Not a 5 Star But Great Value- Punta Cana Ocean Blue & Sand resort

First of all, I knew this wasn't a five-star hotel, it had a great price that matched our budget . 

 Below my opinions:
Staff/Service: By far the best resource this hotel has, it was a delight to receive the excellent service of Yosaira Guerrero and Alcides Lora in the main buffet. Alcides has a great attitude and was always looking to make us feel welcome, Yosaira went beyond her duties providing an outstanding service, at the second day she already knew our preferences and what/when we wanted stuff. There were other great: Roberto T, and Lilliana (think she was in training), very hard workers with big smiles

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Food: Very good, great variety and quality, desserts are to die for, and there's a great balance between typical dominican food and international cuisine. The Japanese Restaurant (Sensai) was great, the tepanyaki show by Angelo was fabulous and the food tasted great. Ask for Miguelina Mauricio to accomodate you, great service and will do as much as she can to make it a great experience for you. 

Also Mike's coffee was a great stop for a Carajillo or a Frappucino.

Pools/Bars: Great, very clean, alcoholic beverages included, very centric and with enough pool chairs to relax, and chill.

Beach: Not for swimmers, not that tranquil... I stayed at the pool, great sun though.

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Entertainment: Average

Summary: Good value hotel, average rooms, but excellent service, pool and food.

Cheapest way for vacation in Punta Cana?

The cheapest way is to organize 10 friends and get a group rate. last minute travel also has the better prices. Caribbean Airline provides cheap rates to the DR.



Pack light / underweight as the humidity in the DR will add pounds to your baggage!

Cheap is always expensive ! It's always better to look with other transporters or tour operators and the most important look for other places! Punta Cana is made for tourist

who dont like to go out their hotels, because in PuntaCana/Bavaro their is not much to see or discover. The town is 43 miles away. Summer isn't usually cheap because that's when everyone wants to go. Low season is August - November since it's hurricane season and not that many people want to go to the Caribbean that time. I recommend going with at least a 4 star, you seriously will be GLAD. it's a vacation after all, your not just concerned about going there. Since it's all inclusive there is a big difference between the FOOD/Service/Bedding/bathrooms from a 3 star to a 4 star.

Which is better for a Vacation Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is a 1st world country.DR is a 3rd world country as a result Puerto Rico is going to be more expensive in terms of hotel and prices of food.

My choice is Dominican Republic. DR is a great country to spend a vacation in.
You have beautiful beaches, delicious food, a wonderful culture, great music, friendly people, and you might land yourself in a Hollywood film lol  ("Jurassic Park", "Love Wrecked", "The Godfather: Part II", "Havana", "Apocalypse", "In The Times Of The Butterflies", "Caribbean Beat", and "Dance With Me" just to name a few). Christopher Columbus is buried in Dominican Republic, and there is no problem with you visiting him at his temple. You can also learn Spanish and learn how to dance Bachata and/or Merengue. Oh, and you can't forget about the great resorts.

How to pack a Professional Travel first aid kit

I have been traveling for almost five years now A well-stocked kit is vital, but there is absolutely no need to go overboard. You don’t need to heft a pack around that the average paramedic would be proud of, and you certainly don’t need to carry around the entire stock cupboard of your local pharmacy.

A first aid kit is an essential piece of equipment on any gap year or backpacking adventure, but most travelers aren’t sure exactly what they need to take with them. So here is an guide on how to pack a first aid kit and what to include in it.
The best first aid kits are simple but varied and will have a variety of dressings and equipment to deal with the absolute basics. More importantly, they can be used with little or no training. So what items should you include? Here are my picks for the essentials

• Plasters (Bandages)

The most common form of minor injury is a cut or a graze, so it is always a good idea to carry a handful of plasters in a variety of sizes.

• Gauze

Gauze is the medical jack-of-all-trades. I never carry a first aid kit without a supply of gauze in it, and I can’t tell you how many times it has come in useful over the years

• Antiseptic wipes

For some reason this tends to be the one thing most people overlook when thinking of first aid, but antiseptic wipes are an absolute essential in any good pack

• Pain relief medication

A small pack of basic paracetamol (acetaminophen if you are American) or any of the associated brand names is usually sufficient, but ibuprofen or other similar medications are fine too. It doesn’t have to be fancy — basically whatever you normally take for pain relief when you have a headache or minor pain.

• Tweezers

Tweezers are another item that often come standard in most first aid kits and can be useful for pulling out splinters, getting out little bits of stone or dirt when cleaning a wound, or any number of other practical uses.

5 simple tips to help you avoid getting sick when you travel

Getting sick is a part of everyday life, and being on the road doesn’t exempt you from that fact, especially when travel itself exposes you to a whole new range of bugs, parasites, and environments. The fact of the matter is the longer you are traveling, the more likely you are to pick up a bug or two.


The key to minimizing the chances of this, however, is to actively combat the risk factors of becoming sick in the first place. The last thing you want to do is to expose yourself to any more risk than you have to. Prevention is far better than any cure.

1. Wash your hands


I know this sounds basic, but it is surprising how many people forget it.Hand hygiene is essential to stop the spread of infection and can dramatically reduce your chances of diarrhea, vomiting, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, flu, norovirus, MRSA, or even hepatitis A.

2. Drink bottle water




When you can’t be sure of the purity of the local water or you are traveling in areas where sanitation is not that great, then it should go without saying that you should avoid the local tap water. Even if locals drink it without any problems, your stomach may not have the right bacteria to protect you from becoming ill, avoid local water — even ice in your drinks — in countries that don’t purify their tap water

3.Be careful of food contamination

Food Contamination is one of the biggest causes of traveler’s diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems on any travel adventure. If you are not careful with your food on your travels, you could potentially be exposing yourself to diarrhea.

You may want to avoid — or be very careful of — the following:
Salads that may have been prepared in local untreated water
Raw fruit and vegetables that you haven’t peeled or skinned yourself (if you have, they are generally fine)
Food that has been left out and exposed for a period of time
Food that is shared, such as in buffets undercooked, raw, or reheated food, especially meat, fish, or rice.

4. Protect yourself against the sun
Sunburn can seriously ruin a good travel experience! I got very badly sunburned years ago in Margarita after snorkeling for too long and forgetting to reapply sun cream. It is not an experience I want to repeat!


5.Get vaccinated

Not all vaccinations are required for every individual for every trip, and a lot depends on what vaccinations you have already, what country or region you are visiting, and individual factors, such as your personal medical history, how long you will be traveling, and what you will be doing