March 23 We left on Tuesday morning and flew four hours to Puerta Plata. (The airport and countryside look very much like Jamaica.) We then flew thirty minutes to Punta Cana. The thatched roof, open air airport set a nice mood. We were greeted by Dominicans in costume that took our picture ($5) and serenaded us while we waited for our luggage. Customs and immigration was a breeze. Turniter Tours took us the fifteen-minute air-conditioned bus ride to Paradisus. The grounds were beautiful as we drove up the very long driveway. The lobby is open air and gorgeous!! We were given cool face cloths and drinks while we checked in. We then rode a tram to our room. Paradisus covers a large area. There are 29 bungalows, 16 rooms each. They are all numbered with signs on the ground, (very hard to see at night). We were in #12, second floor, corner room, and view of pool. The bell boy brought our bags and waited for a tip. Our room was a beautiful suite with a king sized bed. The refrigerator was well stocked with beverages. The balcony was lovely and the view was great! The only thing missing from our room was face cloths. (We finally received those on Friday.) They restocked the frig every day until Sunday and it was never restocked again. The room was never attended to before 4:00 p.m.
There is a very large shopping mall at the entrance to Paradisus. It is a long walk but you can call a taxi. There is a shop in the lobby and shopping on the beach. There are three shops at Melia Bavaro. One night a week the locals are allowed to set up tables and sell their wares. All of the prices seemed comparable.
We attended the shows nightly. The performers were quite talented and the costumes and sets were very good. Some of the shows were pretty good. They played BINGO every night before the show started. They announced the numbers in several languages.
The casino is small but nice. They give away fake money to entice you inside.
There are many activities to do at Paradisus. You can be as busy as you want to be. There are aerobics, volleyball, archery, shooting, donkey races, etc. Parasailing is available for $65. They come to you on the beach to round up business. There is a nightclub that opens at midnight. The facilities are great! We did wish for a hot tub or Jacuzzi. Waiters on the beach would also be nice. An orientation of the facilities would be helpful. They give you a booklet, (in Spanish), that has a map in it but it is still sometimes confusing. (Especially at night.) Communication is the biggest problem. Spanish is a great asset.
there are seven restaurants. Some require reservations and long pants for men. We made reservations first thing Wednesday morning. (Be PERSISTENT!) Our first night we ate at Hibiscus buffet. We were serenaded. We also ate breakfast there every morning. We ate lunch every day at Palapa Grill.