Jennifer907
Can I do it again?!?
Member since 12/06 2426 total posts
Wedding Date:
9/21/2007 6:30 PM
Wed. Location:
Larkfield Manor: A-
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Back from our HM (w/pics and a review) - Long
We had such an amazing time. We got back late Sunday night, but I've been sick and trying to catch up on things so I haven't been around. Anyways, we went to Excellence Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. What an amazing resort! We've decided to go there for every 5 or 10 year anniversary and we're never going on a vacation without booking with Travel Tom! I'll start from the beginning.
We took a direct flight from JFK to Punta Cana International Airport. It was roughly 4 hours. I didn't care for American Airlines at all, but what are ya gonna do. The airport is so beautiful. They take your picture with these girls decked out in traditional DR colors. You can buy it when you leave for $8, which we did. It's cute and a great momento. You have to pay $10 for tourist cards, which you hand over 20 feet later. Here's the airport.
Tom set us up with VIP Travel Solutions. We found them at the airport, they put us and our luggage in a van, and it was off for the hour and 15 minute ride to the resort. They were very nice and the ride was interesting because you get to see the actual country for what it is. It's a third world country, so it's very poor, and then bam there's a huge beautiful resort. The next morning we had an orientation meeting with a VIP rep who works at the resorts and he gave us all sorts of info about the resorts, who/what to avoid, what excursions are available, tips on tipping, buying stuff, food, the resort, etc. So informative and a great resource.
Tom set us up with the Excellence Club, which is like a VIP club. We had a private check in, were greeted with cold towels and champagne, and were brought to a private lounge where we could eat while they made sure our room was ready for us. The private lounge is great because you always have food in there, access to computers with internet, a tv, movies, a private bar, and private concierge. Well worth it we thought. They also have a private beach. They brought us to our room, and it was exactly what we expected from pictures we had seen. Very clean, great minibar, and an amazing view.
Our bed upon arrival:
View of the ocean from our balcony:
Sign on our door during our stay:
The people at the resort are nothing short f amazing. They are so friendly and appreciative. Everytime we walked by an employee, they said hola and asked how we were. Anytime they did something like put our napkin in our laps or pour a drink, and we said gracias, they said "It's a pleasure." They're so appreciative of any tip you give them, even if it's a dollar. We gave out just over $100 in tips while we were there, so if you're going to an all inclusive, plan on bringing like $125 in singles and maybe some fives. We reserved the fives for waiters at meals and luggage, concierge, maid, etc.
We didn't do any of the excursions because we really just wanted to relax on the beach and by the pool. We went to some of the shows they had at night. We saw a Michael Jackson impersonator, a circus show, and a magic show. They work really hard to put the shows on and they were pretty good. They also have vendors come in tot he resort a couple times a week. We were warned by our VIP Travel rep about them, but I forgot and DH didn't stop me from going out there. They are so pushy, not letting you walk away without buying something. You can talk them down though. One guy quoted me $145 for a couple pieces of jewelry. I offered $45 and he took $50. We ended up spending $90 on jewelry we weren't planning on buying. The resort also has a lot of activites throughout the day that you can participate in, literally something every half hour to hour.
We had a couples massage treatment, including foot exfoliation. DH loved it to my surprise. I also got a facial on our last night and it was so great. Their spa is top notch. They have a bunch of shops that were very nice as well. Beware of the parrots byt he shops though. I was feeding one and it started chewing on my bracelet. It then got stuck in it's beak and it broke. But I had fun with the parrots still! They have really pretty botanical gardens at the resort as well, with all sorts of animals running around all over the resort. We saw roosters, peacocks, geccos, ducks, flamingos, etc. And they have no problem walking right past you by the rooms. And there were lots of baby animals which were cute.
I could go on, but I'll stop there. If anyone is thinking about going to Excellence or to DR and wants any other info, feel free to FM me. Here are some pics. There are more in my album.
In the gardens
Amazing amazing beach!
Us on one of the beds by the pool
Us on the beach
Us in the pool. GREAT swim up bar. I think there are 11 bars and 7 restaurants.
Beautiful bath they drew for us to return to on our last night
Eating lunch over the pool
Some of the roosters in the gardens
Some tips:
-Bring lots of sunscreen. We went through one bottle in our first 2 days. The sun is harsh down there!
-Bring plenty of singles and fives
-Don't drink the water. They have special bottled purified water that you can drink. Don't drink water from the sink.
-Don't pack too much. I lived in my bathing suits during the day and dresses at night for dinner.
-Watch your luggage and documents. A couple had their passports stolen from them. People pose as travel company reps and steal your stuff so be careful.
If I think of more I'll add them. Missed you ladies!
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