Punta Cana the perfect place to escape winter
Dominican Republic’s luxurious east coast offers a taste of tropical paradise
In early October, I flew to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic to meet up with a group of journalists. My baggage didn’t arrive — and I neglected to pack any essentials at all in my carry-on.
Luckily, my enthusiasm was enough to carry me through a full 24 hours sans essentials like my toothbrush and deodorant. For five glorious days, we toured the Dominican, eating and drinking our way through paradise.
I found that Dominican Republic is the perfect place to escape to this winter if you: Love coffee. I do, so was pleasantly surprised when every cup of the simplest drip coffee was delicious. Even at the most affordable (read: budget) resort that we stayed at, the coffee was aromatic and smooth. If you’re looking to bring a piece of the Dominican home with you, grab a bag of Cafe Santo Domingo coffee beans from any little supermarket and you’ll be set. Have always dreamed of living like a celebrity: Casa de Campo is the epitome of high-end cool. Located roughly 90 minutes from the Punta Cana airport, Casa de Campo has drawn celebrities such as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, the Jonas Brothers, Cameron Diaz, Kanye West and more.
When the big-name celebs roll into Casa, they stay at one of the properties’ massive private villas. Anyone can rent one of these villas for, ahem, roughly $3,000 to $10,000 per night, depending on the prop- erty. Not in your price range? It wasn’t in ours, either. We stayed in Casa de Campo’s much more affordable — and just as luxurious — hotel rooms. During the winter months, hotel rooms run from $500 to $650 per night.
The great thing about Casa is, whether you’re in a hotel room or a luxe house, you have access to the same restaurants, facilities and incredible activities. Always wanted to try skeet shooting, pottery or horseback riding? Into golfing and playing tennis? You can do it all at Casa. And once you’ve done it all, you can recharge at the spa — try the four-hands massage — or at the private beach area. (casadecampo.com.do, 855-877-3643) Have always loved Oscar: That’s Oscar de la Renta, the Dominican-born fashion guru. At Tortuga Bay, a boutique hotel in the Puntacana Resort & Club grounds, de la Renta has used his fashion skills for another purpose: designing the interiors of the 30 oceanfront villas that line a spectacular stretch of beach. He also has a shop that sells his signature clothing and accessories.
After getting our fix of Oscar, we ventured to Tortuga Bay’s Six Senses Spa, a serene hideaway offering Asian-inspired treatments. I fell asleep on the massage table. That’s always a good sign. We capped off the Tortuga Bay tour with lunch at a poolside restaurant, followed by lounging on the pristine beach. With no sound but the waves rolling in, I fell asleep once more. (puntacana.com/accommodations/tortugabay, info@puntacana.com)