What I Learned after 4 days in the Caribbean

Think About These Questions so We can Find Your Perfect Caribbean Resort

I'm not the Caribbean's biggest fan but if you go out and explore, I find it that the all-inclusive resort experience is a perfect match to a day of excursions.  The Dominican Republic the most visited island in the Caribbean for two major reasons:  its inexpensive and lots of Europeans love its white sand beaches.  Most Americans typically say they are going to Punta Cana or DR.

Let’s first put together your vacation based on what you really want and see where that lands us, and we can adjust the dates and resorts to fit.

1. Do you have budget in mind? 
2. When you think of yourself on your vacation, in your mind what do you see you two doing at the resort?
3.  On your last vacation with each other, what was your favorite part of that trip?
4. Did you spend a lot of time in your hotel room?
5. OCEAN VIEW VS. OCEAN FRONT. Having a bathtub on your balcony where you come in and bubble bath is set up with strawberries and wine. Or a jungle view with your own hammock and animals coming up to your patio.
6. Are you beach people or more pool people? And let me tell you why I ask, if you are beach combers, wanting to layout in the sand and play in the sea then a resort that has beach service will be best for you. For example, one resort that is $1200 for a week vs. $1700 for the week gives you a flag at your beach cabana and when you want a drink or a snack you just put you flag in the sand and someone waits on you. Now, if you’re more of a pool person, then one resort that is $1200 for a week vs. $1700 for the week will have a DJ spinning and more swim up bars and pool side grills.
7. Do you want to participate in water sports? Some resorts have motorized water sports on property, some contract out.
8. Do you want to Dive? Some resorts have dive facilities on property, some contract out.
9. Do you work out? Yoga? Biking? The competition in the resorts for fitness and health is really setting resorts apart.
10. Do you drink alcohol? What is your favorite drink? Some resorts have more bars as opposed to just a few. Some offer top shelf; some offer local brands.
11. Do you like to dance? Are you clubbing people? Some resorts like the RIU’s the club is empty as it’s more of a family resort.
12. Do you eat a large breakfast when on vacation? Do you like fine dining?
13. Do you want to go off the property and do sightseeing? Some resorts come with tours included, some resorts give you a dollar amount per night stay to use towards touring and some just have tour desks for you to go to and plan your excursions.

Since 20104 DR completed a major highway thus creating a much more favorable experience with less transfer time and new areas to explore.  What resort?  Well picking a resort is no different from picking a hotel at Disney... what amenities do you want, and what level of service are you expecting?  Delta Vacations alone has 64 resorts to choose.  Though know what we consider a 5-star in Europe and terms of service and amenities is not necessarily equal in the Caribbean. 

So what is there to experience besides incredible beaches, excellent resort dining experiences, golf and water parks?  How about cigar making, sugar cane farming and a typical Dominican home?  Or the newest adventure and very creative is Dr. Fish...a spa day on a catamaran.  Yoga, massages, detoxing and skin nibbling fish are all part of this experience.

For the fun, sun needs to decompress, then a Caribbean vacation caters to those who want to escape and relax.

Things I recommend:  Make dinner reservations when you arrive and try out all the restaurants, bring towels from your your to beach/pool and then swap out as needed when there, ask for a list of activities at resort (i.e. nightly shows, water aerobics), and bring your flip flops for the spa!