Thanks for joining me!

So often we hear people groan “I would love to go to [insert place name here]” but they never actually do anything about it. My husband and I have an extremely long and ever growing list of places to visit and things to do; the difference is we absolutely plan on ticking every single one of those things off of our list.

We love exploring new places, learning about different cultures and researching destinations. We have not embarked on long term travel (unfortunately!) so have just had to fit holidays in around work and family, but we love to pack as much as we can into each of our trips.

I am looking forward to documenting our trips here for you to see. I would appreciate any feedback you may have, good or bad! Please do comment and get involved.

Happy reading!

Bryony x

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page- St Augustine

Mini Californian Roadtrip

For our first trip as a family of three we decided to go on a mini Californian road trip… yes we may be a little crazy. A lot of people want their first holiday with a baby to be as easy as possible, not us, why make it easy?!

We flew from London Heathrow direct to Los Angeles. Our son at the time was 10 months old and I was actually surprised at how well he took to the 11.5 hour flight. Although, to be honest it would have been even easier if he was younger than that, I think around 3-4 months would be a fantastic time to fly with a baby.

Los Angeles

Upon arrival at LAX we got a taxi to our hotel. If you are travelling with children, be aware that under the age of 2, Californian law states that children must travel in a rear facing car seat. We were aware of this beforehand so bought a cheap, light car seat to take with us. We also bought a backpack off of Amazon specifically to fit a car seat, which was extremely handy, as it meant when we went out we could take the car seat without it being too much of an inconvenience. The taxi from the airport to the hotel was quite expensive compared to what an Uber would have been, so do bare that in mind if you visit.

We stayed at InterContinental Los Angeles Century City in Beverley Hills. This hotel has featured in a number of films and TV shows. I liked the little touches, such as them placing a small pack of baby products (wash, shampoo etc) in our room ready for our arrival. As this trip was for our anniversary we also received a cake and a bottle of bubbly which was a lovely gesture. Overall, I was very pleased with this hotel!

On our first evening we were tired from travelling. Our hotel offered a complementary car service to places nearby; which was really helpful as I cannot walk too far; so we just went to the mall. This was more of an indoor/ outdoor shopping complex rather than the type of mall we might picture in the UK. We had some food and a look around. The mall was beautiful, clean and tidy. The decor was very modern and stylish, but then of course it was, it is Beverley Hills…

Breakfast at the hotel was not cheap but it was very pleasant. The waiter placed a bag hanger next to my chair to hang my bag up, again a nice touch. The homemade granola was to die for, my husband and I have spoken about it a lot since! We had this with yogurt, coconut chips and chocolate chips. Yum!

Visiting Hollywood to see the stars on the walk of fame is a cliche must do when in LA. I must admit I was surprised at how un-glamorous this place was. There were parts of the walk of fame which were a bit ropey, and you would probably not want to walk alone. I was also surprised at how far the stars spanned, we did not see all of them. We went to see the hand/footprints at Gruman’s Chinese Theatre whilst we were in the area. This is pretty cool to see if you are there, I had not expected Frank Sinatra’s feet to be so small!

We had to go to Ghirardelli’s (see my previous post on Las Vegas to read our first ever experience of Ghiardelli’s). This time we tried the milkshakes, which were lovely!! The chocolates are also very very nice. Definitely bring some home if you get the chance.

The Hollywood sign viewpoint is of course another overrated attraction as most things like this are, but being in LA we had to go for the photo opportunity.

During our stay in LA we visited Santa Monica Pier. We went late afternoon/ early evening which is such a good time to visit. I absolutely loved this place and it is now somewhere I often wish to be. We sat on a bench watching the sun setting over the sea, whilst listening to someone playing live jazz on the pier. It was just a perfect setting. This was the first beach our son had ever been to. There is also a lovely park right on the beach, he had such fun.

Across the road is a restaurant named Del Frisco’s Grille, to be honest I didn’t get the feeling that they really wanted us there with a baby, but we were complemented by other customers on how well behaved our son was. The food was A-MAZING! I had a rack of ribs which compare to none others I have ever had. Of course, being in California, I supplemented this with a glass of oaked Californian wine.

There is so much to do in LA that I think we could have done with an extra night at least. Never mind… gives us an excuse to return! Next time I would be more likely to stay in the Santa Monica area rather than Beverley Hills.

