Part 1 of 2!
We spent the week after Christmas living it up in the DR! The sunshine, the beach, the cocktails and buffets – it was all such a great escape.
Karen organized the trip, and we met Matt’s brother Andrew there. We stayed at the Iberostar Dominicana which I will lightly review at the end of tomorrow’s post for those of you planning trips in the future. Overall the resort was very nice!
We left Cville very early in the morning the day after Christmas – thankfully all healthy! Upon arrival to the resort we were all starving for a very late lunch and hit the beach buffet for some pizza and tropical fruit.
Toes in the ocean!!
Cocktail hour starts early in the tropics : )
Later in the afternoon we changed into our suits and went for a swim.
A glimpse of teenage Mazen…
“KK WATCH!!”
The pool water was FREEZING despite the balmy 80* temps. Mazen didn’t mind, but we adults did by the end of the week. The ocean, however, was pleasantly warm!
After showers and things we headed to the main buffet for dinner. There were 1,000 options to choose from, and I tried to focus on seafood and veggies…and desserts!
Gah the desserts! It’s no secret that dessert buffets are a huge temptation for me. I had to try everything! Lucky for my body we did a lot of sharing of bites, so don’t think I downed this all (although I probably could have!)
Breakfasts were my favorite meal of the day! I went a little wild the first day with an omelet with jalapeno and cheese, pastries and fruit.
We spent our days sprinting between the baby pool and the beach.
We ended up buying a sand truck and shovel set at the resort that was a priceless purchase.
The resort had a handful of a la carte restaurants you could go to as an alternative to the buffets. They required reservations that were difficult to secure. Matt and I were able to get a late reservation at the “Gourmet” restaurant (which I believe was supposed to be French themed?) so we had a little date night out. Karen and Andrew had planned to go out another night but they ended up canceling due to disappointment in our experience.
Despite the low availability of reservations, the restaurant was quite empty.
We ordered off the menu – veggies and Provolone for me and asparagus soup for Matt to start. And then fish for me and lobster for Matt for our main courses. Sad to say that everything was really bad. Mealy and flavorless.
Even the desserts were disappointing and we both left bites on our plates. An apple tart and tiramisu.
We were happy to go back to the buffet the next night – the food was much better (although still not amazing).
Our third day was spent on the beach again – sipping pina coladas, going for walks, dipping into the ocean.
We went to the fancy buffet for lunch (instead of the beach-side one) and I made a big salad full of bits and pieces of everything. One thing they always had plenty of: cheese!
I also found fresh coconut, which I ate pretending I was a Survivor contestant : )
Iberostar has a handful of resorts all side-by-side and our resort (Dominicana) was allowed to visit the neighboring Punta Cana resort. There really wasn’t much difference (although we liked to pretend there was!) but it was still fun to go to a different setting.
Sushi…..and a lot of other things that I can’t remember!!
There were shows every night and we went to several of them. Mazen joined in to this kids’ show once – only with the help of Uncle Brain!
Head, shoulders, knees and toes!
Every morning we had to first visit the flamingo pond, which was a bit hit!
And I couldn’t resist the donuts a few times! And the mango – I ate so many mangoes!!
The decaf coffee, which was instant, was quite miserable.
The beer, however, was decent!
I had a cup with lunch a few times : )
At the beach buffet they had a giant grill and always had something good cooking. The food that came off the grill was our favorite food of the week. This day was grilled steak and vegetables, which tasted great!
I’ll be back tomorrow with a recap of the second half of our trip!
Linda @ TheFitty says
Witt a fabulous holiday week at the beaches. It’s snowing a mix of rain and snow here and making a slushy mess on the sidewalks, I don’t mind winter but I don’t like the temperate, in-between weather, you know?
Happy New year, Kath!
seana says
The food is usually not super great at all inclusives although you sometimes get lucky. We’ve gone to the Dominican the past three years in a row (and a couple in Mexico). The last two times were at the Hard Rock. The food is hit or miss at the restaurants and the buffets are pretty much the same. My husband has the same problem with the decaf. I laughed at your comment on it. The weather is always great though. Glad you had a good time!
jill says
What excellent weather! Not totally surprised about the food lacking in awesomeness. In my experience, only really stellar resorts have amazing food. The rest of the time, it’s mostly the sun and sand that are the best parts, and the food is just so-so. Fresh fruit and glorious cocktails are my favourite parts of a resort trip – we tend to stay at self-catering places now, so we can indulge in the resort or bar food when we wish, and then hit up little grocery places so we can cook the rest of our meals. That’s not always an option, I realize. At least you had wonderful weather and lots of fun! Food isn’t everything, I guess 😉
Eva says
so i realize that green band you’re wearing with your pink dress on your date night is not a bracelet… but at first glance i thought it was and i just wanted to say, how pretty would it be to wear that pink dress with an aqua or teal bracelet!!! also, you look fantastic! you give a new meaning to “soccer mom” 😉
KathEats says
Haha thank you. Yes it was our wristband!
