Punta Cana with my Bestie

This was my first time ever visiting the Dominican Republic and it did not disappoint!

My best friend and I decided to fly to Punta Cana for 5 days. The PUJ airport was pretty small and easy to maneuver through. We originally paid for a shuttle to take us to the hotel, but ended up taking a 45 minute taxi to get to our hotel Finest Punta Cana. Customer service from check in to check out was top tier. They created us with champagne then led us through the check in process and were very thorough in explaining what we had access to and all the amenities available. We chose Finest because it is an all inclusive hotel. It had over 5 different restaurants for us to choose from. Multiple bars on the beach. Outdoor and indoor entertainment areas. Fitness area and a larger bar inside for adults to enjoy a beverage. There was also two kiddie pool areas and even an adults only pool with an island. The rooms had beautiful views, own private balconies, and a jacuzzi pool.

Our first day consisted of exploring more of the hotel, lounging by the pool, and trying the different restaurants at the hotel. We knew the next few days would be busy with excursions so we wanted to take it easy. The second day we woke up early to catch a shuttle for a day of parasailing and snorkeling. Our tour guide Luis and his crew did an amazing job of keeping everyone informed and entertained. We had lunch onboard and were able to dock in shallow waters where we met up with other boats to swim, dance, and buy coconut and pineapple drinks.

Our next day was another full day of excursions. We were picked up using the parks shuttle around 8 am. We went to ScapePark where we zip lined, swam in the Hoyo Azul, explored the Iguabonita cave, walked the cultural route, visited the parrots, monkey, and iguana islands and more. It was a full day of walking and swimming. I really appreciated how the entire park was like a one stop shop. In case you forgot anything, they had everything you could possibly need in the gift shop. There were lockers, changing rooms, hydration areas, and very clear paths for walking. The staff were all very helpful and the cleanliness of the park showed as minimal human interference as possible. Life vests were abundantly available and tons of areas were accessible for small children to safely play. We opted out of the sunshine cruise, but others on the shuttle back stated it was a great experience. Ziplining was my favorite thing at the park. There were 7 lines that went fast and gave you a full view of the entire park and beyond. It did involve a lot of stairs and some climbing so if your not up for the trek I don't recommend it. We went to each of the attractions at the park and walked about 5,000 yards (yes every trail was marked so we were keeping track!)

We took the park shuttle back to our hotel around 4 pm and made it back in an hour. We had plenty of time to shower and get ready for dinner. We decided to try the hotels' International restaurant and had their exquisite calamari, lobster, and 45 oz Tomahawk!

Needless to say, after such a long day and filling dinner the night before we really needed a day to relax. You know the saying 'vacation from the vacation', that's what we did our last day. Lounged on the beach for 8 hours, drank 8 coco locos, and went to two of the hotel restaurants for dinner. The next day we took the hotel shuttle back to the airport to head back home!

#fallgetaways #vacation #birthdays #besties #family #puntacana #scapepark #adventure