Hali & Mike in Punta Cana

Hali and Mike return to Punta Cana

We enjoyed our trip to the Riu Palace in Mexico so much, that we thought we'd try out the Palace Macao in Punta Cana. The weather was generally very nice, but we did have rain during a few nights and one whole day. There were no Hobie's to sail at this resort (which was a bummer because the Iberostar down the beach *did* have them). However, the wave kayaks were very fun in the surf. The reef could get very shallow at low tide, so we had to be careful as to when to go beyond the reef. The resort was nice and quiet, and there were very few children around. The rooms were nice -- even though they all have two double beds pushed together. We did have some extra channels on the TV in our room (including an adult channel), and we think they might have given us the bonus channels because we asked about a single bed. The food was okay, but we were expecting a little more variety and quality. We met a bunch of very friendly people from all over North America and Europe, and it was generally a pleasant get away. On a very sad note, a guest died while scuba diving during our first day there. That was a sober reminder for us to be careful while we were playing.

In the pictures below we have tried to capture some of the fun times and some of the beauty of the resort. To see pictures of our other fun trips you can visit our main vacation page HERE. Happy trails! - Mike & Hali

The beach VB court was cute. There were 2 palm trees holding up the net, and 4 acting as corner points for the court.	Room service would place small flowers in a different arrangement each day.
"Caribbean Street" was the shopping area next to our resort. There were the usual touristy shops, a first aid station, and a small spa.	Note the wreck of a tanker in the background (on the reef). Apparently it's been there for over 20 years.
The small pool was nicely arranged with 4 fountains and 4 small statues.	One of the tourist shops had entire inside painted with sea animals -- neat!
The slow flash and the tripod let us get this nightime shot of the pool fountains.	View from the courtyard looking into the lobby.
Frozen bevies in the main bar.	This mermaid was above the poolside bar.
Hali smelling the roses as we wander the grounds during our after dinner stroll.	The grounds were fairly small, but well kept.
A brief windsurfing session.	The beach was nice.
This guy would come out before both dinner seatings and say "Good Evening" in 73 languages. We did not modify the color of his suit.	Another post-dinner stroll.
Frosty drinks in the nightclub. They even had a small casino.	Us on the beach.


The beach had a nice mix of sun and shade. We never had to hunt for a free chair.	This is Wolfgang and Mike on the VB court. Wolfgang was a really cool guy from Austria, who runs a business of fitness trainers.
	New Feature. We review the key aspects of the resort on a scale from one to ten -- one being bad, and ten being excellent. Rooms: 9 Nice, well appointed and clean. Mini bar w/ cheap booze. Flowers in bath were nice. Water sports/Activities: 3 The staff was not pleasant or helpful, and the system for using equipment was cumbersome at best. Most of the staff spoke little or no english. The equipment wasn't anything to write home about, either. Bars: 5 Bad beverage selection, but good bartenders. Again, there was a language barrier. Restaurants: 6 We expected more variety and higher quality. Grounds: 9 A small resort, but nicely laid out and very clean. Overall Service: 6 Some of the staff was great, some wouldn't give you the time of day. Reception/Front desk: 9 These folks tried to keep people happy. Overall: 7 A nice little resort, but not a place we'll visit again.