Honeymooning in the Dominican Republic

We flew into Puerta Plata about 2:30 in the afternoon on a dirt airstrip. As we made our way towards customs, there was a band playing music that Andrew kept calling a Mariachi band. The resort we were staying at is about a three and a half hour drive from the airport, so we arranged for a transport service beforehand to meet us there. I was a little nervous that there would be some miscommunication because of the flight delays, but when we walked outside of the airport, there was our driver holding a sign with Andrew’s name on it.

I felt very VIP. :P

We loaded all our things in the van and were on our way. Our driver was so nice (if not a bit of a crazy driver – I thought we were going to crash several times) and would point out interesting things to us. It helped that Andrew knew Spanish when something didn’t translate right. The countryside was very beautiful, but it was very evident just how poor the country is.

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About halfway there, our driver stopped and bought us some waters, cheese, and crackers from a local farmer. The cheese wasn’t bad, it just had a texture I’ve never experienced before. It was really juicy, which is a term I don’t normally use for cheese, haha. Here is a bad picture of me and said cheese:

Awkward Cheese Picture

It was a long drive and it was neat to see the less “touristy” areas , but I was so glad when we finally got to the resort. We checked in and there was a golf cart waiting for us to carry us and our luggage to our room. The resort was built on a big hill, so everything was up and down stairs – or you could call for someone to come pick you up on the golf cart, but we just usually enjoyed the exercise.

Our room was huge! The bed felt bigger than a king-sized and the view from our balcony was amazing. Everything was so green and lush and pretty. We always kept the blinds open so we could see the bay. There were several different pools, but we usually lounged by the one by the bay because it usually wasn’t very busy and there was a snack/bar. The Bahama Mamas were my favorite drink. ;)

By the Bay

We visited the beach twice, but it was always a bit crowded and Andrew felt like he got more sunburnt down there. ;P They had a great snack bar as well with nachos, chicken legs, hot dogs and hamburgers and then a variety of fruits. We ate (and drank) so much that week.

They had a buffet and the food was a little mediocre. They had a huge bread bar which I really wish I would have taken a picture of; they had breads in the shapes of flowers and real long sticks. They had every shape and variety and I love bread! Haha

Me with the bread flower! It wasn't very tasty.
Me with the bread flower! It wasn’t very tasty.
The variety of shapes they had their bread in was really kind of infatuating me.
The variety of shapes they had their bread in was really kind of infatuating me.

They also had some nicer restaurants where you were required to make reservations. We tried the French restaurant first and it was kind of “meh.” But it was fun to dress up – and I take any chance that I can to make Andrew dress up since he lives in shorts and a t-shirt. The restaurant was up by the main office, which we weren’t really around that often, but offered such a gorgeous view of Samana at night! So the food was eh, but the view was totally worth it!

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We cancelled our other two reservations because a) we were either lazy and didn’t feel like changing out of our swimsuits and showering and b) I had a little too much to drink one day. :? We really spent most of the week relaxing. After a stressful summer, we really just enjoyed reading by the pool and napping on the beach. The beach really was pretty cool and for some reason this is the only picture I snapped of it. I guess I just thought it was so cool I was laying under a thatched hut umbrella thing. That’s what they’re called, right?

Beach

Andrew was approached by a scuba instructor and persuaded me to take a scuba class with him. I was a little unsure, but it was actually a lot of fun once I was accustomed to all of the gear, breathing underwater, and hand signals.On Friday morning, we met on the beach to take this sketchy looking boat out to another island.

Scuba Diving Boat

We met a Spanish couple who were scuba diving with us. I’m not really sure why we took the class beforehand, because we spent the whole morning going through the class with the other couple. We already knew everything, so it didn’t really seem like the best use of our time. The Spanish lady was having some issues clearing her mask and following all of the instructions so it took a lot longer.

We finally took the boat out into the ocean. We jumped off the boat and began the descent. I could tell Andrew was having a blast, but about halfway down I wasn’t able to “equalize,” or pop my ears and adjust to the pressure. I had caught a cold the day before, and it hurt too much to go further, so I surfaced and waited for the others to finish. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to go all the way down, but Andrew had fun so that made it worth it to me. :)

Overall, a super relaxing week with my best friend in the sun!

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12 thoughts on “Honeymooning in the Dominican Republic”

  1. I am so happy for you both. Man, it seems like just yesterday you and I were giggling at the thought of the two of us dating Andrews.

