When your personal and professional lives seem overwhelming, it’s time for a bit of a reprieve to reset.
A reset option is a way to reclaim the joy you find missing in your day. It’s an opportunity to refuel your energy and find clarity while removing yourself from the chaos happening at work or home. It was the option I needed as a full-time employee trying to stay afloat on a lean team during this Great Resignation while keeping up with my solopreneur responsibilities. The Dominican Republic is an excellent option for a Caribbean getaway that’s not difficult to visit when you live in an East Coast city or the South. Many all-inclusive resorts help minimize the stress of finding activities, food options and staying within your travel spending budget. Here are four ways to reset during your next trip to the DR:
1. Road Less Traveled to Miches When considering a trip to the Dominican Republic, most people think of Punta Cana. However, on the Atlantic Ocean side of the island is a town called Michès, an hour and a half drive between Punta Cana airport and the only resort in the region, Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda. The rural beach town is home to around 30,000 people who work as farmers or fishers. The all-inclusive luxury resort is a lovely hideaway from the bustle of Punta Cana visitors who get the chance to explore the northeastern coast beaches with their white sand and very blue ocean. The area of Miches’ is untouched except for this new resort that opened in November 2019. The region offers a tropical forest, palm groves, Laguna Limon nature reserve, the tallest waterfall in the country called Saltos de la Jalada, the Samaná Bay for whale-watching and hotspot Montana Redonda for its 1,000-foot-tall mountain views. The opportunity to explore a part of the island that is less traveled while experiencing luxury at Club Med’s Exclusive Collection property is a great way to reset. Take in the nature around you by enjoying activities on and off the resort. 2. Inspired Accommodations A room can be the perfect backdrop to find our peace and create good energy. When trying to have a reset on vacation, spending time in or around your room can do wonders for the soul. It’s also good to know that the place you are staying is environmentally sustainable and Green Globe certified with little use of plastic. That’s why picking accommodations that help foster relaxation should be a priority. Although most resorts are family-friendly, Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda offers an adults-only haven within its 335-room, 93-acre property. The resort comprises four villages with four different style accommodations; there are two for adults only called Archipelago that sit oceanside, and Emerald Jungle set among the reserved forest on the property. Both areas offer intimacy and privacy. Both villages have access to adult-only pools, beaches and other amenities. Plants surround the adults-only natural Zen Oasis pool with a swim-up bar, and the El Limon Bar, with fresh fruit and veggie cocktails, mocktails, juices and smoothies, is a major draw. I enjoyed sitting poolside, reading a book and drinking a mango smoothie while catching some rays. Loading the player… Club Med’s other Dominican Republic resort in Punta Cana also has an adults-exclusive village, Zen Oasis. Their deluxe Zen rooms have front door access with canopied daybeds and views of the pool. The rooms have a bathroom straight out of a spa with a rain shower and soaking tub. The area is far from the family-fun area to create ease and peace during your stay. 3. Wellness & Relaxation During my stay at both the Club Med resorts in the Dominican Republic, I was happy to have access to their app, including a map of all of their resorts and a list of activities and events happening each day. The adults-only pool and beaches were great to reset, but to take my retreat experience up a notch, I enjoyed the onsite spas and wellness activities. At the eco-chic beachfront Club Med in Miches, their spa, Cinq Mondes, was one of a kind. While you wait for your service, you can take a dip or relax at the pool hidden by palm trees. My full-body massage was the perfect way to release the tension from work and travel. Over at the Punta Cana resort, it’s home to the Spa L’Occitane, where you have visibility of the sea throughout the spa and an opportunity to get serviced in a bungalow near the beach. Each adult-only room includes a yoga mat perfect to use on your room’s deck or outside patio. There are also options for yoga classes at the beach or the Miches’ yoga school housed in a treetop palapa. There is something undefeated about doing yoga while watching the sunset. Another great thing about Miches’ adults-only area is the trails for walking. The resort has color-coded trails throughout the forest area that you can walk to take in the beauty of Miches’ forestry and be at one with nature. 4. Try Something New There were two things that I found very unique about Club Med in the Dominican Republic: the trapeze school and the global variety of guests who vacation there. Club Med is a European-based company, and its influence can be found in the amenities, food, people and activities. The Punta Cana resort is known for its Circus School with a flying trapeze course. Guests can learn some of the finest aerial and acrobatic skills. Don’t be intimidated by the line of kids waiting for their turn; the trapeze school is for all ages, and it’s a great way to challenge yourself during your reset retreat. Putting your energy into learning a new skill is easy because there are instructors for every activity, including tennis, archery, paddleboarding, sailing and kitesurfing. Doing something out of the box can get your adrenaline going and make for great memories. If you are a lover of romance languages, both Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda and Punta Cana are great places to showcase and hear them. This was the first time I’ve stayed at a Caribbean resort where I was a minority as an American English speaker. The majority of guests were French or Canadian; therefore, there was a mix of staff who spoke multiple languages, which was beautiful to experience. It was nice to dust off my Spanish-speaking skills and pick up some new ones. If you are fluent in French or Spanish or currently studying the language, these resorts are a great place to practice. The chance to rest, to prioritize wellness, to try something new, to be pampered — whatever you’re looking for, you can find in a reset retreat in the DR.We all deserve moments of breathtaking views and clarity, as well as the chance to slow down and connect with someone we often neglect in the day-to-day rat race: ourselves. Source: Read Full Article