Recently my wife and I were fortunate to experience our Honeymoon at the Secrets Excellence Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I say fortunate because the resort was perfect for our stay. We wanted a quiet kid free zone, with plenty of amenities and a chance to relax in paradise. That's exactly what we got!

We were picked up at the Airport by the Prieto Tours organization, and taken by bus (about an hour and a half) to the resort. On arrival we were given cocktails to kick off the amazing vacation. We had to wait until 3pm before we could check in, but that gave us time to sample one of the many fine restaurants.

Our room was spacious, very clean, had a HUGE king sized bed, marble furnishings all over the place, a small deck with hammock and a Jacuzzi tub big enough for 2 in the middle of the room (not tacky! very tasteful).

Every day our room was turned down as if by magic, and as a special honeymoon package our bed was turned down again during the evening with gift chocolates also!

The hotels facilities were very impressive. Everything was extremely clean and the majority of the complex was linked by covered roofs, so if it rained (we only had a few small showers, mainly in the evenings) you would be protected. There were 2 main pools one on the beach side of the property which is HUGE and very popular, and a smaller more intimate pool with a waterfall, which was our favorite! The beach was fantastic, white, soft sand with a Caribbean ocean. The beach was perfect for us as I like waves and my wife likes still water. The main beach was servable and further up the beach it was nice and calm, with also an opportunity to snorkel on the small reef. The non-powered water sports were all included, and a small fee for the powered ones. Sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, banana boat ride, jet skis, body boards were all available for use. On dry land there was an entire sports area, with a big bar that help TV's and all the board games you could possibly wish for. The bar was surrounded by 3 tennis courts (with a resident tennis pro for lessons should you need them) a squash court, riflery, archery, basketball, street hockey, cycling tours, horse shoes, bocce ball, pool, table tennis and I am sure more that I am missing. Oh and did I mention the Casino!

The restaurants were great all themed and the food was exceptional. French, Dominican, Mexican, Texas grill, Mediterranean, Italian and Chinese/Japanese, restaurants were all represented, our favorite being the Texas grill (just because of the staff and one meal that they treated us like king and Queen) The Italian restaurant was also a buffet style, for those that love to indulge! (me included)

The resorts Spa was beautiful in a separate building and with many unique packages. We enjoyed the Honeymoon package which lasted over 2 hours and included facials, exfoliations, bathing, full massage and a pedicure. It was one of the highlights of our trip!!!!!

All the staff at the resort were amazing, from the maintenance staff to the front desk crew, everyone was polite and smiley ALL DAY LONG!

The best part of our trip was the end. The resort has its own helicopter pad and a local company that offers very reasonable flights. We chose to return to the airport via a helicopter trip. It was amazing! Very professional and a lot of fun. It was a 25 minute flight for both of us, which took us over the resort, along the coast all the way to the airport where we were met and taken to our terminal. It was the perfect ending to a perfect trip.

Overall, if you're looking for a relaxing, luxurious, romantic get away, you can not go wrong with Secrets Excellence in Punta Cana. ENJOY!

Ryan and Chloe Annetts