When in Mexico...

Still trying to hold on to the magic of our honeymoon! Wish we were still on the beach far away from adulting!!!

If you have never been or currently deciding on your next getaway - definitely consider the Riviera Maya section of Mexico. When I researched where to go for our honeymoon, I definitely found that all-inclusive trips to Mexico are more affordable than other popular Caribbean destinations.

We stayed at Ocean Maya Royale - an all-inclusive, adults only, beach front hotel - perfect for our honeymoon! We loved our ocean-view room and how friendly the staff was. However, my favorite part of choosing this hotel was the wildlife that roamed the grounds! If you are an animal lover, book your vacation at Ocean Maya Royale :)

To provide a brief guide on travel to Mexico, here are some tips once you have decided on making the Riviera Maya your next travel destination!

1. What To See/Where To Go

• A must see spot is Tulum and the ancient Mayan ruins, located on cliffs with stunning views! Factor in additional time to descend to the beautiful beaches. 
• You can't travel to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula  without visiting at least one of its numerous "cenotes" (pronounced cey-NO-tays) - or sinkholes. Plan a day trip for exploring some underground "cenotes" for diving/snorkeling or just some leisurely swimming in "cenotes" that are located above-ground. 
• We booked our Tulum & Cenotes excursion through Mystic Adventures...highly recommendable. They were on-time, fun, reliable, knowledgeable, and organized!
• A great place to check out if you want to leave your resort for a change in scenery is the town of Playa Del Carmen. Not as crazy as Cancun, but it offers a beach, shopping, and bars/restaurants.

2. How To Book Excursions

This might sound silly - you might think "Well, I just book it..", right? I thought so too, but when we arrived at the airport, we were talked into a seemingly great excursion package deal by a tourism company just to find out later that it was a way to get us to listen to a Timeshare Sales Pitch. No Bueno! We ended up getting our money back, but only after a couple of hours of arguing with them.
So, my recommendation would be to not book any activities until you get settled into your resort. Do some research on the items that you really want to explore and then go through your hotel's concierge service. That way, if there are any issues with the excursion, you know where to go with complaints/concerns.
We booked an all-day excursion that started with exploring the ancient ruins of Tulum, followed by swimming in a natural sinkhole and driving of ATVs. We were served traditional Mexican lunch and ended our day with zip-lining through the jungle into underground sinkholes for snorkeling. So much fun! Mystic Adventure also had a photographer who followed us around, documenting our day. After the excursion was complete, we were able to view all our pictures and decide on which ones we wanted to purchase. 

3. Resort Tips/Upgrades

My number 1 advice is to tip your bartenders at the resort when you first arrive. Although a resort is all-inclusive, it is a great gesture to the hard-working staff to show your appreciation. Trust me, they will remember you and will take care of you!

Also, be aware of timeshare sales pitches. As mentioned before, we were not only approached at the airport, but also at our resort. They try to lure you in by giving away free massages or cheap excursions, but in return you have to sit through hours of presentations about their real estate pitch. That is not how I want to spend my vacation!

Don't be shy and ask for upgrades at the airport and during check-in at the resort. Just by asking for any kind of available upgrade, we were able to get priority boarding and more leg room for all our flights, as well as complimentary champagne and strawberries once we checked in. You never know what can be given away for free!

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Bon Voyage! :)
Love,
Lena