Exploring the Beaches of Puerto Plata

 The BlueBay Beach

From my research online, Punta Cana has the white sand beaches while Puerto Plata has a larger variety of water activities.  We chose the latter for its activities.  I was initially disappointed by the brown sand, but given that the rest of the facilities were superb, I can't really complain.

Playing by the BlueBay beach.

On BlueBay's website shows a scene of the beach with a romantic four poster bed, and in fact, there are two of such beds right on the beach!  What they don't show is that the beds are far from the water, and the two rows of tiki umbrellas actually block your view of the ocean.  Personally, I preferred the privacy under the tiki umbrella and enjoying the unobstructed views of the water.

View of beach in the morning.

As a side note, the number of tiki umbrellas with good views of the beach beach are strictly limited, so you either have to go early in the day or late in the afternoon to get one as they fill very fast. Otherwise, you can test your luck during the day as BlueBay attendants will vacate beach chairs under an umbrella if they are left unattended for too long.

The Beaches on the Other Side

A view of BlueBay and some surrounding resorts.

As you can see from the satellite map, BlueBay is located at point A, and is actually found in a small bay area.  Given as such, there was more seaweed, the water murkier, and the waves tamer.  Looking for some excitement and adventure, I walked all the way to point C and the view was stupendous.  The water is clearer, the waves are bigger (which means body surfing can be done), and it feels so alive to see and enjoy the open endless ocean view.  You can see the difference between the two beaches in the above sectional picture of the beach.  The two on the top are BlueBay's, while the bottom two are from point C.

I actually pulled up a beach chair and laid on another resort's beach for a few hours enjoying the nicer beach (refer to the first photo of this post).  Don't get me wrong, BlueBay was awesome, but if you've had your fill of drinks and just want a little more?  The extra 10-20 minute walk was totally worth it.

A view of the beach from the other side.

Another time, I actually walked past point C, and continued the end of the resorts strip.  It was quite a view to see the mountain (where the botanical gardens are located), as well as a glimpse of the city.
  
The Beach Merchants

Along the beach are uniformed merchants selling hats, wooden sculptures, and all sorts of handicrafts, as well as hair braiding and manicure pedicure services.  There were even people selling excursions at discounted prices compared to the ones available at the front lobby.  Personally, I wasn't sure if they could be trusted, but the same people are on the beach everyday, and it seems that people do buy from them.  As I was leaving, I told them next time, which they laughed and shook my hand.  Overall, they are all very friendly, and the items you can find are much better than those found in the gift shop in town!  Remember to haggle, bring cash, and happy shopping! :)

BlueBay Villas Doradas, Puerto Plata

A view of the front lobby.

Location:  BlueBay Villas Doradas, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (4 star resort)
Date:  May 22-28, 2010
Length:  6 days, 5 nights
Booking:  bookit.com
Cost:  $650 CAD, all inclusive with flight and hotel, all you can eat and drink

Look of the resort from above, and the circled is where my room was approximately located!

Backgrounder:
This was sort of a random trip, at a random time.  I always wondered why anyone would go to a tropical place, when it's already close to summer back home.  Well, this turned out to be me.  A friend of mine invited me to go, and I thought why not?  I really wanted a vacation, didn't go on one since Vegas, and it coincided with May long weekend, so I could save a vacation day!  I'd heard wonderful things about the Dominican, its beautiful beaches, and yummy food.  In addition, the website pictures looked amazing!  Given as such, I was quite excited for this one (and it did not disappoint)!

The view from the plane.  It is so green!

The Dominican Republic
It's funny how things turn out.  Although Haiti and the Dominican Republic are connected on the same island, they are vastly different, like night and day in terms of economic wealth and development.  Some differences which I noticed include:
- the Dominican Republic drives on tourism, and they do it very well, and are economically strong compared to Haiti
- in the Dominican, most people are lighter skinned being mixed between native/black/Spanish, while in Haiti it's more black
- in the Dominican, there are many farmers as it is lush with vegetation, while in Haiti, their people are living on aid and facing starvation due to years of deforestation for firewood

A map of the Dominican Republic

Itinerary:
For a vacation, we had quite an aggressive itinerary, so we could see everything while we were here.  In fact, my friends wanted to do even more, but it just wouldn't fit!  This unfortunately led to less time at the beach.


