Still debating whether to spend your summer getaway in the Hamptons or Upstate? Why not trade traffic for turquoise waters of the Dominican Republic? This new flight route out of NYC makes it easier than ever to get there!
Arajet has officially launched a nonstop flight from NYC’s Newark International Airport to Santa Domingo’s Las Américas International Airport that gets you from NYC’s sticky summer heat to the paradisal Caribbean country in around four hours.
🇩🇴 Itinerary: 24 hours in the Dominican Republic
We flew on the inaugural flight to spend one full day on the island, determined to leave with a tan, a new passport stamp, and a verdict on whether it was all worth it.
Spoiler alert: we’re jumping on the 24-hour day-trip bandwagon!
✈️ Inaugural flight
Once we arrived at the airport we were able to check in at the Arajet counter before finding our gate. With just a few hours in the air, we settled in side by side, cracking open our favorite books and sharing a spread of snacks we’d remembered to pack in our personal bags.
Since this is a budget airline, you’ll want to stock up on all of your favorite snacks and drinks before boarding because there’s no in-flight service (only upon purchase). Moreover, the absence of screens makes it the perfect excuse to unplug—but if you simply can’t fly without watching something, be sure to download your shows or movies ahead of time as there’s no in-flight Wi-Fi.
Since our flight left Newark at noon on Monday and landed in Santo Domingo around 4:30 p.m. (with both cities in the same time zone), and our return flight was at 6:18 a.m. on Wednesday, we had one full day to really make the most of our time in the Dominican Republic.
🛏️ Dinner + Hotel
Upon touching down, we were greeted with Arajet goodie bags full of swag, mini liquor bottles, and a Dominican cigar to celebrate the inaugural flight. As we wound our way through customs, a troupe of dancers surprised us with a wonderful meringue performance (the national dance of the Dominican Republic).
Then we were on our way to the heart of the city to drop our bags off at the JW Mariott Hotel Santa Domingo.
The hotel offers luxurious amenities from the sky-high pool overlooking Santa Domingo (open 24 hours—yes, we had to go for a sunrise swim), the Vertigo bar 101 feet above the streets with a see-through, glass floor, and beautiful rooms that made for the perfect night’s sleep after a day of flying.
But before we called it a night, we had to check out Larimar Restaurant for dinner. This Latin American restaurant screamed vacation with its beautiful floor-to-ceiling mermaid mural, sea shell fixtures and a jaw-dropping circle bar in the center. We’d recommend any of the fresh fish dishes or the short-rib bucatini.
🎤 Casa de Campo
Satiated and sleepy we headed back to the hotel for the night. In the morning, we fueled up with an incredible hotel breakfast before hitting the road to head to Secrets La Romana, an all-inclusive, adults-only resort. Here, we met the lovely Angie who showed us around the expansive and picturesque property.
But since we only had 24-hours, we made sure to enjoy the views, down a piña colada and get back on the road to visit Casa de Campo, an exclusive residential community and resort, who has welcomed celebrities like Beyonce, Michael Jordan, Marc Anthony and more.
Here we roamed through the 16th-century Mediterranean village, stopping at local shops like Artisan Chavón with its spectacular handmade pottery pieces, and checking out Altos de Chavón Ampitheater, one of the most famous venues in the Caribbean. It’s held more than 163 concerts in the last 30 years, and even had Frank Sinatra as the first performer on its open-air stage.
🌴 Secrets La Romana
We arrived back at our resort and immediately switched into our bathing suits. Our rooms boasted stunning swim-out pools, letting you slip straight from your private terrace into crystal-clear water—the perfect refreshing dip after you got too hot relaxing on a sun lounger.
However, with the clock running down and our hours of daylight limited, we made it to beach with a few hours to spare, ready to take in the melody of the waves lapping against the shore. The water, which was nearly Gatorade blue, was the perfect temperature—even for a 6pm swim! What’s unique about La Romana’s beach is that unlike Punta Cana’s waters, these were absolutely seaweed free.
🌊 Oceanside dinner on the pier
After letting the sea salt revive us, we headed back to our rooms to get ready for dinner on the pier. We embarked on a culinary trip across the Dominican Republic with every course highlighting a different region of the island.
We loved the fried red snapper in coconut sauce inspired by the northeast, but couldn’t forget to mention the corn cream, cashew crumble and jalao handmade ice cream for dessert. All of this paired with the setting sun over the rhythmic water made us question why we’d ever choose a day-trip anywhere else.
We ended the night enjoying the resorts after-dark entertainment on the property’s outdoor stage while kicking back on some pool loungers to enjoy our final taste of Caribbean air before heading back to the city.
💺 Flight home
Leaving early in the morning, the return trip was a breeze, and we were back at Newark before we knew it. Like any other New Yorker, we were able to be back in office that same day.
Overall, this trip made us realize that there’s so many more opportunities for a quick trip away from the city. You don’t need huge plans or a lot of time off to explore new cities—even new countries.
You can book your own trip on Arajet with roundtrip fares starting at just $260—and frequent promotions offering even lower prices.