Back we go again...

This Sunday, we will be off to Punta Cana again for the 7th time.  We will be saying at the Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana attending a friend's wedding.

First impressions of this hotel have been good so far.  Our emails about room requests and other questions have been promptly responded to, which is a good sign from our point of view.  Reviews have been all over the place but that is to be expected with a resort of this size.  We will be going into this trip with no expectations so that we can deliver a non-bias review to our readers.  

We will be live tweeting our experiences while we are at the resort (wifi pending).  Follow us at @BeachJunkies on twitter to get our updates.

Once we are back we will try to post our review up as fast as we can but being that it is the holidays, it may take longer than usual.

Happy Holidays to all our followers! We wish you a safe and wonderful holiday season and all the best to you and your loved ones in 2013.

-Beach Junkies

Resort Tour Post: Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana

We had a chance to check out Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana during our stay at their sister resort next door, Now Larimar.  Secrets Royal beach is an adults only resort and shares the majority of the restaurants with Now Larimar.

Walking to Secrets Royal Beach takes literally a minute from Now Larimar. You can access the resort through a pathway just off the courtyard of Now Larimar or from the beach. Our first impressions of Secrets Royal Beach was "WOW! It's really quiet over here!". You don't hear the hustle and bustle of the resort next door and a quiet, relaxation atmosphere is definitely achieved. The courtyard at Royal Beach is a lot wider and in the evenings, is a great place to enjoy a drink and listen to some live music.

The pool is very different form the ones you see next door at Now Larimar. There is a main section where the pool bar is located and a lazy river goes through the middle of the resort.  The palapas are spaced out accordingly and really promotes personal space which is key at an adults only resort.  The only unfortunate thing is that the color of the pool isn't the sea green color that Now Larimar has.  We really love the look and feel of that pool but I'm guessing you can always go next door to use it.

We had a chance to eat lunch at La Riviera restaurant and the restaurant is decorated wonderfully.  It was nice to eat outside while taking in the great ocean breeze and a nice break form the sun.  You can also eat inside but the view is just too good to miss out on.  The selection of the food at La Riviera was a lot better than the Carnival Buffet at Now Larimar.  This was of course expected since it is a 5* resort compared to Now Larimar.  The food was fresh and I really suggest in getting some of the kiwi that they have there.  I swear it was one of the biggest I've ever seen and eaten.  It was awesome.

The beach atmosphere at Royal Beach is much quieter and they offer more relaxing activites such as Yoga and Stretching in the morning and for those that want something more exciting, they have Beach Volleyball twice a day.  I found that it was a bit more competitive than the other side since of course it was all adults that were playing.  The one thing that you don't get at Now Larimar that you do at Secrets Royal Beach is beach service.  They have waiters taking your drink order and bringing it right back to you, but really the beach bar is no more than a 2 min walk from where ever you are.  The left side of the beach is where the majority of the palapas are situated and the right side is where you will find a more open area where you can still get some shade from the abundance of palm trees that are located there.  There are hammocks as well towards the back of the beach if that's what you fancy.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to experience more so we can't comment on the rooms and the other restaurants since the week we were leaving, it wasn't offered out of Toronto.  You can always do an upgrade once you get there if you run into the same problem as us.  It's a great resort from what we saw and if it does get too quiet, you can always go next door to get more of a different vibe.

Below you can view the 360 videos we took of the resort.  Hopefully this will give future guests better idea of how the space looks.  We are finding these days that videos are a more reliable resource of how a property really is.





For more information on the resort, you can visit the Secrets Resorts website here or to see what other people think, you can visit here

RESORT REVIEW: Now Larimar

Trip date: June 5-12, 2011
Location: Punta Cana, DR

Beach junkie rating (based on 5 stars):
Beach: 5 / food: 4.5 / room: 4 / pools: 5 / snorkeling: n/a

This is our 6th time to Punta Cana and our 2nd time to this resort. Our first time was back in 2009 for Christmas. Back then, it was NH Real Arena. Click here for our previous review. The re-branding of the resort took place May 2011. Everything is the same except the resort is now owned by AMResorts and the resort is now called Now Larimar. The staff remains the same but the restaurant names have changed. The Paradise Club is now the Preferred Club.

My husband and I went to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary. Before we left, we contacted the resort with various requests and all our emails were answered immediately.

We booked through our usual travel agent. The package was with Transat Holidays and the flight with CanJet. I don’t think we will ever want to flight with CanJet again. You cannot check in online, the seats are tight and the aisle is very narrow. Luckily we arrived early, customs was a breeze, our transfer to resort only made two prior drop offs and we were at our resort within a little over an hour of landing.

Check in
Check in was quick and swift.  We first went to the front desk but then got escorted to the Preferred Lounge to check in.  There we were greeted by Johanna who explained everything to us.  Our room wasn’t ready so we ate some snacks in the lounge and grabbed some drinks at the lobby bar and sat in the courtyard till our room was ready. We waited a total time of 30 minutes.

courtyard at Now Larimar

Room
We are going to try to clarify this as much as we can since most of the disappointments and confusion with this resort starts off here.  We had booked a Preferred Club Suite Ocean View with our travel agent. According to the Now Larimar website, these suites feature:

    * Living room and a separate dining area
    * Two flat screen cable TV with remote control
    * Nespresso machine
    * Exterior Jacuzzi on the terrace
    * Two make up mirrors

On the website as well, it states that if you’ve booked this room category, you get the following inclusions with your suite:

    * Personalized check-in and check-out with concierge service
    * Preferred status and amenities
    * Private Preferred Club Lounge
    * Two private, Preferred Club pools
    * Upgraded bath amenities
    * Bathrooms with double sinks
    * Pillow menu
    * Complimentary wireless internet access in suite
    * Complimentary computer access in Preferred Club Lounge
    * Upgraded mini-bar and room service menu
    * Daily continental breakfast service in the lounge
    * Pool concierge & bar service
    * Afternoon hot and cold hors d’oeuvres; exquisite desserts & fine liquors in the lounge
    * Complimentary newspaper in room every day

Many guests we met including ourselves were expecting this since all of us had booked the highest possible category from our travel agents. Unfortunately we were wrong.