[email protected] says
What a lovely winter escape! I could use some sand and sun right about now! All the food options look delicious and so fresh. I would definitely focus on the seafood, veggies, and DESSERT too!
Ali @ Peaches and Football says
Oh boy this brings back so many memories! We went to Punta Cana for our honeymoon – but we stayed at the Secrets resort there. The food was pretty hit or miss (I tried maybe 40 desserts but only liked 5) but the sunshine and tropical atmosphere were wonderful.
Today it is -10 and there is a 2 hour school delay. I wish I were back in DR now!!
KathEats says
I hear you on the 40:5 ratio lol!
[email protected] says
All the buffet food looks incredible! Pity the restaurant didn’t live up to it! Is that chunks or flakes of coconut on the fried egg?! Could be an awesome combo!!!
Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says
I would totally eat ALL of the mango and imagine I was a Survivor contestant while eating the coconut… 😉
Lindsey @ Simply Lindsey says
Looks like a fun trip!! I went to the Dominican Republic a few years ago and thought the water/sand was so beautiful there!
Amy says
We recently went to DR and had some of the same experiences with the food. But the warm ocean, fresh passion fruit, and fried plantains made up for some of the lackluster buffets!
Alex @ get big, go to work says
Not a bad way to spend the week after Christmas!! The sun, sand and water look glorious!
Livi @ Eat, Pray, Work It out says
Looks like a great vacation! Happy New Year!
Katie says
Over Thanksgiving I went to the Iberostar in Montego Bay and our trips look exactly the same! I recognize those towels and that asparagus soup from the terrible “gourmet” meal I had too. 🙂
Kelly @ Kelly Runs For Food says
So jealous! We went to the DR a few years ago and the food was really disappointing. All-inclusives can be so hit or miss that I always end up eating fruit and salads, since they’re always better.
Kathryn @ Mamacado says
Mazen is just the cutest. How wonderful that he got to do all those fun things and spend time with his family! What my two little ones loved the most this Christmas was just spending time WITH everyone (and Mommy and Daddy didn’t have to work!).
Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Laura says
We had the same disappointing experience at a resort in Costa Rica. Our all inclusive deal included one dinner at the fancy restaurant and the entire meal sucked. It was such a let down. We left that dinner and went back to the buffet to eat! I wonder why those “fancy” meals are so bad.
Tonya says
Teenaged Mazen! LOL!
Natalie says
My husband and I stayed there last spring and it was a horrible experience in terms of the food. The restaurant reservation system is so ridiculous! Every time we went it was empty just like yours was! We made the best of it but definitely won’t go back! It’s a bummer when you come all that way, but the Iberostar Grandes (more $) are amazing. We stayed there in Jamaica and it was fabulous. I guess you get what you pay for 🙂
KathEats says
that’s so cool that you have been to the same resort! I wondered if the other ones were better.
Hannah N. says
We always enjoy the buffets more than the sit-down restaurants at all-inclusive resorts. It seems they try to make things so much fancier, but always fall short. Looks like you had a great time!
Nikki says
Looks like a fab trip! I need a beach vacation. When is Karen heading west?
KathEats says
She is gone 🙁
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says
The fruit looks amazing, but it’s too bad the food wasn’t great, especially the restaurant. At least Mazen seemed to have a blast!
Matt says
Haha, teenage Mazen!
CaitlinHTP says
I am sooooooooooooooo jealous, Kath!! This looks awesome. Let’s go to the DR for our summer trip instead of the Carolina coast!!!
KathEats says
Next year!
Simple Green Moms says
Love the pictures! Love the food! Love your kiddo! Love your dress! Seriously. Everything about this trip looks amazing =) #notjealousatall
Laurel says
The DR is lovely – glad you had a nice time!
In my experience, the food (and drink) at all-inclusive resorts is usually pretty average. Most people go for the convenience factor – not having to worry about extra charges, etc.