Venice Beach

The next morning we collected our rental car, up until this point we had used Ubers (and lots of them), next time we would hire a rental car to use throughout our stay in LA, as it is actually easier than we expected. We made our way down to Venice Beach– of course this is a famous beach particularly for body building (muscle beach) and is well known as being somewhere Arnold Schwarzenegger frequented.

Venice Beach is where I tried my first corn dog, it wasn’t quite what I expected, I did not expect the coating to be sweet but it was pleasant none-the-less.

Venice Beach has a very free spirited, almost bohemian feel to it. There is a skate park, basketball and tennis courts which were all busy. It was good to see this. There are lots of little market type shacks. Some of which were selling the blankets that I mention in my post on Mexico.

Huntington Beach

After we had finished exploring Venice Beach, we continued our drive down to Huntington Beach. Here we stayed at The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel. The decor of this hotel was fantastic. I think it may possibly be my favourite hotel of anywhere I have been. We had our room upgraded to one with a sea view, this was a great bonus! We went to the pool when we arrived, where my husband went into the hot tub for half an hour before realising his phone was in his pocket… meaning we lost some of our photos from LA. A kids meal here was about two times the size of an adults meal in the UK, it was crazy!

Prior to our visit we had booked a fire pit on the beach for the evening. This was just across the road from the hotel and included a lit fire pit with a server feeding the fire during the evening, we had cans of coke, other drinks and s’mores provided for us (who doesn’t love s’mores?!) This was actually just a really relaxing evening, being able to sit together and relax, our son slept the whole time which was totally unexpected as he does not like to sleep! Again, we did not have enough time here and could have done with an extra night as we did not get to see Huntington at all.

San Diego

The following morning we made our way down to San Diego. Here we stayed at Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina the hotel was not as nice as other hotels we have stayed. The room was huge but the hotel needed some updating.

That afternoon, we went to see a baseball game at Petco Park. We had never really watched baseball but it seemed like a good opportunity to see a game. We got an Uber here, so we needed to store our car seat which we were able to do for free. The stadium was a nice size and we had great seats. There was such a lovely family atmosphere. Staff were handing out suncream for the kids. Our son was given a badge and also a small foam baseball as it was his first ever baseball game. The cameraman also filmed him and put him on the big screen which was a lovely experience. Everyone was so friendly. It is definitely great for families, there was no bad language, everyone was very supportive of the players and just happy to be there.

There are numerous food outlets at Petco Park . We went on a Tuesday, where in California (I’m not sure about the rest of the States??) they have Taco Tuesdays, which means tacos are available at just a couple of dollars. The authentic experience would not be complete without beer and hot dogs! Phil’s BBQ did the most amazing hotdogs.

During our first evening a member of staff at our hotel brought us a tray containing a bottle of bubbly, chocolate dipped strawberries, two glasses of cold milk and warm cookies, we were truly spoilt for our anniversary. I thought the milk and cookies was a really nice touch and something we have not received before as a gift from a hotel.

We visited SeaWorld during our time in San Diego. Here we saw the Sesame Street Parade which our son absolutely loved. We paid to have allocated seating for this and I was glad of it, as it meant that we did not have to stand the whole time or push our way to be able to see the characters in the parade.

At SeaWorld, I took part in a penguin encounter experience. I got to learn about penguins, pet a penguin and then go into the enclosure with hundreds of them. It was awesome to be so close to them and to learn about how they are cared for there.

There were different shows throughout the day, I think the one that we enjoyed the most was seeing the Killer Whales. There are Killer Whale experiences at the park, you can have breakfast with them swimming in the pool next to you, we did not do this but it is an option. The animals seemed happy and well cared for.

Included in our ticket was our meals for the day. We were each able to have a main meal, dessert or side and a drink… we were informed that we could have this every hour! Wow! So much food! We had our lunch there and then had some dinner before we left so definitely felt that we got our moneys worth.

San Diego Zoo was another day out during our time in San Diego. This place is huge and does have some steep walkways which does limit those with mobility issues. Although, there is a bus that you can take which gives you a tour of the zoo, which is really handy. This was our sons first visit to the zoo and again it was a great experience.

Balboa Park is very close to the zoo, so we made our way there. This is a really artsy place with museums, performances, gardens and lots more. There was a chilled atmosphere and it was nice to just look around.

