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A WILD foam party is kicking off the weekend at the main pool.

On the other side of the resort, kids squeal with delight as they zoom down the waterslides and paddle in the splashzone.

But from the cocoon of the adults-only “Eden” area, I am on a sunbed, sipping prosecco, completely undisturbed.

The only sounds are the chilled, Ibizastyle beats played by the poolside DJ.

That’s the beauty of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana – there’s something for everyone and it’s all a mere five-minute golf buggy ride away.

Whizzing holidaymakers around this all-inclusive Caribbean resort, the buggies are never far from sight and will take you anywhere you wish to go.

And with 11 top-class restaurants, a shopping mall, casino, nightclub, a health spa, golf course, 13 pools, 23 bars and entertainment zones to choose from, you can see why you’d need them.

With all this directly on hand, some holidaymakers never want to leave the complex at all. Despite the Dominican Republic being badly hit by Hurricane Maria last autumn it’s now very much business as usual.

Every inch the tropical paradise, its white sandy beaches, turquoise water and lush mangrove-laden coastline are back at their best and waiting to be explored.

Using our “limitless resort credits” – Hard Rock’s generous in-house currency – we take a half-day trip inland to check out some of Dominican’s finest exports; chocolate, coffee and cigars.

Stunning

Driving through the spectacular green landscape, which was used as backdrops for the Jurassic Park movies, we climb high up in the mountains to visit a family and share their homemade hot chocolate. The tour, with Explore the Dominican, also takes us to meet locals who show us how cigars are made, then to a nearby school. We finish our trip at Altos de Chavon, an old Mediterranean villa built on a height above the Chavon River. It is home to a cultural centre, the National Archaeological Museum as well as an ancient amphitheatre and the so-called City of Artists.

The next day we set off on another trip organised by the hotel, the Off Riders Experience.

This involves driving quad-bike-style utility vehicles down the coast to stunning Macao beach. Whizzing off-road over rocky hills and splashing through puddles as we make our way through the