Punta Cana Travel Forum

My new Hubby and I are comming for our honeymoon from August 22nd to the 28th. I was wondering what we should do about $ (keep US $ or trade it in for the local currency). We are staying at an all-inclusive but we wanted to maybe do 1 or 2 day trips and weren't sure how much they cast (estimate) and if anyone had any good ideas for day trips.
And lastly (this is a loaded posting!) I heard a lot about green amythest down there but it is often easy to get ripped-off and was wondering what are some good tips for avoiding that and about how much green amythest jewlery runs.
If anyone can help me with some or all of my questions I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks so much!

It depends.

Do you get good rates at home? If so, you could consider exchanging your money there, otherwise there might be a bank in Punta Cana (or the place you want to visit) where you can exchange your US$. The exchange rate as of today Aug 15, according to the Central Bank, is 1 US = 34.66 DOP. You could also check out the rates before you go to the hotel, bring your US$ and then calculate if it's more convenient to pay in USD or DOP. Personally, I'd bring my US$ and exchange there (but only if I get more money there and not at home) but would bring enough DOP to pay for the taxi to the hotel and minor things.

Green amethyst? I haven't heard of that, but I'd avoid buying stuff at street stands. The hotel gift shop *should* have the genuine stuff (but at a more expensive price because we're dealing with tourists). OR you could buy your jewels at a jewelry in a less touristic town. I don't have any amethyst but you could be interested in Larimar (a turquoise stone used in jewelry) or Amber. Larimar is an authentic Dominican souvenir, as the raw material is only available in DR, and our Amber is of excellent quality as well (and portrayed in the first Jurassic Park movie).

Now, about day trips. I'd recommend Saona or Catalina Islands (Saona is closer to Punta Cana but they're both lovely). Maybe you'd like to visit Santo Domingo (the capital, and if you do, visit Joyería Brador or Alexander for the amethyst). Another place you could visit is Altos de Chavón, a Mediterranean village located in La Romana (about 1-1,5 hours from Punta Cana). See if you can combine a trip to La Romana with one of DR's best kept secrets: Cueva de las Maravillas (the cave of wonders, where Taíno aborigins used to live, you can still see some carvings on the rocks).What to recommend pretty much depends on what you and your hubby would like to do. My tip to you is to compare the excursions you want online (if possible write down the prices) with the local rep (or reps) at the hotel. Haggle if necessary, but if you think that the price online is ok, you could book. One serious tour agency I could recommend (but not from personal experience, but from word of mouth) is Colonial Tours: http://www.colonialtours.com.do/.

Hope it helps.