10/10/2026
I know I said this vacation was all about relaxing, but you know we couldn't spend the WHOLE time at the resort and not go explore!
This time, instead of the typical beach or adventure excursion, we decided to experience a little more of the culture and everyday life in the Dominican Republic! 🇩🇴
First stop — horseback riding!
We visited a local ranch and hopped on some horses for a ride through some absolutely beautiful scenery! Now, I haven't really been on a horse since those little pony rides as a kid, so this was definitely a new experience for me! But riding through the countryside with those views? So cool! 😍
Next up — the Basilica of Higüey!
What a beautiful and unique church! I've visited quite a few churches around the world, but I don't think I've ever seen one quite like this. The architecture was incredible and definitely worth seeing!
A little local shopping!
We then visited a local farmers market where the locals shop for their fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and everyday essentials. I always enjoy getting away from the tourist areas and seeing a little bit of how the locals live. 🇩🇴❤️❤️
We stocked up on some spices to bring a little taste of the Dominican Republic back home!
Time for lunch!
We stopped to enjoy a traditional Dominican lunch, and as always, the food did NOT disappoint! 😋 One of my favorite things about traveling is getting to experience the local cuisine!
Coffee and cocoa, anyone?
Our next stop was another local farm where we learned how coffee and cocoa are grown, harvested, and processed.
This was really interesting! Our tour guide, Theo, actually walked over to a tree, found a ripe cacao pod, cracked it open, and let us all sample it!
Now here's the crazy part… at first, it had almost a banana-like flavor, but the more you chewed, the more you started getting that bitter, unsweetened chocolate taste! 🍫
Next stop — a to***co factory!
We got to watch the guys hand roll ci**rs right in front of us. There were about 5 or 6 men working, and they told us that each person can make between 200 and 300 ci**rs PER DAY! 😳
Watching how quickly and skillfully they worked was pretty impressive!
And finally — Macao Beach!
We wrapped up our day with a stop at Macao Beach before heading back to our home away from home at Dreams Onyx! 🌴
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a beautiful resort, a good pool, and a lazy river 😂, but there's something special about meeting the locals, learning about their traditions, trying their food, and seeing how people live in other parts of the world.
So tell me… when you're on vacation, are you staying at the resort or heading out to explore the local culture?