If you are looking for somewhere a bit quirky to eat in San Diego, then definitely check out Corvette Diner, it’s a fun 50’s style restaurant diner. We did not have reservations and there was a queue going out of the door. However, we were seen to quite quickly and given a buzzer to tell us when our table was ready. In the meantime we could go and enjoy the many old style arcade games. This is such a great idea and I cannot even imagine how excited I would have been if I went there as a child.

Once we were seated, we decided we just had to have a milkshake each, who can go to an American diner and not order a milkshake? It would have been criminal. We then each had a burger. The food was not the tastiest I have had in America but was still pleasant. What really made this place was the atmosphere. Every so often the wait staff stop everything to sing and dance. The staff were so energetic and helpful. There was a real buzz in the diner. We did not have dessert here… which is unlike us as we definitely both have a sweet tooth. Although, the cotton candy (candy floss) did look very tempting.

One of the beaches we visited in San Diego was Pacific Beach. It was very clean and quite peaceful… it wasn’t lay on the beach weather during our visit but it was nice enough to just sit and relax. There are some little ice cream shacks and shops etc along the beach.

Our favourite place at Pacific Beach was the restaurant World Famous. We liked it so much that we came here a couple of times during our stay. We visited during both lunch and dinner. My favourite dish was the lobster tacos, I have dreamed of these since I first had them. There was so much lobster in them and they were so so tasty. The clam chowder was also delicious. The prices are really reasonable and the restaurant overlooks the beach. If you visit San Diego, you really must eat at this restaurant.

One night during our stay we decided that we would just chill in the room. Once our son went to sleep we rented a movie and ordered food from Uber Eats. We decided to order from Gaglione Bros Famous Steaks & Subs we had a sub each. I had the cheese steak which was actually really nice. We also munched away on Cracker Jack and Worthers Original popcorn. We had been cramming so much into our trip so it was nice to just chill.

Near Pacific beach you can find The Baked Bear, who do amazing custom ice cream sandwiches; not quite as good as the ones we had in Las Vegas (read my previous blog to find out about this,) but they were still pretty good. The ice cream was delicious and you could choose to have either cookies or brownies as your sandwich.

Whilst we were in San Diego we decided to do a Man vs Food challenge (You may have seen this one on TV). The Broken Yolk Cafe is a diner in which we went for breakfast and my husband ordered the dozen egg omelet challenge, needless to say he failed miserably! I must say once he had finished, it still did not look as though he hadn’t really started. I had chicken and waffles which were nice enough. I did also have a mimosa flight (a selection of four small mimosas) these were very pleasant indeed!

Phil’s BBQ… Now, I have mentioned Phil’s BBQ above when I spoke about Petco Park. At Petco park Phil’s BBQ has a small food outlet which was very busy. We decided to go to the Phil’s BBQ restaurant on our final day before we made our way to the airport. Wow! Just wow! This is literally the best BBQ food I have ever tasted. We got there shortly after it opened and the restaurant and bar were already full with a queue going out of the door… and it was not even lunchtime yet. All of the food looked and smelt delicious. I can confirm it also tasted AMAZING! The portions again were huge (it is America!) the atmosphere was great and the staff were lovely. I would highly recommend the loaded fries!

Overall, although this trip was relatively short, we tried to pack in everything that we wished to do. However, we really should have had more time in both LA and Huntington. We had an amazing time and made some fantastic memories as well as having some great pictures to show our son of his first trip abroad. This is the first time we had planned a mini road trip and it made us realise we wanted to do it again so are in the process of planning our next one. We just need to allow more time than we expect we need for each place!

Wish List: Next time I would love to visit Universal Studios in Hollywood. Despite my fear of dogs, I think it would have been cool to have seen Huntington Dog Beach; where dog’s can go surfing! They even have competitions there which could be interesting to witness.

Must Buy: Guardilli’s chocolates, Phil’s BBQ, you also have to buy a fridge magnet when in Hollywood… cheesy but a must have.

Apr 28, 2019 2

Las Vegas- Memorial Day Weekend Honeymoon

Las Vegas is absolutely my favourite place! See a brief history here.

My husband was not really too bothered about visiting Las Vegas but I was really set on going there at some point. We only had a week after we got married to enjoy a honeymoon before I returned to work after half term (I was a teacher at the time). So we decided that we would have 5 nights in Las Vegas. Our stay happened to coincide with Memorial Day Weekend which meant that there were extra events happening during our stay.

We got married on a Friday and then left for Las Vegas on the Saturday morning. This worked out really well as it meant that we did not have to clear anything away after the wedding and could stay in our bubble a little longer… lucky us!

