For the first few years together we enjoyed trips with friends and family. We started with Boom festival in Portugal, then Boomtown fair was a yearly event and every other year a trip to Amsterdam with friends or Costa Blanca with Pip’s family. Again we’ll revisit Costa Blanca in another blog as this one is about our first trip alone as a couple and man was it a special one.
It didn’t really occur to us that we hadn’t had a holiday without friends or family yet. We’d saved up a good bit of money and were on the hunt for an exotic destination. After some recommendations, we decided on Mexico. Playa del Carmen south of Cancun on the Yucatan peninsula. It was a Thomas Cook all-inclusive eco-hotel for 2 weeks and still to this day the fanciest hotel we’ve stayed in but I wanted this to be special for good reason.
I’ve never been so happy to take a 9-10 hour flight before and when we touched down in Cancun I had that familiar and addictive feeling of ‘holy shit we’ve just landed in a new country’ and it never gets old!
From the moment we landed and collected our baggage, the all-inclusive nature kicked in. We had a dude with a welcome board and were swiftly whisked away to an air-conditioned bus. The bus stopped at a few hotels before pulling up to a glorious reception area which the whole bus gasped at as we stopped, this looks familiar I thought and it was ours, the Sandos Caracol eco-resort and spa.
We were stunned at how beautiful the reception area was, shiny clean marble floors, a bright blue cenote sparkled in the background past the bar surrounded by lush green jungle with the sounds of animals, light Mexican music and the bustle of staff and guests as the soundtrack. Our expectations were already exceeded and this was just reception! And not even our reception.
We opted for the Select Club adults-only package which had amazing rooms set at the back of the hotel with a private pool. As I said this was a special trip we don’t usually travel like this! We had a separate reception area which was like a zen paradise in comparison to the impressive reception area of before. Our bags were taken away and we were offered a cocktail while we awaited check-in. We were then guided to our room through some cute little walkways through immaculate gardens and past the pool bar. As the door to our home for the next two weeks was opened we were yet again blown away.. Our room was incredible, a huge comfy bed covered in rose petals and swans made of towels. The bathroom was also huge, fully equipped with a jacuzzi, large shower and two sinks. We’d made it. For 2 weeks we were living the life of luxury and I was so excited it was unreal.
We were pretty exhausted and slept well that night but I woke up really early and full of excitement. Pippa was fast asleep so I went for a walk around the complex. It was early evening when we arrived and the sun disappeared fast at this time of year (5 pm in November) but today was bright and sunny. As I strolled around the stunning hotel grounds it was like walking through exotic botanical gardens at a zoo. There were monkeys, deer, parrots, dogs, cats, lizards, coati and a variety of colourful insects and birds. I was in absolute paradise. I was way too excited so I went back to wake up my travel buddy so we could explore the hotel together.
We were travel noobs compared to what we are now but we knew we had to plan our two weeks to get the most out of it. After visiting our handy holiday rep we had an itinerary planned. The right balance of activities, relaxing and making the most out of the all-inclusive resort.
Chichen Itza & Ik Kil Cenote
After a day of relaxing by the pool/beach and gorging on cocktails and delicious food, we were ready for our first trip. The ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza. I’ve wanted to visit here since I was a kid. I’d always been interested in Mayan and Aztec culture from a young age and was excited about seeing our first wonder of the world. The bus arrived at our hotel and we got on “thank god it’s air-conditioned again” I thought as I sat down. It was a 2-hour journey to Chichen Itza and we didn’t know what to expect. We had a really good English tour guide who enlightened us on Mayan history and culture as we travelled past tiny villages and thick Yucatan jungle. As we finally arrived at the site I was excited and nervous. Excited because the journey was a great introduction to Mayan heritage and a far cry from the luxury of the hotel. Nervous.? Well, you’ll see.
We winded through the jungle past small huts, ancient ruins and cenotes. Over the din of jungle noise of crickets, bugs and birds we occasionally heard a jaguar growl which sounds if I’m honest quite terrifying. As we rounded a corner there was a small clearing with market stalls selling all sorts of souvenirs. The jaguar growl that made me jump a minute ago was being projected from the mouth of a market stall owner and I realised I’d been had. A few pesos can pick you up this little gadget that can make you howl like a jaguar. Amazing. We then weaved through the jungle path and through the trees I could see something huge approach. As the jungle canopy opened up the bright clearing revealed (to this day) the most mind-blowing structure I had ever seen. Chichen Itza. The pyramid was huge, much bigger than the photos made out. I was dumbstruck. Absolutely stunned. We stood there in silence and awe for a few minutes until we realised our tour group was starting to move on.
