A Wren Says

Alright, if I were to go back in time and repack, these are all of the things I would make sure to pack for the Dominican Republic.

Miscellaneous

• Cash- This would have made life easier. Having some American dollars in small bills would have allowed me to buy souvenirs, tip, and get other things. At the very least it makes changing money go faster.

Toiletries

• Bug spray- the mosquitos ate me alive. I was pretty good about wearing this, but after a day in the water, the mosquitos ate me alive when they finally had their chance. If you are pretty particular about not getting bitten, I would suggest keeping a bottle in your bag and spraying yourself down when you get out of the water.
• Sunscreen- The resort had this stocked as a toiletry item in the room, but I recommend bringing a face specific sunscreen and lip balm with SPF as well.

Clothes

A quick note, as you are thinking about what to pack, check to see if your resort has any listed dress codes. The resort I stayed at had different dress codes for the various restaurants, including beach (literally just your bathing suit), beach casual (swimsuit with a coverup), casual (pretty self-explanatory, but not sleeveless shirts for men), casual elegance (no flip flops, no sleeveless shirts, and men must wear pants). Try to pack items that would fit into the casual elegance category for dinner.

• Bathing suit
• A beach cover up. (I had just a pair of shorts and a tank top, but I wish I had a dedicated coverup that was more of an outfit. It was vacation, why not embrace it and be a little extra.)
• Dressy casual wear-
• Casual wear
• A wet bag- something to pack your bathing suit in if it is still wet from your last-minute dip in the ocean
• Flip flops for the beach
• Dressier sandals, sneakers, or loafers for dinner
• Water shoes- if you plan to do more adventurous exploring off the resort

Accessories

• A wide brimmed hat with a strap or a fitted cap- If you are going to wear a hat, make sure you make precautions so that it doesn’t blow away with the wind
• Sunglasses with croakies. For the same reason. If you want to wade in the ocean and not panic about losing your sunglasses, this is a good choice
• A beach bag- Just makes toting things back and forth so much easier. Gotta make sure you have that sunscreen, bug spray, and a bottle of water.

This is intentionally not an exhaustive list but a collection of items to think about. Is there anything you would add?