You might be surprised, but I had never ridden a vacation package tour.
All these Antalya, Tunisia, Egypt and other somehow passed me, so that before the trip to the Dominican Republic, I had no idea how to rest the large majority of our citizens, departing at all insclusive resorts.
More interesting was in the Dominican Republic to get used to the role of the average tourist and spend time in a new country in a very different pace than it occurred in dozens of travel before.
So how do you look at a vacation paradise beaches of the Dominican Republic through the eyes of a tourist-beginner?
2. If for me the beginning of any trip is to buy tickets and preparing the future of the route, in the case of the packet round all a little bit different. You go, or call your travel agent, he'll picks tour in accordance with the needs and financial capabilities, you pay it, and wait for your flight.
As a rule, it will charter flight (yes, I'm only the second time in his life flew by charter) which is not always possible to register in advance and pre-select a seat in the cabin.
Our flight to Punta Cana took off from Domodedovo airport at night almost simultaneously with departures from adjacent gates flights to Phuket, Bangkok and Goa. Naturally, the waiting room was packed because of the huge number of people waiting almost simultaneous landing.
3. We flew by plane airline Azur Air, for whom this was the first flight to the Dominican Republic.
Given that this year on the Moscow - Punta Cana no longer Transaero Airlines, Azur today - the only airline that offers direct flights from Moscow to Dominican Republic . In these travels it is great time saver. I remember when I was flying last year in Rio de Janeiro at the World Cup, flight only slightly longer than the distance "cost" me ten extra hours because of the transplant in Frankfurt.
Transatlantic flights in this direction Azur exercises in airplanes Boeing 767-300 in a single-class layout (only Economy cabin). Sami planes less than six months ago, have been a major comprehensive service and interior renovation, it can be seen even with the naked eye. Unlike many aircraft charter companies, here you feel yourself as if a whole new plane. That's just enough legroom. But this charter ...
4. Dawn, we met somewhere in the sky over the Atlantic. He was absolutely terrific! Before landing was only a few hours and a colorful sunrise eloquently alluded to continued good trip
5. After a perfect landing, the captain called all passengers cling to the window, as our flight at the airport met the water arch of fire trucks. Who does not know, is the aviation tradition - if any airline operates its first flight, it met here this arch. I have several times seen similar to spotting, but the first time was at a time directly in the cabin
6. After passing through passport control (and how it jump the queue I described in one of his first posts of the Dominican Republic), a shuttle will take you to your hotel. Of course, what you see then, depending on your choice when dealing with a travel agent and the size of the purse.
On this trip we stayed in four hotels to get a more or less expanded view of the level of hotels in different networks on the coast.
The first was the Barcelo Bavaro. Not too vast territory, a nice beach with palm trees on the beach, several pools with bars, all inclusive, a dozen different restaurants. Of the minuses - just mediocre quality cocktails at the pool bar, quite slow free WiFi, besides also zamorochenny in terms of connectivity.
7. The rooms are very good, with a comfortable bed, a traditional for this region semi-open bathroom and a large free minibar.
8. On arrival it was very nice to see a compliment from the hotel as much as three bottles of local rum. Looking ahead, I will say that in other hotels and it was not close
9. Well ... first of all to the beach! What else will make the tourist, who spent 13 hours in the air, a few hours earlier at the airport, and the last few days before the assembly and the fitting of affairs? Of course, swimming in the ocean!
10. And then you can lie on a lounger and enjoy the rustle of palm leaves directly overhead. In hotels, you can not worry about that suddenly arrives on the head of a coconut, cut them in advance with all the palm trees throughout.
11. Who does not like swimming in salt water for those in hotels full of pools. Almost everywhere, certainly has a pool "for adults only". Naturally, we went there in the first place, but ... it's not what you think) there is simply forbidden to bathe the children. Therefore, there is full of retirees and pensioners. In general, the more we did not go there)
11. Of course, endlessly lie on the beach and swim in the pool all eventually get bored and begins to study offered by the hotel and local guides activities. Their choice is not that huge, but not small. Let us briefly in order than a tourist can do here during your holiday and what to see, in addition to the beaches and palm trees.
Sea fishing. You bring one of the slipways where the boat will take you on a speed boat, and you're already on it with the team will go to the ocean to hunt for marlin or tuna
11. These boats are specially designed for fishing in their weight bindings for rods, so take care of gear and bait is absolutely not necessary.
12. In fact, the escort team does everything for you - and the boat is, and throws the rod and bait catches advance and skewer it. Here are just a fish on the hook for not wearing, as in "Diamond Hand". So it may well be that access to the sea can be a single and a few hours trolling desperate to nothing lead. Also it is necessary to take into account the fact that the waves rocking the boat well enough and if you are prone to seasickness, fishing can even pass your attention
13. If trolling does not bring the catch, you can always ask the fishermen to stay for long anywhere in the shallows and catch some fish on medium-sized conventional bait
14. One of the most popular tourist attractions in the Dominican Republic is the jeep safari. The choice here is quite large - from the buggy and small Suzuki Samurai to the Hummer H2. The price tag, of course, also quite different - from $ 100 per person to 165
14a. You can find even our UAZ with emblems Airborne)
15. What is included in the program of a jeep safari? First, visit the sugar cane plantations. It should be understood that, in fact, you are just a while driving on dirt roads through the fields with a cane, then stop in some place a little chop his machete, to taste and take pictures.
16. The next stop jeep safari is one of the many ranches, where they grow cocoa or coffee, make coconut or coconut oil boiled.