It was absolutely baking that day and the tour was a bit longer than anticipated but was very interesting. As we learnt about the pyramid, various buildings, statues and the sport that was played in the impressive stadium there, we continued moving around the ancient city and the nervous feeling in my stomach was growing..
We were allowed some free time to explore before we met back at the bus. This was the moment I’d been waiting for. We took a stroll near the pyramid and took shelter in its shadow for a moment. The moment I had planned for months and the moment she knew nothing about. I took her hand and I felt like the whole world suddenly started watching as I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She said yes practically straight away and I knew she would but the nerves were still strong. Looking back on it it wasn’t the most romantic setting, both sweating our arses off, getting eaten by mosquitos, surrounded by tourists at a site known for its brutal and bloody history. However it was one of the 7 wonders of the world and we share a passion for seeing the world and all its wonders, it seemed fitting.
After a small and thankfully quiet round of applause from a group of Asian tourists who’d noticed my sweaty proposal. Our amazing once in a lifetime trip had just been made that extra bit special. It was absolute nirvana. We had the best part of two weeks left to celebrate our engagement and what a way to do it. We basked in happiness for a few minutes before exploring the rest of the grounds. On the way back to the bus we picked up a few souvenirs before having lunch.
On the way back we made a stop at one of the most impressive natural landmarks I’ve ever seen the Ik Kil Cenote. The Yucatan peninsula has literally thousands of these cenotes scattered across the area and many of them are linked together. This one is regarded as one of the best and is used for Red Bull cliff diving. A huge cenote sunken 25 metres below ground is covered in jungle foliage, with vines plummeting down towards the crystal blue waters. A lot of tourists were spiralling down the walkway to the water surface where you can dive in from a rock or just hop in at the edge. This place was stunning. Nature has a way of creating some incredible locations and this was one of them. After a quick dip, we had enough time to dry off in the sun before hopping on the bus back to the hotel to celebrate our engagement.
The bar crawl and Coco Bongo
Whilst planning our itinerary I had kind of manipulated it to fit with my proposal without her realising. I knew I was going to propose at Chichen Itza so I wanted to do that as soon as possible. I knew we’d want to celebrate afterwards so also booked in our first al la carte restaurant shortly after a bar crawl through playa del Carmen ending at the illustrious Coco Bongo’s club. Yes, you have heard of Coco Bongo – it was the name of the nightclub in the film The Mask. There’s another Coco Bongos in Cancun which were both actually owned by Jim Carey until a few years ago I believe.
We booked this with the rep at the hotel who actually joined us for the night. She was super helpful with all of our excursions and for this sort of trip, it worked great for us. As a more experienced traveller, you could easily organise all excursions for yourself and save a few quid at the same time.
Upon booking, we were given a meet point in nearby playa del Carmen a short taxi ride away. We had a chilled day at the pool before venturing into the town. We arrived at the meet point and drank our way around the first few bars. All drinks were included and the vibes were pretty good, the music questionable but it always is in these sort of clubs for me. We were having an enjoyable evening when our rep came over and told us to keep an eye on the digital screen thing on the wall. A few moments later a congratulations message popped up for our engagement. A nice touch from the rep she really was helpful and I wish I could remember her name so I could at least credit her.
Before we knew it we were outside Coco Bongo. It was just before midnight and the club had already been open for a couple of hours. As the door opened we were led in single file up a staircase it went from 0-110% in a matter of seconds. It was absolutely rocking inside, literally, because a tribute act was playing ‘Rock Around the Clock’. There were streamers, party poppers, pool noodles thrust in the air and nearly a thousand people dancing away. We were led up some stairs and around the main dance floor we looked down to see a bar in the middle of it all pop up from the ground seemingly out of nowhere and then disappear into the ground again when the act changed. We went further up and round to a balcony area reserved for us. We were right at the front left of the stage. Always front left!
We were brought drinks by waiters and waitresses in full costume and watched the party unfold to the soundtrack of every legendary musician and band from the last 50-60 years. It was absolutely incredible and I would highly recommend it if you’re in Playa del Carmen or Cancun. I dunno what time it was when we left but I remember it being around 3 am when we were back at the hotel drinking warm beer and eating chips at the 24-hour self-service bar. A playful group of racoons entertained us for a while before we retired for the night ready for the next day’s adventures.
