Casa de Campo Villas: Caribbean luxury vacation rentals! Catalina Island, Minitas beach, spa & resort activities.
Coming at you… from my rock star villa in the Dominican Republic! I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to move in.
In my first post, I introduced you to the elegant Casa de Campo resort. We’ll kick things up yet another level: with a look at their tropical villas for rent, and activities including skeet shooting and horseback riding!
We’ll also bask in the white sand and waves of Minitas Beach and Catalina Island, aka paradise on Earth.
Casa de Campo is in located in La Romana, which is considered the most exclusive and beautiful area in the country. Quite a few celebrities own mansions or vacation here regularly; perhaps you might recognize the names Drake, Beyonce, J-Lo, A-Rod, Jay-Z.
When you step into this backyard of dreams, overlooking the Caribbean Sea, it’s obvious why this is an A-list destination.
Casa de Campo has multiple Oceanfront Villas available for rent. They each have bright bedrooms filled with modern decor, and a state-of-the-art kitchen.
The star of the show, however, is the long outdoor pool flanked by a luxurious gazebo.
I could laze in this open-air lounge all day, reading a sci-fi novel. The space is airy thanks to the peaked roof and ceiling fans.
CDC’s villas are decorated in muted Caribbean colors, which match the elegant natural surroundings. The wicker furniture is accentuated by local crafts and glasswork.
OOTD: I’m wearing a rose tank top by Jawbreaker London, sunglasses by House of Harlow, and black platform velvet sandals by Le Babe. (Shop more styles by Le Babe shoes with a click below:)
Photographer Molly Weingart and I daydreamed about living here in style.
As villa guests, we’d have access to maid and butler services, and a culinary staff that prepares daily breakfast in the kitchen.
The most difficult decision you’d have to make is whether to dip into the swimming pool, the Caribbean sea…
Or the pod-like hot tub next to the bedroom patio.
We’d never get bored indoors, with these pop-modern rooms. The villas are equipped with a sauna, full gym, and private cinema with theater seating.
“Scarface” vibes, in the central living room that is set up to entertain guests.
Molly and I loved the artistic details that make each villa unique. This handcrafted mahogany bench and rainbow canvas formed the perfect photo backdrop.
Casa de Campo makes the most of the Dominican Republic’s tropical beauty. They also offer Garden Villas for rent, with lush natural surroundings as well as a swimming pool.
Although you’ll feel like a millionaire, the villa rentals are actually quite affordable compared to others in the area (especially when split among a group of friends). Many guests rent a villa for Christmas and New Year’s, hen getaways, or other occasions.
(If these photos make you keen to move in, there’s more info on Casa de Campo’s site.)
As guests of the resort, we had full access to “fun in the sun” activities — ranging from water sports to outdoor massages. Since Casa de Campo is a huge resort (at 7000 acres), we never ran out of options for activities, many of which are included in the package experience.
The Dominican Republic is known for its pristine beaches. One of the best is Playa Minitas, Casa de Campo’s private beach. We drove here in our personal golf cart, and found ourselves on a quiet stretch of soft white sand.
At Minitas Beach, guests can try activities like snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding or windsurfing in these gentle waves.
Molly and I couldn’t wait to wade into these clean, warm waters. This, right here, is my happy place.
I’ve visited beautiful beaches worldwide (Maldives, Bali, Maui), and Minitas Beach ranks among the best I’ve ever experienced. Unlike other places in the Dominican Republic, this is an uncrowded and meticulously maintained spot.
Casa de Campo offers free towel service at the entrance, and plenty of amenities including change rooms, several bars, and Minitas Beach Club restaurant (which we reviewed in this post).
(I’m wearing a skeleton swimsuit; similar one here).
We alternated between dips in the crystal-clear waters, and lounging on the comfortable chaises under the shade of palm trees.
There weren’t many tourists around, which let us feel as if were in our own Blue Lagoon.
If you stay until the sun sets, you’ll get this spectacular light show over the horizon.
We watched the sunset, while sipping their famous piña coladas served in a fresh, local pineapple…
I have to admit, I love being a “beach Goth” every so often!