17. There definitely Send the Prince on the territory of the ranch, will show how to grow cocoa, vanilla, pineapple, bananas, coffee, passion fruit, breadfruit and a dozen exotic plants for us ....
18. ... will try the raw cocoa. I must say he was quite an unusual taste. And it is very interesting
19. Again, in jeeps, and again in a way. In fact, the options of visits in such trips can be a lot - and a ranch with horses and some farm and distillery where the rum is brewed, and just sightseeing routes.
20. But what exactly will appeal to all, it is a visit to a cigar factory. They were in the Dominican Republic a huge amount, so finding a tour of one of them is not difficult. It is very interesting to see with their own eyes the production, covered a number of myths and debunk them safely. Who cares, details on how to make a cigar and which myths are debunked, I wrote here.
21. The ending of a jeep safari is likely to arrive on one of neotelnyh beaches. For example, on the beach of Macao, where the best of circumstances, can be even a little ride on a board with a sail
22. Another option is to take a day trip to the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo.
It takes a whole day, because the way to one side of the resort area of Bavaro takes several hours.
Santo Domingo will be of interest to those people who love history. The city is the oldest European city in the Americas, once it was the capital of the Spanish colony and the first residence of the King of Spain in the New World.
There are many historical sites, museums and places of memory (more in a recent post).
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23. For photography enthusiasts, textures and interesting portraits of Santo Domingo will be very useful. However, if you want to walk around the streets of the old town a little longer, ask your guide in advance of the possibility of such a plan the trip on their own, without a group
24. If, however, you still will be in the group, the completion of the tour in Santo Domnigo will visit the Columbus Lighthouse - an impressive memorial tomb discoverer of America
25. Come on. Another full day tour - a trip to the Samana Peninsula. Depending on the wallet, offering to get here either by small airplane or bus, plus the boat. What you can see? Firstly, Samana town itself, which looks quite nice, many of the buildings in the central part built in a colonial style, restored them and they look as if it sets for movies
26. Secondly, offers horseback riding through the rainforest to the waterfall El Limon.
27. Sam Falls, of course, so-so, in my opinion. But a lot of tourists here, they bathe in cold water under a waterfall
28. More on Samana has an unusual bridge. Why the unusual? Because he's nowhere. The structure of the cost of more than one hundred thousand public want the money to build a small cliff ... and everything. Who! What for? Local shrugs.
27. Close to itself is a very nice island to relax, he called Bacardi. There are a lot of palm trees, sun, tender sea and pelicans
30. But we tours, but tours.
Of course, in the Dominican Republic, in addition to these, there are other activities.
Some of them you find yourself right on the beach ....
31. What is something you can find yourself)
32. If you're in the Dominican Republic, do not pass by the local "attractions" - Mama Juana. It has nothing to do with what you might think, but the drink is very interesting. You can cook and himself, bringing the island dry set. How to do it, I recently wrote
33. Mamahuanu main rasprobovat and then until the end of the trip you will give her preference for other drinks and cocktails)
We realized this about the 5th day, and more than anything else is nowhere ordered
34. Hotel Restaurants are very funny. Italian, Mexican, Japanese ... Bear in mind, they are still half-Latino)
For example, a Japanese restaurant, where dishes are prepared right in front of you. Shaw, of course, interesting and sometimes even funny, but ... food is not Japanese. Well, okay, you need to try Japanese cuisine in Japan)
35. Dance. They are many and some are even considered to be "among the best in the world," I read in a comment to the disco in the Imagine Fousquare.
Honestly, for an amateur ...
36. But the casino hotels in Punta Cana really good. And huge. By the way, many people come to the Dominican Republic, not only for the sea, beaches and coconut, but also play
37. And after the night clubs, casinos, and Mama Juana ... in the morning in a nice cool pool
38. Or the beach.
39. Yes, being in the Dominican Republic, not too lazy to enjoy the sunrise ....
40. ... and sunsets. Sometimes they are simply stunning
41. lie a couple of days at the beach or pool, hang out at a club or a casino, it is possible that you again want somewhere to go. Be sure to take a trip to the island of Saona. You can almost be sure that this tour you will enjoy the most
42. Swim with starfish general under №1 wishlist many who fly to the Dominican Republic
43. And Bounty beaches, of course. Read more about the beaches was also a separate post
44. If you do not want to go far from the hotel and spend the whole day on a tour, go to the Manatee Park, which is just an hour away from the resort area. In fact, this is the zoo, which contains native animals, birds and reptiles.
One only several hundred iguanas here
45. And there you can see the bright flamingo, which is famous for the Dominican Republic and for which you need to go too far from the tourist area, to meet them in the wild
46. In addition to the animals and birds in the Manati Park are also four types of small show - the dolphin show, horses, parrots and Indians. By the way, the show disappeared Taino proved very good.
47. For lovers of caving in the Dominican Republic there are a lot of caves, one of which, Fung Fung, even considered one of the deepest in the world. However, it is difficult to remove and for the visit must have specific skills and be ready even submerged.
In addition Fung Fung, you can also get into the cave Padre Nuestra, Wonderland, El Chico, Taino and Los Tres Ojos.
48. Well, if for all these 10 days you have not had enough fun, then ... get married on a Caribbean beach)
Dominican Republic in recent years is one of the places of pilgrimage Suite for the wedding ceremony on the shores of the azure ocean. Someone looking for a secluded place, and someone ... do not lonely)
49. And so it passed my 10 travel days in the alternation of relaxing on the beach, swim in the pool, field trips and excursions ... Mama Juana.
If you have any questions about the characteristics and specificity of rest, ask as soon as I will in the area of Internet access I will try to answer all of them ...
