Travel Mom Stephanie, also the creator of Consistently Curious, joins us to share her adventures near and far including her recent Dominican Republic Family Vacation in Punta Cana.
For more family vacation ideas, check out all the podcast episodes. Adventure Awaits!
Tell us about the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a big island in the Caribbean. And it shares the island with Haiti. It’s an undiscovered gem…the food, the people, and the weather are just wonderful. Punta Cana is the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic and abuts the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
We’ve been twice as a couple and just went on a family vacation. It’s an easy average 5-hour flight for most people so easy to get to.
Tell us about your Dominican Republic Family Vacation
We stayed at two wonderful resorts in Punta Cana.
The Nickelodeon Resort is a wonderful all-inclusive resort with so much for the kids to do. It has a wonderful water park and stunning beaches. There’s a kids club which is fun for the kids and allows you to have some adult time. We had lots of family fun with Sponge Bob and Paw Patrol. And we got slimed!
Then we went to the all-inclusive Margaritaville Island Reserve Resort which was a whole different experience. It was chill and relaxed with great dining options. We had tacos in the pool which my daughter thought was the coolest. They also have a kids club and a designated splash area just for kids as well as adorable loungers by the pool just for kids.
My feisty four-year-old daughter loved it all, especially the pools and the beach!
And it’s so cool. My daughter now wants to learn Spanish. She picked up a few words on the trip and now we’re starting Spanish together as a family. So, it’s led to a great new activity we’re doing at home.
Do you have tips for families planning to visit?
- Budget Savings. Sign up for the resort newsletters and keep an eye out for deals in those, especially in shoulder season.
- Use a Travel Agent. We booked with AAA and they were wonderful, took care of all the details like transportation on arrival. Especially with everything changing these days with testing, forms, etc… it’s so helpful. They know all the details and get you prepared in advance.
- Bring plenty of Sunscreen & Bathing Suits. You’ll be spending all your time in them!
- Bring money for tipping. Most resorts do take American Dollars.
Tell us about your most recent nearby adventure?
We went to the French Lick Resort, a historic resort in Southern Indiana’s Hoosier National Forest. They have three hotels with tons to do. There’s a restored historic trolley, riding stables, indoor and outdoor pools, surrey bikes, and more.
Then outside the resort is one of the coolest things we did… the Elephant Spa Experience at the Wilstem Ranch as well as their drive-through safari.
There’s also an indoor waterpark, winery, snow tubing, and the scenic railroad that takes you into Hoosier National Forest (which is also a Polar Express in the winter).
Why do you think it’s important to travel with kids?
It teaches them things they aren’t going to learn in the classroom. It makes them global citizens and appreciate other cultures and other points of view.
What’s the next trip you’re planning?
We are in a hot debate about our next trip between Portugal, Costa Rica, Belize, or Hawaii. And our next fun nearby getaway is to Lafayette, Indiana.
Visit Stephanie’s website for great travel ideas and follow her on Instagram.
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For more family vacation inspiration, tune in to all the podcast episodes. Adventure Awaits!