Friday, January 13, 2017

nye at club med punta cana

My parents and I took quite an exciting trip at the end of 2016. We left bright and early on December 26th and headed to the Dominican Republic to spend a week at Club Med. I've mentioned this previously, but in case you're new around these parts, my family has been vacationing at Club Med since I was in the 6th grade! I'm 27 now so clearly we're big fans...

Club Med Punta Cana is our most visited and our favorite resort of the five that we've been to. It holds a lot of great memories for us and has also changed quite a bit since our first visit. This year, we stayed in the newest area of the resort, the Zen Oasis. I vlogged while I was there just to show you some bits and pieces of the week, including the really fun New Year's Eve celebration!


WHERE WE STAYED: CLUB MED PUNTA CANA

Zen Oasis // The Zen Oasis is the adult-only area of the resort, meaning no one under the age of 18 is allowed to stay in the rooms or access any of the facilities. The rooms are quite spacious and have a contemporary and tropical vibe to them. Each room has a balcony/patio area and a daybed outside.

The pool is quite large and features a slightly longer than-Olympic sized area. There are chaise lounges directly in the pool and very comfortable cabanas that are perfect to read or nap in.

The Hibiscus bar overlooks the pool. With quite a large seating area, you can nosh on snacks and sandwiches throughout the afternoon while sipping on your beverage of choice. I recommend that watermelon water because it was delicious!

The Zen Oasis also has its own beach area! It's a quiet beach and separated from the regular beach area. The beds are comfortable and there's a lot of shade so you'll have a place to cool off in. It was pretty windy when we went and this area seemed to see the most wind. I would imagine it's different during the warmer months.

For reference, we've stayed in the Club Rooms, which are pretty basic and come with just the things you need. We've also stayed in the Tiara suites, and in my opinion, those are the best rooms. They also happen to be the biggest and the five star {or as Club Med phrases it, five trident} area of the resort.

Restaurants and Bars // My family and I aren't huge drinkers so we didn't frequent the bar much. They do have a different speciality drink each day and that is always fun to try. The Hibiscus Bar at the Zen Oasis offers a different drink of the day than the other bars at the resort.

My parents and I agree on this - the Hispaniola restaurant is the best of the three restaurants on site. The seating area is huge, but the floor has always been quite slippery. High heel wearers beware. It overlooks the ocean so the views are amazing during the day. The patio area is beautiful at night since you can see the stars so clearly, but another warning, it can get windy.

In general, the food is rarely ever bad at Club Med. Breakfast is great - carbs galore and fresh fruit juices. You'll typically see chips and guacamole {the best guac EVER} at lunch. Each night at the Hispaniola has a different theme. At the Samana, dinners tend to just be an international buffet. The Indigo Bar is located right on the beach and is new. It's a much nicer space now and is a table service rather than a buffet like the other two. Dinner reservations are required.

If there is one thing you need to have at Club Med, it's the white chocolate bread. OMG. It's amazing. We typically sneak some home in our luggage because it's so good. But for $10, you can reserve your own loaf at Reception and they'll have it for you when you leave!

Activities // The highlight of the resort is definitely CREACTIVE. Club Med teamed up with Cirque du Soleil for some very fun activities that is exclusive to Punta Cana. From the trapeze {this was always offered here} to face painting, acrobatic bungee to aerial silk tissue, there's something exciting to try. Unfortunately, I am too much of a scaredy-cat/I read a lot so I can't speak to how thrilling they are, but they looked really fun!

Other activities at the resort include kayaking, paddleboarding, windsurfing, archery, snorkeling, and many others. A lot of people, my family included, choose to visit and play some of the golf courses in the surrounding area. There are some excursions, like horseback riding and scuba diving, that will take you offsite.


*Note: This post is not sponsored. Club Med has no idea who I am. My family and I just really love the Club Med resorts we've visited so I wanted to share this one with you!

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