Ultimate Majestic Mirage Guide

There are so many things to consider when heading to Majestic Mirage Resort in Punta Cana. How much money to bring? What clothes to wear? What activities to do while out there? You can do some adventuring or relaxing or maybe a mix of both. Many complimentary site resort activities are included in the stay, such as kayaking or dancing if you’re interested in those. Visitors can also pay additional money to participate in off-site adventures. The “à la carte” restaurants have delicious food for supper that you won’t want to miss. Here are some tips to make sure you have a wonderful stay.

Before Leaving Home

Here are a few things to keep in mind before leaving home. I’ve suggested a few tips when booking your vacation package below and recommend bringing additional funds with you when travelling to Majestic Mirage.

Booking Your Vacation Package

We found that booking the vacation package directly through Air Canada was way more expensive than booking with Expedia. Compare different websites to ensure you get the cheapest option when flying down to Punta Cana. If possible, make your trip a minimum of seven days. Six days (including two days of flying) felt like a very short trip for us.

Tip: Book your hotel and flight together in a vacation package as it’s cheaper than booking them separately.

Bring $750 USD Cash for Extras

Here are some ideas of ways you might spend your money:

• Tips for drinks (we tipped the waiter or waitress $1 US/drink when they served us on a Bali bed by the beach or the pool).
• Tip dinner waiters/room cleaners/omelette station cooks at the breakfast buffet.
• Extra money for trips off the resort.
• Taxi to and from the airport and to drive you to off-resort activities.
• Buying additional sunscreen or a shawl/sun hat if you forget to bring one or can’t carry enough in your carry-on.

Resort staff make an average of $300 US/month. They rely heavily on tips to make a living. If you can find it in your heart to tip generously, they’ll likely be very appreciative.

Tip: Exchange your money at home. It’s expensive to exchange money at the resort. They charge approximately a 7.5% exchange fee.

Taxi to Majestic Mirage

If it’s within your budget, take a taxi instead of a shuttle once you arrive at the airport. The shuttle is free but makes many stops at various hotels along the way before eventually arriving at Majestic Mirage. A taxi is expensive at 35 USD but more time-efficient and convenient. It will go directly from the airport to Majestic Mirage Resort so that you can start enjoying your vacation quickly.

Nausea Relief

Take nausea relief for the taxi and bus ride if you tend to get nauseous in vehicles. Taxi drivers can go quite quickly and dangerously on roads from the airport; nausea relief could save you from feeling unwell. It can also be helpful to take some on boat rides including when out kayaking; waves can be rough.

Sun Protection

If you forget any of the following items, you can buy them at a store located on the resort, but beware that they are expensive!

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is essential to wear when outside in Punta Cana. You can get sunburnt walking around the resort grounds without sunscreen if you’re fair-skinned like Kris and I. I suggested using SPF 60 for the first couple of days and then switching to SPF 30. There will be less chance of getting burned that way. Also, remember that some sunscreens are waterproof while others are not. Apply the right one for your chosen activity.

Tip: Don’t get sunburnt like I did when wearing non-waterproof sunscreen in the ocean. It happened to be the only sunscreen available under 100 mL for carry-on and I didn’t realize it was the wrong one until I got burnt. It was a downer to have to hide away from the sun for the first couple of days to treat the sunburn. After, I was thrilled to get back to the activities I had initially planned. Here are some tips to avoid a sunburn.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses are imperative in that part of the world to protect your eyes from the strong sun rays. You’ll need them when walking on the beach, kayaking, and potentially while swimming. It can be bright swimming without sunglasses. They aren’t the most practical when you want to dip your head underwater but your body will likely not be underwater for too long as the ocean is quite salty.

Tip: You can hold your sunglasses in your hand while ducking your head underwater to feel completely refreshed before putting them back on when your head is above water. Alternatively, a partner could hold your sunglasses during your quick dip. Having conversations with your partner is more enjoyable in the water if you don’t have to squint your eyes.

Sun Hat

In Punta Cana, unfortunately, a baseball cap won’t provide a lot of coverage to prevent a sunburn, except directly on the top of your head. Invest in a brim hat to protect your body against sun rays. Otherwise, you could burn like a lobster.

Shawl to Cover Shoulders

I walked around the resort for approximately twenty minutes without sunscreen and sadly ended up getting sunburnt. I never thought to bring a shawl but thankfully they have many stores on site to look at different clothing options that might work for you. The clothing can be expensive depending on the one you buy; keep that in mind but it will help treat a sunburn. A shawl allows the air to breathe around your body and it isn’t too tight so you don’t have to worry about it rubbing on your skin. It might not protect your entire body but longer attire such as dresses are available if you want to cover more of your body.

Majestic Mirage Restaurant Dress Code

They have four delicious restaurants on-site that include Japanese, French, Italian cuisine, and a steakhouse. Their dress code typically suggests long pants with a dress shirt and nice shoes for men and elegant resort attire for women. It might vary depending on the restaurant but make sure to have this attire with you on your trip to be able to enter all the restaurants where you’d like to eat. They have some more casual restaurants if you’d like to eat a less fancy meal while wearing shorts.

