If you only know your resort’s beach, you’re missing half of the Dominican Republic. The Safari is the tour we put together at Punta Cana in Travel to get you out of the hotel and into the country: villages, history, river, hidden beach and home cooking, all in one day aboard an open safari truck.

Pickup and departure on the safari truck

We pick you up at your hotel (Bávaro, Arena Gorda, Macao or Uvero Alto) and from there you climb aboard the safari truck, which is open on the sides so you feel the air and see all the scenery with no windows in between. This first stretch already tells you the day won’t be a brochure tour.

Typical ranch: handmade cigars

The first stop is a typical Dominican ranch, where you’ll see a cigar roller making cigars by hand, just as it has been done for generations in this part of the country. There are also handmade souvenirs in case you want to take home something made right here, not factory-made.

A village school and the Sierra de Anamuya

We continue and pass by a local elementary school, so you can see what everyday life is like outside the tourist areas, and cross the Sierra de Anamuya, with panoramic views of the Dominican countryside that don’t appear on any Punta Cana postcard.

Higüey Basilica

We make a stop at the Higüey Basilica, the most important religious temple in the country and a pilgrimage site for thousands of Dominicans every year. Even if you’re not religious, it’s worth going in just for the architecture.

A dip in the Maimón River

After so much travel, the truck stops at the Maimón River so you can cool off in fresh water, a pleasant contrast to all the sea you probably already know from your hotel.

Finishing at Macao Beach

The last stop is Macao Beach, one of the prettiest and least “hotel” beaches in the east, with stronger waves than the Bávaro beaches. A good finish before heading back.

Food and drinks all day

Throughout the excursion there is an open bar of drinks, and at some point along the way we stop for a Dominican-style buffet lunch. You won’t go hungry or thirsty all day.

If you want to see the real Dominican Republic and not just your hotel beach, message me on WhatsApp at +1 (829) 395-7036 and I’ll reserve your place with Punta Cana in Travel.