We generally love to plan or own trips and travel at our own pace but when we got the opportunity to head to the Dominican Republic to celebrate a wedding with family and friends we jumped at it! I was halfway through my maternity leave with two kids at home in the middle of what felt like a never ending Canadian winter. I didn’t feel like I had the time or energy to put into trip planning but I knew we needed to escape the cold. There was something wonderfully freeing about not having to plan one little bit of the trip and I can see why it’s such a popular option for families with young kids. If you’re thinking about going to an all inclusive with young kids here are some things to consider and our top tips to make the week a success, what we packed and one thing I wish we had packed.
Choosing your resort
This is probably the part of the trip that will require the most time to research. We were lucky in that the resort was chosen for us and since we were traveling with extended family the amenities (like a kids club) were less important. Here are sixthings to think about as you plan your own trip:
1. Zika
If you are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor about the risks of traveling to a country with active Zika infections. Visit the CDC to get an updated list of countries that are affected to help you narrow down the choices.
2. Flights
If you prefer a direct flight (and who doesn’t!) and don’t live in a major city then you may have more limited options. Consider whether you are willing to incorporate a connection to broaden your options. Keep in mind that if you’re planning on traveling in the winter that weather can be unpredictable. The more connections, the more likely that one or more of your flights will be delayed and that you will lose precious time at your destination. For these types of trips, I would always choose a direct flight if possible. Consider also the time of day that the flights leave. You may want to choose one that goes over your child’s nap time or that doesn’t land too late at night.
3. Transportation
Consider how close the resort is to the airport. Pre-kids we went to an all inclusive in Santa Maria but with a 60-90 minute bus ride from the Santa Clara airport to the resort strip I wouldn't be as keen on it with young kids. Also, check whether transporatation to and from the resort is included.
This is probably the part of the trip that will require the most time to research. We were lucky in that the resort was chosen for us and since we were traveling with extended family the amenities (like a kids club) were less important. Here are sixthings to think about as you plan your own trip:
1. Zika
If you are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor about the risks of traveling to a country with active Zika infections. Visit the CDC to get an updated list of countries that are affected to help you narrow down the choices.
2. Flights
If you prefer a direct flight (and who doesn’t!) and don’t live in a major city then you may have more limited options. Consider whether you are willing to incorporate a connection to broaden your options. Keep in mind that if you’re planning on traveling in the winter that weather can be unpredictable. The more connections, the more likely that one or more of your flights will be delayed and that you will lose precious time at your destination. For these types of trips, I would always choose a direct flight if possible. Consider also the time of day that the flights leave. You may want to choose one that goes over your child’s nap time or that doesn’t land too late at night.
3. Transportation
Consider how close the resort is to the airport. Pre-kids we went to an all inclusive in Santa Maria but with a 60-90 minute bus ride from the Santa Clara airport to the resort strip I wouldn't be as keen on it with young kids. Also, check whether transporatation to and from the resort is included.
4. Rooms
Check online to see if you can find pictures of room sizes and layouts so you can plan where to put your travel crib or how you will pass the time in the evenings after your little one has gone to bed. We prefer to be on the ground floor and requested this during booking and again at check in. We also loved how each unit at our resort had a balcony with a hammock - it made nap time comfortable for everyone! My experience has been that while cribs and pack and plays are occasionally available they are given out on a first come first serve basis and resorts can’t guarantee that one will be available when you arrive. For that reason (especially since you won’t have to haul your luggage very far) I would recommend bringing your own pack and play to ensure that you're comfortable with where your little one will be sleeping for the week.
5. Amenities
Consider what kind of amenities are “must haves” for your family. Depending on your family’s size or age of your kids you may want a family room, adjoining rooms, a kids club, playground, splash pad, babysitting services, organized activities or more elaborate kids pool complex. Accessibility, and allergy friendly restaurants might also on your family's list. Other things you might want to look into is children's lifejackets and snorkel equipment if you're planning to go on excursions and highchairs and booster seats in the restaurants.
For very specific requests you may want to consult a travel agent but there are also great Facebook travel groups (Up, Up & Away being one of them) where you can ask for recommendations based on users experience.
6. Eating
If your a la carte restaurants require reservations, try to make them as early into your trip as possible to ensure you get the times that work best for your family. For buffets, check the times they are open. In our case, lunch ended at 3 and dinner didn’t start until 6 pm so we made sure that at lunch we grabbed some fruit and snack food that could tide the kids over until dinner. We also brought snacks from home which helped.
Check online to see if you can find pictures of room sizes and layouts so you can plan where to put your travel crib or how you will pass the time in the evenings after your little one has gone to bed. We prefer to be on the ground floor and requested this during booking and again at check in. We also loved how each unit at our resort had a balcony with a hammock - it made nap time comfortable for everyone! My experience has been that while cribs and pack and plays are occasionally available they are given out on a first come first serve basis and resorts can’t guarantee that one will be available when you arrive. For that reason (especially since you won’t have to haul your luggage very far) I would recommend bringing your own pack and play to ensure that you're comfortable with where your little one will be sleeping for the week.
