My Experience Traveling to Dominican Republic During COVID

Part 1 of 3 - What to Plan For and What to Expect When Traveling to Punta Cana or La Romana in the Dominican Republic During the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic

I consider myself a well traveled person and started traveling as a very young child, younger than I can remember from about 2 years of age. The recent pandemic of 2020 has brought so many roadblocks and one of them has been our ability to travel. Borders closed in many countries not allowing US citizens the option to enter and most of us have been inside our homes for the majority of the past 6 months while we slow the spread of this virus.

Over the past 3 months, borders have slowly opened and some countries have begun to allow a small percentage of travelers the opportunity to experience the world of travel again. This process is slow and steady as countries are being as responsible as they can to keep their citizens and incoming tourists as safe as possible. The traveling experience looks a bit different than in months past, but for me it has been a chance to do what I love and continue learning and exploring while being mindful of the health and safety protocols and limitations that have been put in place to keep everyone safe.

The travel industry along with other industries across the world have taken a huge hit financially and the livelihood of many businesses small and large are in jeopardy of closing their doors. Recent statistics have shown that tourism supports one in every ten people worldwide. This is a huge responsibility and one that I am personally affected by. I made the decision to travel responsibly to support my industry and the people that it affects. I will be 100% transparent and say that I was very nervous before and during my travel to the DR, but I am so very happy that I decided to take on this adventure because it taught me so much about humanity and our ability to adapt. Humans are incredibly resilient and I am grateful that I had this opportunity.

Now on to the details…

A couple of days before my departure, I took a PCR COVID test. The Dominican Republic no longer requires a negative test to enter as of September 15, 2020, but I wanted to be a responsible traveler and I did not want to find out in the DR that I was positive for COVID.

My Uber picked me up from my doorstep and I was so pleasantly surprised that he popped the trunk from inside and I put my own luggage in the trunk. As I opened the door, he made sure I had a mask on and he made sure I was the correct person, as did I. He had sanitizer available, but I had and used my own.

Tip #1: You can bring up to 12 oz of hand sanitizer to have throughout your travel including on the airplane (TSA allowance)

I had an interesting conversation with Lazaro, my driver and he was happy to be driving again. He was very responsible and let me know that he has had to turn down people without a mask and lose money because he wanted to be safe and responsible as well as adhere to Uber’s rules and safety protocols. This made me feel safe because he was being responsible.

Upon arrival to LAX airport, the traffic was very light and I was able to get in right away. There were no curbside baggage check ins so I went into the terminal to check my bag. Luckily I had Sky Priority with Delta so this was a quick process. I headed over to security as I normally would, so the only difference here was wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer when touching surfaces, which we all should be used to by now.

It was a bit sad to see the airport so empty and many of the restaurants closed, but there was Starbucks and a few others to grab a bite to eat before the flight.

The plane began boarding 45 minutes before takeoff, which is normal and they boarded back to front, although First Class and Diamond Medallion guests could board at any time. Everyone stood at least 6 feet apart when waiting to board and they took 2 or 3 rows at a time. Upon enter the plane, the flight attendant gave everyone an individually wrapped Purell wipe (although I had my own as well)

Tip #2: Bring a couple packs of Purell wipes to ensure your seat and all surfaces you will touch has been properly sanitized. The airlines have all upped their game with sanitizing. You can read specifically about Delta Clean here.

All middle seats are empty and only the window and aisle can be occupied in Economy and Comfort Class. In First Class, only 50% capacity is booked so most rows had only 2 passengers, one on either side of the aisle. Masks are required for the entirety of the flight with the exception of while you are eating or drinking. I did not find this to be as much of a bother as I thought. Using the air vent allowed me to feel much better. According to the CDC, most aircraft are equipped with HEPA air filters that clean the air every 2 minutes and the air is as clean as an ICU in a hospital. This made me feel safe when I had my mask off while eating and drinking.

Tip #3: Bring or buy food at the airport so you can have on the plane if you like to snack or need a meal on your flight. I had 2 connections (due to the low flight numbers) so I had shorter flights. Each flight I was given a plastic bag containing

The flight attendants passed out a plastic bag to each guest that included a small water bottle, a small pack of Cheez-Its and a pack of Biscotti cookies (I can never have too many of these) and a Purell wipe individually wrapped. They offered beer and wine service but no soft drinks or juices. I thought this was strange. First Class was offered a Snack Box choice with various cheeses, crackers and hummus. This was enough for my longest flight of 4 hours, but would probably not be enough for a longer flight.

Randomized COVID testing at the Punta Cana Airport in the Dominican Republic

Upon arrival to Punta Cana, we were passed a health questionnaire, immigration and custom forms which had to be completed and given to the customs agent while going through the airport arrivals. After this section, you can be randomly selected and asked for your COVID PCR Negative test certificate taken in the past 72 hours, or a rapid pin prick test is done. The results are immediate.

Tip #4: Obtain a PCR COVID Test prior to departing the US so you do not find out in the DR that you are positive because this requires isolation for a period of time if you test positive at the airport.

Once this area is cleared, you can proceed to the baggage claim area and then it is business as usual. There is a lively traditional Dominican band playing at the airport which really helped make me feel like I was in the Caribbean, FINALLY! This was worth the experience to come to this beautiful paradise.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of 3 where I share my experience at the famed Casa De Campo Resort in La Romana, Dominican Republic.