    You look absolutely stunning with your hair pulled back and some color to your skin. :).

    It seems like you guys had fun, despite being sick and not being able to go down further than you would have hoped for. You look so happy in all your pictures with Andrew. One day, that will be me and Tristan. Though, I probably wouldn’t have trusted a person coming up to me and asking to go scuba diving with him. I think I watch a little too much horror movies. Ya? But glad you had fun, nonetheless.

  2. becca, your honeymoon destination looked great! i’ve never been there in dominican republic but i’d love to experience it, too. :)

    i love going to beaches, being near the sea just gives me this sense of calm. too bad the beaches you were near at were a bit crowded! but at least you got to unwind and enjoyed each other’s company.;)

    i also love your photos! you guys are such a beautiful couple.❤

    1. Thank you Patti! Being by the ocean totally calms and relaxes me so it was a great time. I would recommend it – just always to be conscious of where you and to be safe :)

  3. Wow what a beautiful country! You guys got a great view from the balcony!

    I’m glad you got to do so many things and you enjoyed yourselves! I would love to go scuba diving, it sounds like a lot of fun but I think I’d unfortunately be the one to hold everyone up trying to figure out how to use the gear properly lol Did you get to see fish and reefs at all?

    You look so happy in your pictures! I don’t think I’ve seen you smile that much since I’ve started following your blog but that just means you’re in the wonderful bliss of newlyweds :)

    1. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to go down far enough to see anything. Andrew got to see a ship wreck and coral but said there weren’t a ton of fish. The experience was enough for me though! It was fun to learn all the gear and be able to use it!

  4. Beautiful view from your room! I think that’s funny that there was such a big bread bar, haha. I’ve never seen a bread flower before, but that’s a cute idea :) (Too bad it wasn’t good though!)

    Relaxing is a great way to spend a trip, especially on a beach! That’s awesome that you guys learned to scuba dive, and I’m glad it was a lot of fun. I have never done it before! Whenever we go to Hawaii, we always snorkel. I’m so terrible at equalizing my ears. My husband can dive down when we snorkel, but I have difficulties doing it, so I stay at the top. I guess I’d be bad at scuba diving!

    I’m glad you had a great trip!

  5. You two looked like you had a tremendous amount of fun. =) And that view… Beautiful!

    My parents went to Puerta Plata a couple of years ago and ever since, I’ve always wanted to make my way down there as well. Scuba diving wouldn’t be my thing either, but once I learn how to swim, I would definitely try it hehe.

    I had a similar experience in a cab when we were in Mexico. Almost seemed as if the rules of the road didn’t apply in most places. =S Out of curiosity, did you manage to venture out of the resort area? I know that it would be something that I would do because I’m not much of a beach person.

    1. Besides traveling to and from the resort, we didn’t really go outside of the resort (excluding the scuba trip too). I’m not sure how comfortable I would have been going to the surrounding areas without a native with us. I didn’t necessarily feel unsafe, but I just wouldn’t have been comfortable I think. Also, we were just really lazy and I am totally a beach bum! Haha

  6. Your honeymoon looks like it was wonderful and beautiful, too <3 I'm glad you got to spend it with your husband! Beautiful photos, too! And you went scuba diving. Wow. That's awesome and scary at the same time too. I don't think I'd have the nerves to do it, really.

    Wow, what a view from the balcony!

    I'm glad you had this chance to go to Puerta Plata, and enjoy it. <3 Much love to you and Andrew!

  7. Oohh how beautiful Dominican Republic is! Am not really familiar with the country but it does feel a bit similar to the provinces we have here in the Philippines. How’s the sand of the beach? :D So happy you had a blast in your honeymoon. I really need a week of relaxation doing nothing but lazing and reading as well. God can hopefully give me some destress time some day. haha

    I soo want to try scuba diving!! But I was only able to try helmet diving and I couldn’t equalize my ears so I’m really worried when I try scuba diving. I think I have really sensitive ears which would make it a problem for me. Haha! Maybe in the future.

    You should visit the beaches in The Philippines if you are able to get the chance! Lots of scuba diving areas here as well. :)

    1. I would love to go to the Philippines some day!

      The sand was a bit course – not very fine, but I didn’t mind. I think mine are a bit sensitive too, however I had caught a cold the day before which, when you have a cold your ears won’t equalize at all. So when we flew back home, it took two days for my ears to pop! It was horrible! I would really recommend it, it’s really not hard and it’s pretty fun!

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