Water Consumption

Drink lots of bottled water to stay hydrated in the sun to avoid heat exhaustion and diarrhea. If you’re from Canada or the United States, do not drink water from the tap as you could get sick. There will be opportunities to drink bottled water in glasses at various restaurants for breakfast, lunch and supper. Drink even more bottled water when drinking alcohol to rehydrate your skin and body.

Tip: It is better to pee often than have diarrhea caused by dehydration.

Going swimming in the pools can provide shade and help keep your body cool to prevent dehydration.

Mini Bar

You can drink and eat anything from the mini bar at no extra cost to you. It’s included in your all-inclusive package. It’s highly suggested to tip the waiter or waitress $1 US per alcoholic drink if the drinks are delivered to you. You can replenish your body with bottled water from the minibar.

Majestic Mirage Club

Butler

You have access to a butler if you book the Mirage Club package.

Tip: Your butler will be more responsive if you tip him or her immediately after being shown the grounds on the first day, instead of at the end of the week, like we’d typically do in Canada.

Butlers can book off-site activities including a massage or book a nice romantic supper on the beach for you. If you need anything, you can reach them through WhatsApp (which works on WIFI) to get hold of them and they’ll get back to you at their earliest convenience.

Private Jacuzzi and Bali Bed

We were fortunate to have this gorgeous view from our balcony the first time we stayed there. The private jacuzzi and Bali bed are part of the upper level of your room by walking up the stairs close to the room entrance. At night, the pools are closed and the ocean isn’t accessible because it’s dark and dangerous but having your own place to take a relaxing jacuzzi with your partner can feel super romantic. We enjoyed a romantic jacuzzi with rose petals added by our butler Samuel after our romantic beach supper. It was a nice added touch to our already amazing stay.

Tip: If you have additional money to treat yourself to the Mirage Club rooms with a butler and a romantic beach supper, I highly recommend it. It’s not everywhere you can get treated like a king or queen.

Airplane Mode at Majestic Mirage

Unless you have a great data roaming plan, turn off your phone or put it on Airplane Mode while on your trip, so as not to incur charges. Alternatively, you could look into phone plans before leaving your country to have access to data on your phone.

Tip: If you like taking pictures as I do, I like having access to the camera on my phone. Airplane mode allows you to connect to Wi-Fi on the resort and connect with family and friends through the internet while limiting charges and still being able to take many pictures while having your phone on you.

Do Not Disturb

If you don’t want to be disturbed in your room, put the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door handle; otherwise, if you don’t answer when someone knocks, they might walk right in. Sometimes, you might just need some downtime to relax or read a book on the balcony. It can feel disruptive having someone come into the room to refill the fridge or clean the room.

Tip: If you do want your fridge refilled, you can ask distributors walking down the corridors for a specific pop or a certain number of water bottles when you see them. The fridge items and chips in the room are all included in your vacation package. You won’t get charged extra if you eat or drink them.

Check-in Time in Punta Cana

Here are a few important things to keep in mind when heading home from Punta Cana.

3-Hour Check-in

When heading home, give yourself the full three hours to check in at the Punta Cana airport. You’ll need it. Online check-in isn’t available in Punta Cana. Allow additional time to wait in line to get your boarding pass and drop off your luggage. There are normally only two people checking everyone in. The line is typically long with many tourists who haven’t completed all their necessary documents before arriving at the counter. It’s also a long line to go through security.

Tip: If you want time to eat and not feel rushed before boarding your plane, then allow enough time for that (more than three hours).

Bus Before Airplane

In the Dominican Republic, you board a bus before boarding an airplane. Give yourself enough time to get through security and immigration to catch the bus on time. You need to get to the gate earlier than stated on the boarding pass.

Final Thoughts

Majestic Mirage is a wonderful way to spend your vacation for one week or longer. There are so many activities to do on-site or off-resort; you need to decide what works best for you. Drink lots of water, wear lots of sunscreen, and take dips in the ocean or pool while remembering to seek shade to counterbalance the hot sun in the Dominican Republic. Bring extra tipping money to show your appreciation for the hard-working staff members. Get a Mirage Club room and treat yourself to a romantic beach supper if you have the extra funds. Go for a wonderful relaxation massage to release the work stress and eat at the amazing “à la carte” restaurants wearing your elegant attire. Enjoy your adventurous or relaxing vacation with your partner!

Additional Links

• Top 10 Activities from Majestic Resorts
• Sporty Majestic Resort Kayaking
• Snorkelling Gear for Beginners: Have a Great Excursion
• Guide to Kayaking in Revelstoke
• Unforgettable Hiking Holiday in Bolzano

Trip Ressources

• Book your flights with ​Expedia​
• Book your hostel through Hostelworld.com
• Book your hotel with ​Booking.com​ or ​Hotels.com​
• Book your vacation rental with ​Vrbo​
• Book your experiences through ​TripAdvisor​ or ​Manawa​