Caribbean sun
The Caribbean island of Hispaniola in the Dominican Republic offers sunshine, beaches and a fascinating history, finds Gilly Pickup
Enjoy the luxury and history of Hispaniola
This destination has much more to offer than world class beaches, wonderful though they are. Intrepid explorer Christopher Columbus discovered Hispaniola and he was immediately smitten, describing it as ‘a beautiful island paradise’. He was spot on. I discovered that this country, a wildscape of green rollercoaster hills, lush jungles, gaudy foliage, rainforests and desert dunes, has in fact an array of fine things to attract visitors including UNESCO listed capital Santo Domingo, the New World’s oldest colonial city. There you can walk in the footsteps of the Spanish conquistadors by paying a visit to the Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone) in the city’s historic centre. Within its colourful photogenic cobbled streets and leafy, café lined squares, some of the Western Hemisphere’s oldest buildings sit alongside hip hotels. I saw luxury cars parked alongside scooters held together with string and a prayer while a treasure chest of museums and theatres ensure no shortage of culture.
My base was the Casa de Campo resort located in the historic sugar mill town of La Romana. It opened around 50 years ago to an illustrious crowd of VIPS. Back then notables including Michael Douglas, Henry Kissinger, Joe Dimaggio and even ‘ole blue eyes’ himself, Frank Sinatra, frequented the resort, flying in to Casa’s own airstrip in their private jets. My arrival wasn’t as glam as that I have to say though my nine-and-a-bit hour flight with British Airways was very pleasant indeed and definitely worth the upgrade to World Traveller Plus. Lots of extra leg room and being able to recline the seat without upsetting the person behind makes all the difference on a long-haul flight.
On arrival at Casa de Campo a friendly welcome was waiting in the busy reception area along with a glass of prosecco. Although the resort still gets the occasional celeb visitor – a staff member was excited to tell me that singer/songwriter Alicia Keys stayed there as did Jay-z and Beyoncé – these days it caters more for your everyday type of holidaymaker and with golf as its number one attraction, many visitors come to enjoy playing on one of its three golf courses. I was told that the main one, Teeth of the Dog, is considered the best course in the Caribbean and one famous name playing golf the week before I arrived was ex-us President Bill Clinton.
Set in 7,000 acres, the resort is a holiday destination in its own right. There’s little chance of getting bored here because besides the golf courses, there is clay pigeon shooting and 13 tennis courts, plenty of chances to have a game. There’s a rather lovely spa too. Of course, for water babes there are swimming pools – one has a swim up bar and there is a water sports centre too. A beach is around 3km from the hotel. Horses feature a lot here so guests can saddle up or even play polo. For those who have never ridden before, there are lessons available, or for the more experienced the choice of individual or group rides which wind through sugar cane fields, past herds of water buffalo and lakes teeming with ducks.
The resort is family-friendly, offering an array of supervised kids’ activities including basketball, table tennis and puppet shows as well as providing a professional nanny service for younger children.
Guests can either rent a villa or opt for one of the hotel rooms
Set in 7,000 acres, the resort is a holiday destination in its own right
as I did. Mine was decked out in contemporary wood furnishings and had a hugely comfortable bed, 42-inch LCD TV, Nespresso machine and complimentary wi-fi. The room opened out onto a small balcony which was furnished with two chairs and a table and – a quaint touch this – an ash tray and box of matches. Due to the resort’s size, a four-seater buggy is included in the guests’ package so do remember to take your driving licence if you go, you won’t get a buggy without one.
One day I paid a visit to Altos de Chavon in La Romana, although a few miles away it is part of the resort complex. This replica 16th century Mediterranean village was built by a Hollywood set designer and is now a cultural centre. It’s where to find artists’ studios, handicraft workshops and art galleries and apparently students come to the village from near and far to learn handicraft, design and pottery. Its piece de resistance though is a 5,000 seat Roman-style amphitheatre which was opened in 1982 by Frank Sinatra. Other notables who have appeared on stage here include Elton John, Andrea Bocelli, Duran Duran and Julio Iglesias. When I visited, it was getting ready to host an 80s style concert by REO Speedwagon. There are a couple of restaurants in Altos too. One is La Piazzetta which offers Italian-inspired food including handmade pasta, the other is the casual Chilango restaurant serving Mexican street food, though the menu could prove challenging for vegetarians. Speaking of food, if you like fruit you’ll love that the Dominican Republic has avocados, papaya, mangoes, guava, pineapple and melons growing abundantly. More of a surprise to me were the lovely wild strawberries too which often appear on menus. They grow in the uplands, where the coffee plantations are. A typical local dish that you will probably come across while here is La Bandera, a mix of white rice, red beans, meat, vegetables and fried green plantains. In fact, most dishes include rice and beans or black peas. Expect breakfast and lunch to be hearty meals – queso frito which is deep fried cheese often turns up at breakfast, not so good for those watching their cholesterol levels. The national drink is Mama Juana, a stiff concoction made from soaking tree bark and herbs in red wine, honey and rum. If you prefer a non-alcoholic alternative, the local coffee is among the best I’ve tasted.
Then before you know it, it’s time to come home again. If you haven’t been to the Dominican Republic, then maybe it’s worth thinking about adding it to your holiday wish-list. It’s an easy place to visit and although Spanish is the main language, English is widely spoken in resorts. The sun shines all year round with the coolest time to visit between November and April when temperatures are around mid to high 20s. And you might even be able to rub shoulders with some celebs at the Caso de Campo resort, that is, if you like that sort of thing.
British Airways (ba.com) flies direct from Gatwick to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Prices from £466 return.
I Love Meet and Greet (ilovemeetandgreet.co.uk) offers valet
parking at various airports from £110pw.
Gilly stayed in the Dominican Republic as a guest of Casa de Campo (casadecampo.com). See website for latest prices/information.
For more on the Dominican Republic, see www.godominicanrepublic.com