We spent the day travelling from the UK to Vegas. When we got there we checked into our hotel, The Linq, I loved this hotel! The location is absolutely perfect as it is in the centre of the strip, it’s reasonably priced, the decor is pleasant and there is a promenade with restaurants, bars and amazing ice cream! What’s not to like?

In Las Vegas regardless of which hotel you stay in, you can still walk into all of the other hotels. The hotels here are crazy! Caesars Palace contains a mall (if you go here do watch the Fall of Atlantis show at Caesars Forum Shops), New York, New York has rollercoasters, Mandalay Bay has a beach, The Mirage has a zoo. Each hotel has theatres as they all have daily shows (a huge variety, so something for everyone), many of them also have nightclubs in them along with many restaurants.

I’ve spoken to people before who have been caught out when they have arrived at their hotel and been asked for a hefty deposit, so if you are visiting the states be aware that paying a deposit on arrival is common in hotels across the whole of USA.

We did not need any food the first evening as we had been stuffed during the flight, with staff constantly bringing food round and my husband and I being unable to say no to any of it! That evening we headed to Drai’s to see the Weeknd perform during his residency. The club was absolutely packed. There is no seating unless you pay out a fortune for a table. We each ordered a Malibu and coke and a bottle of water. This came to over £50! Wow! Scott asked if I wanted another drink… no thanks, I’ll just wait for this ice to melt! The performance was great and the buzz in the club was amazing.

Now, let’s talk about food.

If you are a burger fan then absolutely most definitely visit Guy Fieri’s restaurant (the Mac-N-Cheese Burger is amazing). This restaurant was in our hotel, there was a queue but it was certainly worth the wait. We also visited Hash House A Go Go in our hotel. The food was cheap and ginormous! Quality was not amazing in my personal opinion but as a late night bite to eat it hits the spot. This restaurant has also appeared on the TV show “Man V. Food”.

On the promenade next to our hotel there is a restaurant named Off The Strip, we popped in here for dinner one evening. I don’t recall what my husband had but I had ribs. My ribs did come out a little cold but the staff could not have been friendlier and got me a new rack right away which were very tasty!

Cake, cake, cake! If you love cake you will love Carlo’s Bakery (if you’ve seen Cake Boss on TV you will know what I’m talking about). Las Vegas was where we had our the first ever Carlo’s, this bakery is based in The Venetian hotel which was only a couple hotels down from ours. I ended up visiting here each morning to grab cakes and pastries for us. The hot chocolate was amazing! It was quite pleasant sitting in the hotel next to the replica of The Grand Canal drinking hot chocolate early in the morning when there were not so many people about.

Ghirardelli’s on the promenade did the best ice cream sundaes! We probably visited here a bit too often. We did not try the milkshakes or hot chocolate here but we did get round to trying milkshake at Ghirardelli’s in Hollywood, see my upcoming post on our mini Californian road trip.

One night which was really pleasant was one in which we discovered the most amazing ice cream cookie sandwiches. Frustratingly, I cannot remember the name but it was pretty much opposite the Bellagio (if I find the name I will update this post). They have a wide array of cookies to choose from (the sugar cookie was my particular favourite) and a large variety of ice creams, made with different chocolates from around the world, I loved the Venezuelan. We bought these and then headed across the road to watch the fountains at the Bellagio. This was lovely. It is definitely worth seeing them in the evening.

By the end of our trip we just wanted some food that was a little bit healthy and not covered in cheese! Therefore, we visited Gordon Ramsay’s Pub and Grill at Caesars Palace. This is an English style restaurant. I did feel that this was very overpriced for what it was. It tasted nice but I don’t feel it was worth it.

I know that many people do visit all you can eat buffet restaurants in Las Vegas and I have heard that they are very good and amazing value for money. Unfortunately, we did not get the chance to experience this ourselves. There’s always next time.

During our visit we saw our first Cirque du Soleil show, ‘O’ at the Bellagio. This was spectacular. The floor lowered to reveal a pool of water in which the performers performed, the stage then rose again with the water disappearing. This happened numerous times throughout the performance. This was very clever and absolutely mesmerising to watch. Click here to see the official trailer. There are loads of Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas, each with a different theme. There are of course many other shows in Las Vegas, such magic shows (I would love to see Penn and Teller), Rat Pack, Burlesque and so on.