5. Amenities
Consider what kind of amenities are “must haves” for your family. Depending on your family’s size or age of your kids you may want a family room, adjoining rooms, a kids club, playground, splash pad, babysitting services, organized activities or more elaborate kids pool complex. Accessibility, and allergy friendly restaurants might also on your family's list. Other things you might want to look into is children's lifejackets and snorkel equipment if you're planning to go on excursions and highchairs and booster seats in the restaurants.
For very specific requests you may want to consult a travel agent but there are also great Facebook travel groups (Up, Up & Away being one of them) where you can ask for recommendations based on users experience.
6. Eating
If your a la carte restaurants require reservations, try to make them as early into your trip as possible to ensure you get the times that work best for your family. For buffets, check the times they are open. In our case, lunch ended at 3 and dinner didn’t start until 6 pm so we made sure that at lunch we grabbed some fruit and snack food that could tide the kids over until dinner. We also brought snacks from home which helped.
Packing
Generally, I’m in the “less is more” camp when it comes to packing for a trip. However, since you aren’t going to be changing locations once you get to your destination, and luggage is generally looked after door to door, packing light isn’t as necessary. As well, purchasing items on resort, especially if your resort isn’t located near a town, can be expensive. That being said, the more you bring the more things that have the potential to be lost.
Here are some things that we packed for an all inclusive that we may not have brought on a typical trip:
Generally, I’m in the “less is more” camp when it comes to packing for a trip. However, since you aren’t going to be changing locations once you get to your destination, and luggage is generally looked after door to door, packing light isn’t as necessary. As well, purchasing items on resort, especially if your resort isn’t located near a town, can be expensive. That being said, the more you bring the more things that have the potential to be lost.
Here are some things that we packed for an all inclusive that we may not have brought on a typical trip:
- Floatie for the baby: we found it helpful for our crawling guy to have somewhere to hang out that wasn’t always in our arms
- Sand toys: a few plastic buckets and shovels go a long way to keeping kids happy on the beach
- A tent to provide shade at the beach or pool side
- Diapers and wipes we needed: we didn’t want to have to purchase at the resort so we brought enough diapers, wipes and pull ups for the whole week.
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Here are some items we always bring and swear by:
- reusable swim diapers
- aveeno mineral sunscreen (we brought 2 for the kids and found it was plenty)
- bibs - we got these ones because they pack up small, came with their own zip up case and wipe clean super easily
- water bottle(s) - one for each kid
- travel stroller and carrier - we always use the carrier for the plane and for a sick or fussy baby. We brought our travel stroller which was great for getting around the resort and for stroller naps. It was also helpful for carrying our diaper bag, towels and sand toys
- First Aid Kid - we always bring a well stocked first aid kit including band aids, tweezers, anti nausea, anti diarrheals, fever and pain reducing medication, rehydration tablets, a thermometer and antiseptic wipes. We never needed to use our first aid kit in the past but on our most recent trip my 9 month old got sick and I was SO thankful we had everything we needed and weren’t forced to make any panicked trips to the pharmacy or worse.
And here is our one packing regret:
I wish I had packed antibacterial wipes. While I’m not saying we could have prevented my son from getting sick, I did notice hat the high chairs and tables weren’t getting wiped down consistently between guests and for little people who tend to eat primarily with their hands, and off the table, I wish I had been more proactive with wiping the surfaces down myself.
I wish I had packed antibacterial wipes. While I’m not saying we could have prevented my son from getting sick, I did notice hat the high chairs and tables weren’t getting wiped down consistently between guests and for little people who tend to eat primarily with their hands, and off the table, I wish I had been more proactive with wiping the surfaces down myself.
In general, I thought that an all inclusive trip would be SO easy compared to our usual travel and in some ways it was. We didn’t have to shop for food or cook it, we didn’t have to do dishes and we didn’t have to worry about transportation. That being said traveling with your kids is always exhausting and I found that the buffets could be hectic: by the time we got food for the kids and rotated going to get our own meals, the kids would be done or wanting seconds while we were left trying to eat as quickly as possible. We never really got into a good meal time groove especially at dinner when the restaurants and buffets didn’t open until 6 p.m.
That being said, nothing tops a week in the sun, swimming, building sand castles and enjoying time together and we are already looking forward to our next winter time escape. We won't be overlooking the perks of all inclusives as quickly anymore.
That being said, nothing tops a week in the sun, swimming, building sand castles and enjoying time together and we are already looking forward to our next winter time escape. We won't be overlooking the perks of all inclusives as quickly anymore.
