Welcome to sweet paradise! Second time visiting this beautiful island & I keep falling in love.

2019 was the year I first visited Dominican Republic with my GoDomRep family. We had explored the north coast of the island––now this time, we headed over to Punta Cana + Miches! I can’t say this enough…this country is filled with so much beauty. Meeting the locals, trying their homemade cuisine, dancing merengue and soaking up every mountain and beach possible here was my FAVORITE.

I’m so happy to share that Dominican Republic has opened up their borders to international travelers. Despite the social distancing measures, this incredible island can still be the best little Caribbean getaway with your love, family, friends or even solo :)

(Pictured below is Punta Cana International airport’s VIP lounge. It’s the only airport in the Caribbean with a pool! If you have some time upon arrival or departure, make sure to swing by and take a look. So cool!)

safety protocols

Although traveling might look a little different now, visiting Dominican Republic this time around was the sweetest most positive experience. Seeing how the country has shifted since my last visit and learning all the strict measures they’ve put in place made me feel safe. Because tourism is the main source of income in Dominican Republic, the country has increased sanitary protocols at the airports, resorts, restaurants and even outdoor activities too keep every local and traveler safe.
BEFORE I jump in and share my travel guide from this trip – below are some safety protocols to keep in mind if you are thinking of visiting soon.
*These protocols are constantly changing. Please make sure to head over to **GoDomRep** **for more travel guidelines + latest updates.**

Ease of Entry: Since September 15, international travelers no longer need to provide a negative PCR or COVID-19 test upon arrival.
Free Health Coverage Plan: All international tourists arriving on commercial flights and staying at a hotel will be granted during the check-in process a temporary, free health coverage plan that provides coverage for emergencies in the event of an infection or exposure to COVID-19 while in-country.
Free Antigen Testing: As of January 26, 2021, the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism began offering free viral antigen testing to all international visitors staying at a hotel to meet the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) travel protocols requiring all travelers ages two and above returning to the United States to present proof of a negative PCR or viral COVID-19 test administered within 72 hours prior to departure. The complimentary viral test offering will be administered at hotels across the country at no cost to qualifying travelers.
Upon request and at an additional cost, select hotels will also offer PCR tests to guests. As needed, travelers can also make an appointment for viral antigen testing or PCR testing across the country.
Safety Upon Arrival: Following arrival at all eight international airports and other ports throughout the country, guests will be subject to mandatory temperature checks, social distancing and mask ordinances in and around airports, hotels and public spaces. Travelers will be required to submit a mandatory Traveler’s Health Affidavit.
Sanitary Bubble: The Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the National Association of Hotels and Tourism created a unique sanitary bubble strategy that significantly reduces the risk of virus transmission between guests and hotel staff. Within each bubble, teams of hotel employees work for two weeks straight, staying in a designated and segmented area of the hotel. Prior to the start of their shift, employees must present a negative COVID-19 test.

Punta Cana

Where we stayed

Club Med Punta Cana - A paradise property! They’re an all-inclusive resort with destinations around the world. We spent 2 nights here and could have spent another week with all the amenities they have– 3 pools, delicious restaurants, a Cirque Du Soleil experience, a spa club (with a tub view pictured above!) and so so much more. They even have an adults-exclusive hideaway “The Zen Oasis” which is where we stayed.

Where we explored

Punta Cana Village - Super cute village filled with little shops + restaurants. Plan to have lunch here!

Scape Park (pictured below) - MUST do. You get everything in one place here – the beach, the cliffs, tropical forests, zip lining, cave expeditions, cenote swims, I mean YA NAME IT. It’s the coolest natural theme park I’ve ever seen. You can spend a whole day here! Tickets are $129 for adults and $69 for children. Only about a 20 minute drive from the city.

Where we ate

We took full advantage of all the yummy restaurants on property and had breakfast, lunch + dinner there.

BUT, if you’re looking to try some local, authentic Dominican food, make sure to have lunch at La Casita de Yeya in Punta Cana Village. The coconut shrimp + tostones was a favorite!

Miches

Michès is a small, rural beach town along the Northeast Coast of the island. You’ll need to fly into Punta Cana to get here & from there it’s only a 1.5 hour drive away. This little town filled with beaches, nearby mountains, tropical forests and incredible food is still a best-kept secret among locals :) There’s nothing sweeter than visiting an off-the-beaten path destination.

If you’re already visiting Punta Cana, I would definitely recommend trying to carve out some time to make it over here!

Where we stayed

Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda - This is the first and only resort in this region - not to mention it is an environmentally friendly all-inclusive resort.

I must say, WOW. Staying at this property feels like it’s own little town with everything that it has––seaside villas, coffee shop, beach lounge + allll the outdoor activities. They have four boutique villages providing different experiences––we stayed in the Archipelago villa. Pictured above is the view from our room (!!!!)

Where we ate

The restaurants on property are DELICIOUS. Head to their cafe for some morning coffee and lunch to Coco Plum (both pictured below). Their tacos are freakkkking amazing.

Dinner at Coal & Copper Steakhouse is also a must.

Where we explored

Montaña Redonda - PLEASE check this off your bucket list! Just a 35-40 minute drive from Miches is Montaña Redonda, a mountain top with 360-degree views of pure beauty. We woke up at 5am, took a little bus all the way up and were greeted by one dreamy, golden sunrise. I kept having to pinch myself to check that I wasn’t dreaming…that’s how magical this spot is.

If you’re visiting from Punta Cana (1.5 hour drive), tickets are $100. But, if you’re staying in Miches it’s $10. Once you arrive, you park your car and take a little shuttle to the very top.

OH and make sure to hop on their swings and hammocks. Click below to see it live - you can’t beat this view :)

We ended our last day in Miches with a sunset cruise! It completely poured on us but we still decided to make the best of it and jump in the ocean hehe.

Book your cruise and enjoy the crystal blue waters of Miches. It’s such a sweet way to end your visit to this beautiful island.

Other than visiting Montaña Redonda and booking a cruise, I would recommend to just simply enjoy the ocean, watch as many sunsets as you can and take in alllll the beauty from this place.

If you’ve never been to Dominican Republic, I hope you add it to your travel list, I hope that reading this blog post is a sign for you to experience this little slice of paradise for yourself some day hehe.

Thank you to the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism for showing me just how special this island is (and most importantly for making me feel safe) <3

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO WATCH MY FAVORITE LITTLE CLIP :)

25 SECONDS OF THIS MAGIC ISLAND