Xcaret & Xplor
Mixed in with lounging around the hotel filling up on delicious cocktails and food we took a few day trips. The first was Xcaret (esh-kah-ret) a beautiful nature park set on the gorgeous coastline just south of playa del Carmen. The park plays host to a huge variety of indigenous animals and plant life and is a true homage to Mayan culture and history.
The setting is stunning.. You’re greeted upon entry by a flock of flamingos, parrots and other birds of paradise. As you wander through thick lush jungle paths spotting creatures and critters along the way, you’ll come across coati, birds, lizards, giant locusts, and even jaguar. Don’t worry though these beautiful beasts have a whole island to themselves. A huge rocky platform surrounded by creeks with what’s that down there. Crocodiles! In front of us a huge insect flew by and it looked like a giant locust. It was as big as your hand and it landed on the back of a guy’s leg who of course shat his pants. I would have probably had a heart attack if it landed on me. It was great to see these creatures in an almost natural setting as opposed to in a cage at a zoo.
We then strolled through a replica Mayan village. This beautiful recreation really gives you a feeling of escape as you admire the glistening aquamarine waterways cutting through the jungle village. Stone carved buildings housing farm animals, washrooms and houses and a few crafts stalls really made you feel you’ve stepped back in time. A canoe bobs away on the inviting freshwater rivers. We exit the village through I assume a replica of a traditional Mayan/Mexican cemetery. They are much more vibrant than we are used to when we think of a graveyard. Instead of grey gravestones, they have bright, multicoloured structures sitting side by side. They are impressive and look amazing in the bright sunlight.
Up next we went to take part in the most popular attractions at the park, snorkelling through one of the sparkling crystal clear waterways that carved through the park. We swam through caves, through the jungle and through areas with huge moss-covered cliff walls with the sun beaming down from above. As we got towards the end we realised schools of tiny fish were swimming with us. A truly amazing experience that can not be missed if you visit the park. At the end of the river, you are dropped off by the entrance to the beach area where there are some large inlets that create stunning lagoons to relax in. There’s a couple of nearby bars and restaurants and you’re back in holiday mode again.
Just around the corner, there is a dolphin encounter enclosure. We didn’t take part in this but you can go and watch on the way past. Around another corner and you’re treated to some spectacular views of the Yucatan’s more rugged coastline. Waves crash against jagged rocks and send plumes of water up through holes in the cliff. The jungle fights back against the sea but luckily some lovely rock pools and sandy spots have been created and is a great spot to take a breather and some photos. All this exploring definitely builds up your appetite so we went for a late lunch at the buffet hall. Similar to the hotel buffets there is a huge array of different Mexican dishes, rice, salad and vegetables were laid out before us and we helped ourselves. We absolutely loved the food in Mexico. It was nothing like at Mexican food at home it was always fresh, locally produced and always bang full of flavour! After lunch, we wandered around the remaining area of the park including a butterfly sanctuary, aquarium, Mayan ruins and walkways above giant sea turtles and manatees.
The only thing left to do was to watch the legendary 2-hour long show which happens every day at a huge arena. The show is an epic celebration of Mayan history where there’s horse shows, dancing, acting, warrior battles, and an example of the sport the Mayans played in their arenas all those years ago. I’m gutted to say that the arena was under construction while we were there and a very scaled-down version of the show was available but as the heavens opened and I had agonising pain in my stomach due to something I ate we opted for the early bus home and skipped the show vowing to come back and see the full version one day. And we will.
Xplor was a much more streamlined affair. It’s pretty much split into 3 parts. Zip lining, canoeing through caves and driving a 4×4 through jungle paths. It took us just over half a day to get through everything so not as full-on as other day trips but still packed with adrenaline-fueled activity. We started with the zip lining where we climbed up I think 6-7 towers of various heights. We then hooked onto the lines there and went soaring over the jungle canopy at a fairly good speed. I’ve done zip lining before and honestly, it’s OK the difference here is you have stunning views of the jungle, the rest of the park and the sparkling Caribbean sea in the distance. The best zip line was the one at the end of the course which dumps you with a splash in a watery cavern at the end.
We then paddled a canoe through subterranean waterways marvelling at stalagmites/tites and crystal clear waters. We cruised through the larger caves and also through narrow gaps that will give anyone with claustrophobia a bit of a test. Don’t worry though.. If I can manage it anyone can! After the canoe ride, we then hopped into a 4×4 jeep and splashed around a muddy jungle path through more caves, small rivers, across rope bridges and past small Mayan ruins. This was probably the best part of the day for me apart from the buffet lunch which went down a treat after working up an appetite. Man, they know how to a buffet here..
