Dominican Republic

Why hello there!  Thought I would share our family vacation we took to the Dominican Republic earlier in the summer:

This was our first trip out the country with baby and our first foray into the all inclusive vacation world.  We stayed at the Paradisus Palma Real Reserve property and couldn't have enjoyed it more.  The food was excellent, as was the service, and the property itself was beautiful.  The lobby was filled with a large fountain, which you followed in to a large open air restaurant overlooking the tropical pools.  All in all, it was a modern open air vibe.  

Our room was massive: we had a large bathroom with jacuzzi tub and a separate shower area, bedroom, dining area, and sitting area, along with a large balcony with an outdoor jacuzzi tub.  We met up with some friends on the trip, which made it extra fun and special.  We even took advantage of their fantastic childcare services that were included and spent an afternoon at the luxurious spa that made me feel as if I was still in Bali.

The private beach was pristine with white sand and straw thatched umbrellas.  It was so nice to sit here with my new all inclusive drink of choice Miami Vice (half pina colada/half strawberry daquiri)

Riley absolutely loved the beach she couldn't get enough of the sand.  She played in the sand, she laid in the sand, she ate the sand:

Afternoons were spent lazing around the pool after naptime and a long lunch, followed by dinner, it is all inclusive so of course spending time trying out all the culinary options is mandatory:

They had flamingoes at the nearby Paradisus property that also housed some of the numerous restaurants we dined at:

As I mentioned, we had some great nights out with friends and took advantage of the hotel's babysitting services:

All in all, while I may not be an all inclusive resort convert it was a wonderful place to come with a toddler.  It actually felt like a true vacation, it was quite beautiful, relaxing, and I would certainly love to return.

I'm heading to Sweden in 2 days, so I will be sure to report back and will even be brining out my SLR camera instead of just capturing a quick iphone pic whenever I can like I had to in the Dominican.  So be sure to check in on the blog, and I will be posting photos on Instagram while I'm there too (travelkate11)!