Girlfriends Getaway

The Dominican Republic is an island blessed with beauty style, humility, and a very resourceful population; a population that really knows how to make the most of what they have.

I was fortunate enough to book a week at the RIU Palace Bavaro, where my cousin Wendy, whom I had not seen in approximately 18 years, met me so that we could spend a week together. I was so grateful she managed to join me as Wendy speaks Spanish and I don’t, which I must admit is probably one of my biggest regrets.

The Dominican Republic is a great place to have a Girlfriends Getaway. I felt extremely safe walking around by myself. Neither Wendy nor myself experienced any form of harassment or pressure from vendors on the beach.

The RIU Palace Bavaro was absolutely amazing. I had a fantastic week, the hotel had great evening entertainment, friendly staff; we were always greeted with a smile and a courteous salutation, whether they were housekeeping or one of the servers; the food was excellent, my favourite being the Caribbean lobster at the steakhouse. The food at the Buffet was fresh and catered to all tastes and preferences; for lunch, I preferred the meals served at the Tiano Restaurant, by the pool. The cappuccino bar located in the lobby was an excellent touch for those that still enjoy their afternoon tea, before dinner; myself included. In fact being a coffee addict I spent a lot of time at the Cappuccino Bar.

We managed a couple of excursions during our trip the first being the Samana Discovery; it was a fun day out with a trek to an amazing waterfall called Lemon Falls; unfortunately the path to get to the falls is a bit treacherous with big holes and rocks along a muddy track; we were given horses to ride, but the horses seemed a little malnourished and I felt awful about riding my horse whose name was Dunaro; also his handler was there as a volunteer only and was paid solely on tips. I loved the falls, but was sorry that I had booked this trip due to the fact that I felt as if I had contributed to the cruelty of an animal. After the falls, we were driven back to the boat that had brought us to Samana and transferred to Paradise Beach, where we were able to relax and take a dip in the sea; before heading back to the hotel.

The next excursion we decided to take was a trip to Saona; for this excursion we were taken by coach to the other side of the Island, so we left the Atlantic Ocean and headed over to the Caribbean Sea, where we were taken by boat to Soana stopping along the way to enjoy a natural shallow clear water pool in the middle of nowhere. Once we left the pool we were shown some starfish, then we headed for Soana. There we were given the opportunity to enjoy a Caribbean style buffet meal, with refreshments included not to mention yet another unspoiled fabulous white sand beach.

The day before we left we decided to have a spa day. At the Renova Spa, we first had a massage which was very relaxing. Later we had a mani/pedi which was well worth it thanks to Eronels Guerrero. I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed being pampered for a week. I was also given chocolates and Champagne with a birthday note by the hotel. If you are considering celebrating a birthday away I would definitely recommend you try spending a week in the Dominican Republic at the RIU Palace Bavaro.

I was awed at the beauty of the Dominican Republic and hope to be able to visit this Country many times in the future.