr--* Huh?! Wha-... oh, message from Eyes. Something with a 'P', sounds Spanish... Peurto Vallarta, maybe? Man, that place is a itsholeshay... wow, remember that time we were almost kidnapped in Mexico city? What a horrible country. Better tell Hands to warn this guy...
Hands: *typety-type-type* What, you want critical thought here? We're hands!! :P
===========
A filthy Subaru is a happy Subaru.

Offline Sinz

  • Beards Comin in Nice
  • ****
  • Posts: 671
  • Location: St. Albert
  • Ride: 2012 JKR
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #10 on: September 03, 2009, 08:03:24 am »
+3 on the Outback Safari tour. It was a blast. Besides drinking and sitting on the beach/poolside thats all I managed to do while I was there after the snorkiling excursion almost ended very very badly... The cable car up to the top of the mountain would be cool, I remember staring at that thing for hours as it slowly went out of focus... All inclusive ftw!
There's no stopping the Frito Bandito

Offline Claw

  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 4462
  • Location: Edmonton
  • Ride: 05LGT | [s]06S2k[/s]
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #11 on: September 03, 2009, 11:34:37 am »
Thanks for the suggestions.  It's an all inclusive, for two people comes to $1932.05 including taxes. 

I guess the all inclusive doesn't include any of the tours, right?

Is renting a car necessary?  Do the tours all have pickups from the hotels?  They booked the RUI Palace hotel.
They're going to park their car over there. You're going to park your car over here. Get it?

Offline spanky

  • Beards Comin in Nice
  • ****
  • Posts: 572
  • Location: REDDEER
  • Ride: 03 baja,14 sti,94 escort cosworth,2000 rs project
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #12 on: September 03, 2009, 11:58:25 am »
This is my personal bias, but I *hate* Mexico. My advice would be to find a nice all-inclusive resort, and just relax on the beach and drink for a week.

Edit: LOL, turns out I am a complete moron without my morning coffee...

not smarter than a fifth grader

Offline Sinz

  • Beards Comin in Nice
  • ****
  • Posts: 671
  • Location: St. Albert
  • Ride: 2012 JKR
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #13 on: September 03, 2009, 11:58:42 am »
Our tour had a pickup at the hotel (Ibero Star, try the drink named after the hotel... ) We never rented a car but were warned to stay out of the towns... I think we were in Purto Plata on the other side of the island if memory serves me....
There's no stopping the Frito Bandito

Offline snackers

  • WSC Pot Stick Posse
  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 9082
  • More uneven camber than the Westerner lot
  • Location: Deadmonchuk
  • Ride: Bucket of bolts and sadness
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #14 on: September 03, 2009, 12:30:22 pm »
I guess the all inclusive doesn't include any of the tours, right?

Is renting a car necessary?  Do the tours all have pickups from the hotels?  They booked the RUI Palace hotel.

All inclusive does not include tours.
Renting a car isn't necessary. They will pick you up. Usually there is a booth in the hotel where you book all the stuff. They won't pick you up if you aren't registered, so don't just "show up" to the crowd of people. If no one from your hotel registered, then they won't even stop there.

As far as going into town... I'm not sure. I personally wouldn't, but I'm also the kind of person that liked the fact that there was an armed guard at the entrance to my hotel to keep out the local riff raff.
I went into town (Bavaro Beach) a few times, but only during the day.
The local kids harass you for money (or food, or shoelaces), and the shop people harass you to buy their crap. If you can deal with this stuff, then it shouldn't be a worry.
I wouldn't go at night.

Offline Zaider

  • WSC Supporter
  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 12621
  • <shifty eyes>
  • Location: Calgary, AB
  • Ride: Oh look at the kitty!
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #15 on: September 03, 2009, 12:49:08 pm »
Im the opposite of Snackers. I really enjoyed going into Puerto Plata for a day and wandering around Sosua. We also hung out in the town near Playa Rincon (I forget the name). Cabarete has plenty of foreigners because of all the kite and wind surfing.

General rules of visiting a foreign country apply (especially a developing one!). Dont wear flashy jewlery, be aware of your surroundings at all times, bring a bag with zippers, etc. Yeah, you're going to get harassed for money and if you're on a public beach, be prepared to say "No Gracias" about 200 times because you'll be offerred everything every 5 minutes. But for me, its part of the experience to explore the actual cities and towns, not just see the resort.

