Now that it is freezing and there are spontaneous snowstorms, I am recalling my trip to the Domenican Republic I took a couple months ago fondly. It was so beautiful and it was definitely my best all-inclusive trip to date. I am looking at videos of the beach and missing the sun!
Whenever I do an all-inclusive going on excursions is a definite must. Staying in the hotel and laying on a beach for days is boring – I need to learn and do something. During our stay in the Dominican Republic we went on the Outback Safari Adventure Tour from Punta Cana. It’s an odd title since you aren’t really seeing animals (except a few that looked sad at a zoo) but visiting coffee and coconut farms and seeing how the locals make a living. But it was a great excursion and I felt like I had a better understanding of the country from it by seeing multiple places off the resort.
From the brochure I knew we were going to see some colourful houses and walls so I was excited and inspired. I admit it, I partly chose the excursion based on the rainbow wall! I often have difficulty finding a casual outfit – I just don’t do casual because I’m so used to dressing up for the office. But given we were visiting farms and going swimming; casual was needed.
The outfit was a dress from Lulus that I wore as a shirt. It is pretty skimpy but I love the lace at the front, it feels like you’re not wearing anything at all. It was incredibly HOT out so being half-naked was a good thing. I paired it with basic jean shorts and gladiator sandals. Of course I also needed a sun hat and shades for my porcelain exterior. I added a red ribbon to the hat to match the heart-shaped glasses and red lipstick. Sadly I lost the glasses to the ocean and need to get a new pair.
First we drove around in a windowless bus and the guide taught us about the country and it’s independence. I had to duck for cover a few times as branches flew into the side window. I would not recommend this tour for children given this hazard! One of the most fun parts of the tour was visiting an organic coffee and cacao farm. They showed us how they made everything by hand and gave samples. The hot chocolate was amazing, I have dreams about it! It had the secret ingredients of brown sugar and cinnamon. I have tried and failed to recreate this recipe accurately at home. They also showed us their home and it was so colourful and happy. It screamed photo shoot (of course I asked permission). After visiting this scenery I had a huge urge to paint my walls technicolour. They also had a parrot who constantly said “Hola”
Later we visited a zoo, witnessed hand rolled cigars and alcohol tasting. After lunch we visited a coconut farm and off to the beach to boogie board. The ocean was so freeing! I had the best time trying to catch a wave all by myself as ‘T’ took pictures of me whipping out. Besides losing my glasses the tour was a great learning experience and a way to get a taste of local culture.
Dress: Lulu’s
Shorts: Jacob
Hat: H & M (I added my own red ribbon)
Studded purse: Jacob
Gladiator Sandals: Sam Edalman
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