Resort review: soaking up the sun in Punta Cana

The Bahamas? No, thank you. Cuba? Nah. Both were visited by Christoper Columbus on his first jaunt around the Caribbean in 1492. But the great navigator chose to pass on by. Instead, Europe’s first permanent settlement in the Americas grew out of the eastern half of the island of Hispaniola – an area today known as the Dominican Republic. The country’s stunningly beautiful landscapes were reason enough. But what really brought those first Europeans here (a thirst for gold) isn’t want still brings them here. Rather, it’s the thirst for rum cocktails long into the evenings, golden dawns over clear waters and palm-fringed beaches.

Welcome to Punta Cana. This, the eastern-most tip of the island (the second-largest island in the Caribbean), is a haven for those on the run from the hum drum of modern life – a haven for the work-weary, who want nothing more than to collapse into a sun-lounger, drink in one hand, a book in the other. The Luxury Bahia Principe Ambar resort was my refuge.

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A party to remember

At the end of March, the resort celebrated its grand re-opening following an extensive refurbishment. Bahia Principe is a Spanish brand, born out out of Mallorca, so, as you can imagine, they know how to fiesta. Like a teddy bears’ picnic (only with rum and better weather), journalists and travel writers from all over the world had been invited to lift a glass to the resort’s reopening. There was plenty of dancing, and I’m pleased to report the British contingent kept their ends up – as in bottoms up. The actual dancing was left to the Latin American cohort, because, well, they do it better. But they get the practice, don’t they? (Incidentally, throughout the year, the resort puts on regular pool-side parties, performances and stage shows in the Bahia Principe Village for those up for a little nightlife after dark.)

There was much to toast that night. Ambar had revamped its restaurants, sports bar and state-of-the-art gym. It had also added swim-up suites, which are, quite frankly, lovely. The rooms have a large bed, mini-bar, percolator (the local coffee is delicious), spacious shower and bathroom. But the real show-stealer is the private swimming pool just beyond the sliding doors and your own private “jetty” – perfect for nocturnal assignations. Ambar even has its own ethos, which underpins how things are done here. It terms it the “Escape Experience” – not from the resort, I hasten to add (although it would be good fun attempting to tunnel your way out through the soft sand). Rather, it’s a philosophy based around eating good food, drinking, lazing around, and if you feel the need, sport.

There’s tennis on offer, beach volleyball, swimming (naturally – if it starts to feel like too much, you can always find refreshment at the swim-up bar), and the aforementioned fitness centre. There are also all sorts of daily classes and activities to be found on the resort’s app on your phone, including something called “surf yoga” – yup, me neither. There is also a spa, and the opportunity for outdoor massages between the beach and pool. And you can take day excursions, as we did, to Samana, across the bay of the same name, with its beautiful beaches and horse-riding tours to a hidden waterfall. Or you can visit a plantation to see how sugarcane is grown and cigars are made and try the national drink of the Dominican Republic – a pleasant concoction of rum, red wine, honey and mysterious medicinal herbs. According to legend, it was invented by Mama Juana, a 90-year-old woman in 1910, and the tonic (said to be an aphrodisiac – you have been warned) is named after her.

Great for families

But back to Ambar. There are, in fact, seven resorts – seven! – on the Bahia Principe campus, linked by lovingly tended gardens and paths, and the Bahia Principe train (a very long golf buggy) that does the rounds all day long. Ambar is adults only – a haven for couples looking to recharge their batteries away from the kids. But elsewhere in the Bahia Principe campus, it’s kiddie heaven. That’s because, not far away, lies Fantasia – a resort for young families that could have sprung fully formed from the imagination of a child. A fairytale castle rises from the centre of the huge swimming pool, reached by a pair of elegant footbridges. For a few minutes after sunset, it comes alive in a magical son et lumière display.

Lunch can be found at the Garden Circus, a restaurant with a vast buffet of children’s favourites, such as burgers and pizza. And not only do the kids have their own games room and cinema, but there’s a spa and gym for teenagers too. Over in the Turquesa resort, at the far end of the Bahia Principe campus, there’s even a water park with slides and watershoots.

Don't lift a figure

Wherever you choose to drop your luggage, life is geared towards not having to lift a finger. Ambar, for example, is all-inclusive, so there’s no need to settle up after every drink and meal, or to fish around in your trunks for your soggy room card. The hardest decision you have to face is deciding where to have lunch, and after that, dinner. There are five restaurants to choose from at Ambar, plus the many others dotted around.

There’s Rodizio, a Brazilian-style restaurant where you are brought great hunks of grilled meats cut from a giant skewer until you beg them to stop; there’s Las Olas with the warm sea providing the jaw-droppingly beautiful backdrop; and there’s Limbo (pictured above), the fine-dining restaurant on Ambar. Think creamy sea urchins for starters, followed by roasted turbot. And the “elegant” cocktails aren’t bad either, using gin, basel and pineapple. For sure, the all-inclusive-resort thing isn’t for everybody. More adventurous types will probably find it all a little bit too “safe”. But if you’re looking to get away from it all, and just spend a few days eating, drinking and lying about in the sunshine, interspersed with a dip or two in the sea, then Ambar and Punta Cana might just be a little slice of Caribbean paradise.

To book an all-inclusive stay at Luxury Bahia Principe Ambar, visit www.bahia-principe.com – from £87 per person per night in June.

A version of this article was originally published in MoneyWeek