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| *Travel Tips>>>Dominican Republic Travel Tips |
Going to Dominican Republic and staying at the Riu Taino? |
Travel Info from 6/19/07 - 6/23/07, anyone have good/bad comments. Weather this time of year, the food, the hotel...the activities ANYTHING would be helpful Travel Tips I answered a similar question for someone last week. I am happy to print it here for you - especially since the voters game me "Best Answer" for my response. I hope you will find that they were right! ==============================... My wife and I were at the RIU Taino last year and enjoyed our stay. The beach and pool area were both great, the staff was friendly and helpful, the food and the entertainment were good, and the accommodations were ok - not fancy or luxurious but clean, functional and well maintained. Having said that, you need to understand that RIU Taino is a huge resort, and that the accommodations are spread over a very large area. The way the accommodations are set up is in a garden setting with 4-rooms in a building - 2 on the ground floor and 2 above them. It's really nice, but really big! When you check-in ask for a room closer to the beach or you'll be walking - a lot! Here's another hint - at 8:00 AM the matre'd sets up a little table in the dining room, just to your right when you enter. He's taking/making reservations for the a'la carte restaurants for that evening. We had no problem getting reservations for dinner when we made them at breakfast. All the RIU resorts in Punta Cana (and there are 6 of them)line-up one right after the other on this beautiful stretch of beach, covered with palm trees. The RIU right next to us was the RIU Bambu, also a beautiful resort. Next to the Bambu was the RIU Palace Macao the the RIU Palace Punta Cana, I found the staff to be great at all of them, as I walked down the beach and sampled the food and beverages at them all. As a first time traveler - and especially since you're going to Punta Cana, you need to know several things: 1) Punta Cana is an international destination, meaning that it is a favorite with Europeans, especially since the Euro is so strong. Be prepared for some women who will be topless on the beach. 2) All passengers arriving in The Dominican Republic must purchase a $10.00 per person "Tourist Card" when passing through Immigration at the airport. 3) Punta Cana does not have many off-resort activities or places of interest - its kind of a laid-back, chill-out and enjoy your resort vacation. All hotels have tour desks for the 20 or so tours that are available. Most of the tours happen in or on the water; the array of water sports options offered right on the beach is amazing: catamaran boat rides, double-decker party boats, restaurant dining at sunset on the sea, parasailing, glass bottom boats for marine life observation, sports fishing, diving, snorkeling, flying boats, speed boats. The boat taxis can take you from one hotel to another via the beach. There is also banana boating, kayaking, windsurfing, sailing and beach volleyball. But here are other activities to consider: Safari-type excursions on four-wheel bikes, buggy rides, jeep safaris, monster trucks or helicopter rides for a privileged view. A dozen of companies offer these adventure tours that take the tourists to observe tropical wilderness, visit a countryside home where typical Dominican food lunch will be served, examine tropical crops, take a dip at a deserted beach or for a swim in a cool river. Horseback riding is also popular in Punta Cana with the option of riding on deserted white-sand beaches, making for great photography. Punta Cana has year round beach weather - with the high season from mid December to mid April. The rainy/hurricane season is mid August to mid October, so take that into account when planning your vacation. 4) Finally, take plenty of sunblock, some imodium (just in case), and leave most of your valuables at home. Oh yes. . . have a wonderful vacation! I hope this information is helpful. Source(s): I am a Certified Travel Consultant Specialist and Certified Dominican Republic Specialist. Other Travel Tips http://www.debbiesdominicantravel.com/... |
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