Before starting my trip to Punta Cana, I did some research on how to prepare my suitcase, what to pack, what not to pack, etc. To my surprise, there was not as much information as I thought.
Every year, hundreds of university students (and not so university students) choose Punta Cana as one of their favourite destinations. Therefore, I have decided to create this article so that you don’t have any doubts when packing your suitcase for Punta Cana.
What to pack for your trip to Punta Cana
Documents and adaptor
Take only what you need: ID card, passport and your medical card.
I always advise you to bring a certified copy of each of these documents. If you are one of those who think that the cleaners are going to steal all the valuable things you are going to take with you, you can rent a safe in the hotel. It won’t cost you more than 3€ a day and you’ll have peace of mind for the whole trip.
And the adaptor! Don’t forget an American adapter.
Medicines
When I travelled, half of my hand luggage was medicine.
Paracetamol, ibuprofen, pills for motion sickness, pain, vomiting, constipation… Do you know what happened in the end?
I didn’t use any of them… BEWARE! I’m not telling you not to take anything with you. Only you know your body and how it reacts when it’s on the road. And if you don’t take something, I’m sure your travel buddy has put it in your suitcase.
What you shouldn’t forget to bring is insect repellent.
Clothes
Basically comfortable clothes for the beach.
You’ll probably take a lot of clothes that you won’t wear. When you come back there will be clothes that you haven’t worn, so let me know, just in case…!
The following list is what I would take to Punta Cana if I came back from my trip:
2-3 Bikinis
I don’t think you should change bikinis every day. So 2-3 is fine. If you have room to spare you can always pack some more.
2-3 Dresses for the beach
Dresses are the most comfortable thing to wear to the beach. You don’t need hundreds of them. You are only going to use them to go from your room to the beach, and sometimes not even that.
At least a pair of comfortable shorts or jeans
For hiking, they seem to me to be the most comfortable and appropriate thing to wear.
T-shirts
Clothing for going out and dinning
To each person’s taste. It’s not usually cold, but it gets cooler in the evenings. Take a jacket, long trousers or a thin long-sleeved T-shirt – you’ll thank me for it!
Shoes
Here I am cautious, as I tend to break them easily.
- I took 2 pairs of each. Some shoes for the buggies and others for the plane.
- 2 sandals: flat sandals and wedge sandals.
- 2 flip-flops for the beach. Better to take an extra pair than to spend 20 quid to buy some at the hotel.
Toilet bag
Your toiletry bag shouldn’t be gigantic, or it will take up half your suitcase.
In my case I took the following:
- Micellar water or make-up remover wipes.
- Make-up
- Sponge
- Toothbrush
- Sun cream
- Aftersun
- Deodorant
- Hair straightener (although I used it for only 2 days)
- Mousse (for those of you with curly hair)
- Brush + comb
- Hair clip
- Band-aids and small scissors (I always like to take it with me when I travel)
- Razor (just in case)
- Contact lenses + liquid + glasses (if you have them)
- Perfum
Out of these categories I say don’t forget your sunglasses and a sun hat.
If you continue reading, you can download a check list to prepare your suitcase for Punta Cana.