Dominican Republic
Welcome to Puna Cana – years ago the east coast of the Dominican Republic was little more than a lonely stretch of beach and scrub-brush. Today, that diamond in the rough has been polished into a glittering gem, that has become the Caribbean’s most popular and fastest growing tourist destinations. The area is now home to more than 30 large tourist complexes.Punta Cana has 35 kilometers of secluded white sand beaches. One of the most popular nearby attractions is Manati Park Bavaro, a 130,000 square meter preserve with permanent exhibits of live animal, birds, reptiles, and fish, as well as performing dolphins, sea lions, and talking parrots. There is also an archaeologically replica of an Indian village. Take a half day 4 x 4 motorbike adventure tour along the beach or a safari tour to see the countryside. In this area big game fishing is unsurpassed. The region also offers wonderful trails for horseback riders, four golf courses, sailing and a variety of water sports. The beach is of course the big attraction in Puna Cana. For those with energy left over the resort entertainment staff present a variety of shows. You will also find several casinos for the gaming enthusiasts and hotel discos for the night owls.
Article Published: November 24th, 2005
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic is a destination of discovery. Most of the north coast is beach and most of the beaches are unspoiled and undeveloped. You will find breathtaking countryside, more than just a strip of sand in sea, this is the second largest island in the Caribbean with an ever changing terrain and non-stop unspoiled natural beauty. Almost all visitors comment on how Dominicans are the friendliest people they have ever met when traveling. Raw nature… but you don’t have to rough it. You can be four-wheeling through jungle roads by day and at night be sipping French wine and eating lobster beside the beach. There are dozens of all-inclusive beach resorts, where food, drinks, beach equipment and a long list of amenities are all part of a one-price package including airfare conveniently organized out of all major Canadian centers. There are lots of great deals available. Dozens of specialty vacations are being offered by people who went to Puerto Plata as tourists and then moved back to set up shop because they discovered that this place is great for… horseback riding in the mountains, getting scuba diving certification (one of the least expensive places to get it), windsurfing , white water rafting, whale watching (the largest Atlantic ocean gathering of humpback whales spawning January to March in Samana Bay), hiking trips – you will find the tallest mountain in the Caribbean, Pico Duarte, 10,000 ft, with guides and mules available, mountain biking, motocross and four-wheeling. There are plenty of guided daytrips and excursions that make it easy to have a tropical or third world adventure and get back to the comfort of your hotel by the end of the day.
Article Published: August 31st, 2006
On April 7th my daughter Alicia and I headed off to Puerto Plata for a mother/daughter week of sun and relaxation. We spend a week at the Occidental Grand Puerto Plata directly on Playa Dorada beach. This wonderful 4 star all-inclusive resort has 7 restaurants, 2 pools, 4 bars, windsurfing, kayaking, water polo, tennis courts, horse-back riding, pool volleyball and incredible nightly entertainment. We choose 3 different excursion of the area. Our first was the Outback Safari – we left the hotel and headed out into the country side for a day of adventure with stops at a Dominican home, a local school, lunch stop with Dominican entertainment, a river cruise and a stop at the beach for boogie boarding. Our next excursion was Paradise Island, we left the hotel at 6:00am and headed for El Castillo where we boarded a speed boat to take us to Paradise Island. On our way we were fortunate to have wild dolphins playing in the wake of the boat. Once we arrived at the island we spent an hour on a snorkeling tour – viewing amazing coral and colorful fish, after spending time on the island we again boarded the speed boat and toured through the lush green mangroves of the National Park on our way to lunch at a small fishing village. Our third tour was the Puerto Plata City tour. Our first stop was the Brugal Rum factory, where we toured the factory and sampled their product. Then it was off to the San Felipe Fortress, the Amber museum, and the local market. It was a wonderful vacation in the Dominican Republic.
Article Published: July 5th, 2007
Welcome to Puna Cana – years ago the east coast of the Dominican Republic was little more than a lonely stretch of beach and scrub-brush. Today, that diamond in the rough has been polished into a glittering gem, that has become the Caribbean’s most popular and fastest growing tourist destinations. The area is now home to more than 30 large tourist complexes.Punta Cana has 35 kilometers of secluded white sand beaches. One of the most popular nearby attractions is Manati Park Bavaro, a 130,000 square meter preserve with permanent exhibits of live animal, birds, reptiles, and fish, as well as performing dolphins, sea lions, and talking parrots. There is also an archaeologically replica of an Indian village. Take a half day 4 x 4 motorbike adventure tour along the beach or a safari tour to see the countryside. In this area big game fishing is unsurpassed. The region also offers wonderful trails for horseback riders, four golf courses, sailing and a variety of water sports. The beach is of course the big attraction in Puna Cana. For those with energy left over the resort entertainment staff present a variety of shows. You will also find several casinos for the gaming enthusiasts and hotel discos for the night owls.