Ocean FRONT Suites

We had contacted Roberto at the resort to submit our room request and he cleared up right away that we did not book the rooms facing the ocean and the preferred pool.  Those rooms are the Ocean FRONT Suites, not Ocean View.

Ocean View Suites

 The Ocean View suites were located at the inside part of the resort facing the pools and are all located in the block closest to the beach.  The room view that we got was basically the same view we got 2 years prior but facing South this time instead of North. Instead of having an open concept room like last time, the bathtub with jets was outside in the balcony and the bathroom was enclosed.  The room didn’t have a separate dining area or two flat screen TV’s as stated on the website.

As far as the extra service inclusions, we did received the following

    * Personalized check-in and check-out with concierge service
    * Preferred status and amenities
    * Private Preferred Club Lounge
    * Two private, Preferred Club pools
    * Upgraded bath amenities
    * Bathrooms with double sinks
    * Complimentary wireless internet access in suite
    * Complimentary computer access in Preferred Club Lounge
    * Upgraded mini-bar
    * Daily continental breakfast service in the lounge
    * Pool concierge & bar service
    * Afternoon hot and cold hors d’oeuvres; exquisite desserts & fine liquors in the lounge

The Wireless Internet Access in suite: This is free and complimentary but ONLY if you ask for the user name and password from the concierge.  They also only give you an allotted usage time of 10 hours per ticket which seems to mysteriously go really fast. We used the internet for about 3 hours in total by our 3rd day and by then we got a message saying that we had reached our maximum time allowed. It was no problem getting another user name and password though.

Room Category Names: To stop the disappointment and confusion with future guests, NOW Larimar should consider changing the room category names.  The Ocean Front Suites should be called just that BUT instead of having Preferred Club Ocean View suites, they should rename them to Preferred Club Pool View suites.

During our stay it was clear that the Executive Ocean Front suites were getting all the inclusions and services that were stated on the website. All of the other Preferred Club Ocean View guests did not. Fortunately for us, we knew this coming in and our expectations were lowered but for the other guests that didn’t know, it was a real let down and I don’t blame them.

So the lesson learned, If you want the rooms that are facing the preferred pool and ocean, book an Ocean FRONT Room. To be honest, the preferred club ocean view rooms unfortunately weren't worth it. We could have just gotten a regular room with the same view and expected less which for some maybe more of an enjoyable vacation.

With all that said, our room was clean (no musty smell). We had the electronic safe, a well-stocked mini-bar, amenities in our bathroom, face towels, beach towels and plenty of bath towels. We also got bathrobes and slippers. Some things that were missing was a directory and room service menu. We got both of these by asking for them at the Preferred Club Lounge. We did notice that we were suppose to get turn down service but never received it (probably because we always had the do not disturb sign on when we went out for dinner). The balcony had two chairs and a table, as well as the outdoor jacuzzi. It was really nice to sit on the balcony at night and just read. The pools and building are really well lit at night.

Room 1456

Amenities

Balcony of room 1456

View from room 1456 at night

Food
Carnival International Café - which is located by the lobby was opened every day for breakfast (7:00 am to 11:00 am), lunch (12:30 pm to 3:00 pm) and dinner (6:30 pm to 10:45 pm). The various themed night are Dominican, Italian, Spanish, American, Gala, Mexican and Asian. We ate at the buffet at the Dominican, Spanish and Mexican night.

Breakfast Buffet sample

Dominican Night desserts

I highly suggest that you make an effort to eat at the buffet on the Dominican night to get a taste of their local cuisine (see photo below). After all, you are in their country so why not take it all in. We found that since the last time we were at this resort, the buffet has changed significantly with much more selections. If you can’t find something to eat, then maybe you are not cut out for all-inclusive resorts. What we enjoyed was that there was a section reserved for Preferred Club members at dinner.

Dominican Night Buffet sample

Asides from eating at the buffet, you can order room service for breakfast, lunch or dinner but note that the menu is very limited. When we ordered breakfast one morning, we got everything listed on the menu and it only took about 20 minutes.

Castaways & Barefoot Grill - both are located close to the main pool and beach. Castaways is open from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm and has a small buffet of salads, pizza, paninis, burgers, fries, veggies, rice and some type of meat. They also have delicious, refreshing self-serve vanilla or chocolate ice cream in a cone or cup. Barefoot Grill (open from 12:00 to 3:00 pm) is found just outside of the restaurant and serves grilled red snapper(see photo below), pork chops, chicken and also paella. Right beside it is a fruit bar which offers freshly cut fruits such as papaya, mango, pineapple, etc. You can either eat in the restaurant or take it out to the pool, beach or your room. Please just be courteous and return your dishes and clean up after yourselves.

Grilled Red Snapper, Rice and Beans and Carrots

There are four a la carte restaurants for dinner- Mercure (French), Spice (Asian/Teppanyaki), Bluewater Grill (American) and Capers (Italian). There is always one of the restaurants closed each night. With the switch from NH Real Arena to Now Larimar, there is no longer a reservation system, it’s all first come, first serve. The busiest dinner times are between 7:00 to 8:00 pm.


We ate at the following:


Bluewater Grill - First off, I really think they should change the decor in this restaurant but the food was okay. We had ribeye steak, braised beef in Jack Daniel’s sauce (see photo below), chicken caesar salad, asparagus cream soup, an combo platter of chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, quesadillas and potato skins. For dessert was cheesecake and a brownie.

Click the menu to expand

Braised Beef

Mercure - this French restaurant was our favorite. The decor is really nice and it’s an adults-only. We had traditional french onion soup, mushrooms & escargot, Atlantic salmon fillet (see photo below), Beef bourguignon, caramel chiboust and apple and cream strudel. We were also treated to a banana flambe.

Mercure

Click the menu to expand

Atlantic Salmon

Spice - this Asian restaurant gives you the choice of Teppanyaki or a la carte. We went for the Teppanyaki tables with three other couples we met earlier that day. In order to be all seated together, one of the couples arrived at 7 pm to put our name in and we didn’t get seated until after 8 pm. no problem, we just grabbed a drink and waited. If you have had Teppanyaki before, it’s all the same. Fried rice and veggies, along with beef, chicken and shrimp. They serve susi, miso soup and tempura for an appetizer and then tempura ice cream for dessert. The night we ate there, the A/C wasn’t kicking in so we ate dinner fast and got out of there.

