For our New Year’s Eve feature, it’s all about fun in the sun at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. The Casa de Campo is considered to be the Hamptons of Santo Domingo. With $20 million beachfront homes on 7000 acres of playground, that sounds about right. For this holiday season, Casa de Campo is where the local elite descends in droves to their weekend homes and yachts. It will be a circuit of overflowing rose, days on the boat, nonstop dinner parties, and fireworks at night. The Dominicans know how to party; this will be one of the best New Year’s Eve celebrations in the Caribbean.
When we did our research, we were with local friends, who just happened to have their friend’s yacht for the day. It wasn’t just any yacht; it happened to be the boat of one of the wealthiest families in the DR. And where do the wealthy take their yachts? Palmillas, an hour and a half boat ride away from La Romana. With all the other yachts, we dropped anchor in the middle of the Caribbean and spent the day swimming, grilling burgers, drinking rose and catching up with our beautiful local friends. A special thank you goes out to Amanda and Alvaro for their beyond gracious hospitality.
One of the great benefits of Galavante is to be able to take friends on our adventures. Our team personally curates every single destination we cover, so you’re getting the perspective of a real working jet set traveler. Franziska and Keiko were my partners in crime for our DR due diligence. Franziska is our freelance photographer, and in typical Galavante fashion, has a Wall Street day job. Both Franziska and Keiko are business school friends, and I’ve been to the far corners of Easter Island, the Atacama Desert, Cartagena and China with them. When I think of New Years, I think of spending time with good friends somewhere warm. And with these two, there will be many more trips to come.
As we close out 2011, we have a lot to be grateful for at Galavante, and a lot to look forward to for 2012. We thank you for being on this adventure with us.
All the Best Wishes for a Happy New Year.
