Punta Cana Airport - Much Admiration and a Little Warning

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This is the welcoming facade of the first all-palm airport I have ever seen. It is a private airport in Punta Cana, with many charter flights full of passengers arriving daily to stay at the many resorts in Punta Cana. With direct flights to many locations in North America as well as Europe it is certainly a busy place, especially on weekends!

As you're arriving, real live Dominicans will pose for a photograph with you as you get off the plane. The bus and taxi parking lot is just outside. A taxi to most area resorts will run you between 10-50 dollars, depending upon your bargaining skills.

Don't forget you will have to pay a $20 US (or 700 peso) airport tax. Sorry Transat passengers, they don't accept your Canadian pesos, and it's best to come prepared. Likewise if you want to buy anything in the two terminals. There is a marked difference between the concrete and palm terminal which services Transat and discount flights to Europe and the gleaming marble and air-conditioned (where you can even find American icecream for sale) second one that has flights to the US.

P.S. Ok, this is kind of lame, but I do wish someone had told us about the tax. Alban was pulling pesos and random dollar bills out of all his dirty laundry pockets at the airport, provoking the dude at the check-in counter to remark that Alban looked like a true Dominican.