Lobster Dinner on the beach - this is a dinner which you have to pay extra for and can be booked with the concierge. On the menu is shrimp cocktail served in a pineapple, a whole lobster with veggies and mashed potatoes and chocolate cake with a fruit platter. You also get one bottle of wine and one bottle of champagne. We did this because we were celebrating our 5 year anniversary. I don't think we would typically do this. It was a lot of food to eat (even though it doesn't sound like it) but was an experience to eat on the beach at night. It wasn't very well lit but we did get to enjoy a lightning storm in the background. Thankfully it didn't rain. There were no bugs but it did get really quiet and one thing we regret was not taking our speakers and played some music while we ate.

Shrimp Coleslaw Salad

Whole lobster with mash potatoes and veggies

Bars
There are plenty of bars all over the resort. I won’t name them all but you will find one at the lobby, sports bar, the three pools, by the beach, basically, anywhere you turn, you are able to get a drink. Since we were staying at the Bavaro building, we mainly used the bar, Splash at the Preferred Club pool. Daniela, the server consistently went around taking everyone’s drink order. By the end of the week, she knew my drink order - a bottle of water with either a beer or slushie mojito. The lobby bar, Moments has an extensive drink menu and most of the bars, you can get a delicious cappuccino.

Beach
Bavaro Beach is always great!  We love this stretch of beach! It’s wide, and just awesome to be in.  During our stay, we didn’t have any problems getting a palapa on the beach.  There is enough shade and chairs to go around in this resort but you do have to get up early to get the premium spots.  The vendors to the left of the beach don’t bother you really.  They will call for you but a simple “No Gracias” can end that conversation quickly.  There also is a security guard who stands ALL DAY under a palapa and I wish someone would give him a chair.

The beach is lit at night and they play movies for both kids and adults on the beach. This is something new and we unfortunately didn't  take part since none of the movies that were playing interested us. They also showed some NHL and NBA games when we were there.

One suggestion to Now Larimar would be to have a section on the beach for preferred club guests and extend the pool concierge service that is offered to the beach as well. This we believe will make your guests feel like they really did pay for something extra.

Bavaro Beach

Pool
During our stay we only used both Preferred Club pools since we figured since we paid for it, we might as well use it.  There was never any lack of chairs around both of these pools and it was a great place just to sit down and read a book. I wish that they did place some umbrellas with some of the loungers since it does get really hot and uncomfortable when the sun is beating down on you. There really is no relief from the sun at these pools .

Preferred Club Pool on the Bavaro Side

The main pool was always rockin’.  Seemed like fun if you’re into that scene.  We enjoyed watching people from our balcony in that pool just enjoying themselves.

Main Pool

The quiet pool (which was the pool we mainly used our last stay) has the same vibe as the preferred pools but it as no bar or waiters to take your orders.

Quiet Pool

Entertainment
I spoke to one guest and he said that there wasn’t enough entertainment during the day. I can’t say I agree with him because we are the type who like to relax on the beach or poolside. Everyday the entertainment staff offers yoga, stretching, water aerobics, beach volleyball, water polo or volleyball and a special activity that changes daily by the pool (bed decorations, vegetable & fruit cravings, painting class, cocktail making, weaving palms, massage clinics and finger painting). In the evenings, you can either watch a show in the Larimar Plaza or Crystal threatre (Dancing Around the World, Galacaribe, White party, Circus of Dreams, the Michael Jackson show or Karaoke night) or listen to live music before the show. There is also movies on the beach or dancing at the Eclipse nightclub from 10:30 pm to 1:30 am. We don’t have kids but they do have the Explorer’s Club with a kids program from 9:30 am to 9:00 pm.

Staff
The staff at Now Larimar are so friendly and helpful. They always greet you and smile back when you greet them. Yes, most of them cannot speak English but they try their best to communicate with you. Some outstanding staff we would like to mention - Johanna at the Preferred Club Lounge, Mirabel at Castaways and Bluewater Grill, Luis at the concierge for our lobster dinner, Pasqual our server for the lobster dinner, Ricardo the photographer, the bellboys - Antonio and Henry, Jhonathan at the buffet in the Preferred section, Daniela at the Splash preferred pool bar and Moments lobby bar and Kelvin who was everywhere and served us many times. A special thanks to Tara, the social media coordinator at AMResorts and Roberto, the rooms division manager. They both made our stay a very welcoming one and gave us some perks as returning guests celebrating their anniversary.

Check out
Check out was quick and easy just like the check in.  They actually called us to see if we needed a bell boy to come and pick up our luggage which was nice. The one thing that I want to keep on mentioning is KEEP YOUR CHECK OUT TICKET to give to once you enter your bus.  You cannot leave the hotel with out this.  This is proof that you had checked out and cleared all outstanding business with the hotel. You don’t know how many times I see people scrambling for this ticket.  This is a process done at all the all inclusive resorts I’ve been to.

Overall
We spoke to many guests about Now Larimar and most people liked it except for the room category confusion, lack of daytime activities, no reservation policy and lack of selection in room service menu. As mentioned before, this was our second time to this resort. We personally still like the resort but would like to check out other resorts offered by AM Resorts. I will also still recommend this resort to people as it’s a small resort with a selection of restaurants, a gorgeous beach and nice pools. It’s a great first resort to go to since it’s not that big and you won’t spend half your day trying to finding everything. The one thing that I really like about this resort is how it’s laid out and how it looks at night all lit up. One of my favorite things to do was to read on the balcony at night.

The resort does have to iron out a few kinks such as being consistent in what is offered with preferred club rooms, the no reservation system for the a la carte restaurants has many guests waiting during prime time hours, the time share people need to stop calling the guest rooms and chasing people while they exit the buffet. Also the preferred club lounge should be returned to the section where all the rooms are located. It’s easier for the preferred guests to enjoy the premium liquors, afternoon hors d’oeuvres and desserts.