Quite a few people recommended that we visit Catalina Island, and we were glad we took their advice. To get here, ask the Casa de Campo staff to help you make an advance booking for the catamaran ride. The boat departs from Minitas Beach and takes 25 minutes — and it’s a fast and furious ride that made us smile.
We disembarked onto six square miles of beach paradise. No photo filters needed: the turquoise hues and perfectly clear waters are exactly what you get in real life.
Catalina Island is part of the Parque Nacional del Este, which preserves the diverse ecosystem that includes sand-dunes, mangroves, and reefs.
If you’re a snorkeler, take a short swim from the pier, and you’ll find calm waters teeming with sea life.
Relaxing on Catalina Island turned out to be one of the best moments of our trip to the DR.
You may recall that we ate like queens at Casa de Campo, from sushi fusion to rustic Italian. To balance it out, we spent time in the fitness center, which has a large selection of weights and machines.
Guests can also book a private training session, or visit the physiotherapy center. Molly did a functional class with David, and says: “I went to the workout tired, but left feeling energized. David did a great job of assessing my strength. When he realized that I could do more than he had originally intended to give me in the workout, he adjusted it workout accordingly — all with a smile. I even got to learn how to say some of the exercises in Spanish!”
The resort also has regularly scheduled group fitness classes like Pilates, Zumba, Saco Box, Spinning, and aerobics. We woke up for the 8:30am Pilates class, and it was absolutely worth it.
Molly’s reaction: “Liliam was such a magical teacher. I felt like she saw my heart, and then just made my abs work hard! One of the things that I really enjoyed about her (and David, and fitness at Casa de Campo in general) was that there was a focus on wellness, so progressing an injury to advanced athletic performance could be done in one class. She exemplified this completely, as she took the extra time to show us those stretching machines that released the back.”
The Spa was another place to rejuvenate both body and mind. Casa de Campo’s spa uses traditional techniques and local, organic ingredients in their menu of treatments.
Molly booked the Signature Ayurvedic massage. She says, “Alexandra, the woman who took care of me, touched me with such kindness and knowledge that the 90 minutes drifted by. I’ve been suffering from a pretty serious injury and she did a great job of handling the tension around the muscles to release some of the pain.”
I agree with her words that “The staff at Casa de Campo was spectacular. That’s an understatement. They made you feel like you were at home with friends you just hadn’t met yet. From checking in with Victor, to the bartenders who recommended we go to Catalina Island, and servers who pushed me to speak more Spanish… everyone just wanted to make us more comfortable and help us explore.”
The all-inclusive package includes horseback riding. I was excited to get on a horse for the first time in over a decade.
The horses are extremely well-trained, and will never dart off or disobey commands. We explored the ranch’s lush pathways, by walk and trot.
I also got to try skeet shooting for the first time. The all-inclusive package includes 25 shots; it’s nice how CDC encourages guests to experience new sports and activities that they wouldn’t otherwise do on their own.
Our instructor was a kind, detail-oriented teacher who made us feel we were in safe hands. He patiently showed us how to use the two-barrel gun, which could hold two shots before requiring a re-load.
Skeet shooting means hitting clay targets that fly in the air. By pressing a button, he launched these disks from fixed stations, at a variety of angles and speeds.
I discovered that I’m surprisingly good at hitting clay pigeons. I credit this to my many hours of playing “Duck Hunt” on the original Nintendo console… the 1980s video game is remarkably good at mimicking the actual experience of skeet shooting!
Don’t mess with travel bloggers. They learn skills on the job.
(Molly is wearing these Bulgari Serpenti sunglasses, and my sunglasses are for sale on my Depop.)
I’ve shot rifles in indoor gun ranges before, and didn’t enjoy the experience much. However, an outdoor shooting center is a different story. Molly and I appreciated getting to know the history and skill of the sport, at one of the biggest centers in the Caribbean.
If you’re a golf fan, then you might already know of Casa de Campo. The resort has three of the best golf courses in the Caribbean, if not the world: Teeth of the Dog, Dye Four, and The Links. We saw groups of golf buddies renting a villa together, and swinging their clubs in this postcard-perfect setting.
