Pete and I are fresh off of a vacation in the Dominican Republic, and I have already processed my post vacation blues and I’m ready to write about our awesome vacay!
First and foremost, can I just quickly say how much I hate planning a vacation? Talk about the most stressful experience of my life. So much so that I needed a second vacation just from attempting to plan my first vacation. I say “attempted” because after 3 weeks of me turning on my computer, scouring trip sites for HOURS at a time only to be more clueless (and frustrated) than I was in the beginning, we decided to get a travel agent.
A friend recommended one for us, we emailed him what we were looking for (our price point, good beach, ocean view, all inclusive, and no neon colors in the bedroom, seriously….) That night he emailed us with a LIST of places, pricing, websites, flight info. You name it. I quickly narrowed it down to Punta Cana, and off we went! Easy Peasy!
We decided on the Iberostar Bavaro resort. And can I say we are totally resort people. Resorts require no brain power, which is exactly the amount of brain power I like to use on vacation. Meals and drinks (and alcohol) are already paid for- so you basically have nothing to do but relax.
Beach Essentials!
- sun hat (I got mine for $5 in the dollar spot at Target, but here is a very similar one)
- ridiculous pineapple phone case
- shirt declaring your excitement for vacay
- world’s cutest bathing suit
- fun passport holder (I got mine at TJ Maxx, but there are fun ones on amazon!)
We spent a whole week in Punta Cana and honestly, it was just the most relaxing week of my life. I can say with complete honestly, that I have never in my life met kinder people than the people who work at the Iberostar Bavaro resort. They sing and dance ALL THE TIME. Even while clearing tables. Their smiles and sense of humor is infectious and it was really sad to have to say goodbye to them at the end of the week (specifically the team of people who were in charge of activities and entertainment, who we dubbed “The IberoStars”)
View from our room- travel agent did good!
nothing like not having to leave your thatch umbrella to “hydrate”
One of our FAVORITE drinks that we would have an obscene amount of times throughout the day was called a Coco Loco. We had them both iced and in smoothie form. I found a recipe on pinterest that claims to be THE recipe, but I can’t confirm that for sure until it stops snowing in PA and I can make one.
Coco Loco Recipe:
- 2 oz light rum
- ½ oz amaretto almond liqueur
- 1 oz cream of coconut
- 1 tsp grenadine syrup
- ½ cups pineapple juice
- 1 oz of milk
Combine ingredients in a blender with ½ cup of ice. Blend until smooth and serve in a chilled glass or drink it directly out of a hollowed coconut. Enjoy!
Also, if you plan to go to the Dominican Republic, you should probably give Mamajuana a try. But be prepared when you order it, because the bartender WILL give you a knowing smile. Mamajuana is a very potent medicinal elixir that has a surprising amount of health benefits. It’s made by combining rum, red wine and honey, and then allowing that mixture to soak with tree bark and herbs. With such health benefits as it’s ability to rid you of the flu, aid digestion and circulation, and cleanse the blood, liver and kidneys. But thats not why they give you the knowing smile. The knowing smile comes from the nickname the drink has- which is “Baby Maker” YIKES!
Can’t wait until our next vacation- but for now I’ll just be looking through all of my vacation photos, dreaming of warm weather and cold cocktails!
Celebrate Every Day 