If you go back to the DR, I highly recommend you check out Paradisus (Palma Real). Paradisus resorts are, across the board, fabulous. The food is incredible (particularly at Pasion, which actually isn’t included when you book but is well worth the price), as are the accommodations.
Tracy says
Karen looks amazing and so healthy! I bet you all will really miss her a ton!
Natalie @ The Ravenous Mommy says
All inclusives are great for relaxing and eating!! Food can be hit or miss sometimes. I’ve had lot of experiences where the best looking thing on the menu is the worst tasting! hehe
Allison says
We stayed at an Iberostar in Mexico and while the resort was really nice, I thought the food was NOT. I ate a lot of salads, which is good. Because I have a hard time resisting the dessert buffet, pastries, etc, I decided to just not eat them and that really left the options limited. Lots of fruit, “salads” …I even ate salad for breakfast…with eggs. Some of the restaurants were decent enough but a couple can only be described as gross. I did love the pool and the beach and the room though.
Ashley @ Saving Money in your Twenties says
oh man those beach pictures look AMAZING!! It’s like 15 degrees outside today and I am so jealous of that weather right now 🙂
Margeaux Vittoria says
That first picture of Mazen is ADORABLE. I need to get some little Crocs like that for my son 🙂
Christine says
Despite some of the food disappointment I don’t think you can be disappointed with the great family time you had! 🙂 Looks like you all had a nice and relaxing time! We have a 9 week old at home and I’m already asking my husband when we can plan a small vacation in the fall. Not sure where to head with 10 month old but seeing your photos has me itching even more to plan a trip! (We live in Boston and are about ready to get the Arctic freeze, eek!)
KathEats says
We were not at all disappointed in the trip overall : ) Just keepin’ it real about the food!
You should head somewhere warm STAT!
Krissy says
I went to the DR in 2006 and had the same thoughts about the food. Not sure what resort we were at but yours sounds similar. A neighboring resort had pizza which we got one night and it wasn’t terrible. The Grill was by far our favorite. We made sure to have every lunch there. The beach was absolutely beautiful though!!
Julia says
I’m so jealous! These pictures are lovely. I would gladly take mediocre food in exchange for such a beautiful tropical vacation with my family! How wonderful of Karen to treat all of you to such a great trip. Has she moved to San Diego yet? I’m sure Mazen will miss her dearly.
KathEats says
She just moved -and we all miss her already!
Jennifer says
She moved?!? I must have missed that post. That makes me sad for you guys.
Shannon says
We went to Fiji on our honeymoon and the food was pretty awful. We weren’t even at an all inclusive resort. It was just completely expensive and not very good which was a bummer. We went into a grocery store by all the large resorts and stoli vodka was $98 and bell peppers were $22 per kilo. I can’t imagine it was that expensive outside of the tourist area–how would anyone eat?? Least the booze was good 🙂
Stephanie says
this is killing me! I just returned to negative temps and snow in Chicago after a week at home in San Diego! Take me back to the beach! Glad you had fun 🙂
Jeanie says
What fun! Too bad about most of the food. Eating is my favorite part of a vacation. And Karen looks great!
The Many Thoughts of a Reader says
I am super jealous of this trip!
Lisa @bitesforbabies says
Looks gorgeous!! I spend my holiday in Quebec city, and although I enjoyed myself as it was beautiful, I’m still VERY jealous that you were under the hot sun, lol!!!
Emily @ Life on Food says
With the cold temperatures coming today I am super jealous of the bathing suits and pool shots. Glad you had fun!
Alex @ DelishKnowledge says
Love this recap! We spent the holidays in Jamaica and I loved soaking up all the sunshine and frozen cocktails. I think I ate 1-2 mangos every day as well, aren’t they the best?! Sorry to hear your food was meh, I feel that’s how it is with most all inclusive resorts. have you ever stayed in Couples themed resorts? Honestly, they have the best food I’ve ever eating at an all inclusive cruise/resort. Everything is amazing and fresh! Next time you are looking for a trip like this I would highly recommend finding one of theirs!
KathEats says
we have! we went to Couples Swept Away and thought the food was pretty good.
Alex @ True Femme says
Looks beautiful but I’m sorry to hear the food quality wasn’t so great. That’s always a bummer!
[email protected] says
Looks like an amazing time! I’m afraid to travel that far with 2 little ones but you make it look totally do-able – and worth it!!