A big heart for Casa de Campo — Molly and I couldn’t have had a better time in the Dominican Republic! Everything about the resort was as pristine as these waters, and the staff deserves a special mention for their kindness.
If these photos are convincing you to fly off to this beach, check out more info on CDC’s website.
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Casa del Mar, Langkawi review: 5-star beach hotel in Malaysia! HPL boutique hotels and resorts.
Your favorite Goths on the beach are back!
Yukiro and I spent a few days relaxing in Langkawi, Malaysia — a new destination for both of us. We were transported to paradise the moment we arrived at Casa del Mar Langkawi, a boutique hotel right on the pristine Pantai Cenang beach.
My friends and I like to avoid tourist destinations, so Langkawi was the ideal tropical getaway. You won’t find large crowds or fast food chains here (unlike Thailand’s Phuket, Bali’s Kuta and other southeast Asian resort towns).
I found everything to be in perfect balance: There are top-end hotels, yet the cost of living is inexpensive. The location is quiet, yet there are enough activities to keep you engaged. And as you can see in these photos, the oceanfront is picture-perfect.
Transportation / How to get here: Langkawi is located on the north-west of Peninsula Malaysia. Several low-cost airlines fly regularly between Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi, in less than an hour. (There are many direct flights from global cities to KL, making this an easy destination to access.)
Once you land, it’s just a 10 minute car ride to Casa del Mar. (Address: Jalan Pantai Cenang, Mukim Kedawang, 07000). The staff greeted us warmly with tropical drinks, and helped us get settled into our villa.
The hotel has 34 bungalow-style suites, each with a memorable name. (We were in Camaron, but I think Eksotic describes Yukiro’s look well!)
At the gate, there’s a jug of water and ladle for washing the sand off your feet. You can also flip a cute wooden sign to “eyes closed” if you don’t want to be disturbed.
Our beach bungalow was thoughtfully equipped with everything we needed for a chilled-out vacation.
The spacious room had both overhead fans and AC, and the staff provided unlimited bottles of mineral water. There was a shower and bathtub, which I enjoyed soaking in with the bath salts provided. In the evenings, we hooked up the computer to the large-screen TV to watch Netflix, while munching on the fresh-baked cookies in the room.
The glass-front sliding doors open up to a gorgeous view of the ocean. Take few steps out of the villa… and you’re right on the beach!
Outfit details: I’m wearing a skull shorter-all (overalls with shorts) by Print All Over Me.
Underneath, I’m wearing a spooky cute tank top by Stella Rose (who did a fashion collaboration with Print All Over Me).
My ear climber has a serpent holding a pentacle in it mouth. These rocking earrings are by the one and only Alex Streeter.
I’m in love with the slow-fashion, artist-supporting mission of Print All Over Me. They release unique silhouettes like these shorter-alls, which anyone can customize with their own colors and illustrations, and then offer for sale.
The garments are well-constructed in sustainable ways, and there are thousands of styles that you can choose from (each is custom-printed to order, so they’ll always have your size).
Yukiro and I always ended up coming back to La Sal pool bar, which is shaded under a palapa. The bartenders know their stuff, and the menu is an enticing mix of both classic and innovative cocktails.
We asked them to custom-make us drinks that suited our tastes, with ingredients like Asian five-spice, lemongrass, ginger and fresh tropical fruits. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but we’ll never forget the dragonfruit cocktail with house-infused spiced rum.
Also a winner: the mojitos with fresh mint, lime and spiced pineapple. We paired these with a roasted pumpkin salad that was bursting with flavor.
Cheers to lounging by the pool, with drink in hand! At full capacity, the hotel only has about 70 guests — which means you never have to fight over space, or deal with rowdy party scenes.
Yukiro demonstrates how to properly recline next to the hot tub.
It’s easy to understand why international guests keep returning to this laid-back palm tree paradise. Casa del Mar has a “fish club” for those who do multiple long-term stays (we saw names from Germany, Sweden, Canada, Japan). Some bring their families here for a month or more.
Every day, we looked forward to breakfast under the veranda. The menu has Malaysia, Asian and continental items that are all made fresh to order (there’s also a buffet area, and a fresh fruit station to my left). Once again, it’s hard to pick a favorite dish, but I kept returning to the eggs Benedict and veggie rice paper rolls.
