Winter has been harsh to us Calgarians already this season. A break from the minus 30 degree weather would be wonderful so when I received an invitation to go to Punta Cana on December 6th for a week I could not say no!
I flew with Air Transat which has a non-stop flight from Calgary (originating in Vancouver) every Friday this winter season. The flight took just under seven hours which isn’t too long and the time difference from Calgary is three hours. Transat’s new Airbus 330 was very comfortable, food was adequate and the service was good. We left minus 31 degrees and arrived to plus 28 degrees, which was perfectly lovely. It was quite windy as we walked from the aircraft to the terminal but no one was complaining. There were buses available to transport us but after a long sit, we were eager to stretch our legs. Once we cleared the entry requirements and gathered our luggage we found our transfer and were off to our resort. It took about thirty minutes and we were checking into the Bahia Principe Complex. Here we were greeted warmly by the staff and treated to lovely fruit juice refreshment served in whole pineapples. “I am in Paradise!”
A bellhop showed us to our room in the Bahia Principe Esmeralda, which was nice and spacious with a lovely big bathroom. A junior suite with poster beds was our home away from home for the week. It had been a long time since we had eaten anything so we hurried to the buffet in hopes of getting a little something before it closed. It was well picked over but we found plenty to allow us to survive the night for sure.
Punta Cana is a popular resort area on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. The DR shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti which was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. Spanish is the official language here but English is widely spoken with the huge tourist industry. The Dominican Republic is the most popular Caribbean island destination for tourists from North America and Europe. It is mostly a tropical climate with the average temperature staying around 26 degrees. It has lovely white sand beaches and numerous golf courses.
After a good night’s rest we were ready to don our shorts and explore. The Bahia Principe Complex is huge with over 3100 rooms in total. Our Esmeralda section has 510 spacious junior suites and numerous dining options. The number of a la carte restaurants and buffets that one has access to depends on the package you purchase from Transat Holidays or Nolitours. Usually one is able to go to at least one addition property section besides the one you are staying at with some limitations. The breakfast buffet was plentiful so we were off to a good start. We roamed the whole area, checked out the beach and had a nice dip in the pool where the swim-up bar was, of course.
The Bahia Principe properties are popular and a good choice for everyone. This one has a great kid’s area and is wonderful for families. The Ambar section is adult only so offers an escape for those needing and wanting it. The buffet in this section was the best too. We tried out a few of the a la carte restaurants and they were the usual all-inclusive type fares. The Japanese one in the Ambar area was pretty good. It is recommended you book your reservations for the a la cartes when you arrive so that you are not disappointed. The Chunky Monkey was the trendy drink at the bars and was a very rich chocolate, banana and rum concoction. Yummy! Little things that annoyed me about the Esmeralda – room was too dark, not enough light and no plug-ins for charging things. I had to unplug the lamp to charge the phone or camera. The little shield over the plug in kept falling out so I had to pull out the dresser to hunt for it. There was a train sort of vehicle that would take you from one resort area to another. Even if the cars were completely full the driver would wait ten minutes before departing so as not to upset the schedule. WIFI was only available in the lobby and it was weak and could not support all the users. Most of the time I could not get connected so finally just put the iPad away. They were minor things really, and not anything that a little positive attitude adjustment didn’t fix.
Wanting to see some of the countryside we booked a tour with Bavaro Runners to get out and explore. We had originally planned to go zip-lining but it was too windy so an alternative was suggested. The weather was apparently not the normal during our stay. It was cloudy and windy with downpours of rain during the nights, (fortunately) but still pleasantly warm. The pool was cool and the beach water was quite chilly at first too. The hotel staff told us this was not their normal weather patterns and they found it cold too. “Ha” we said ….28 degrees is not too cold!
We went to the Cayacoa Caves and learned a little about the Tainos Tribe that used to habitat the Dominican Republic. After a little fertility dance in a circle with the chief, we were off to learn about cigar making and coffee growing. We had a very up close look at bananas and how they grow. The banana plant is a grass and it dies once the banana fruit is ripe. The other two big grass plants are bamboo and sugar cane. We saw sugar cane growing and were shown how they used to squeeze the juice out in the olden days with a pair of oxen to turn the press. We had opportunities to purchase coffee and rum and learned about the magical powers of coconut oil. It is a medicinal must-have and cure-all for many ailments apparently. Our tour ended with a pleasant lunch after a very rough ride over a rocky trail. I am sure they could fix the road to make it more manageable but then that would take away the rustic adventure to a remote area. The scenery was green with little farm areas dotted throughout. The livestock, horses and cattle were very skinny though which was heartbreaking.
We also did a happy hour cruise along the shore during our stay. People had a chance to snorkel in one area for about half an hour before we moved on down the coast while the boat staff entertained us with dancing and singing. We then had another chance to jump in for a dip in more shallow waters. The water was a little chilly but we were brave and took the plunge with glasses in hand. Once in it was refreshing and we had fun. There are quite a few excursions available for one to explore the Punta Cana area and Transat Holidays has them available for you as does the other tour companies. It is not recommended that people go off by themselves, as the crime rate is quite high in the DR. The local buses are mainly to transport workers to and from the resorts and one must be careful when using taxis. If you must take a taxi be sure to use one supported and recommended by the resorts.
Being a conscientious travel consultant I did take a little time to check out some of the other hotels in Punta Cana too. My favorite was the Barceló Bavaro Beach and Palace Resorts. Built along the beach so little walking is required, it has everything for adult only and family vacationers. This was my first time to the Dominican Republic and I enjoyed it. The people are much more laid back than the Cubans and their service is almost as good as the Mexicans. Most of the resorts in Punta Cana are huge but Transat Holidays does offer a few more-intimate options. Be sure to contact me for more information. If you are thinking of Punta Cana for your next sun getaway my tips for you are:
• Take bug spray – there are biters on the beach.
• Take Imodium just in case – I spoke to quite a few people with upset tummies.
• Don’t drink the tap water. Bottled water is available everywhere for you.
• Patience and a good sense of humour always make your travel experience more enjoyable wherever you go.
I look forward to sharing my findings with you so be sure to call. Our week in the sunshine went by way too fast and now it is another fond memory for me, but it was well worth it and I recommend Punta Cana.
