Tax day is coming, and you are excited not because you look forward to sifting through receipts and credit card statements, but because you're getting a fat refund...probably. The economy may be on its way back up, but you should try to stretch that tax refund as far as you can.
If you crave a beachy retreat, treat yourself to a tropical trip to the Dominican Republic when that big fax tax refund comes in the mail. ]]>
When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!
Gummis. They are just so awesome. Like 'em or not, it's hard to deny that gummis are some of the cutest, easiest gifts to bring home from a trip, especially if we're talking unique Haribo shapes straight from Germany. But outside of Europe, gummis can adapt the local tastes too, which we discovered on our recent trip to the Dominican Republic, where we uncovered some Jelly Bananas from the back of a Gummi rack.
The taste: Ignoring the lascivious leer of the cartoon banana pictured on the package, we gave our tastebuds over to the addictive sweetness of these shockingly yellow treats. Sparkling with sugar crystals, they're very pretty to look at and luckily a heck of a lot tastier than the little Runts bananas. ]]>
Typically when you talk about going plane spotting, it usually involves some stealth tactics like parking far away or camping out on a barren hillside for the perfect picture. Never do you dream that plane spotting could instead involve chilling beneath a palm tree, with a Cinnabon in hand, but it does if you're hanging out at Punta Cana International Airport in the Dominican Republic.
Since the majority of the airport is open-air and thatched-roof, you have a view of the tarmac from almost every angle, but no better place than at the outdoor viewing area. It's a quick walk away from the food court (with its Wendy's, Cinnabon, Nathan's Famous and other more local chains), but it's close enough to the gates so that you can stand out there almost the whole time before your flight without missing the boarding announcements.
So how does Baryshnikov enter the pictures? Find out after the jump!]]>
Only a few days ago, we gave you a quick peek into Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) in the Dominican Republic, after landing on the inaugural Jetblue flight direct from New York. But now we have a comprehensive look at this extremely unique airport which, when it opened in 1984, was the world's first privately-owned international airport.
Now, with over 3 million visitors landing here per year, the airport is the third busiest in the Caribbean region, after Cancun and San Juan. Often Caribbean airports get a bad rap for having ugly terminals, out-of-date technology or just for being small and hot. You'll realize upon landing at Punta Cana however, that his airport is the complete opposite of those things. In fact, it gives major international airports around the world a run for their money.]]>
Want to ring in the New Year by helping the world without sacrificing the necessary creature comforts? Puntacana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic recently announced the launch of their first voluntourism package which allows guests to participate in the island’s annual bird count with Dr. André Dhondt from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
Guests staying at Tortuga Bay and The Puntacana Hotel between Dec. 28 and Jan. 2 will be invited to partake in the yearly census of more than 25 indigenous bird species native to the Dominican Republic. The annual count is crucial to monitoring and protecting the health of the island's birds. Hotel guests will also have the opportunity to join Dr. Dhondt for lectures and tours of the resort grounds, including exclusive access to the resort’s beautiful Ecological Reserve. ]]>
Spend your holiday in a hammock.
When December hits, people get excited for snow, treats and spending time with family. But for many of us that translates into non-stop shoveling, nasty fruit cake and yet another family screaming match. Forget Christmas this year—and the stress that comes along with it—and head to the Dominican Republic.
And how about this for a relaxing non-holiday: an all-inclusive vacay at Excellence Puta Cana that costs $123 a night for stays through December 23. ]]>
I got my hair cut this morning at a barber shop on Union Avenue in Brooklyn called Model Barbers, where Jack and Oksana work. I like going there, because I can practice my feeble Russian on them and they always correct my mispronunciations and grammatical errors. Jack and Oksana are from Uzbekistan, but they refer to the whole former Soviet Union as Russia and personally identify as Russians. No matter what bad thing happens in America, they'll remind you that things are worse in Russia. As I sit in the chair, they banter with each other in rapid-fire Russian, and I can only pick out a few odd words: rabota (work), kanyeshna (certainly), zhopa (ass). ]]>