Casa del Mar has free WiFi throughout the property, and plenty of activities on hand. The lounge area has a great selection of DVDs and books in various languages. Yukiro is excited to see the Japanese and Swedish shelves!
You can also borrow a bicycle to ride around the neighborhood (the hotel is flanked by international restaurants and small shops, which sell inexpensive clothes and souvenirs).
When you get an invitation to try the spa… always say yes.
We had a rejuvenating 60 minute massage at Satkara Spa, in the traditional Malaysian style. The ladies use only organic natural products, such as a bowl of flowers and orange peels to soak our feet. They moved on to healing each part of the body with pressure points and back-tapping, in the ancient tradition.
I think this image sums up the feeling of being on Pantai Cenang beach.
Although this beach is available to anyone, it’s pristine and uncrowded. Casa del Mar sets up private lounge spots on the sand, with umbrellas for cover and pitchers of water for hydration.
The weather was tropical perfection: sunny with a touch of humidity, but never overbearingly hot nor rainy.
Despite the mermaid hair, I’m not much of a swimmer… I’m happy dipping my toes in the foamy ocean waves!
Further down on the beach, there were bars and restaurants that pumped out music and had a club vibe. At Casa del Mar, however, the atmosphere is peaceful: a perfect romantic honeymoon spot.
Langkawi is a laid-back ocean town that attracts both locals and international travelers. You can wear any kind of swimwear here, but since Malaysia is a Muslim country, we saw quite a few burkas on the beach! Very interesting to see the contrast between the couple’s clothing (above).
I think we’ve been out-Gothed by this lady in black.
Such a pleasure to have dinner right on the white sand, at La Luna restaurant. The service is always spot-on: the chef came by to introduce himself and personalize our dishes, and the staff made sure we were taken care of all evening.
You can’t find a better atmosphere than this. We dined while watching the sun set… listening to the sound of the waves, and enjoying the ocean breeze.
The chef made us a special order of laksa (Malaysian noodles in hearty soup), since we requested it! They did a local version with fish broth and pineapple, which differs from the coconut milk curry version I ate in Singapore.
On the right: an oozing chocolate bomb with a warm center, with coconut and mango ice cream. Happiness.
On another evening, La Luna set up the Premium Beach Dining experience for us. We sat closer to the waves and away from the other diners, surrounded by candles and rose petals. (Silly Yukiro, the flowers aren’t part of the meal!)
We’re always keen to try local cuisine, so Casa del Mar prepared a Malaysian tasting menu for us. The highlights included fish in banana leaf, sea bass with sambal, and a strong lemongrass “tom yum” cocktail with chili.
All of the in-house dining has a variety of cuisines, including Mediterranean and Asian, to satisfy any palate.
I think we drank at least a half-dozen dragon fruit cocktails, which matched the colors of the sunset!
Our stay at Casa del Mar was seamless, and the staff anticipated our every need. For instance, our seaview suite came with large beach towels and these thong slippers, which were perfect for a day at the beach.
The hotel offers half-day trips such as fishing, island hopping, picnics and mangrove tours. I’ll show you what we did in the next post — the nature of Langkawi is not to be missed.
Or, you can just hang out under the palm trees, and pet one of the resident cats!
I loved the warm, understated Mediterranean design of the property. Lots of colorful tiles and greenery to enjoy.
No wonder Casa del Mar is part of the Boutique Collection by HPL Hotels and Resorts, as this group is known for its exquisite hospitality. (I stayed with them in the Maldives, at Gili Lankanfushi, as you may remember.)
I hope this photo diary inspires you to travel to Casa del Mar Langkawi, and experience all of this for yourself. I encourage you to choose lesser-known destinations by the ocean, for a more authentic and tranquil stay.
“Terima kasih” to the kind staff, many of whom have been at this hotel for a decade or more. Everyone was wonderful at making you feel at ease; the team was consistently gracious and knew each guest by name. I look forward to coming “home” again soon to the beautiful Casa del Mar.
Have you visited any beach towns in Southeast Asia? Would you make a trip to Langkawi, Malaysia?