The Dominican Republic ~ Is it safe in 2019? ~ My Stay at The Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville

Is The Dominican Republic Safe?

The Dominican Republic has been in the news a lot lately.   And not for good reason.   No one is talking about the beautiful beaches or mountains.   No one is even talking about the friendly people or the rich culture.

There really isn’t anything good being published about the Dominican Republic right now, which is actually very sad.

As we all know there have been several unexplained deaths in the Dominican over the last several years.   This is also very sad and my deepest condolences go out to everyone who has suffered a loss.

But this is no reason to abandon an entire country and never see how truly magnificent it is.   I know several people who have cancelled their trips because of the negative publicity, and to be honest, the thought crossed my mind for a hot minute.

Should we Cancel??

The only reason I even considered canceling was because we had booked the Bahia Grand Principle Bouganville.   Which if you’ve followed the resorts with unexplained deaths, this one is on the list.

But I quickly forced all thoughts of fear out and decided to go for it.  We had booked this vacation in February before the Dominican Republic first started making the news.   Since we were traveling with a group of 12 friends, we all locked arms and boarded the plane.

Our flights were direct which, in my opinion, is important.   From Dallas, this is a 5 hour flight.  Sure, there were loads of other options but they all had connecting flights.   Add in just one connection and now you’re traveling almost 9 hours and that’s no way to start a relaxing vacation.

Speaking of a relaxing vacation, one of our main criteria is Adult Only.   We all have kiddos and even grandkids, and we love them.   But in the resort world, the absence of kids means an abundance of pool chairs.

Arriving and Clearing Customs

Luckily clearing customs has never been easier at PUJ.   Until recently all visitors had to buy a tourist card for $10 cash and the lines were notoriously bad.    As of this year, the $10 fee is included in your airfare!   Yay!

I wouldn’t say we breezed through, but it wasn’t an awful experience either.  The entire process was no different than going to Mexico or Europe.

If I had to pick one difference it would be the lack of air conditioning.   Yes, you read that right.   Several areas are air conditioned but several are not.   On arrival, the baggage claim area is not air conditioned and because it’s open air and humid, you may be a little uncomfortable.

Transportation from PUJ to our resort

Luxury Bahia Principle Bouganville is over an hour away from Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) so we needed transportation.    I booked our round trip transportation with transfers.do.  They were amazing.   As soon as we cleared customs they were there waiting for us, holding a sign with my name on it.  The ride was organized and comfortable.   We chose the larger bus so we could have plenty of room to move around after our long flight.

If you need transportation definitely check out TRANSFERS.DO.   They were awarded Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence in 2018.

Our Resort

The Luxury Bahia Princple is a large resort housing several different specialty resorts.   Each resort with the Luxury Bahia Princple caters to different vacationers.    We stayed at the Bouganville, which is the Adult Only section.

Since I had never been to the Dominican Republic, I didn’t know what to expect. The architecture is stunning.   Much more colonial than I thought it would be.

The layout of the resort is also easy to maneuver.  Unlike many large, all inclusive resorts, all three pools and the buildings are easily accessible and close to dining.    It generally takes me a few days of getting lost to find my way around.   But not at the Bouganville.

The pools are amazing.   We never had any trouble finding enough lounge chairs to accommodate our large group.    This is huge.   So many resorts have pool towels on unoccupied lounge chairs all day long which is frustrating.   Everywhere we went the entire five days, we had an abundance of seating options.

The beaches are well cared for and unaffected by the seaweed that has plagued Mexico the last few years.    Everyday the sand is raked and the area is cleaned of any debris.

If you’re not into laying by the pool, there are plenty of options on the beach.   Once again,  there were available lounge chairs, chairs and beds by the beach.   You just can’t pass up listening to the ocean and feeling the cool ocean breeze while napping in the afternoon!

All Inclusive for Foodies

We ate in three of the restaurants and most of the food was spectacular.   The buffet is always a good bet for breakfast, especially if you like fresh omelettes.   And the dessert bar is nothing short of art.

We also ate at the Takara Restaurant.    This was by far my favorite meal!  Once you are seated you are treated to two different appetizers before your soup and main course.  My main course was the salmon, and it was delicious.

The last night we ate at the Brazilian restaurant by the pool.    Once again, the food was absolutely delicious.   And even though the restaurant is open air, we were close enough to the beach that we had the cool ocean air to keep us comfortable.

Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville Our room

Our rooms were huge and spacious with beautiful balconies facing the lush tropical landscaping.    The furnishing were gorgeous and colonial as well.

A friendly tip….   If you like a soft bed, request a pillow topper for the bed on arrival.    Personally, I do not like firm beds.   It’s simply my preference.   As soon as I requested one, it was delivered quickly and it made the world of difference.   The staff was very friendly and accommodating and assured me I wasn’t the only person to make the request.

None of us spent much time in our rooms, we had too many other place to see and explore.   But the rooms were very comfortable.   The air conditioning was very cold, which is nice after a long day in the sun.    And the rooms are equipped with the blackout curtains, making it easy to take an afternoon siesta.

Catalina Island Excursion

There were several who loved to snorkel in our group so we decided to book an excursion with the hotel.    And let me tell you!   I’m so glad we did!    It was an amazing day and the fish did not disappoint.

The excursion had two parts.    We boated about 20 minutes out, on the way to our final destination, Catalina Island.    At the first stop, we snorkeled in the ocean and the fish were everywhere.

Unfortunately, I don’t know the names of the fish.   But the colors were outstanding and the sheer amount of fish was unbelievable.

After about 30 minutes we all got back on the boat and continued on to Catalina Island.   The island is very primitive, but beautiful.

The snorkeling was equally, if not more impressive at Catalina.   We had three hours to spend here and some people never got out of the water.

But don’t expect to see fish in waist deep water here.    You will need to be a decent, confident, swimmer and swim out to the reef area.  Once there, you will encounter the most beautiful fish.    I did, and I spent at least two hours in the water mesmerized by the grace and peacefulness.

During this excursion, food and drink is included.    The food is prepared onsite and served buffet style.  We had chicken and pork with some very delicious sides which are Dominican staples.    If you were interested, they had fresh caught lobster for purchase as well.

Domincan Replublic Final Thoughts

Let me start by saying, we all had a WONDERFUL VACATION!    We felt safe during the entire trip.

Would I go back?   Absolutely, in a heartbeat!

Do I understand why some people have cancelled?   You bet!

It is truly heartbreaking that so many people have a negative opinion about the Dominican Republic right now.   It is a beautiful destination.   Having said that, I also understand being worried about safety.

Obviously, everyone just has to use their instincts.    If you don’t feel good about it, don’t go.

But what I can tell you is……  I’m so glad I didn’t let the media and panic prevent me from visiting this beautiful country.