Day 1 – May 10th Friday
Our journey to Punta Cana DR 🇩🇴 was quite an adventure. We started with a smooth two-hour drive 🚙 to Raleigh airport, arriving at our gate well ahead of schedule. However, our flight ✈️was delayed first by 30⏱️ minutes, then an hour ⏱️, and eventually two hours ⏱️. This caused us to miss our connecting flight from Miami to Punta Cana (PUJ) airport, with the next available flight not until the following day 📆.
Opting for a gamble 🎲, we decided to fly ✈️into Santo Domingo and drive 2.5 hours to Punta Cana instead. Unfortunately, even that flight was delayed. It wasn’t until 10 pm that we finally touched down in the Dominican Republic🇩🇴. With a rental car initially in our plans, we opted for the convenience of a taxi 🚕 upon arrival. We didn’t reach our resort until 1am, ending our journey after a series of delays and slept like rocks 🪨 after being awake since 4am 😴.
Day 2 – May 11th Saturday
Our morning began with what we thought would be a simple breakfast and a resort tour, only to find ourselves caught up in a time-share scam 🤦. My advice to you: always crunch the numbers. Despite the unexpected turn, breakfast offered a satisfying buffet, and I couldn’t resist the delicious plantains and green banana mash. The fruit selection was exceptional.
After breakfast, we made our way to the beach 🏝️, where we spent the day playing in the ocean, soaking up the sun ☀️, and grabbing a quick barbecue snack. Lunchtime found us back at the buffet, where I savored tacos 🌮 and Amanda indulged in a strawberry 🍓 marshmallow. We then lounged in hammocks, leading to a much-needed nap to recharge our batteries.
Later, we explored the resort, discovering five more swimming pools, a gym 💪, and encountering parrots 🦜 and iguanas 🦎 along the way. Dinner took us to the Indian restaurant, where the chickpea salad, butter chicken, and malai kofta were culinary highlights. We capped off the evening with a ride on the commuter train 🚂 to a sports bar and ended up purchasing $22 gold-plated mosquito repellent before calling it a night.
Day 3 – May 12th Sunday
We kicked off our day with a delicious breakfast buffet , where the huevos rancheros 🍳 stole the show. Amanda couldn’t get enough of the refreshing watermelon 🍉 juice and the crispy fried queso.
After getting our shower’s hot water fixed (it was nonstop scalding 🔥), we joined Antonio for a rejuvenating 30-minute stretching class 🙆. Then we made our way to the “secret” pool) which, although not truly secret, offered a serene atmosphere without any kids and we met new friends from Indianapolis.
Post-pool 🏊relaxation led us to lunch, where Amanda savored a custom pasta dish 🍝. Later in the evening, we ventured to La Adelita for Mexican influenced dinner – great appetizer bar but entrees were a little overcooked. Relaxed in our room watching a Netflix movie titled “Anyone but You” and then caught a mesmerizing circus show 🤸♀️.
Day 4 – May 13 Monday
Today was another day of food and relaxation. At the breakfast buffet, I decided to give the mini corn dogs 🌽🌭 a try, and to my surprise, they were quite tasty 😋 . We then joined another stretching 🧘session, although today’s instructor brought a whole new level of intensity 🔝. After some laps and relaxation at the pool 🏊 , we tried Poseidon 🔱for lunch, where I indulged in some papaya 🥭 and fresh fruit before taking a much-needed nap 😴.
In the afternoon, we participated in a cooking class whichever unfortunately turned out to be a bit lackluster, resembling more of a history lesson on mufungo 🍌🥓than an actual culinary experience. However, we pushed through and then readied ourselves for our reservation at Sumptuori 🇯🇵. Dinner was a delicious meal of steak 🥩 , chicken 🍗 , shrimp 🍤 , and salmon 🍣 tepanyaki, distinct from hibachi. To cap off the evening, we caught a charming play featuring kids acting out Disney stories and songs 🎤, providing a delightful end to the day.
Day 5 – Tuesday, May 14
We started our day with a trip to the buffet. Each day, I get more and more excited about the huevos rancheros 🍳. Then we headed to the beach to play in the waves 🌊 and relax in the shade 🌴.
For lunch, we went to a food truck 🛻 and had hotdogs 🌭, chicken tacos 🌮 , and French fries 🍟 and enjoyed it all poolside 🏊 . Then we walked back to the pool next to our room for another soak. After a full afternoon in the water, it was time for a nap 😴 before dinner.
For dinner, we had Thai 🇹🇭 food from Bamboo🎋. The sushi 🍣 bar was great, but the chicken pad Thai 🍜was quite interesting with its thin noodles and bland sauce. We finished off the day with a refreshing walk around the resort and took a picture 📸 of a large tree 🌳 .
Day 6 – Wednesday May 15
Today I woke up early for a three-mile run 🏃around the resort🌴. It was nice but very humid💦. I spotted a ferret 🦦 on my path, which was a happy surprise 😲 . On our way to breakfast, I felt a warm hit on my hand and looked down to see something red. I thought I was bleeding 🩸, but fortunately, it was just bird droppings 🦜💩. For breakfast at Behique, I had delicious huevos rancheros 🍳 .
Then we played 18 holes 🏌️. The greens were lush despite the rough areas and abundant foliage 🪴. The sand pits 🏝️were plentiful. It was amazing to have the entire course to ourselves, and it was shaded. I really enjoy miniature golf ⛳️🤣.
Afterwards, we headed to the pool 🏊 for some swimming and napping 😴 .
For dinner, we had reservations at the steakhouse, El Dorado. It was okay; I had the New York strip 🥩and Amanda had the chicken 🍗.
At 21:00, we went to burlesque 👯 BINGO. It was really just bingo with music 🎶 . We had a good time, although we didn’t win at bingo. However, I did win a mug ☕️ and a hat 🧢 as a seat 💺 prize. It was a fun evening.
Day 7 – Thursday, May 16
Awoke in paradise, knowing it was our last full day. We started with breakfast, where the watermelon 🍉was especially sweet today. Then it was off to the beach 🏖️for some waves 🌊 , napping 😴 , and swimming 🏊 . Since it was the last day, I made sure to fit in some stretching 🙆 . It was tough but exhilarating. Afterward, we headed back to the pool 🏊 .
For lunch, I enjoyed Al Pastor—pork 🥓 and pineapple 🍍 on a rotisserie, similar to Shawarma. It was delicious.
Then we returned to the beach 🏖️ .
Our last dinner in the Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 took us back to our first restaurant, Bhogali, for Indian food 🇮🇳. We had chickpea salad, biryani, and sweet and sour ribs .
Finally, it was time to pack up.
Day 8 – Friday, May 17
Our last day at the Grand Palladium Resort in Punta Cana🇩🇴. We woke up early to watch the sunrise🌅 at the beach 🏖️ —a highly recommended experience. To avoid mosquitoes 🦟 and sand fleas, we waded into the water. After the sunrise, we packed our bags 💼 , cleaned our room, and left a special tip for housekeeping 🧺.
We enjoyed one last buffet breakfast with delicious fruit 🥭 and then caught the shuttle 🚐to Punta Cana Airport (PUJ) ✈️. Unfortunately we got separated from dad early since our airlines were in different terminals. Our first flight ✈️to Miami, Florida (MIA) was on time, as was our connection to Raleigh, North Carolina. We ended the trip with a visit to Amanda’s brother’s house for some pizza 🍕and to dog-sit 🐾 Sookie and her brother Cooper. A perfect ending to a wonderful adventure.