Tag: dominicanrepublic

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Dominican Republic–Girls Trip

Once upon a time there were three angels…(Charlie’s Angels reference)

Oops, wrong story. Once upon a time there were three girls who took a trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. They stayed at the Grand Palladium Resort, which is one of my favorites.IMG_1554They made the most out of the sun, sand, pool, beach and cocktails. IMG_1557The weather was perfect and they were able to go on some excursions and take in some sights. One morning, there was a jeep trip up into the mountains where they got to see and taste raw cocoa growing on a farm. Who knew chocolate would end up tasting so different from the actual cocoa it’s grown from?

Cocoa pod, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

They also went horseback riding and ziplined through the jungle. On their ride back down the mountain, they encountered this entertaining gentleman. They tipped him for his antics–he did a dance too–and returned to the resort.IMG_1565A couple of days later was scuba diving day.

There was a Dolin Dive Center on resort and Marcos was a great dive master. He took them through a shipwreck where they not only got to see some beautiful sealife, but they also were able to practice their skills. They also had the pleasure of diving with Inez from Uruguay.

The Palladium had a lot of activities to keep them busy. The food was good, the entertainment crew kept them involved in the fun games, and the pool and the beach were gorgeous.There was even a dance clinic happening at the resort with hundreds of dancers from around the world visiting that week so evenings in the disco were filled with incredible talent. At the end of the day, the girls had a relaxing, fun time.

The girls couldn’t wait to start planning their next trip. It sounded like they would be meeting again in Mexico next!

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A Morning Engagement–Best Sunrise Ever!

We were in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in February a few years ago. Hubby wasn’t yet my hubby and we decided this trip would be great for him to get his scuba certification. I was already certified, so I decided to work on my advanced certification. Needless to say, this vacay turned in to more of a “working” dive trip. We didn’t have much free time, but I think we made the most out of the time we DID have.
We were at an Iberostar resort, which is one of my favorites. Our villa rooms were close to the pool and dive shop and were nicely decorated. We had turtles living in the courtyard.IMG_1081
IMG_1084I loved the colors of the buildings because they complemented the colors of the sunrise here. Over the years, hubby and I, upon arrival, determine if we are in a locale that will have a better sunrise or sunset and then we make sure to watch some. Due to the way Punta Cana is situated in the DR, we determined sunrises here should be incredible.
The food was also something to write home about. We loved that there was an ice cream “parlor” right next to the pool, and one afternoon, lunch was served poolside–a paella with prawns the size of small lobsters.IMG_1082Besides diving, we got in a substantial amount of pool and beach time. And there were always chairs available at both. The ocean was a little rough, so we probably camped more at the pool.

We did get the chance to take one excursion–an all-day trip to Saona Island–which is a protected nature reserve. We took a long bus ride over to Hacienda Dominicus and got to use their amenities while waiting for our boat. We then went out for diving (the rest of our group went snorkeling) just off Saona Island. After our dive, we had an incredible beach BBQ and had time to relax and enjoy their beach. There were a few vendors selling their wares, and on our way back we got to stop at a natural pool where we got to see starfish. (Don’t worry, the one in the picture was not alive. The boat hands had planted many of them, so no one would disturb the live ones.)IMG_1080My favorite part about being on the trip to Saona Island is that I got to meet my friend Melissa. She is one of the encouraging people I had met along the blogging path and you may want to check out her blog The Mellyboo Project. We had a great time on our bus trip back to our Iberostar and she is quite the inspiration!
Our last morning in Punta Cana was Valentine’s Day. We again got up before dawn so we could watch sunrise on the beach. It didn’t even cross my mind that this would be the BEST sunrise ever. We found a nice spot on the beach and had fun posing with the rising sun in the palms of our hands. Just after daybreak, Sonny got down on one knee in the sand and asked if I would marry him. Of course I said yes! We still keep up our tradition of catching sunrises and sunsets wherever we go, but none will be quite as special as this one was.

Posted on

A Morning Engagement–Best Sunrise Ever!

We were in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in February a few years ago. Hubby wasn’t yet my hubby and we decided this trip would be great for him to get his scuba certification. I was already certified, so I decided to work on my advanced certification. Needless to say, this vacay turned in to more of a “working” dive trip. We didn’t have much free time, but I think we made the most out of the time we DID have.
We were at an Iberostar resort, which is one of my favorites. Our villa rooms were close to the pool and dive shop and were nicely decorated. We had turtles living in the courtyard.IMG_1081
IMG_1084I loved the colors of the buildings because they complemented the colors of the sunrise here. Over the years, hubby and I, upon arrival, determine if we are in a locale that will have a better sunrise or sunset and then we make sure to watch some. Due to the way Punta Cana is situated in the DR, we determined sunrises here should be incredible.
The food was also something to write home about. We loved that there was an ice cream “parlor” right next to the pool, and one afternoon, lunch was served poolside–a paella with prawns the size of small lobsters.IMG_1082Besides diving, we got in a substantial amount of pool and beach time. And there were always chairs available at both. The ocean was a little rough, so we probably camped more at the pool.

We did get the chance to take one excursion–an all-day trip to Saona Island–which is a protected nature reserve. We took a long bus ride over to Hacienda Dominicus and got to use their amenities while waiting for our boat. We then went out for diving (the rest of our group went snorkeling) just off Saona Island. After our dive, we had an incredible beach BBQ and had time to relax and enjoy their beach. There were a few vendors selling their wares, and on our way back we got to stop at a natural pool where we got to see starfish. (Don’t worry, the one in the picture was not alive. The boat hands had planted many of them, so no one would disturb the live ones.)IMG_1080My favorite part about being on the trip to Saona Island is that I got to meet my friend Melissa. She is one of the encouraging people I had met along the blogging path and you may want to check out her blog The Mellyboo Project. We had a great time on our bus trip back to our Iberostar and she is quite the inspiration!
Our last morning in Punta Cana was Valentine’s Day. We again got up before dawn so we could watch sunrise on the beach. It didn’t even cross my mind that this would be the BEST sunrise ever. We found a nice spot on the beach and had fun posing with the rising sun in the palms of our hands. Just after daybreak, Sonny got down on one knee in the sand and asked if I would marry him. Of course I said yes! We still keep up our tradition of catching sunrises and sunsets wherever we go, but none will be quite as special as this one was.