Shout out to all the wonderful people we met at Now Larimar and at the Punta Cana airport:
Mark, Sarah, Lewis and Aston from the UK - you made our last two days enjoyable with great conversation.
Eva and Andru from Montreal, Kat & Ryan and Rachel & Devon from Mississauga - it was a shame we met you too late but we did enjoy our dinner with you at Spice and our impromptu beach party.
Greg and Jane from New Jersey - thanks for hanging out with us at the pool after everyone left.
Shameer and Forzana from Richmond Hill - it's too bad we weren't staying at the same resort but with you guys, you made the plane ride and wait at the airport bearable.
Randy, Mercedes & Angelina from Brampton - you taught us the goodness of karma.

Still not convinced? See what others think here.

ACTIVITIES: Macao Surf Camp - 2 years later

I Wanna Go Surfing from openmiQ on Vimeo

December 2009 was the first time I went to Macao Beach and had Macao Surf Camp take me for a lesson.  Back then there was absolutely nothing on the beach.  Rafael would come and pick you up in his car, surfboards strapped on the top of his car and off you went.

We recently just visited Macao Surf Camp last week and boy have things changed!  Business is booming! They now have a Shack on Macao Beach which is their headquarters, they have staff that give you one on one instruction in a group lesson, they have Jack the surfing dog that joins you during your lessons, they have a photographer that takes photos of you which you can purchase and burnt on CD! The vibe here now is awesome!  It has become an amazing community and it's great to watch something grow this much from the very beginning!  I'm so proud of Rafael and his partners for doing this! It's a big hit amongst tourists that come and want to surf.  It's just absolutely amazing what they have done and I can't say enough good things about them! If you really want to learn how to surf with a non intimidating atmosphere and friendly instructors, look no further than Macao Surf Camp.

Contact Information:

Macao Surf Camp
Rafel Ferreras
macaosurfcamp@gmail.com

Address: Macao Beach
Bavaro Punta Cana
Dominican Republic

Tel: (809) 430-9017

For more reviews go to Macao Surf Camps Tripadvisor Review Page

Punta Cana Photography - Ricardo Vásquez

For our 5 year wedding anniversary, we decided to trash our wedding outfits..otherwise known as "Trash The Dress"

I had looked around for different photographers in Punta Cana to do this shoot for us and I decided that it would be better to use the in house photographer at Now Larimar since you have to pay extra for a day pass for other photographers to come in.

I contacted Ricardo Vásquez through email and we had set up a time to meet and discuss what we wanted.  He is a real friendly and professional guy!

Below is a slideshow I made of the photo session we had with Ricardo or "Richie". His work speaks for itself and if you are getting married at Now Larimar or Secrets Royal Beach, make sure you ask for him.  He is amazing!

Contact Information:
Ricardo Vásquez
Email: ricardovasquezh@yahoo.es
web: flickr.com/​ricardovasquez



5 Years... from openmiQ on Vimeo

We're headed back

Beach Junkies is off again! This time we are going back to the beach where we got married, Bavaro Beach celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary! We will be returning to NH Real Arena which just got re-branded as NOW Larimar.  This is only the second time we have returned for a repeat visit to any resort. The only other time we did it was 5 years ago for our wedding.

The sister resort of NOW Larimar is Secrets Royal Beach which is right beside the resort. We were lucky enough to schedule a tour of the resort during our stay so we can at least show you all a new resort while visiting an old favorite.

We will also be visiting Raphael again at Macao Surf Camp! I've heard they've added a new camp hut which was under construction when we were there so we can't wait to see that! I hope I have a better performance than last time, which was absolutely dreadful lol!

So stay tuned for our first re-branding edition and first ever resort tour post!

Guest Review: NH Real Arena/NH Royal Beach

It's always great to hear from our readers. Some have questions about a resort we stayed at and what's even better is when they email us to tell us all about there vacation. Marcianne emailed us back in December with some questions about our stay at NH Real Arena. She made us quite jealous when she mentioned that she would be going for two weeks over the holidays. Here's her report about her stay at NH Real Arena (one of our favorite resorts).

 

***

Hi Leesh,

We had a wonderful trip, even though the weather wasn't really nice.  It was cloudy almost every day and even rained at least 4 times.  We pretty much had only half days of sun. The hotel was good but at first we were a bit surprised at how big it was.  There were so many people, tons of children, and a bit too much noise! It was the holidays, mind you, and of course we love children, but we were looking forward to a nice relaxing romantic and sunny holiday.

We were also disappointed at the fact that our room was on the ground floor, when I had taken the time to write Roberto prior to our departure, our travel agent had requested a 3rd or 4th floor room, and we had paid for the mirage level so I assumed we would have had a better room.  We complained to a very nice concierge named Alexander and even though he couldn't do anything that night, he did tell us to come back and see if there was another room the next day.  Well it just so happened that apparently the hotel had overbooked and since we had no children, he offered to upgrade our hotel to the sister hotel next door called the NH Royal Beach for a very small fee.  He said it was smaller (about 200 rooms) and for adults only and that there were two more a la carte restaurants, and of course we could still have complete access to the NH Real Arena and all their restaurants.  The Royal Beach also offers unlimited reservations for all 6 restaurants and we could make them all at once for the whole 14 days.

As soon as we changed hotels, we were in heaven!  The buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner was amazing! Fine cheeses and good bread.  Expressos and cappacinos.. Irish coffees after dinner under the stars!  At one of the restaurants at the Royal Beach I ate a rack of lamb.  The menu at the other restaurant was a tasting menu which was also excellent!  The Royal Beach hotel is newer and the rooms are nicer and bigger and each one has an outdoor whirlpool bath on the balcony!  Needless to say, the change made our holiday a wonderful experience and I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone who wants great food, quiet atmosphere and excellent service!  I'm sure that both of the NH hotels are excellent and we met lots of people at the other hotel who loved it there too.

All in all, I can say we spent a week of being spoiled while we waited and hoped for the sun to come out! We relaxed and read books before returning to snow and ice and work... I hope this helps some people choose a good place for vacation.

Keep up your beautiful site, it sure helped me to feel good about my choice.

