All-Inclusive Style

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I’m so happy it’s Spring – probably because I’m a borderline “shop-a-holic” and seeing styles change makes my heart beat but more importantly because I can combine two of my great passions in life – clothes and travel! And I love the new bold and bright colors I’m seeing! I watch my email come in with new trends and Spring Styles that have already started flooding department stores and boutiques.  So what does a girl like me do to prepare for vacation to the Caribbean or Mexico? I have to make a list of what I’ll need.

There are plenty of hard to ask questions that every girl has to ask herself while she’s packing for a getaway.

Flip-flops, wedges, or both? Bikini or One-piece? You get my drift…

I’m happy to see that full bathing suits are more in trend then those barely there string bikinis. So I’ll need a few different styles of bathing suits, cover-ups, sunglasses, and wonderful beach tote to carry my essentials.

Note – leave your designer bags at home, you can get by with a tote and wristlet no problem. You really only need a place for your room key, smartphone, and a lip balm.

Another staple for a tropical vacation is a good “going-out” dress (and shoes if your luggage can handle another pair). Besides your daily swimsuit and cover-up gear, you’ll need something for the wonderful dinners you’ll be having in the evenings and something fun to dance in at the discos if you’re up for it.

Now as far as toiletries go – with all the TSA regulations and baggage fees– who can keep up? It’s a safe bet that less is more in this instance. Embrace your wavy beach hair and let your sun-kissed glow do all the work.

With all these little style tips hopefully you’ll be more organized packing – and can focus on the wonderful vacation you’ll be on. Relaxing by the pool, on the beach and enjoying the company of your travel companions.

Here is my essential packing list for 3 night – 4 day getaway:

  • 2 bathing suits
  • Pair of flip-flops
  • Pool/Beach cover-up
  • Little black dress (you know the drill – you can dress up or dress down)
  • Light Sundress for casual
  • Capri’s and/or Bermuda shorts
  • T-shirts, tank tops, halter tops – bright colors and prints are definitely in style
  • Sweater just incase
  • Accessories – belts, wraps, funky jewelry, and sunglasses can complete any outfit
  • Toiletries & Unmentionables

What are your Tips for Stylish Travel?

Zoetry – Everyone should enjoy Endless Privileges

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This year’s family vacation was to Zoetry Agua Punta Cana, a beautiful, luxurious, oceanfront property, with the most amazing amenities!

When we first arrived in Punta Cana, we had a driver waiting for us with a private nonstop transfer to take us to the resort. From the moment I stepped foot into Zoetry, I fell in love. We were immediately seated with warm towels and drinks while they checked us in. The exceptional service never stopped.

Zoetry Agua is located on an isolated stretch of beach that gives the resort an exclusive feel. Although we were advised the resort was full, it never felt crowded. Beach chairs were always available and there was never a wait for anything. Easily accessible on the beach, is a batch of coral reef that could be easily seen through the crystal clear water along with tropical fishes. Every night, we would receive the resorts newsletter “Sundial”, which listed all of the following day’s activities. Zoetry offered a wide variety of daily activities to choose from. As a family, we chose to go horseback riding on the beach and took a bike tour around the neighboring towns.

Being as I was in the Dominican Republic, I wanted to try some local dishes. Unfortunately none of the dishes we wanted to try were officially on the menu; however, the Chef was more than happy to cook us up some local cuisine. One of my favorite Dominican dishes is Mofongo. This dish is comprised of mashed up plantains with garlic and a side of fried cheese or a choice of meat with a side of broth for dipping. Another one of my favorite dishes is called La Bandera. La Bandera is spanish for “the flag” as in the Dominican flag. It is named the Dominican flag because it is the traditional meal for Dominicans; consisting of rice, beans, choice of stew meat, salad, and fried plantains The next day, a Zoetry staff member brought us local Dominican fruits like zapote, guanábana and guayaba to make fruit platters and shakes for us. Nonchalantly, I mentioned to a staff member how much my family and I enjoy coconut milk. From the time I made that remark, until the day I left the resort, the staff made sure to have fresh coconuts waiting for us as we arrived at the beach even though I never officially asked.

Due to the small size of the resort, guests are able to become familiar with the staff and vice versa. The staff catered to our every need, if we wanted something, they found a way to get it to us. They made sure you felt like Zoetry was your second home. It made leaving so much more difficult, because not only are you leaving stunning surroundings, it feels like you are also saying goodbye to good friends. On our last day, the restaurant manager surprised us with a special last lunch with all of our favorite dishes.

Zoetry Agua is hands down the best resort I have been to with Apple Vacations. A great resort, offering excellent food and drinks, great service, broad choice of activities, and a relaxing homey feeling, everything I think makes a great vacation. Zoetry Agua is my benchmark for measuring future resorts experiences and what an amazing trip should be.

Say NO to the Cruise!

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View of the beach from Now Jade

I literally just heard this statement from the woman next to me at the pool at Now Jade. “My friends and I all are supposed to be going on a cruise this winter. I think I am going to cancel or try and get them to come here. I mean why would you go on a cruise when you can stay at a beautiful all-inclusive resort like this? Plus, we pay to go and then we get a bill at the end. At least here I pay once, then I can enjoy myself and not worry about how many fun drinks I want to try or what I eat. An all-inclusive is the place for me”

I could not have said it better myself!

Explorer’s Club at Now Jade

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Need a vacation for you…. but you still really want to take the kids? Then an easy vacation choice is Dreams Resorts & Spas or Now Resorts & Spas. Why? Explorer’s Club! I LOVE taking my son away on vacation with me and having some great family time, but some fun time for me is also VERY nice. This is where the Explorer’s Club comes in. We experienced it before at Dreams, and this week at NOW. The Explorer’s Club is for children 3–12 years old. It’s not babysitting, they are actual experiences for kids.

A few days of our vacation we were able to take our son to the Explorer’s Club to meet new friends from around the world, and even one from right up the road from where we live. I honestly can’t say enough good things about the staff at the Explorer‘s Club. They are wonderful. They were genuinely friendly and enjoyed the time with my son as much as he did with them. They are uniformed professionals, but at the same time within seconds he loved them and wanted to keep going back.

The first night he went they had a beach party. Continue reading

Costa Rica – No Artificial Ingredients

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raftIf like me you are looking for something more than just a beach vacation, have you considered Costa Rica for your next trip?

Costa Rica is one of the most advanced countries in the world to travel, with high literacy rates, a booming “Health Tourism” industry and service levels to rival the most advanced of tourist destinations.  Did you know this small country is a firm favorite with Americans choosing it as their home away from home, with more Americans choosing to live in Costa Rica, than Costa Ricans (affectionately known as Ticos) moving over here to the USA? Continue reading