Cathie Hong is a Korean-American interior designer in the Bay Area, CA. She balances a thriving career in design with being a work-at-home mom of four children aged 5-12. Her family loves to travel locally and abroad, their most recent adventures being Chicago, London, Amsterdam, Hawaii, and New York.
This was a milestone year (celebrating my Father-in-law’s 80th, my Sister-in-law’s 50th, and my husband’s 40th birthdays). We all flew from different parts of California into Mexico City, and then met up to take a smaller domestic flight into Puerto Escondido. It was a week of uninterrupted bonding and felt extra special given some recent health findings in our family just a couple months prior. We all treasured the time & the memories we made together!
What to do
Look for crabs on the beach, go for a beach run with the house dog Adesh, swim all day in the pool with shallow pool loungers for reading a good book, take a couple day trips to nearby towns and cities, including the vibrant city of Oaxaca.
What to see
The city of Oaxaca was so much fun to explore. It’s located 2.5 hours away, but the driver provided by the house is an excellent host and makes the drive go by quickly. We explored some local boutique shops like Marchanta and the boutique hotel Otro Oaxaca, the food market where we tried famous Oaxacan chocolate, and street food vendors with local Oaxacan fruit drinks.
Where to eat
Most of the meals we had were cooked in-house by the fantastic chef Maribel and her two kitchen helpers. They sent us a sample menu plan for the week, and we modified it to suit our family’s dietary needs. Some examples of meals we had were shrimp tacos with jicama, authentic tlayudas, fish ceviche with fresh made guacamole and chips, and a beach bbq with beef, pork, shrimp, chorizo, and local grilled veggies. The bartender Ricardo made virgin pina coladas for our kids every day, as well as plenty of margaritas and other drinks for us throughout our stay.
Where to stay
For my father-in-law’s 80th birthday, we wanted to find a great family-friendly house that could accommodate 15 of us (8 adults, 7 children), provide amenities that would keep the kids entertained, and have all food and cleaning included, so it could be a true vacation for all family members. The Los Naranjos Residence had seven en-suites, a huge swimming pool with both shallow and deep areas, a private beach on the rear of the property, and an in-house chef, bartender, housekeeper and groundskeeper.
Cathie’s Tip:
Lots of sunblock because they will live in the pool morning, afternoon & evening!
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/oaxaca-coast/the-los-naranjos-residence
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/merida/the-centro-merida-residence
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/yucatan-peninsula/the-sisal-residence
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/mexico-city-and-surrounds/the-vega-de-los-sauces-residence