Riu Palace Bavaro Review + Outfit Round-Up

If you follow me on Instagram or snapchat (jennatrop) you know that recently I went on a week-long trip to the Riu Palance Bavaro! This was an incredible all-inclusive resort and it was my first time out of the country, so I’m really excited to share my review and experience with you guys! 

The Riu Palace Bavaro is an all-inclusive resort on the Arena Gorda Beach in Punta Cana. Let me tell you, I’ve never experienced anything like this before. The beaches, the hotel, and the food and drinks were amazing! 

Bracelets c/o | OPI ‘Tiramisu for Two’

There are several restaurants you can choose from for dinner – Italian, Sushi, Steakhouse, etc. and an amazing buffet area with all kinds of local cuisine. My favorite were the fruit and coffee – all locally grown! We ate at the buffet for breakfast every morning and it was so good. There were tons of options and everything tasted fresh! The service was also one of our favorite parts about the trip. The waiters and bartenders were super friendly and fast. 

This being my first time out of the country, I really had no idea just how beautiful these beaches would be. The water was crystal clear, perfect for snorkeling! We did that for about four hours on our last full day. Our backs were SUPER sunburnt but it was absolutely worth it! (I think I have a hundred photos of the beach on my phone. The sunrises and sunsets were so picturesque.)

This is the view from our balcony. We stayed in a oceanfront villa and absolutely loved it – sorry, I didn’t take pictures of the hotel room but you can get them online! The room was gorgeous – very spacious with a king-size bed, large bath, and a jacuzzi on the balcony. The best part was walking right out to the beach or the pool from our room, especially when we wanted to wake up early to watch the sunrise. 

We decided before the trip to do a few excursions (but actually we booked all of ours through the hotel while we were there, it’s super fast and convenient!) I saw photos of Hoyo Azul on Instagram and knew immediately that I wanted to go. The pool, located at the foot of a cliff, is turquoise and crystal clear. Swimming through this water was surreal and definitely my favorite part of the entire week. It was an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life!

I was lucky enough to snap a few shots of the pool before the group we were with dove in! It was so difficult to not take photos the entire time. 

We also decided to do a Monkeyland excursion. We drove about 45-minutes with our tour guide into the mountains of the Dominican Republic, which was incredible experience in itself, to an enclosure where we fed and interacted with squirrel monkeys. They were so friendly and cute! I wanted to bring them all back with me.

Afterwards our tour guide took us to a local woman’s home where she showed us how to make the local coffee, which was incredible! I’m a huge coffee drinker so experiencing that process in a different country was unforgettable. 

I also wanted to round up a few outfits I wore on the trip for you guys! I actually didn’t have the chance to wear half of the things in my suitcase, I was in a swimsuit much more than I had anticipated, which I was definitely okay with!

Similar jumpsuits here and here | Earrings | Clutch | Shoes 

Swimsuit (the cutest crochet detail and very flattering!) | Shorts | Earrings | Hat

Top (SO soft and I love the bell-sleeves) | Shorts | Earrings | Sunglasses

Similar tops here and here | Shorts | Shoes (under $100)

If you couldn’t tell already, we had the most amazing experience at the Riu Palace Bavaro. The beaches were picture perfect, the food was amazing, the people – from all parts of the world – were so fun, and I’d go back immediately if I could! I definitely recommend staying 4 nights at a minimum. We stayed for 5 but would have stayed longer if I weren’t traveling to Peru in 2 months! 

If you have any questions about the resort or traveling in general, please let me know! Thanks for reading!

xo Jenna