Day 1:  Arrival in the afternoon in the wonderful country of Dominican.  Head to the beach for the rest of the day.
Day 2:  Beach day!  All day!
Day 3:  Day trip of Paradise Island for snorkeling, and stopover at a cigar factory on the way back.
Day 4:  Pool day in the morning.  Dune buggies in the afternoon.
Day 5:  City tour of Puerto Plata, including the Brugal rum factory, the amber museum, the cable car to Loma Isabel de Torres, St. Felipe fortress, lunch, a stopover at the main town square, as well as a supermarket and shops for souvenirs. 
Day 6:  Departure back to Toronto.

My perspective of the lobby/reception area.

The Resort:
First of all, what was interested is that a number of the resorts reside in a gated area complete with security guards

BlueBay is an adults only resort, which meant that it mostly consisted of couples or groups of friends out to enjoy a vacation. The resort itself it pretty small, but it has everything you really need at a all inclusive including two pools, workout facilities, multiple a la carte restaurants, and one very yummy buffet (more on that later).  There was also a theatre area where daily shows are performed every afternoon and evening.  For those interested in golf, an eighteen hole golf course is located just beside the resort, though I didn't try it myself.

The resort gave me a quaint and familiar feeling, with the staff recognizable, and the decor in the main areas was pretty.  In fact, it was quite nicely done - modern, tranquil, with nice clean lines - as opposed bold tropical colours found in Cuba.

One of my favourite and most memorable part about the resort wass the friendliness of their staff.  They were so wonderful and accommodating.  What I found interesting yet endearing is that many of them work to organize particularly since many of them work the night shift to become our entertainment for the night.

The Room:

I got a ground floor room, close to the middle of the resort, which was right where I wanted to be.  They initially had a mix up with the rooms, where they thought we wanted 3 rooms (when we had 6 people), but the number distribution in the rooms was as follows: 1 person, 2 persons and 3 persons.  They fixed that quickly and it worked out!  It was interesting in that they did not fold interesting animals/shapes out of our towels every day.  There was only a standing shower and no tub, but they were relatively clean.  It was a nice welcoming on the first day, when we had rose petals scattered around the sink and in our toilet !

The only major con was that for some reason, my room was connected by door (but locked) to perhaps the maid's quarters/another room.  This door was very thin, and so I could hear their conversations and television clearly in the mornings and at night.  In retrospect, I should have requested to switch rooms.  My friends' rooms were fine though!

The Food:

View of the buffet

Compared to Cuba, the food was DELICIOUS!  Its table of fresh fruits at every meal was so sweet.  There would be chefs to cook fresh eggs in your choise of style in the morning, and pasta/other meat for the other meals.  Also at breakfast, are freshly made fruit smoothies which were also very very good.

Every night, there would be a certain theme for dinner.  Surprisingly, I loved the spring rolls for Asian night, and there were even live oysters for seafood night!

There were also food available during the day, between lunch and dinner in the restaurant by the beach.  It was a little stale, but think of it as beach food - don't expect too much!

Some of our food at the indoor seafood restaurant.

There were three a la cartes to choose from - Chinese, grill, and seafood.  I'd really wanted to try the seafood and the Chinese, but Chinese was booked full so I went with seafood and grill.  There were various items for each course on the menu.  Some were really delicious, and others were just okay, so it really depends what you choose.

Our food selection at the outdoor grill restaurant by the beach.

Overall:
It was hot,  the weather was mostly sunny, and when it did rain it would be in the afternoon just for a little bit,  so I really have no complaints.  As opposed to Cuba, I found that I could actually slept in, and I really  had to struggle to wake up for breakfast to get my beloved fruit smoothie.  I loved the intimacy of the resort given its size.  You get to know the whole entertainment crew, people on the resort are recognizable, and you never have to worry about losing your friends!  In addition, it was much easier to relax without children running around screaming during meal times and around the beach.

