COOL GIFTS TO BRING YOUR FRIENDS FROM PUNTA CANA
One of our favorite things about traveling is shopping local stores for cool gifts for friends! Not only are we able to talk to local people and explore, but we often find some really cool and quirky gifts that represent the destination! Every place has something special that you can’t get anywhere else! Here is our list of top gifts to go hunting for when visiting Punta Cana!
Mamajuana
The ultimate Dominican aphrodisiac and health drink, Mamajuana is a must for your suitcase! This potent mix of herbs, bark honey, rum and wine can cure many ailments! Each family has its own secret way of mixing the ingredients which gives each bottle its own flavor profile! The great thing about mamajuana is once the bottle is empty, it can be refilled with the liquid mix so you can experiment until you find your perfect mix!
Rum
Dominican rum is some of the most sought after in the world and there are many varieties! The most famous being either Brugal or Barcelo. A good starting point and popular gift is Brugal Extra Viejo, with its distinctive bottle, it is aged for 8 years in old bourbon and whiskey barrels. Plus, if you’ve packed some mamajuana for the trip home, you’ll definitely need a good rum to refill it!
Cigars
Although Cuban cigars are well respected and recognized, Dominican cigars offer more variety in flavor, aroma and color. Thanks to the ideal conditions the island offers for the production of tobacco leaf, the Dominican Republic is the biggest producer of cigars in the world. Romeo y Julieta, Montecristo and Davidoff are just some of the famous brands you can find hand made in the Dominican Republic!
Chocolate
Dominican cacao is arguably the best in the world and Dominican chocolate has won numerous awards worldwide. The island is the world’s top cacao producer and exporter! Hit the streets and you’ll find freshly roasted cacao beans, a delicious treat for the ones you love most!
Larimar
Unique to the Dominican Republic, this beautiful mineral varies in colour from white, to turquoise and deep blue. You’ll find beautiful jewelry featuring this striking gem, which is usually set in silver or for more expensive and pure examples, gold. If you’re looking for a gift that you can only find in the Dominican Republic, then larimar should be top of your list!
Coffee
No trip to Punta Cana is complete without the distinctive taste of Santo Domingo coffee! With a high quality full bodied flavor with low acidity. It makes it the perfect everyday coffee! Don’t wait until you get to the airport to pick up this gift, head to a supermarket to pick up your full beans or ground coffee at local pricing, which is much cheaper than the hotel shop or airport! If you need transport from your hotel to a Punta Cana supermarket for shopping, BOP’s Transportation is safe, private, and secure and covers the whole of the area!
Which of these awesome souvenirs have you brought back from your Punta Cana adventures? Let us know in our Facebook Group!