ARCADE FLORIST: Punta Cana 2012

So I just got back from the most amazing week of my life yesterday, honestly. Me and my moms side of the family all went to Punta Cana for my mom's wedding. We stayed at the Riu Palace Bavaro, which I really recommend; the food was really good, the rooms were 5 star, like crazy, we gasped when we saw them, and the staff made the trip! There was a spa, tennis court, sports bar, and so many excursion options.
We got there on Sunday and the wedding was on Tuesday, and the wedding was absolutely beautiful, it was on the beach and the weather was perfect.
Me and my 5 girl cousins, plus one of their boyfriends spent each day together, and it was nice to do our own thing during the day and then meet up with the parents at night for dinner. We pretty much had a routine everyday; wake up, meet for breakfast, tan by the beach/pool, do activities such as water aerobics, salsa lessons, archery, etc, go for lunch, go back and tan/swim and then around 6 go back to the rooms to get ready for dinner, then after dinner we would go back to our rooms and wait for the show at 9:00, then after the show, go back to our rooms, and change for the club, Pacha, stay up will 4am and then rinse and repeat :)
One day we went on a Safari Jeep excursion and it was raining, but it was good that the only day it rained we didn't have to be by the beach. On the Safari Adventure we got to go to a typical Dominican home, see how coffee and cacao is picked from the trees and made, see the process of making cigars and the Dominican signature drink; Mamajuana. After we went to eat the signature Dominican meal, which was absolutely AMAZING; rice, beans, chicken, and cornbread, omg. We then went horseback riding, where I got bruised up from my cousin Jen's demon horse! After we went to Macau Beach and went boogie boarding, it was so great. My other cousins went on a swimming with the dolphins excursion, and then an aquarium, while some of us went para-sailing which was so much fun!
I have to give a shout-out to the incredibly amazing entertainment staff at the Riu, because they pretty much made our trip. Monky Black, Pablo Picaso, Veronica, Spaguetty, Beyonce and Miguel were so much fun, and spent so much time with us, mostly Monky though!
This was seriously the best week of my life, and I highly recommend the Riu to anyone going to Punta Cana, I hope we can all go back again next year!