My flip flops in the sand

I would definitely come back, though next time I would probably go to Punta Cana just to visit a new place.  The Dominicans really know how to be hospitable and make you feel welcome in their country.  Plus the food was good (which is very important while on vacation)!

Next time I go to an all-inclusive, I would also stay the full week because you know what?  It's really needed :) with all the excursions and activities, I felt like I didn't quite have enough time as I would have liked to be on the beach!

A view of the beach.  Can I go back please?

The Grand Canyon

I booked my Grand Canyon trip through Expedia so that I wouldn't have to look while in Vegas.  There wasn't much of a tour as we only received a video of its history on the way there.  The drive took a good 3-4 hours, which felt like forever (who knew it would be so far)!

The Hoover Dam

On the way, we made a pit stop for a picture at the Hoover Dam!  I'm still not quite sure why it's so famous.

After picking lunch up on the famous Route 66 and eating it on the bus, we reached the south rim of the Grand Canyon!  The view was breathtaking, the air felt fresh, and the weather was perfect.  There were gift shops filled with native artwork, as well as musical performances.

The Grand Canyon!

Around and about the canyon.

We left after two hours, and grabbed dinner on the way back at Wild West Junction in Williams Arizona, prior to getting back to the city.  Surprisingly, the food was really delicious!

The tour was a good price given it included lunch and dinner, though if I had more cash, I would have taken a helicopter to save time and for a better more in-depth, interactive tour.  A precious full day in Vegas is gone if you go on this trip, most of which is spent on a bus!

My lunch!!!  So much food!

Skydiving Vegas-style

I believe that you only live once, so why not do all the things you want to do before it's too late?  Skydiving counts in my books as one of the activities you should do when you're young, without commitments and with less fear.  A few years back, I went paragliding in Austria, and was a little regretful I didn't choose the skydiving option.  So I figured if I were to go skydiving, why not in Vegas?  

I found a few companies that offer skydiving around Vegas.  Given that my life is on the line and security first, I chose the company with the most trustworthy looking website, which happened to be Las Vegas Extreme Skydiving.  Initially, I wanted to skydive to a view of the sunset, but given there were only two pickup times for 7 AM and 11:30 AM from Tropical Casino, I settled for the earlier one, paid a deposit, and booked it!

After providing us with some safety instructions, suiting up, and signing a waiver, we were off for some tandem skydiving!  The instructors that jump with you record your jump from start to finish, in case you want to buy the video.  It was SO nerve-racking sitting on a long wooden bench in the little plane going up to 15,000 ft.  I could feel my heart beating so hard, I literally thought it would burst.  I ended up being the last person jumping out, after seeing all my friends go.

Getting ready to jump

It's quite interesting that you simply kneel close to the open door and simply let the wind draw you out.  The free fall was a crazy experience - the air, the wind, the pressure - in what seemed like forever (but really closer to 30 seconds).  Soon after, the parachute was out.  I got to navigate for a while and then we landed.  I hugged all my friends, and with the adrenaline rushing through my veins, it never felt so good to be alive!

A view of their mini airport

I received a certificate for my tandem jump.  Apparently, if you keep a record of all your jumps, after the 8th one, you are certified to make the jump yourself!  

After the jump!!!

Although I didn't get to catch a view of the strip on my jump, there was desert and mountains.  Aside from the waiting times (as only one group can jump at once), it was truly a phenomenal experience, and I would totally consider doing it again.  

Downtown Vegas and the Fremont Street Experience

The Fremont Street Experience

I'd never heard of the Fremont Street Experience until I saw my friend's photos in Vegas with a bright coloured lights in the background.  Intrigued, I decided I HAD to go here to check it out.

