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.
Who says Empty Nesters can’t have fun? No more kids – it’s just the two of us now. I decided it’s time to go on vacation with my hubby to Cancun/Riviera Maya. Don’t get me wrong, we love our daughter and had many wonderful family vacations along with friends to Cancun and Punta Cana, but it was time for just the two of us to do whatever we pleased. And we did! From the USA3000 flight to our transfer to the hotel, everything went smoothly. We stayed at the all-inclusive Iberostar Paraiso Maya. The hotel was just beautiful with its warm colors and Mayan architecture – so picturesque. The staff were so friendly they couldn’t do enough for you. We thought we were on our honeymoon again with concierge service, a Jacuzzi in the room, full mini-bar stocked daily, 24 hour room service, flower petals on our bed and flowers in the Jacuzzi (along with bubble bath) we definitely were getting spoiled. We also had a private pool in our building. The gourmet restaurants were superb from the food and service to the presentation; we looked forward to dining every day. We were trying to fit it all in, a little time at the hotel’s lazy river pool, a little time at their spectacular beach, a visit to their disco, some snorkeling and a trip to the quaint and vibrant town of Playa del Carmen, with its own ambiance of culture was fascinating. A little tequila, a little Mohito’s, a little dancing – we were having a blast. A great, much needed, mid-winter break. The only regret – 4 nights is not enough, so much to see and do, next time definitely 7 nights. So to all you empty nesters, revive yourselves, take the blues away – take a vacation! What are you waiting for – it’s your time.