Guest contributors John and Sandra Nowlan visit Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar, reminding us that there will be sunny getaways in the future.
The airport could have been in the South Pacific.
Stepping out of our plane into the brilliant Dominican Republic sunshine, we were very impressed by the low-rise, thatched-roof buildings of the Punta Cana International Airport. Even better, in spite of several U.S., Canadian and British planes unloading guests, the customs formalities were brisk and efficient.
Sandra under the thatched roof of Punta Cana International Airport
Editor’s note: Although the COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly changed the face of travel, we hope our stories stoke your memories of past trips and kindle ideas for future ones.
Chasing the sun at Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar
Leaving the airport and heading towards our resort, it was obvious that tourism is a huge industry here in the eastern half of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, shared with the troubled country of Haiti. Billboards promote the many attractions of this region of the Dominican Republic including water parks, zip lines, jungle buggies and the Coco Bongo show, “Puts Vegas Nightlife to Shame”.
For the moment we were more interested in a few days of pampered relaxation adjacent to warm saltwater. We found it at the Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar, a five-star, adult-only resort with eleven, three-story buildings close to spectacular Bavaro Beach.
Bahia Principe, a Spanish chain with a major presence in the Caribbean, actually runs seven adjacent resorts on the huge property with 13,000 guests and 5,000 staff, each one with its own distinctive flavor.
Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar, one of seven siblings
Our resort, Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar, which was built in 2006 with 528 rooms, was the closest to the turquoise Caribbean. It was totally renovated in 2018, adding a specialty coffee shop and sports bar. The soaring all-white lobby with marble floors was gorgeous while each of the first-floor suites had a new, swim-out pool attached.
Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar: The soaring main lobby
Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar: First-floor swim-out suite
The rooms themselves were large, well-equipped and kept meticulously clean. There were excellent reading lights and generous closet space. Guests at each of the seven resorts had a colored wristband with a chip inside acting as the door key. Very convenient! Some of the rooms in the other six adjacent resorts were almost a mile from the beach but an efficient shuttle service ran back and forth every few minutes.
Resort shuttle
Numerous dining and beverage options
Each of the resorts has a grand buffet restaurant (with an excellent selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner) and several reservation-required specialty restaurants including Italian, Japanese (with a Teppanyaki table), Seafood, Mexican, Greek and Brazilian. All of them required a spray of hand sanitizer before entering, especially important these days.
Mimosas at breakfast
Fresh croissants each morning
The specialty restaurants we tried all had imaginative architecture and very friendly wait staff (although some had limited English skills). In addition to the buffet, our favorites were Limbo (the “gourmet” restaurant with smaller, imaginative dishes) and M.E.A.T., designed for lovers of beef, chicken and pork. The Asian fusion restaurant had an outstanding Far East setting but the appetizer table had too many deep-fried dishes cooked too long in advance.
Open kitchen at M.E.A.T.
All of the restaurants offered complimentary Spanish house wines (the rosé was excellent, the white good and the red barely passable) but most included a choice of unique pre-meal cocktails, prepared by chief mixologist Jonathan and his talented team.
Imaginative restaurants
Jonathan: The master mixologist
The beach and beyond
There were lots of activities during the day including pool games, Spanish lessons, tequila tastings and yoga. At Ambar, there was singing or dancing entertainment in the large lobby each evening but the better bet was the large Tropicana Theatre, reached by trolley in the Bahia Punta Cana section. The Circus Show we saw had acts approaching Cirque du Soleil-quality.
For a quality Caribbean beach, it’s hard to beat Playa Bavaro, one of the finest stretches of fine, white sand and warm, clear water in the world.
Busy Bavaro Beach
With a length of almost 30 miles, it’s the centerpiece of Dominican tourism. The Bahia Principe resorts are adjacent to a prime section of the beach with plenty of palm trees and layers of lounges. Yes, the beach can be crowded and some object to the strolling cigar, clothing and souvenir vendors (all beaches in the Dominican Republic are public) but we always found a comfortable lounge in the shade. Twice a day, a cart came by with free ice cream.
Charming hotel library: Take a book, leave a book
Because the beach is so attractive many guests never leave the resort but there are plenty of options for those wanting a day-long break. The most popular ones include a visit to the historic capital city of Santo Domingo and snorkeling expeditions on a catamaran that include a visit to Saona Island, a government protected nature preserve off the south-east tip of the country.
The Dominican Republic is a prime destination for North Americans in the winter and spring. One couple from Canada were on their third visit to Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar. “We love it,” they told us. “The people are respectful and friendly. The Dominican Republic is our number one choice in the Caribbean.”
All photo credits: John and Sandra Nowlan (except for lead photo)
About the authors: John and Sandra Nowlan are veteran cruisers and travel writers/photographers, based in Halifax.
Disclosure: The Nowlans were hosted by Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar but any opinions expressed in this post are their own.
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