Fremont Street is located in what is known as Downtown Vegas, where the original casinos, lights, and glamour all happened.  The pedestrian only street is covered by a huge canopy covered in LED lights, that is host to a light and sound show, playing multiple times every night.

The Fremont Street Experience

I walked here on my way from the outlets, and on the way, I found bail bonds!  Who knew such a store existed?  Given as it does, makes you wonder what kind of area you're in.  

Bail bonds!  How scary!

In my opinion, the crowds here are grittier, the side streets off of Fremont more quiet, and overall a shadier environment.  However, it was quite an experience to see and feel the liveliness original Vegas, what it was like back in the day, and where it all started before the commercialization of the Strip.

The famous casinos of Fremont St.  I love the 4 Queens sign!

At the end of the Fremont Street experience, I found very dark streets with few people.  I was glad to live it, but let's just say that I was a little more than relieved to find a cab to take me back to the Venetian.

Las Vegas - The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay

I'm not entirely sure why I did it, but while buying my Vegas hotel and flight package from Expedia, I looked at what sorts of advanced discount tickets they had, one of which included the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay.  It was quite the trek to get there, given it's all the way at the other end of the strip.  Good thing we found light rail that ran from Excalibur to Mandalay Bay or we may not have made it there by walking all the way from the Venetian!

I wasn't really sure what to expect.  It turned out to be a mini zoo of reptiles and marine animals.  It was much bigger than I expected, and if you listen to the full audio guide it could take 2 hours to go through.  I was quite impressed at the shark exhibit.  It felt surreal standing on floor of the aquarium protected by a glass to see the animals/fish/reptiles going by (kind of like a scene from a movie/drama).

I got to touch the string rays, and the jellyfish exhibit was quite interesting as well.

Final Verdict:
Seeing marine life is wonderful and all, if you're into that kind of thing.  I don't think I would've went if I didn't buy my tickets in advance, given there's so much to see in Vegas and it just takes SO LONG to get to Mandalay Bay (depending on where you're staying).

Las Vegas - the food edition

With the large number of hotels packed densely on the strip, comes a wide assortment of restaurants.  Given the amount and the sheer variety, it was very difficult to narrow down to one that I really wanted to try. The choices are endless, so you really have to narrow down to a price range or cuisine.  I decided I wanted to go to one really good fancy restaurant and one buffet, with the rest of my meals a casual affair.

My meals were divided as follows:
Day 1:  Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville (lunch), Picasso (dinner)
Day 2:  Lunch and dinner provided by the Grand Canyon tour company
Day 3:  Food court (lunch), Bellagio buffet (dinner)
Day 4:  Food court (lunch), Firefly Tapas Bar and Grill (dinner)
Day 5:  Brunch at airport

I'd really wanted to eat brunch at the Bouchon located at the Venetian, but I couldn't wake up in time! :(

PICASSO

Picasso entrance

I was brought up in a culture where food and eating are very important.  I did my research online, and I found that Picasso, a French-Spanish fusion restaurant, located at the Bellagio consistently came up on the top listings.  It had a 90% "like" rating based on 142 votes on Urban Spoon.  It is also a Michelin two-star restaurant nine-time recipient, and counting, of the AAA Five Diamond Award from 2002 to 2010.  Based on this, I had pretty high expectations of this restaurant.  It honestly exceeded them and more.

View of the Bellagio fountains

We made reservations ahead of time, and though it was half full when we entered, it was at capacity by the time we left.  From the moment you enter, you are immersed in the world of Picasso.  Its walls are decorated with authentic Picasso paintings, with french doors with a view to the Bellagio fountains, which plays every 15-30 minutes outside .  All the while, you are brought amazing and exquisite food, with a taste that's mind-blowing.  Are you excited yet?

Our menu for the night

Its menu changes seasonally and diners have a choice of the price fixe menu or the menu degustation.  The difference between the two is as follows.  Compared to the menu degustation, the price fixe:
- is slightly cheaper ($113 vs. $123)
- has 1-2 less number of courses
- diners can choose from a list of items per course, versus the menu degustation is fixed

You can also choose to pay more (an additional $63 to be exact) and get a wine pairing with each course.  Other than its food, Picasso is also famous for its wide selection of European wines, boasting more than 1,500 selections in its wine cellar.