Marcianne

***

Thanks Marcianne for sharing your thoughts and experience after being upgraded to the new resort next door, NH Royal Beach. We, ourselves would like to check it out one day. It would be nice to stay at the sister hotel and enjoy the benefits of adults-only while still having the options to enjoy the amenities over at NH Real Arena.

NH Royal Beach {via}

ACTIVITIES: Macao Surf Camp

First I would like to say that it has been a dream of mine to try surfing.  It took me a while to finally do it and I can proudly say that I've gone once a year since I've started, which is a total of 2 times =D.

As you may know, we visit Punta Cana A LOT, and after a while you got to do different things to make your trip stand out.  Just this past Christmas I did that.

I contacted Rafel Ferreras from Macao Surf Camp and I'm glad I did.  Honestly it was one of the best experiences I had.  After planning out the details over email, he picked us up form our hotel and drove us to Macao Beach.  Unfortunately the day I went the conditions were rather choppy and BIG.  For some reason every time I go surfing, the conditions always seem to have huge waves.  With that as a challenge, Rafael still was determined to get me going.  He has a lot of patience which is needed when teaching a newbie.  Honestly he was so driven to get me standing up it was awesome!

If you are going to Punta Cana and would like to get some private lessons, give Rafael a call.  Trust me you'll be happy you did.

Here's a little video compilation of my surfing in Macao Beach.


Wipeout! from openmiQ on Vimeo.

Here is a tip though, keep your schedule open.  Don't do what I did and schedule a day when you want to go.  Go when the conditions are good. Rafael will tell you when it will be good during that week.  You will have a better and easier time learning!

If you do decide to go here, please tell Rafael that Mike and Alysia from Toronto say HI!!

Also let me know how your experience was if you did go.  We want to hear all about it!!

Contact Information:

Macao Surf Camp
Rafel Ferreras
macaosurfcamp@gmail.com

Address: Macao Beach
Bavaro Punta Cana
Dominican Republic

Tel: (809) 430-9017

For more reviews go to Macao Surf Camps Tripadvisor Review Page

RESORT REVIEW: NH Real Arena

Trip Date: December 2009

Location: Punta Cana, Domincan Republic

Beach Junkies Rating: (based on 5 stars)

Beach: 5 / Food: 4 / Rooms: 5 / Pools: 5 / Snorkeling: N/A

We went to NH Real Arena from December 18-25, 2009. Yes, we saw all the negative reviews but it did not stop us from booking this resort. Prior to us leaving Toronto, we emailed Roberto and asked him for a top floor, ocean view room with a king size bed. We flew with Air Transat (happy that they now serve hot meals) and arrived on time to a beautiful sunny Punta Cana. A good thing about this resort is that it's only a 20 minute ride from the airport.

CHECK IN

Because we had booked a Mirage Deluxe room with Transat Holidays, we were check in privately. Surprisingly at 12:30 pm, our room was ready. We were given a map, keys and coupons, and were told to see the bell boy to bring us to our room. We had asked about a la carte reservations, they showed us where the desk was and since there wasn't a line up, we booked two of our five a la cartes. We were then brought by a golf cart to our building which was a 60 seconds away from the lobby.

ROOM

Our room (#2441) was in building 2 (I think it's the Punta Cana building) on the top (4th) floor. To figure out where your room is located, follow this: 1st number represents which building you are in, 2nd number represents what floor you are on and the last two numbers is which room you are in. The rooms are very spacious. You have a closet with bathrobes, slippers, iron & board and a safe (you program the code yourself). There is a bathroom with a toilet and shower, the doors are made of frosted glass, some toiletries and a jacuzzi tub. There is a big hole in the wall but that didn't bother us. It's where my husband put his luggage. We had a king size bed. The sheets and duvet are comfy, the bed is on the hard side and the pillows were nice and fluffy but we could have used more than three. There is a fridge (stocked with coke, sprite, water and beer), coffee maker and ice bucket. Also in the room is a flat screen TV, a desk (but no paper or pen to be found), a chair, table and a pull out sofa. The balcony is great. If you are in building 2 and the last digit of your room number is an odd number, then you will have a great view of the pool. If you are on the 4th floor, you will also have a view of the ocean. The rooms are immaculately clean. There was a slight odor near the toilet but we just sprayed with febreeze and it was fine.

FOOD

For breakfast, we only ate at the buffet once and ordered room service twice. Room service is much better. I had read in so many reviews about Felix who makes the best eggs. When we went to the buffet, we didn't see him, probably his day off. For lunch we ate at the poolside grill for most days. Some things to eat - salsa, chips & guacamole, rotisserie chicken, pasta, grilled chicken and fish, hot dogs, hamburger, french fries and paella. Each day there was something new to eat. At Festival Buffet (main buffet), there was pizza, pasta, rice, potatoes, the usual but it was much nicer to eat at the grill where you have a view of the ocean and pool. We ate at the main buffet for the Mexican and Spanish themed nights. I wasn't that impressed, their buffet is smaller than other resort buffets. At the Mexican night, we discovered the beef fajitas. They were delicious. It's too bad that we found them after we had already eaten a lot. We ate at all four a la carte restaurants:

Senses (French) - This was our favorite restaurant. We had a gin mojito granita, a tuna carpaccio salad, red snapper/lobster main entree and a chocolate dessert. This is the restaurant decorated in all red. The service was quite fast.

Shore Grill (American/Surf & Turf) - This restaurant looks like a saloon and is more casual than the others. We had an appetizer platter of nachos & cheese and really yummy wings. After was caesar salad on bread (we thought this was odd but it tasted delicious). My husband had the rib-eye and I got the garlic shrimp. I have to say that I was really disappointed with my shrimp dish. All the resorts I have been to in the past have served jumbo shrimp. This is the first time I received small "cocktail" shrimp. For dessert was cheesecake and a brownie.

Cinque Terre (Italian) - This was our least favorite restaurant. I believe we started off with a soup, then an arugula salad, two pastas (the mushroom fettuccine one was amazing and the olive tomato penne was okay). The mains were seafood gratin or beef encrusted in herbs. The service here was extremely slow. So slow that we didn't even wait for our dessert. We just left.