Playa Del Carmen
Once an old fishing village, it is now a bustling beach town full of bars, hotels, shops and a stunning white sandy beach. If you’re not sipping a cocktail by the sea, you’ll probably be strolling down 5th avenue. The 2-mile long street runs parallel to the beach and hosts a large variety of shops selling local merchandise and international brands.
Prepare to be pestered by local “entrepreneurs” to sell you anything from handmade crafts to cocaine and everything in between. “hey amigo need something for your itchy nose?” was one of my favourite pitches. Some of these guys recognise your hotel wristband and get quite clever and personal with their attempts to get you in their shops. Don’t be put off though they are easily palmed off or ignored and this sort of thing happens in many tourist destinations around the world.
There are some amazing bars and restaurants down here to break up the shopping and it’s a great place to people-watch at any time of the day. Expect unique cocktails, ice-cold coronas and delicious Mayan/Mexican cuisine. Tours can easily be booked by the ferry port if you haven’t got a hotel rep or contact. We didn’t venture too far out of the tourist area but when we did as always found cheaper offerings all around. However, venturing too far didn’t seem a good idea as the surrounding areas to the town centre was certainly a lot more run down and very much shows the struggle in the poorer areas of town.
If you’re looking for a place to base yourself Playa del Carmen, in my opinion, is a much better destination than Cancun. We took a day trip to Cancun after a few days in playa and were not overly impressed. The chilled vibes of Playa with its colourful character and soul were replaced by a millionaires playground with designer shops and huge glistening 5-star hotels. It just didn’t feel like the Mexico we discovered in Playa. You’ll fly into Cancun regardless but taking the 45-60 min bus journey away from huge skyscraper hotels, tacky bars and characterless beaches was totally worth it. Instead, we went to a much more chilled atmosphere, full of authentic treasures, palm tree laden beaches and an extensive range of excursions, we can’t help but feel it was a well-made decision.
Tulum
Tulum was one of my most anticipated visits. After seeing countless photos on the Internet in the usual “top 10 beaches of the world” type articles. I couldn’t wait to explore the small temple complex by one of the most stunning beaches I’ve ever seen. We decided to make this trip ourselves instead of a pricey excursion as it seemed fairly simple to get to. 8 years on we are much more travel hardy so going back we would probably arrange most of our excursions ourselves so you could save some dollars. Anyway, we took a bus to Tulum from playas main station. Picking up tickets was a simple affair and the bus was right on time again fully air-conditioned and comfortable. The journey was relatively short and we were dropped off beside the motorway at the end of a street that led to the ruins and beach. As we walked down the street we all of a sudden felt like we were in real Mexico.
Away from tourist traps and shiny hotels we explored a few local shops and stopped at a bar for a beer and a snack first. This place was a shack by the side of the road, with bright colourful decor and swing chairs at the bar. We had a delicious burrito and a cold Corona before heading down to the beach. We paid next to nothing to enter the complex or for the bus or the beer and food. This was such a cheap day out compared to the organised trips we did. As we strolled around the well-kept temple grounds admiring the now familiar Mayan architecture, lizards of all shapes and sizes basked in the sun whilst tropical birds flew overhead. Could this be paradise?
We walked through some trees and came across the beach I’d seen countless pictures of. It’s cordoned off though as it’s a breeding ground for turtles. Nonetheless, it was absolutely gorgeous.
We could see the path lead up to the cliff for a better view so went up there to take some pictures. The beach looked even more impressive from this angle and we took a moment to soak it in before heading down the rickety wooden staircase for a much-needed dip in the sea.
Tucked around the corner in a safe distance from the turtles was a strip of sand with around 40-50 people sunbathing, swimming and taking selfies. We dropped our stuff on the floor and went for a swim.. I say a swim was more of a battle against the water. The waves were huge here. I’ve never seen anything like it and on more than one occasion I was sent cartwheeling into the beach by the sheer power of the waves. We had loads of fun here but just be cautious as I don’t think you’ll find a lifeguard quickly and some of these waves were easily over 7 feet tall.
After an hour or so in the sea, we dried off naturally with the sun on the way back to the bus stop. Tulum was awesome and probably cost around £20 total for everything so well worth doing yourself.
I always get the blues before returning home from any trip but I don’t think I’ve ever been as sad to say goodbye to a place as much as Mexico. It truly was a magical trip and not only because we got engaged and stayed at an incredible hotel but because we were completely spoiled by the culture, the people, nature and everything else that makes Mexico such a gem.