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Archive for the ‘Dominican Republic’ Category

Room with a View at The Royal Suites

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.

I am still trying to sort through over 500 pictures and several videos from our family vacation to the Dominican Republic and I do hope that you are enjoying each of the posts.  If case you missed it, click here to read the post showing the food and drinks from the resort.

Today’s I have a short video with a few pictures of our our 2 bedroom at The Royals Suites at Lifestyles Holidays Vacation Resort.  

We arrived at the resort late and were extremely hungry so we went to dinner before checking in so the pictures of the room are a little dark.  

The refrigerator was initially stocked with several bottles of water, soft drinks and beer then each day resort workers would come b Presidente Beer y with more to ensure no one would ever get thirsty!  Their brand of beer is Presidente and it was great.

 

The Kitchen

The Kitchen

Unfortunately, the 2nd bedroom contained only 1 Queen Size bed which didn’t go over too well with my mini men.  We called the front desk and they graciously and quickly brought up a twin bed for the living room where Malik slept.

Master Bathroom

Master Bathroom

Master Bathroom Shower

Master Bathroom Shower

Master Bathroom

Master Bathroom

The bedrooms were spacious and each had a flat screen TV including in the living room which made my men extremely happy!

In each bathroom there was a basket containing several bottles of shower gels, shampoo/conditioners, soaps, lotions, a sewing kit, cotton swabs and other toiletries, however, it took several minutes for the water to heat up in both the sink and shower. 

2nd Bathroom

2nd Bathroom

These pictures were taken from the balcony the following morning and as you can see we had a great view of a pool and that of a tennis court.

Father and Son on the balcony

Father and Son on the balcony

me on the balcony

me on the balcony

Tayair on the balcony

Tayair on the balcony

overlooking the pool

overlooking the pool

overlooking the tennis courts

overlooking the tennis courts

balcony furniture

balcony furniture

There was a bar that opened from 10-6 and it was nice to sit poolside and have a drink while “lazing” the day away.

"Sex on the Beach" drink

“Sex on the Beach” drink

 

As a VIP owner, a 2-bedroom is $299.00 per week plus travel and a meal plan and it is perfect for 2-6 people.

If you are interested in renting from us, please send an email to me @ dedivahdeals@gmail.com for availability and/or to get more information.

The Royal Suites  

What type of view do you prefer at a hotel or resort pool or ocean?

 

The next post will be featuring pictures from around the resort.

I hope your day is as beautiful as you are!

 


Food and Drinks in the Dominican Republic

Hello friends and happy Feel Good Friday!

Today I am going to show you just a few of the foods and drinks that we consumed while in the Dominican Republic. I must admit that I was a bit disappointed to find out that that spicy foods were not standard fare…who knew? The next time I’m going to have to do a “Patti Labelle” and bring my own little bottle of hot sauce!

Food and Drinks from the Dominican Republic

Breakfast with Passion Fruit, tart and Mimosa

Tapas

Despite not having any spicy foods, we did learn that chicken, rice, beans and salad were diet staples so we ate a lot of that as well as plenty of fresh fruits and according to hubby the sweetest Pineapple juice on earth.

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Although I didn’t drink any of the Pineapple juice, I did indulge in plenty of other beverages including Coco Locos, Sex on the Beach, Presidente beer, Sangria, Mimosas, and Bloody Mary’s…notice a trend here?

Sex on the Beach

Dominican Republic Vacation 2015 099 At the Rum factory Coco Loco

 

While there we decided to purchase a unit in the Lifestyles Holidays Vacation Resorts so all of our dinners were then upgraded from the standard restaurants to those which were a bit more extravagant including at the Gourmet, Jazz, Trapiche and The Blue Lagoon.  

BTW, talk to me if you want to spend a week or more in the DR, you can  rent from us, starting at $199.00 per week plus travel and meal plan.

Lamb chops

lamb chops

These two styles of Lamb Chops were the best that I had ever eaten and the Mexican chicken wings were normally sized and seasoned to perfection.  We also ate a variety of seafood which included Rock Lobster however, I like Maine Lobster much better.

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Most of these restaurants required men to wear trousers and since hubby and Tayair had only brought shorts, during our Tuesday tour with a driver we shopped to purchase a few pairs.

We also hit up one of the local eateries for lunch and their food was reasonably priced, served family style for 4 only cost us $15.00 and the food was awesome!

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Travel Tip: when staying at a resort, try to leave and eat where the locals do as you will get a better taste of the culture.

We also ate sugar cane which was pulled directly from the side of the road which was an experience that I wanted my men to have.

To say that we ate and drank more than our share during our time at the Lifestyles Holidays Vacation Resorts would be an understatement!

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Throughout the resort there were always snacks available at each of the 7 beaches and pool areas as well as plenty of bars for liquid refreshments, both alcoholic and non.  

As a matter of fact at Lifestyles Holidays Vacation Resort in Puerto Plata, there are over 11 restaurants and 12 bars which are all part of the all inclusive meal plan!  

Next week I will give you an overview of the property as well as video coverage so you can see for yourself just how beautiful this resort is.

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When vacationing, I try to watch my caloric intake and thankfully only gained 3 lbs during this trip.  

Do you watch your weight and exercise when vacationing or do you subscribe to the YOLO philosophy (you only live once)?

Rice pudding Beignet Cheesecake

 


Sunset and Sunrise in the Dominican Republic

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.

Last week my family and I spent 8 wonderful days in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. When we arrived it was just after a quick rainstorm however, it was just in time to catch a beautiful sunset.

Sunset in the DR

Wanting to wake up at least one day early to catch a sunrise was one of my goals and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Standing alone in the quiet stillness of the morning, watching a gato (cat) sleep and listening to the birds chirping was a blessed way in which to start a non-work day.

Sunrise in the DR

Sitting in silence watching resort employees preparing for their day knowing that my only commute would be a walk down to the beach was wonderful.

Sitting in solitude on the beach

Despite the current political conditions in the Dominican Republic, I have to admit that not having been on a vacation since 2009, the DR was definitely a beautiful place to be.

Beach view in the DR

After returning to the room I gathered my men and we walked over to the Casablanca restaurant where we ate from a breakfast buffet complete with Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s (for me).  

This was just the beginning of what turned out to be a week long event of overeating and drinking, but thankfully I only gained 3 lbs!

Breakfast at the Casablanca

After breakfast, we tried to walk off a few of the calories with a tour of the Lifestyles Holidays Vacation resort.  My mini men returned to the room for a little R&R, then hubby and I walked to the VIP beach where we met another couple from Oklahoma at of all places “Wallmart”

Hubby and Tayair on the balcony

Hubby and Tayair on the balcony

Beautiful view of the beach

Beautiful view of the beach

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On the beach at "Wallmart" On the beach at "Wallmart"

After dinner there was Dominican entertainment followed by another beautiful sunset. Check back in on Friday to see some of the foods and flora in Puerto Plata.

Dominican Dinner entertainment

Dominican Dinner entertainment

End of a perfect day in Puerto Plata

End of a perfect day in Puerto Plata

I hope your day is as beautiful as you are!

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