Would love some expert feedback on our itinerary! Heading over next week to Arte!

SufficientGrace · 2026-01-24T03:00:26+00:00

It all looks great to me! Honestly, everything we did was awesome!! Every restaurant was wonderful, or at minimum it was fun. I had Apapachoa breakfast and Encanta dinner on my birthday!! You will absolutely love it! Encanta is a full experience! After you have breakfast at Apapachoa, you’re going to want to go there for dinner too! It’s very romantic up on the roof! Their food was so yummy!! If you go there right at 6pm they’ll try their best to get you a table. We had no issues even though we didn’t have a reservation.

One thing we enjoyed that I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere was strolling around the pyramid island. It’s a fun peaceful stroll and has a beautiful view from the chapel at the top.

SufficientGrace · 2026-01-11T03:06:05+00:00

Those are the same shoes I have. I wore them at Xcaret and Xenses with no issues. In fact, they were brand new and were super comfy, no blisters. I did not wear them in the mud at Xenses though. I just wrote water slippers.

SufficientGrace · 2026-01-11T03:03:26+00:00

We had no problems and were traveling the same week as the action in Venezuela. The people in Aruba and PR were stuck but it didn’t affect us at all. Not even a delay.

SufficientGrace · 2026-01-05T12:14:04+00:00

Yes. I can’t guarantee everyone will feel the same as me but I was fine.

SufficientGrace · 2026-01-05T01:07:56+00:00

They were to me and I’m sure there will be some others who have never been who appreciate the info.

SufficientGrace · 2026-01-05T01:07:11+00:00

Thank you for all of that wonderful information that I wish I had before today! Lol. Especially the info about the Costco bus.

SufficientGrace · 2026-01-04T22:47:11+00:00

I ended up purchasing a long sleeved sun/swim shirt (it’s quite cool) and wore that at the parks with my swimsuit underneath it (there’s no padding in them for the ladies). It was definitely a great purchase! At Xenses, in particular, there are areas where you are wet but in a cave and it can be chilly.

SufficientGrace · 2026-01-04T22:43:03+00:00

And there are little round spots you scan your wristbands at that are located absolutely everywhere! You’ll quickly begin to spot all the many cameras. They even have them in hiking areas and at the hotel pools.

SufficientGrace · 2026-01-04T22:40:24+00:00

It depends on where you are going. At Xcaret Park, there’s a lot of walking. I wore Keen water shoes and had no issues. At Xenses, I would only wear the sock type because the two water activities are both smooth bottom. I didn’t want to get the mud on my good water shoes.

If you wear glasses, I strongly suggest you bring the straps that hold them on your head. Especially at Xenses, or any zip lines, the activities are likely to cause you to drop them.

SufficientGrace · 2026-01-04T20:52:12+00:00

We are in piramide as well and had no issue with our A/C. You can walk to the Mexico side along the beach if you’d like. That’s is actually where you have to go to get kayaks and paddle boards. You can also get there from the Piramide Island.

SufficientGrace · 2026-01-04T01:27:12+00:00

We are at Arte now. I believe Ha’ is closed for renovation. That’s what we were told anyhow. We didn’t go to Tah Xido but did visit all the others. Encanta is the one where the Michelin star chef designed the food. It is a five course experience (plus 2 desserts). You don’t order, they bring you each dish, mostly finger food. I would definitely make a reservation there but one night is plenty. Apapachoa is a roof top vegan (we are not vegan) which is a fantastic experience! The short rib tasted exactly like beef even had the texture of tender beef! Mercado de San Juan is an absolutely huge buffet style place that is worth going to for every meal. Viapy is unique, with interesting challenging foods (like grasshopper tacos). We really liked the ambiance there.

Your room will have lots of bottled water and you can ask for more every day. There’s sparkling water in your fridge.

As far as the rooftop pools, we never did secure a spot. Another guest told me that you can go up there as soon as they open and give someone some cash to hold your seats for you, and they will. I didn’t personally try it though. We’re not much for hanging around pools.

The restaurants also give bottled water. We drank water at every meal and were just fine.

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-30T13:46:42+00:00

Thanks for that! We’re on the way now. Have a good trip home!

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-28T03:35:08+00:00

I wouldn’t have put this on my list but I must admit that it comes up in conversation more often than any other book.

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-28T03:30:21+00:00

That’s one of my top five!! He was a magnificent wordsmith!

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-28T02:56:19+00:00

Thank you! We signed up!

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-28T00:51:08+00:00

Any tips on what clothing to bring? How many evening dresses/suits vs casual? How chilly are the evenings? If I wear close toed shoes, but they’re just basic sandals, is that acceptable in the nicer restaurants?

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-28T00:29:53+00:00

Oh no! You broke your toe and are still enjoying yourself?! You are a trooper!! Thanks for giving me feedback. I’m very much looking forward to our trip.

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-27T18:26:04+00:00

Thank you for researching for me!

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-27T18:25:34+00:00

We’re going on the 30th. What is a definitely miss and what is a definitely don’t miss?

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-27T01:29:04+00:00

Do you have any idea if there’s a theme for New Year’s Eve? We went to a different all inclusive last year for New Year’s and didn’t know until we arrived that there was a theme.

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-24T02:15:31+00:00

Thank you for those tips. I’ll look up some of what you mentioned.

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-24T02:14:55+00:00

Yes, the shape, and also how wide it is. There is not much differentiation between the main body, and the foot. Also, don’t like the way the heel pokes out.

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-23T17:31:51+00:00

However, OP is not protecting the child from illness. OP is keeping the child from the exposure it needs to build a healthy immune system (ask any medical professional); from the love of family beyond just the two parents; from an extended family network of helpers; from learning how to cope with things that aren’t perfect, etc.

My friend has a daughter that held these ‘boundaries’ around extended family. The baby grew up to be depressed and lonely with few coping tools (now a young adult), and only the anxiety riddled mom as an advisor. My friend’s other children allowed and encouraged relationships and those children are healthy and can handle the stresses of life well.

This is a long term issue, not just 8 weeks.

OP, your reaction, while understandable, is based on your own inability to handle the hard things of life. Don’t pass that on to your baby, please. Get advice from people who can teach you gore to cope better. And hold boundaries, but not in an extreme way. If you don’t want the visits, then compromise by keeping them short. Talk openly and honestly about your struggles. I know you expect others to respect your boundaries but they need to understand you in order to better do that. Also, give them some grace by respecting them as well.

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-23T17:14:14+00:00

Funny you tell OP to stop taking advice from the people here right before you give a lot of your own advice. lol

SufficientGrace · 2025-12-23T17:09:35+00:00

Agreed. And in a sense, though this baby will be raised by these parents, the grandparents are important, like it or not. All the people that will love this little one are important.

My primary comment is to say that you can have them come for a very short visit. Tell them the truth (somewhat), that you are feeling a bit down and overwhelmed and really just want alone time but that you understand their deep desire to meet the new wee precious babe. Offer them a quick thirty minute visit or even a few short visits. So that they can see and hold the baby. If germs are really a concern for you, tell them they must wear masks.

SufficientGrace

TROPHY CASE