Asian (name speaks for itself) - Teppanyaki is usually a fun meal with the chef entertaining you. Our chef just did his job, he cooked, served us our food and left. Before having our meal of cooked beef, chicken and shrimp with vegetables and fried rice, we had miso soup, tempura and some sushi. All were very good. After we had fried ice cream for dessert.

Christmas Eve Gala at Shore Grill - For Christmas Eve dinner, the resort was serving the same meal at all the a la carte restaurants and I think they had an elaborate buffet at Festival. We chose to eat at Shore Grill (this is before we knew what any of the restaurants looked like). The dinner was six courses and took us over two hours to eat. Our waitress kept the champagne flowing. Our glasses were never empty. We ate liver pate (I will admit that I would never eat pate, let alone liver pate but I tried it and it was delicious. I ate the whole thing), lobster salad, fish in a pastry puff, gin mojito granita, beef fillet and a double chocolate cheesecake for dessert. We were stuffed.

BARS

There are many bars located around the resort - Alisios Bar in the lobby (never went), Arenas Sports Bar (never went), Olas Bar (good to get limonata- frozen limeade), Wet Bar (we are not pool bar people) and Tanhtra Rooftop Bar. When you are in the courtyard watching the show, the resort has makeshift bars around the perimeter but there are servers taking drink orders. We didn't drink much during the day except for beer at lunch. At dinner, it's either a beer or wine. Their red house wine is better than the white. I also like drinking champagne in the evening while watching the shows. Another good drink is the mojito at the pool bar, it's made with the lime slushie.

BEACH

The beach is gorgeous and no seaweed to be found on the shoreline. The beach chairs are quite different from the usual ones you see at the resort. They are plastic wicker-looking chairs. It makes the resort look modern and classy. They are not that comfortable but I am not going to complain about it. There are plenty of palapas with chairs and tables but you will find that the one closer to the water are taken early in the morning. Don't worry, all those taken spots will be evacuated by 2 pm when everyone leaves for lunch. The activities that I have seen are volleyball and aerobics. When you are facing the water, towel and water activities hut is to your right and to the left is the massage hut. Past the massage hut is a quieter area but you do get the yelling from the vendors asking you to come see what they are selling. But don't worry, there is a security guard there and an invisible line they can not cross.

 POOL

There is a large pool where all the activities take place and the pool bar, and a smaller pool where most people go to relax and read. The water in the pool looks green because the tiles are green, not the usual blue. We like this look of the pool, it makes for a unique quality that the other resorts don't have. The same type of wicker furniture surrounds the pool. I must say that this is the first resort that provides tables beside every two chairs.

NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Most shows take place at NH Plaza or in Tanhtra Bar. Both the circus show and the white party are fantastic. Be sure to catch these when they are on. You can check the activities board by the main buffet to see what the nightly entertainment is. Before the main show in the plaza square, there will be some musical act or a giant inflatable screen playing a music concert. On the 24th, a booklet describing their Christmas program was left in our room (along with a little Christmas gift). They had a great program for the holidays (Dec 24-Jan 5) but unfortunately it started on our last day at the resort.

STAFF

The staff are great and very hard working especially when on our last day there was a torrential downpour. All hotel staff were either mopping up water, towelling down the 1st floor rooms, evaluating the pool, etc. Yes, many of them only speak Spanish, but I find that if you try to speak Spanish, they will try and speak English. Please be respectful and learn a few key phrases before you head down. It will impress them. Some of our favorite staff are Ronaldo at the Mirage Concierge, Mirabel at Shore Grill, Henry at Shore Grill/main buffet and Ronald from Senses/Shore Grill. Another person who was extremely helpful was Roberto, who fulfilled our room request. Danny, our rep from Air Transat doesn't work for the resort but he lives there, has to be hands-down the best rep we have ever had.

CHECK OUT

Check out was simple as ever. We checked out at the front desk and then hung out at Mirage Concierge to enjoy the TV and free wifi, along with those delicious mini donuts and Dasani water.

OVERALL

I would definitely recommend this resort to others. I would like to try staying at NH Royal one day (but only if there is another operator offering it besides Sunwing), although I like the pools better at Real Arena. Guests at NH Royal have access to everything at Real Arena. I don't know why people complain about this resort. There is honestly nothing to complain about. I love the modern look of the entire resort and the staff are fantastic. You won't be disappointed. Click here to check out more photos we took at the resort.

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RESORT REVIEW: Occidental Grand Flamenco Punta Cana

Trip Date: July 2004

Location: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Beach Junkies Rating: (based on 5 stars)

Beach: 5 / Food: 5 / Rooms: 3 / Pools: 4 / Snorkeling: n/a

miQ and Leesh on Bavaro Beach

There were four of us that went to Occidental Grand Flamenco around the ages of 25-27.  We booked a month and a half ahead with Bel Air Travel and got a great price. The one thing that disappointed me before we even left Toronto was that our flight time was changed from 7:15 am to 1:45 pm and also our airline changed from Air Transat to West Jet.  I was happy that we would be arriving early in the day to start off our vacation, but instead, we got there at night, arrived late at the Punta Cana airport and had no movie to watch on the plane.  No biggie…our vacation was just about to start.

ARRIVING AT PUNTA CANA AIRPORT

Since we were arriving around 6 pm, we were landing during rush hour, so there was a bit of a line up because when you arrive at the airport, they take your picture.  Customs was quick but a bit of a wait to get our luggage.

CHECK IN

There were only 4 couples that got off our bus to check into the resort.  Check in was a breeze, and of course, we were welcomed with a drink.  I had emailed the resort a week before to requested a king size bed and 3rd floor ocean view room.  Originally they booked us in a 3rd floor room (they have high ceilings) but it wasn’t ready upon our arrival.  We sent our luggage to our room and walked to the building we were staying at.

