A week of nothing but beach, pina coladas and good reads (that have nothing to do with work) make it tough to get back on my daily grind. However, being able to go on a getaway always makes me remember how lucky those of us who are able to take time away from work are. By no means did I have it tough growing up, but I know my mom worked hard and sacrificed to make it that way for me. While some families had their yearly vacations on islands and at beach houses, my mom saved up for the special trips she wanted me to remember. This is one reason why Disney World is my favorite place on earth!
B and I went to Punta Cana with my cousin, her husband, their two kids, and my niece and nephew, who are around my age. I booked the trip 3 weeks before the departure date and did not plan anything else. We knew where we were going and the name of the resort. Work was so crazy for both of us that we worked all the way up until we left. Literally. We were both on our laptops until we had to board the plane. Luckily, we did not have to stay connected to work while we were in the DR. Except for the occasional email of course.
We stayed at the Iberostar Bavaro Suites, an all inclusive resort about a 25 minute drive from Punta Cana International Airport. My cousins are members of the Iberostar hotel group, so we booked under their membership. They previously visited the Iberostar resort in Cancun and loved it, so they thought the Punta Cana resort would be just as nice. While the grounds of the resort were beautiful and the suites were decently sized and clean, we were a bit disappointed with the food. The buffet left much to be desired. While some of the formal restaurants were decent, the term “all-inclusive” was definitely not a key point of this resort. You still had to pay for high end wines, liquor, and beer, and member benefits were minimal. Granted I have been very spoiled in my limited experiences at all-inclusive resorts, but I am pretty easy to please when it comes to these kinds of things. I just need a clean room and good food.
On one of the excursions, we took a speed boat from the mainland out to what they call the “swimming pool” which is an area in the ocean where the water only comes up to your waist. We jumped out of the boats were able to hang out and take pictures with some starfish friends. After that, we went to Saona Island, which is pictured above. We were able to relax on the beach, have some fresh coconut juice, and a BBQ. To get back to land, we look a Catamaran, which was awesome!
When packing for a tropical/beach vacation, there are some necessities. Below are some of my essentials. They are pretty basic picks, but I will link some of my favorite finds.
Beach Essentials
1. Swimsuit – A great swimsuit is something every woman struggles to find. No matter what your body size and type, wearing such a little amount of fabric is not easy for anyone. When it comes to swimwear, I believe you should wear whatever you are comfortable in, because the last thing you want is to feel uncomfortable. I found this colorblock suit from Target, which has a large selection of mix and match tops and one pieces. I really like the colors and the more fuller coverage. I tried one from VS and it was so skimpy, I could not get over it.
2. Hat – Any kind of hat will do. I like the classic baseball cap and wide-brimmed straw hat. I brought this one from Nordstrom, but also love these two from ASOS and BP. Hats are necessary to keep the sun away from your face and to make your hair look as cute as possible. I hate the way my hair looks and feels after I have been in the sun, on a beach, and sweating, so putting a hat on tames my crazy mane.
3. Kindle and e-books – I LOVE my Kindle and it is a must-have to read books on the beach. The new Kindles have touch screens and are so easy to use. While I do enjoy the satisfaction of reading an actual paperback, the convenience of just throwing a thin tablet into my purse is key to light packing. As for books, I tend to read thrillers. Think Gone Girl. But my favorite Gillian Flynn book is actually Sharp Objects. Oh, it makes Gone Girl look like a children’s book. Some other good beach reads are Find Her by Lisa Gardner and of course, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, which will be coming to theaters in October.
4. Sunglasses – Obvious. I brought my two staples – Tom Ford ‘Anoushka,’ which cover my entire face, and the classic Ray Ban ‘Original Aviator.’ We made sure to clean our sunglasses after each day on the beach, because all the sand and salt can damage the plastic and glass.
5. Sandals – While Jack Rogers sandals may not be the best choice for the beach, I tried to pack light, so these had to do double duty. I love this gold pair as they go with almost everything in my summer wardrobe. Don’t forget to break them in! Some people have asked whether I found these sandals comfortable. At first, they are the most uncomfortable flat sandal ever. But I wear them around the house (instead of my slippers) to break them in and they are good to go! I also despise rubber flip flops.
6. Dresses – This Lilly Pulitzer Estrada Shift Dress in Out to Sea was perfect. I wore it to the beach one day as a cover-up and then to dinner one night. The dress is a terry-like material on the inside, so it is super comfortable, but it still holds a nice shape. I tend to stay away from items that are truly terry cloth material, because they hand funny on me. Plus the bright colors of the print really stand out on a nice tan! The Out to Sea print is my favorite of the Spring/Summer collections. I also packed this dress from illy Pulitzer Marlowe Boatneck T-shirt Dress in Pink Lemonade and this favorite OTS dress from ASOS.
This is us with the starfish! Till next time!
