Punta Cana, April 2024

Our 2024 return to Iberostar Grand Bavaro.

In order for Barb to work on her tan and to see Allie, we returned to Punta Cana for a short winter/spring break. We let Allie bring a friend to keep her entertained. We thought it might be her boyfriend Jimmy but he ended up at a sales meeting in Las Vegas, so Allie’s friend Catherine came instead. We went to the Iberostar Grand Bavaro where Barb and I first stayed in 2019. I bought the package on Black Friday through Southwest Vacations which ostensibly saved $1,000. This remains the epitome of an all-inclusive package – the air, transfers, hotel, meals and drinks were all built into one up-front price. The only things we spent any money on were tips, though we probably should have tipped a little better.

We left for BWI at 6:15am to catch our Southwest flight at 8:30am on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Allie and Catherine were just getting on their flight from Boston to BWI. We met them at the airport and all boarded the 3.5 hour flight for Punta Cana. Arrival was easy and we were at the hotel by 2pm, in time for a late lunch buffet.

I won’t go through details of each day because our routine was simple. Barb rose around 7:30am to stake out a palapa by the beach. I met her for breakfast around 8:15 and eventually the girls would wander down. We’d be on the beach by 10am, me in the shade and the girls in the sun. The girls read while I listened to podcasts and music. After a few hours I generally retreated to the room and our balcony then found the girls for lunch around 1pm. The afternoons followed a similar pattern. The beach was so nice the girls spent little time at the pools which were generally a little more crowded with loungers, especially near the bars.

The weather for our three days was close to perfect with temperatures in the low 80’s and a nice breeze by the beach, this despite a forecast that looked partly cloudy with a chance of rain each day. There was one day with a brief passing shower but no wash outs. Evidently the Monday before we arrived it rained all day, and on the morning of our departure there was some rain, but overall the temperatures and sun were as pleasant as could be. 

The biggest question of each day was which restaurant/cuisine to try for dinner. We did the buffet on Wednesday night which turned out to be Italian night. As always on the first night, we sampled more than we needed to. Nothing really stood out, but there was plenty of everything.

On Thursday, Allie, Catherine and I tried the Dominican restaurant to try to have something local. The dishes were decent but not outstanding. Barb was at the buffet again, this time for seafood night and the spread there was pretty impressive. We joined her for dessert. The only restaurant that needed reservations was the Japanese teppanyaki place where we went on Friday. The table-grilled meal was not great but we had a good time, fueled by hot sake. On Saturday, we enjoyed the steak and seafood grill. We shared a decent ribeye and lobster, the best meal we had. 

I watched several of the evening entertainment options: a dance revue, a disco revue, and a set of circus acrobats. Each was mediocre but a good excuse to have a drink and sit in the evening air. Barb and the girls generally retreated to their rooms to read.

While the ladies were all dressed up one evening we took some nice photos.

On Saturday, our final full day, our butler Victor and the housekeeping staff went out of their way to do a special bubble bath for Barb which was a nice touch. It also prodded me to take a couple of photos from our balcony to give a sense of the resort.

The flight back was easy, about as frictionless as one could hope. As we descended into BWI we caught my first glimpse of the collapsed Key Bridge. Manny was very happy to greet us once we got home.

It was, once again, a low-key getaway, fine for the four nights and still no need to be longer. These Caribbean trips have become something of a family tradition, for better or worse. I can’t say I love them but I do enjoy indulging for a few days, and Barb loves to bake in the sun and read. It’s still something of a toss-up between the Grand Bavaro and Excellence El Carmen, the two Punta Cana all-inclusives we’ve returned to. The Bavaro’s beach and food seem marginally better, while Excellence has slightly better facilities and activities. Aruba would still be in the mix if we could get non-stop flights during the week.