I think it all depends on what kind of trip you're looking for. If you're looking to relax on a beach and drink in the sun, then chill at the resort and dont worry about renting a car. If you're looking to explore, then renting a car is a good idea. I'd recommend a jeep actually :D
Go home Subaru. You're drunk.
Quote from: seat safety switch
audis are disposable suicide machines with 700lb of stupid interior itshay glued to them and 200 more horsepower than it needs so that their owners can never bring on track or drive anywhere more aggressively than a camry except when weaving in and out of traffic and letting the traction control soak up their incompetence

Offline Claw

  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 4462
  • Location: Edmonton
  • Ride: 05LGT | [s]06S2k[/s]
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #16 on: September 03, 2009, 02:35:36 pm »
Well dammit, I got the package info from the vacation place.

I spoke to her, she asked me how many people and quoted me a price..  silly me for thinking that's a total price for my wife and I.  I get the printout and it says "rates are per adult..."

I could do $2k all-inclusive for both of us, but I can't really justify $4k.. we already went to Vegas and Hawaii this year.

:(

/sad panda.

got me all excited too.
They're going to park their car over there. You're going to park your car over here. Get it?

Offline Mr. Wheeler

  • Beards Comin in Nice
  • ****
  • Posts: 722
  • Location: Calgary
  • Ride: 2007 WRX Sport Wagon Airboy tuned Stage 0
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #17 on: September 03, 2009, 04:01:25 pm »
I have a trip to Punta Cana booked for the last week of January 2010!

$1200 all in! AMA had a 2 for one deal on a little while ago.  We booked 4 star hotel with access to the neighboring 4.5 star hotel since it's owned by the same company. 



I've been to the DR once before in April 2007. 

Things I did and my thoughts:

Swiming with sharks ------------------ Lame (they're trapped in net enclosures and don't swim around - see power boating below which includes snorkling on the reef)
Power Boat tour ---------------------- BOOYAH! (You also get to go snorkling halfway through the tour) Don't be afraid to pass the slow losers that are scared of going fast.
Santo Domingo ----------------------- Very Nice (Be prepared to be pestered by kids and bums wanting your money, haggle like you're buying a mustang, the value is usually 10-15% of what they're asking)
Deep Sea Fishing --------------------- Expensive (Check to make sure that the fish are in the area or the only thing you'll catch is sea sickness) 
     

Offline Zaider

  • WSC Supporter
  • Rivaling ZZ-TOP
  • *****
  • Posts: 12621
  • <shifty eyes>
  • Location: Calgary, AB
  • Ride: Oh look at the kitty!
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #18 on: September 03, 2009, 04:03:08 pm »
Well dammit, I got the package info from the vacation place.

I spoke to her, she asked me how many people and quoted me a price..  silly me for thinking that's a total price for my wife and I.  I get the printout and it says "rates are per adult..."

I could do $2k all-inclusive for both of us, but I can't really justify $4k.. we already went to Vegas and Hawaii this year.

:(

/sad panda.

got me all excited too.

Look into just the flights and stay at a Bed and Breakfast?
Go home Subaru. You're drunk.
Quote from: seat safety switch
audis are disposable suicide machines with 700lb of stupid interior itshay glued to them and 200 more horsepower than it needs so that their owners can never bring on track or drive anywhere more aggressively than a camry except when weaving in and out of traffic and letting the traction control soak up their incompetence

Offline seahaul

  • Stubbly Faced
  • **
  • Posts: 24
Re: What to do in Punta Cana?
« Reply #19 on: September 21, 2009, 05:22:14 pm »
We were there a year and a half ago, went on the mini speed boat and snorkeling....Don't do it. The boats barely went fast enough to plane and i think mine has puke in it. The snorkeling equipment was old and crappy, but it did come out of a garbage pail of soap like slop. After it was done we were hussled into a small mall for an hour to buy stuff until the bus was "ready" to leave.

The best part was the drive through the towns but I was glad to be in bus, there was a lot of men standing on the street corners doing nothing, it was not safe! I've been all over the states, to Thailand, Mexico a couple times, and Cuba. Punta Cana resort was on par but not the surrounding towns etc were the least safe in my opinion.

Seahaul