A Travel Memo from the Dominican Republic, Caribbean

The Dominican Republic is one of the Caribbean’s most geographically diverse countries, with stunning mountain scenery, desert scrublands, evocative colonial architecture and coastlines that boast an oceanic utopia. Its natural splendour is accented with deep blues, greens and oranges stirred to a rainbow milky way of dreamy hues. Mango trees line the cobbled streets amidst the natural fauna picturesquely set within the back drop of its immeasurable waters. Some of it white-sand beaches shaded by rows of palm trees, other parts lined dramatically with rocky cliffs, wind-swept dunes or serene mangrove lagoons. The delicate palms swaying in time with the waves of its sea. It’s truly what dreams are made of.

Where to Stay?

The recently opened Amanera is the definition of distinguished modern luxury. A main building, the Casa Grande, houses the lobby, restaurant, and infinity pool facing the beach, and is all glass and concrete and Indonesian teak. Twenty-four casitas sit in an amphitheater formation facing the ocean. Amanera lies at one end of Playa Grande, a mile-long, crescent-shaped beach that has a rare, wild beauty.

What to Do?

Drive the oceanic route to Las Terrenes and hike the vast Greenland, before retiring to the beach with a good book, sipping endlessly on Pina Colada. Amanera is luxuriously laid-back, but it isn’t lacking in things to do. There’s no official list of activities. There isn’t a care or judgment in the world whatever your choice of indulgence may be. No one need know; the spacious, minimalist casitas, with glass walls that allow you to observe the ocean’s moods, are utterly secluded.

Where to Eat?

Take a trip to the remote town of Coson for an afternoon of cocktails and lunch at ‘The Beach’. A charming beach cottage beautifully designed with Victorian style aesthetic located on the Coson Beach. Hidden amidst a lush greenery and vast land and a secluded coastline, the food is nothing short of amazing. Locally sourced and masterfully prepared, a seamless reflection of its surroundings.