Grand Flamenco buildings

ROOM

We did get a king size bed on the second floor, facing the next resort. Not a disappointment because I heard the rooms that are facing the pool and walkway was extremely hot coming in the evening because the room is facing the sun.  Since we were facing the back, some sun came into our room and the room was always cool even with the A/C off.  We were in Building 12, Room 218.  The rooms are very spacious and are equipped with all that is needed (there is even a luggage rack, it’s a good idea to keep your luggage on it so bugs can’t get in your clothes).  The safety deposit box is handy, $15 paid upon check out.  The fridge is filled with pop, beer and a large water jug.  Apparently you are not supposed to brush your teeth with tap water. There is hair dryer, iron and an alarm clock.  You use your key card that opens the room to keep the power on in the room.  In any case, you can always use another type of card or a folded up coaster from your room.  It’s not a good idea to always keep the power on all day; this method is used so that power is not being wasted.  It is always nice to leave your maid a tip or a small gift on the pillow because these woman work from very early in the morning to the evening.  We also found that in some rooms, perhaps the rooms that face the other resort, when you go onto the balcony, the sliding door locks automatically.  Be careful.

FOOD

I was impressed with the food at the buffet.  I always don’t expect much at the buffet restaurants but this one had a large variety of different kinds of food.  It mostly changed each night. The waiter Domingo was very good to us and always helped us find a table during the busy breakfast and lunch rush. We tried the Steakhouse, La Reses, and had the best meal.  We tried the Lamb chops, Veal Tenderloin and Pork Fillet (this is the closest thing to a steak), it was so delicious that we ate there twice!  We also tried the Mexican restaurant, La Hacienda.  Not too impressed with the meal because the portion were too small.  The appetizer platter was very good.  The snack bar, Home Rum is good when you are craving some greasy food (hamburgers, hot dogs, bacon, fries and onion rings) as a late afternoon bite.  Joaquin, the bartender is really friendly and is willing to make special drinks.  The only problem is if you are hungry after 10:30 pm, there is no place to get some food.  If you are a late night snacker like me, I would bring some chips and cookies from home.

BAR

The lobby bar has the best bartenders, they are fast and entertaining.  There is a beach bar (left side of the beach), a bar by the theatre, a bar in the Royal Club restaurant (right side of the beach), the swim up bar and the bar in Home Rum.  The Tiki Tiki drink was the best one I tasted but I always like Lime daiquiris.

one of the free form pools

POOL

The pool is a very large free form pool.  There are busy, crowded sections, but also quiet sections closer to the beach.  There is a pool in the Royal Club area that is used for scuba lessons.  While we were there, the pool was going under renovations.  There were about 8-10 workers drilling and hammering at the pool bottom to fix it.  Our friends brought them beers since they were working so hard.  There are plenty of chairs around the pool but it’s a bit difficult to find an area with shade.

BEACH

The beach is absolutely beautiful.  The sand is white and the water is always a rich turquoise colour.  I did notice that there are people who wake up at 6 am to place their towels to the beach chairs under the palapas but if you go in the afternoon, you will still be able to find some chairs.  I find that many people just leave their cups, cigarette butts and garbage lying around, so please be considerate, pick up after yourself and keep the beach clean.  There are many activities at the beach.  To the far right, you will find the water sports and the beach towel hut.  In the middle, you will find the volleyball and soccer courts, and the aerobics.  It tends to be crowded here.  This is where you can find the henna tattoos and massage hut.  To the left of the beach, near the Royal Club private beach, you will find lots of room.  It’s quieter and you are right by the bar, another massage hut and the guy that makes the rice necklaces. 

RESORT

There are nightly shows that start at 10 pm.  I find that you can sit by the pool and watch the show, it’s not the best view but it is cooler with a nice breeze.  On Saturday nights, there is a beach party after the nightly show.  They bring out a bar, cook some burgers and just play music on the beach.  There is also the disco, Mangu, which really doesn’t get started until almost 1 am.  You should check it out because the top floor has low couches and tables, even swings on the dance floor.  We attended a Manager’s Cocktail reception one night; they set up in the lobby.  They were serving champagne and sushi and had a little dance number with the managers.  You will find a photographer that takes pictures of you with the dancers, a monkey or parrots; you can then purchase the photos at the lobby for $6 US.  This resort is in a great area because it’s close to the market that is located on the beach, maybe a 15 minute walk; and another market just outside of the resort.

CHECK OUT

We checked out of our room at noon.  The bad thing was that the bus wasn’t picking us up until 3:15 pm.  Along with the 3 other couples, we sat in the lobby for 3 hours, drinking and eating in the heat.  Not fun at all.  Our bus arrived on time and took us to the airport.  I was impressed with the new enclosed air conditioned section at the Punta Cana airport (there’s even a Baskin-Robbins), it was much nicer to sit in this area rather than the open air section.

OVERALL

Before this trip, I only heard good things about the resort and everyone was right.  It caters to both families, couples and singles, and each person can find something that they can enjoy, whether it be activities, drinks, even food.  The grounds, rooms, pool and beach are well kept.  Just remember to say Hola and Gracias, and the staff will return with a big smile because they are impressed that you are trying to speak their language.  They work hard all day to make your vacation a memorable one.  And also, tipping doesn’t hurt; a dollar out of your pocket won’t break your bank account.  It’s just a simple gesture of thanks to those who want you make your stay pleasant so that you will return.  And certainly, I will go back and will even recommend the Grand Flamenco to my friends and family. Click here for some of our photos of the resort.

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RESORT REVIEW: Bavaro Princess

Trip Date: June 2003

Location: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Beach Junkies Rating: (based on 5 stars)

Beach: 5 / Food: 4 / Rooms: 4 / Pools: 3 / Snorkeling: n/a

Bavaro Beach

We went to Bavaro Princess Suites from June 9-16th, 2003.  We went to Cancun Mexico in 2000 with 15 other friends, so this was our first trip with just the two of us.  We booked a week before we left with Bel Air Travel and got a great deal through Sunquest.  We were offered the VIP package for $100 more but opted not to take it.  In the end, we weren’t sorry that we didn’t take it because we didn’t care for the massage, the robes, the dinner at Licey or the aerial view souvenir picture that comes with the package.

TORONTO AIRPORT and FLIGHT

Our flight was at 4 pm so we got to Pearson 3 hours beforehand to pick up our tickets and check in.  It’s a good idea to go early so that you can request the seats on the plane that would make your ride more comfortable.  The roomier seats the first row and the seats by the emergency exits.  We flew with SkyService and just to forewarn you, as your in flight meal consists of a small sandwich, salad, a trail mix and a cookie, so I suggest you eat before or bring small snacks on the flight. 

