I am finally sharing my trip to the Dominican Republic. All I can say is that it was nothing but simply amazing! We decided that since we did a micro wedding, we should enjoy two weeks away for our honeymoon. After all, getting married is such a special occasion and we both haven’t done a trip alone without family around. The ultimate goal for this trip was no stress and that is what ended up happening! Here is how to plan your honeymoon on a budget like us!
Related:Â Our Wedding Day: How I Planned a Beautiful Micro Wedding on a Small Budget
How to Plan Your Honeymoon on a Budget
Knowing how to plan your honeymoon on a budget or simply planning a honeymoon on a budget takes time to find the right deals, however, going all-inclusive is the ultimate choice!
I bought our honeymoon trip to Punta Cana off Groupon. Yes, you read that right! It saved us a lot of money as we compared with all the big usual sites people go to book hotels. This was the first time that I had booked an international hotel through them but it was definitely worth it. I made sure to check other sites to see the reviews of the hotel before purchasing. In total, we paid $2,141.70 USD for 11 nights at our all-inclusive hotel.
Since we stayed at an all-inclusive resort, all I needed to worry about is purchasing our flight tickets and transportation to get to the hotel. Our round-trip flights including insurance cost $2,837.92 CDN in total. As for the transportation, I emailed the hotel to see if they had a shuttle, and since they did not, they recommended a company that they could book for me. The service costs 35 USD and you pay directly to the driver.
Trip Advice for Traveling to Punta Cana
- Honeymoon packing list – I loved using my honeymoon packing list when I was packing my suitcase. It was essential for packing all that I needed. If you want a copy, it is free! Grab your free printable here!
- Make sure you book a private car to bring you to your hotel –Â It saves you the trouble of dealing with everyone who shouts for your attention once you get outside the airport. Plus it saves time, they hold your name so you feel like a celebrity. Not to mention you know how much you are paying in advance.
- Have your e-ticket ready – One of the things that I made sure we did was get our Dominican Republic travel e-tickets done the day before we left. That way we weren’t doing this while we were standing in line. I was able to save it onto my phone and when ready I could show it with ease.
- Excursions Agents – As soon as you get to the baggage claim area, people who have excursions will start asking you to buy before you even leave the airport. It can be a little overwhelming at first but you are able to get a deal on the excursions that you want to try.
- Take cash out – These excursion agents don’t only try when you are in baggage claim but even after security, they have more people selling their excursions. You will also need extra cash for later tips and gifts.
Our Hotel
The main tip for how to plan your honeymoon on a budget is staying at an all-inclusive resort. We stayed at Bravo Princess. It was absolutely beautiful from how everything was arranged to the room we stayed in. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. We had the option to have someone clean the room each day, and there was supposed to be someone to fill the drinks each day however sometimes that didn’t happen.
Our hotel room looked exactly like the photos. There was a rainfall shower and a deep tub that was just what we needed. His and her sinks, a large bed, a mini fridge, a TV, and a balcony. This was the perfect home away from home. See the full video of our hotel room tour right here.
The Food
Another thing to add to the list for how to plan your honeymoon on a budget is a place where you don’t have to pay for food. There were plenty of choices to dine at dinner with the seven restaurants.
There is an ice cream truck near the front of the resort and food trucks by the beach. The choices at breakfast were endless since it was buffet style. You could always find something you want to eat. We tried just about every restaurant there. Our favourite was the steakhouse and the Italian restaurants. See the fun reel I created of our trip experience here!
The Beach
The view was incredible. I loved sitting and lounging by the water. It was nice that it wasn’t too crowded with people. There was a ton of seaweed in the water and all over the sand so it was a little hard to walk or swim with it around but other than that, the waves were just right.
One thing that you will notice is that there are a ton of workers walking around offering things from gifts to excursions. It can kind of get annoying after a while but if you are looking for the following make sure to bring cash:
- Sunglasses
- Swimsuits
- Hats
- Purses
- Cigars
- Foot Massage
- Someone to do your Hair
- Someone to do a Fake Tattoo
- Bottle of Rum
- Art
- Handmade Wooden Gifts
- Handmade Jewelry
- Photo with a Parrot or Tiny Monkey
Hotel Activities
There was plenty to do from beach excursions to places to go for walks. If you bring your kids there are two kids’ areas that have water parks. There is a pool area and basketball court. In the evening there is night entertainment of singing and dancing. You also get to see all the ducks, flamingos and peacocks that roam around the grounds.
The Excursions
We couldn’t leave without doing some excursions so we chose dune buggies and the dolphin experience. If you have even checked my dream list, you would know that dolphins are on my list of seeing because they are my favourite animals.
Dune Buggy Ride
The first thing we did was the dune buggies. The bus picked us up from the hotel and then we made our way down the local streets to the location. First, we got to learn about how they make chocolate and coffee. We took a photo with parrots and then got to try some coffee or hot chocolate. It was cool to see how they make cigars.
After that, we got to go into a cave and swim in the water. It is so beautiful and the water wasn’t deep. We drove off quickly with the heat and then made our way to watch a dance performance.
After the show, it was finally time to go on the dune buggies. Just a heads up they will allow you to buy a face covering or goggles. We chose to use our clothes and sunglasses to shield the mud. One thing is for sure, you are going to get covered in mud so don’t wear nice things, don’t wear white and cover your hair and face if you don’t want it to get muddy.
Overall, it was such a fun experience and I would definitely do it again.
The Dolphin Excursion
I was so excited to do this one. Once we got into pairs and put on our life jacket vests, we got kissed by a walrus and then got to hang out with the dolphins. It was nice to get to know them and swim with them. We were able to swim with them twice so we could get the experience of holding onto the fins.
Some other groups were able to be pushed into the air by their feet by two dolphins. There were many chances to feel the dolphin, dance, splash water and be kissed. It was an experience unlike I had ever had before. I would definitely be doing it again. I mean we can definitely cross swimming with dolphins off my dream list.
Final Thoughts
So how to plan your honeymoon on a budget? Save money in advance, find deals and choose an all-inclusive resort. This trip was amazing for our honeymoon and our future trips. My husband and I truly were relaxed and enjoyed every minute of our trip. We hoped to go back very soon. It almost felt like two weeks wasn’t enough but it truly was the right amount of time.
We even gave ourselves an extra week at home before going back to work. It was the best idea because there wasn’t that pressure or rush to go back to work. We had a week to ease in and we could get a few things done. So in conclusion, if you are looking for a fun experience, you have to go to Punta Cana.
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