I ordered the menu degustation because I figured if you were to go baller baller, you go all the way or you go home.  Although the menu states that it has four courses, it is really more like seven or eight courses due to additional chef selection items throughout the meal.  I also got a butterfly cookie packed away in lovely golden boxes for me to take home after the meal. :)

I'm not going to lie.  The meal was the most expensive I'd ever had in my life, and I didn't even have a drink!  However, if I had chance, would I go back?  HELL YES.  Without a doubt, and I know I can speak for my friends as well that it was one of the best meals I've had in my life.  There was an indescribable sensory overload in your mouth, that was just so amazing.

In addition, the level of service I received was unlike anything else I've ever had at any other restaurant.  Although they give you your space, they are very fast to responding to your needs.  My cup of water was consistently full.  When you go to the washroom, they actually fold your napkin and put it on the table for you.

I've had fancy meals where I've paid $50, or even $100 per person, but the quality is not the same.  In the grand scheme of things, it's true you pay more, but given it's a rare meal you don't eat every day, the experience was worth every penny.  I'd recommend this restaurant to anyone going to Vegas.  If you do go, go near the end of your visit as not to ruin your taste buds for other good food that's available, just not as good in comparison.  Remember to make reservations ahead of time!

BELLAGIO BUFFET
From what I heard about Vegas, you MUST go try a buffet there.  I decided to go to the Bellagio buffet, given the hotel is well-known and the buffet itself is also consistently on the top 10 listing.

There's the normal buffet, and then there's the gourmet buffet on Friday and weekends.  I paid extra for the gourmet buffet.

The buffet entrance from the casino and the lineups outside.

We went at 5 pm to avoid the dinner lineups, and it was already quite busy.  There was a wide variety of selection, from buffalo and ostrich meat to sushi, as well as a scrumptious dessert bar.  I would definitely say that it was one of the better and higher quality buffets I've ever had.

A sample plate

However, the only downside is that I ate at Picasso on my first night, so I was subconsciously comparing the quality and taste which was obviously not the same. :(  In fact, I think Picasso unfortunately ruined my taste buds for the rest of the trip.

A view of the buffet

As a side note, I was slightly disappointed in the decor for such a high standard and famous buffet.  At the time when I went in the fall of 2009, it felt a little old and the lighting could have been better.

FIREFLY TAPAS KITCHEN AND BAR

I don't remember how I heard about this place, but I saw it somewhere for its high reviews.  Food always tastes better shared, plus you get a wider selection of tasting, so I was quite excited for Firefly.  They actually have two locations, one located off the strip and the other in the Downtown area.  We went for the Downtown location, so we could see Fremont street on the way.



Reservations were not accepted, and we ended up waiting an hour to get seated.

View of the Fremont St experience from the restaurant.

Menu items are not too expensive, and selection is wide and varied.  Some of the items I had included the paella, stuffed mushrooms, baby back ribs, calamari, and the baked tilapia. 

Our food!

Although it took us so long to get seated, they had a waiting area by the bar while you wait.  The view of Fremont St. is spectacular, particularly when the light show is on.  The food was good for its price, so it's worth taking a look if you're in the area.  Make sure to go early/later to skip dinner lineups!

JIMMY BUFFETT'S MARGARITAVILLE

Why hello Jimmy!

Located near the Venetian and across from the Forum Shops, I would think that this would be good given its prime location and its large appealing sign with speakers blasting music to a tune of a relaxing Beach Boys vibe.  The atmosphere was nice, and the theme of being stranded on a desert island is pretty convincing. 

Inside the restaurant

I ordered the calypso mahi-mahi, which came with rice, vegetables, and a pineapple-mango salsa. 
I think this place was pretty good, but I wouldn't go back as it was kind of pricey for what you get.