ARRIVING AT PUNTA CANA AIRPORT

Going through Customs/Immigration was a breeze.  We got our luggage and boarded the bus within minutes of our arrival. We meet a couple (Pat & Danny) that was close to our age and they were also from Toronto while putting our luggage on the bus. The bus ride to the resort is a very bumpy ride and since we arrived at 8 pm, the roads were dark.  It’s true what others have said…it is an experience.

CHECK IN

We arrived at the hotel and there is a guy at the lobby who watches your luggage while you go and check in.  While waiting in line, they bring you a cold glass of fruit punch.  The guy at check in offered us to check in after and go and eat at the buffet since it was closing in 10 mins. We weren’t that hungry so we got our hotel room.  I had requested a suite close to the beach, with a balcony and a king size bed.  I also remembered to ask for the remote and lock for the safety deposit box, but he said to come back in the morning because they were out.  After we went back to the guy watching our luggage and they brought our luggage to our room within the hour. 

Princess Suites

ROOM

We noticed that our room was a bit of a walk from the lobby, so we took the tram to Building #10.  And to my surprise, our request was fulfilled, we were 4 building away from the beach and pool and we also got the suite with a balcony (Suite #103).  And coincidentally, the couple that we met on the bus was in the suite below us.  The one thing that upset me was that we had to twin beds in our suite.  Not a big deal, we just pushed them together, but for next time, I will stress more on the king size bed.  The room was spacious and well kept.  All the other reviews described the rooms so there is no need for me to.  One thing that somewhat bothered me was the smell on the sheets, almost a musty smell.  For some reason, I brought Bounce fabric softener and rubbed them all over the sheets.  We got our room cleaned every other day, and left a $2 tip along with little packages that I created before I left on vacation.  We went to the Dollar store and bought nail polishes, lipsticks, candles and soaps and arranged them in cute little boxes for the maids. Even if we didn’t request for our room to be cleaned, the maid (Carmen) left fresh towels and toilet paper for us.  The idea of leaving one of your room cards in the slot that turns everything on (A/C and lights) is a smart idea when you go out during the day, because it is nice to come back to a cold room.  I really liked the suites because they is a lot of room with the little dinette and living room area, and also their bathroom is clean and roomy.  There are also shelves and a big closet to put all your stuff.

Pasta Station

FOOD

We were too lazy to walk to the lobby each morning to make reservations for dinner, so we ate at Hispaniola every night with the other couple expect for our last night because the couple we met were on their honeymoon and had a gala dinner to attend so we joined them.  The main buffet has a wide selection of food, and it changed nightly.  I have a sensitive stomach so I mostly ate buns (which tastes so good, they are addicting) and potatoes.  My boyfriend and the other couple ate everything and anything.  Some nights we got an upset stomach but that is because of stomach are not use to their style of cooking.  I hear many good things the a la carte dinners so, I highly suggest that you make the reservations in the morning for them.  At lunch, all the restaurants by the beach/pool serve great food, and they is something different on the buffet, you can even pile up your plate and eat it by the pool.  One tip, find the Chopin restaurant, it’s in the middle of the resort and it’s hidden, it serves breakfast too and is not as busy as the main buffet.  At night, the water and the tropical forest surrounding it is all lit up and there is a boat with a guy playing the piano that goes around the whole restaurant.  It’s beautiful!

BAR

I didn’t drink that much because the first day we were by the beach, one bartender asked if we wanted rum in our strawberry daiquiris and we said “sure” because we thought that we were getting alcohol in it all the time.  Well, the ones that we got with alcohol were so strong that we fell asleep by the pool.  The service is fast, and it’s always good to leave a small tip. 

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

EXCURSIONS

There were 2 excursions that my boyfriend and I went on.  We booked with the couple that we met through Sunquest.  On Thursday, we went on Bavaro Trackers.  The tour guide met us at the lobby at 8:05 am and we rode in an open truck, and once again, the ride was an experience.  After half an hour, we got to the destination and began to get instructions on how to operate the ATV; everyone drove in pairs, one driving, the other one riding on the back.  This was the most fun that I had on my trip to Punta Cana.  The guide takes you along the beach (the water is so clear, you can see the rocks), and then you go horseback riding, stop by for a dip in the water and have lunch.  I won’t go into details about the whole scenic route; you have to see for yourself.  One word of advice, make sure you bring sunscreen, sunglasses (there is lots of dust/dirty), baby wipes (I got horse turd all over me and the other riders got it too), a towel and your bathing suit.  And make sure that you were grubby clothes because you do get all dirty.

The other excursion that we went on was to Santo Domingo, please be aware that the city is 3 hours away from Punta Cana and is a very bumpy ride (take gravol with you).  We met the tour guide in the lobby at 6:30 am.  It was a long day and we didn’t get back until 8 pm.  If you want to learn about the culture and history of the Dominican Republic, this excursion is for you.  You get to go to the underground water caves, the light house, the house wear Christopher Columbus’ son’s house, an authentic lunch, some churches and then some shopping.  I wouldn’t suggest this unless you don’t mind being on a bus for 6 hours, when you could be on the beach, lying in the sun.

CHECK OUT

The day that we were suppose to leave; we checked out at 11 am, and there was no problem at all. Since the couple that we met were staying for another week, we left our luggage in their room and stay on the beach all day.  We got ready in their room, and called an hour before we were suppose to meet the tour operator to go to the airport.  We waited and waited, and ended up bringing our luggage ourselves to the lobby.  We got to the airport and there was no problems at customs, just remember to have your $10 US.  Our flight actually arrived at Pearson 25 mins early.

OVERALL

I would definitely recommend this resort to anyone planning to go to Punta Cana.  It is a 5 star hotel and I believe the resort lives up to it.  The staff is well mannered and always willing to help you out, without expecting a tip and even with the language barrier.  As we took the tram, I noticed that they are building more suites.  So, this resort is going to be able to accommodate more visitors.  If my friends decide that they want to go back to Punta Cana, I will probably go back and stay at this resort.

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