DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - PUNTA CANA

Trust us, the higher coverage, the better... especially in Punta Cana!! 

Sun Bum has the BEST smell, does NOT give you that 'burning' sensation, is water-resistant up to 80 minutes, and most importantly, OCEAN & REEF FRIENDLY! Before leaving the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana), we noticed a deeper tan with the higher SPF coverage vs the lower!

Not sure if it's just a me thing, but somehow, something ALWAYS happens to the ONE pair of sunglasses that I bring... and then I end up buying a pair that I don't really like that much... tell me I'm not alone here that this happens too?! Don't let your accessories make your vacation to the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana), a negative one!

If you DON'T have a waterproof camera on your Punta Cana trip... we need to have a serious talk! The GoPro 8 is our MAIN camera for everything, even our YouTube videos. Giving you 4K videos, amazing photos, incredible stabilization, & it's super compact! Check out our Dominican Republic (Punta Cana) videos, and you will understand!

Call me a germaphobe, but the idea of utilizing a snorkel set from the resort or a tour, that multiple other people have used... nah, I'm good! This one can get tight enough for my small head and larger enough for our son's (bigger) head & of course these water fins are the perfect size for your carry-on! 

When you get to Punta Cana, exploring can be fun, but be sure to take your 'small' essentials with you in a small backpack of some sort! And if you are going ANYWHERE there will be water, take a dry bag or dry-pack backpack instead! There is nothing worse than wanting to take your cell phone, other electronics, & a pair of clothes & try to keep them dry!!

Do  NOT leave home without this! Yes, Punta Cana will have chapstick, but IT WILL COST DOUBLE! The sun gets hot and since most of the time you will be either in the sun or salty ocean, you will want to keep your lips from getting fried and dried out! Once again Sun Bum SPF 30 is one of our favorites!

We each brought 4 of these guys on our recent Dominican Republic trip! Living in Florida, we are out on the ocean & beach as much as possible and because of that, we now incorporate these SPF/UPF Shirts on every vacation and beach trip that we go on. Nate & Blake's SPF preference (men's), and my SPF preference (woman's).

I know this sounds like an odd one, but these were the BEST random items that we brought with us. We are those people who like to get in a 'last ocean swim' before we catch our plane home... of course, this leaves us with soaking wet bathing suits! So we bring a few empty Ziploc baggies for those last-minute wet items & then throughout the week, we throw all our dirty clothes into a garbage sack. That way, we know what is dirty & what is clean, and we only have to do 9 loads of laundry vs 10!

Oh, and you might also bring one or two regular sized plastic grocery bags to put your sandy shoes inside! You are welcome!!

 I can't tell you how many times this portable solar charger has been a HUGE lifesaver, especially because we are NOT always conveniently sitting next to an electrical outlet. 

'I want to stay inside for an hour to charge my phone, while on vacation in Punta Cana'... 

SAID NO ONE EVER! 

And this one is pretty rugged, so if it gets a little wet or dusty because you are out exploring, no big deal! Make sure to give it a good charge via a wall charger before you use it. The solar charge works, but it's a slow charge.

Now that we have been to the Lopesan Costa Bavaro in Punta Cana two times, we learned we miss calculated our packing the first time & even the second time.... third times the charm right? 🤦‍♀️ (this is based on 6 days of travel & in a carry-on only, no checked bags)

• Your travel outfit - comfort is key, and remember... the less things in your pocket & easy slip-on shoes (ALWAYS wear socks) helps get you thru security MUCH faster!
• 3-5 dressy outfits (one all-white & Jeans WERE OK!) - Onsite, there are 11 restaurants in which 'technically' there is only 1 restaurant that is 'formal'. But we did notice people would get cleaned up and into their 'going out to dinner' outfits.
• Swimsuits - I personally took 6 swimsuits for 7 days, & the guys took 6 pairs of swim trunks as well. Be sure to wash these off after you swim in the ocean! They will smell sour if you don't!
• 1-2 Swimsuit coverups - While sitting down at the beach, there is a buffet that is open from 12-6 daily. Make sure you have a swimsuit cover up (guys need t-shirts & shorts, gals need a full cover up - top & bottom), otherwise they won't allow you inside the buffet area (for obvious reasons)

• 2 Pairs of socks/day - sounds like too many BUT we worked out every day. Not to mention, after being in flip flops/sandals all day & walking on sand, slipping into a pair of socks at the end of the day, makes your feet happy... just trust me!
• 2 Pairs of underwear/day - Once again, we worked out every day & then don't forget about when you are  getting cleaned up after your beach day!
• Workout clothes - depending upon how sweaty you get, or if you even plan on working out (the gym was AMAZING), this can vary. We personally took 1 outfit per day, that we planned on working out. 
• 1-2 pairs of jeans - Nearly every night, I personally changed into jeans 2 of the nights, because I simply didn't want to wear a dress every night for dinner. Same with the guys.. if they didn't want to wear shorts, they each had 3 pairs of jeans (for 7 days).
• 1-3 pairs of 'regular' shorts - MOST of the time, during the day, you will be in your swimsuit & cover up (just food for thought). Obvioulsy the guys brought 2-4 pairs, but were also primarily in swim trunks the entire trip too.

• Shoes - We each brought one pair of flip flops/sandals, one pair of sneakers, & heels for me (lol... not the guys), & converse for the guys
• OTC drugs/supplies -  Believe it not, if you forget to bring nearly ANY otc drugs, they have MULTIPLE stores on sight (one full stocked pharmacy & an urgent care). BUT..... THEY WILL COST DOUBLE TO PURCHASE. For instance, SPF chapstick cost us $13 (USD).... don't be like us and bring a melted chapstick!
• THEY HAVE BLOWDRYERS IN EACH ROOM! And it was pretty powerful, so no need to pack a blowdryer!
• THEY ALSO HAVE AN IRON IN EACH ROOM!