Is Punta Cana Worth It? Our Honest All-Inclusive Review

All-inclusive does you good… In Punta Cana, and probably elsewhere too! So why? Not worrying about ANYTHING, having everything within arm’s reach, food, drinks, doing nothing, just resting and lazing in the sun with a book. We can already hear the backpackers… What a lame way to travel, you don’t mix with the locals, you don’t learn much about the culture… And it’s true. But guess what? We loved our all-inclusive in Punta Cana! Come on, we’ll tell you everything!

We went for a week at the end of September 2013. Our story is a little dated, but we updated the practical information in 2026: when to go, sargassum, excursion prices and entry requirements are at the end of the article.

Punta Cana all-inclusive at a glance

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Our all-inclusive experience in Punta Cana

After a very long daytime flight, we finally land in Punta Cana. Nine hours of icy air conditioning, then the heat hits us like a slap as we step off the plane. It’s 8 pm. It’s a bit of a shock: how are we going to enjoy our holiday if we can’t even breathe properly? I’m on the verge of panicking, wondering what on earth we’ve come here for… 30°C? Are you sure?! My other half reassures me: we were freezing on the plane, there are the jet engines, the airport roof is made of wood, and once outside there are the 50 coaches in the car park (all with their engines running for the air con) blowing out their heat. Don’t worry, he tells me… Hmm, only half convinced, we pile into the 36th coach, ours.

It’s our first all-inclusive holiday, with airport transfers and all the rest, so we just go with the flow. Usually we organise everything ourselves, so I admit we follow along without thinking. Our tour rep welcomes us and explains how things work: we wait for everyone before leaving, a few “safety” instructions and, tomorrow, an information meeting we absolutely must attend, supposedly at the risk of not having our return flight confirmed (which is of course untrue).

He insists at length that we should rent the in-room safe ($3 a day extra), because if our passports are stolen, the holiday is over and the paperwork nightmare begins. (A bit like in any country, right? Anyway.) His insistence surprises us. We’re not surprised he’s trying to make us spend more money, but running down the hotel’s security… a little, yes (rest assured, nothing to report).

We leave the airport for a 20-minute coach ride through fields and scrubland, with no houses or “villages” in sight. At last we see the name of our hotel, “Ifa Bavaro Villas” (a great hotel, by the way, now closed: it has made way for the Lopesan Costa Bávaro). We turn into a private estate, with a first checkpoint, 3 km of scrubland, another checkpoint, a few luxury villas and flats, a 3^rd checkpoint and there, finally, is our hotel. It’s 10 pm; exhausted, we give up on having a look around and go straight to bed.

The next morning, we’re up at 5:30 am! Thanks, jet lag: it lets us watch a superb Caribbean sunrise! It’s much less stifling than the night before. Phew, my other half was right. After a gargantuan breakfast, we head to the famous information meeting at 8:30 am, hoping above all that it will be quick: we want to get to the beach!

What we learnt: information meeting = excursion sales pitch. We listen more or less carefully to the rep’s spiel: souvenirs, “local” products, possible excursions, prices and so on. The thing to bring home is the local rum, delicious and dirt cheap. He tells us it’s forbidden to take cigars or sand home. We did take some sand (we always bring some back from our trips) and had no problems at all… People we met there even brought coconuts home, with no problem either. As for cigars, good news: contrary to what he told us, you can bring some back within your customs allowance (50 cigars per person when returning to the UK or the EU).

After a week, we can tell you: we loved it!

Why all-inclusive does you good

If you’re tired of the daily grind, desperate for a holiday, don’t want any hassle and “just” want to unwind, all-inclusive is for you… And you might as well do it on a gorgeous beach, right? Back then, the Dominican Republic had become really cheap… (when we were researching, this trip cost less than Greece or Turkey). Even today, it’s worth comparing prices, especially outside the school holidays.

We really rested and enjoyed the peace and quiet, the beach and the all-inclusive. No need to look for a restaurant or a place for a drink, haggle over prices, or plan visits and excursions…

All in postcard-perfect scenery: turquoise water, white sand and coconut palms, with magnificent sunrises as the icing on the cake, almost to ourselves.

We also tried snorkelling for the first time (the hotel lent us the gear for free). We saw all sorts of fish, snakes and giant starfish.

The downsides of an all-inclusive in Punta Cana

Right, we won’t lie to you: a few things bothered us. Lots of people travel this way, and for them that’s what a holiday is. For us it was a first, and what bothered us most was feeling like “prisoners” of the hotel. If you want to do anything other than laze on the beach, you either walk the 3 km to the main road or pay. Walking along a main road: not great. Paying: a hire car, a taxi (who knows you have no choice and will charge you an arm and a leg), or excursions.

There’s no shortage of those: Santo Domingo, the capital (4 hours there and 4 hours back on the same day, which is a bit far all the same), boat trips, visiting Saona Island, swimming with dolphins (if they’re kept in an enclosure, steer clear, of course!), sharks or rays, snorkelling, and even parasailing, buggy rides in the forest and so on. We knew the hotels lined the coast, but we still thought we’d be able to get around the area easily… So you have to dip into your wallet regularly and budget generously. For example, a day on Saona Island for the two of us cost nearly $300 back then… Yes, prices were outrageous! Today, if you book online rather than through your tour rep, you can find the excursion from around $80 per person (transfers, boat and lunch included).

So, as for meeting locals and discovering the local culture, you’ve guessed it: forget it! Then again, we weren’t setting off to explore a new country, but rather to take it easy without asking ourselves any questions. Meeting locals would clearly have been a plus… If you’re like us and usually love sightseeing, after a week you’ll find time dragging a little. Personally, I could have stayed another 2 or 3 days without getting bored; my other half, on the other hand, had finished all his books^^
If you’re at the end of your tether, as we were at the time, we can tell you: all-inclusive really does you good. Compare prices and you’ll see that long-haul destinations are sometimes cheaper than Europe… Why not make the most of it?
If you have itchy feet, one week in Punta Cana is enough. Otherwise, choose a country where you can easily combine lazing around and sightseeing.

Our tips for an all-inclusive holiday in Punta Cana

When to go to Punta Cana

The best time is the dry season, from December to April: plenty of sunshine, less humidity and little seaweed on the beaches. It’s also the high season, so prices go up. Hurricane season runs from June to the end of November, with a higher risk between August and October. We were there in the last week of September: two showers in a week, one of which lasted 3 minutes on the beach… We were lucky! If you travel at this time of year, take out travel insurance that covers cancellations.

What about sargassum?

This brown seaweed mostly washes up between April and October, peaking from May to August. East-facing beaches such as Bávaro, Arena Gorda and Cabeza de Toro are the worst affected. Hotels clean them every morning, but if you travel in summer, look at Cap Cana (Juanillo beach) or Bayahibe, further south, which are much less affected. During our stay, we had no seaweed problems at all.

Leaving the hotel and booking excursions

Our biggest gripe was feeling a bit stuck in the resort. A tip a reader gave us in the comments: hire a car straight from the airport, so you can explore the nearby beaches and villages at your own pace. A tourist coach trip from the hotel sometimes costs more than a week’s car hire! For excursions, compare prices online before you go: it’s often cheaper than at the information meeting. For us, the one not to miss is still Saona Island. On the other hand, we skipped Santo Domingo: too much driving for a single day.

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We LOVED this little paradise on earth, and we’re not at all against this kind of holiday from time to time, even if it’s not what we prefer^^. Fancy a little all-inclusive in Punta Cana on a dream beach?

Punta Cana all-inclusive FAQ