My wife and I and our two daughters, aged 7 and 3, traveled to LTI Beach Resort in Punta Cana for two weeks in March 2004. It was our first trip to DR after several trips to Cuba and Florida. We chose LTI because it featured kid’s activities and the property looked great in the web photos. When we walked through the lobby onto the grounds, we were amazed at the beauty. The landscaping and level of maintenance was excellent – very lush and tropical.
We had a premium room on the 3rd floor in building 5, right on the beach next to the dive centre. The room was a good size, clean with a great view of the ocean. We liked the stocked fridge – water and pop daily! We only saw 2 lizard-critters in the room and had some ant colonies set up shop after the kids left some cookies out in the open. Watch the tile floors with wet feet – very slippery!
The resort had a good “vibe” and the pool area was the place to be as it was central to most of the facilities. Some resorts in Punta Cana are so huge and sprawled out that there is no sense of community. We met a lot of people there and it was interesting to talk with people from Canada, USA and Germany. The beach was the best part of our stay, and since we walked the beach a couple of kilometers daily in either direction, we were convinced our stretch of beach was the best. It had a shallow, gradual slope and small waves due the reef just off shore. Other parts of the beach south of LTI had huge waves, strong undertow and steep slopes into the water – not kid-friendly.
Our stay included water sports and we took out the catamaran, body boards and my wife learned to scuba dive and took her first open-water dive on the only stormy day we had in two weeks – I guess when you’re underwater it doesn’t matter if it’s raining!
The kids had a great time in the kids club with Bea from Germany. She was very patient with the kids and had a variety of activities to keep them busy. They still talk about her.
The evening entertainment was a kiddy-show and games before the stage show began at about 9PM. The stage show was predictable and hokey most times, although when they brought in a DR folk music band and dancers the professionalism and enjoyment went way up. They did play some interactive games with the audience which I made a fool of myself in a couple of times! Good thing we were too tired at night to expect too much! We didn’t go to the bar/disco but we saw it in the day and it was about the size of my living room. I think the real parties happen elsewhere. The internet café was a great way to keep an eye on the bank account and email and the cost was reasonable.
North along the beach from LTI is strip of shopping huts along the beach, you can get everything there, but don’t buy anything on your first few days – the vendors can sense your vulnerability. Check out all the shops and don’t feel intimidated by their “in your face” sales pitch. My wife bargained these guys so hard they gave her things to get rid of her. The big gimmick down there is that Mamajuana / DR Viagra – it tastes like crap and Canada Customs won’t let it into Canada. The best deals are on the beach. When you go on tours and stop into tourist trap gift shops, save your money and buy your souvenirs on the beach.
We went on the Bavarro Runner full day excursion and it was a full day: sugar cane plantation, homesteads, horseback riding, cigar shop, etc. If you have spoiled kids take them and show them how kids on the plantation live, they might learn to appreciate what they have back at home. I bought some nice vanilla flavoured cigars at the cigar tour, very nice and reasonable price. Drinks and a meal are included on the tour; it was pricey but an exciting experience.
The food was good and they had a good variety with no theme repeated in the whole 2 weeks that we were there. The Italian restaurant was really good and even my Italian wife thought the food was prepared well. We loved the Neptune pizza. The grill by the pool was never crowded and when you’re in mood for meat and potatoes, the grill is the place to be. Breakfasts were the great – bacon, eggs, fruits and the best, melt-in-your-mouth croissants you’ll ever taste. You can smoke everywhere, so militant non-smokers should save their “glares of disgust” for back home – different culture … different rules!
Finally, we flew out of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on West Jet instead of Toronto and what a pleasant experience that was! No traffic, no lines and we were home in 15 minutes.
LTI Beach Resort has set the benchmark for quality and value in a holiday! We would go back without any doubt.