We knew that if we were going to Las Vegas that we absolutely had to see the Grand Canyon. You can get a bus to see what is apparently a better viewing of it. However, the bus tour is a full day trip and we did not want to spend a full day doing this. Therefore, we decided to get a helicopter ride to see it- I cannot remember the company name but we booked it through Viator, where there is a huge range. This was around £850 for the two of us. This included a limousine to and from the helicopter departure point. A champagne picnic at the bottom of the Canyon with a flight over the strip at twilight on our return- this was my favourite part of the excursion as you really got to see the strip all lit up. When I go back I would not go to see the same part of the Grand Canyon again but would definitely do a helicopter ride over the strip again, especially in the evening.

During our stay there were lots of pool parties taking place, we decided to go to one at Encore Beach Club which had David Guetta djing. You can pay a fee to keep your belongings in a safe place, which I would definitely advise as you will be in the pool and won’t want to be watching your bag the whole time. This event was quite busy but was a really good experience. If there is a group of you going it might be worth you hiring a cabana, this does not work out too expensive for a group but for two people it’s not really worth it. There were people from the balcony ‘making it rain’ with dollars. Most people were not phased by this but there were the odd few that were going absolutely crazy grabbing notes like they were on the final of The Chrystal Maze! Overall, this was a fun day, we did not spend the whole day and evening there but for a couple of hours it was cool.

My husband, being him, did not pack his swim shorts, despite the pool party being booked before we even left the UK! Which meant that we were then trapsing around shops trying to find some on the morning of the pool party , and resulted in him paying double what he would have at home. Pretty much opposite Wynn Resort and next to Treasure Island, there is a mall that did have some Memorial Day weekend sales on whilst we were there. There is also a shopping complex a bus ride from the strip where you can find Levi jeans etc at great prices. This picture was at the shopping complex on our last day… hence the pouting faces.

How could we go to Las Vegas and not visit Fremont Street? We did have a little confusion getting there but this was soon resolved. I have heard lots of people mention how cool Fremont Street is. However, I must admit, we were not fans of the place. It felt as though there was no air, there’s so much cigarette smoke. There were street performers, some of them were quite good. Overall though I thought it felt dingy. There is a zipwire which goes over Fremont Street. We thought about doing this but did not enquire until after we had finished looking around and there was a long wait so we gave this a miss.

Before we left home I had decided that I wanted to see the Bodies exhibition and the Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, both at the Luxor. However, as soon as we got to the hotel we felt hounded by staff trying to sell us timeshares, buffet tickets and just generally tickets for things that we did not want. This happened the whole time we walked through the casino. Therefore, we just decided to leave without visiting the exhibitions, which was a shame. I did not find the staff as intense as this in the other hotels.

One morning we thought that we would explore Siegfried & Roys Secret Garden at The Mirage. There is a zoo and also a dolphin show there. I did not like this at all. The animals didn’t seem too happy and looked as though they were pacing up and down frantically. This made us feel uncomfortable so we did not stay long and would not go there again.

Okay so now for what everyone thinks of when it comes to Las Vegas… Casinos! They are everywhere. No matter what time of day you go into one, 7am, 3pm, 9pm, 2am they look exactly the same, the lights are bright and there are people gambling. We did have a couple of games of black jack and roulette. We are not high ballers and when I was up by $40 I decided to walk away. We did not have any drinks in the casinos but you are entitled to free drinks whilst you play (you would need to tip the wait staff). I know that some people use the slot machines which can cost very little per go and they then receive free drinks whilst playing these.

The infamous Las Vegas sign! To be completely honest this was a bit of a let down, it is neither grand nor spectacular in my opinion. However, it is still an iconic must see photo spot when visiting. We got our taxi driver to make a quick stop here on our way back to the airport.

The one thing I will say about Las Vegas is that it does require a lot of walking. Our feet were burning literally the whole time that we were there. It’s good to have a plan as even just walking a hotel or two in the wrong direction is a lot of walking. There is a monorail named the Deuce and there are busses and of course taxi’s, so it’s not necessary to walk EVERYWHERE.

I know that many people would not visit with kids as it’s perhaps not the place that you would think of as being kid friendly. I would definitely take kids in the future. Although they obviously can’t go into the casinos or nightclubs and there are shows that they couldn’t go to, there is a lot there that they can do. There is a pirate show outside of Treasure Island. All of the hotels have pools (opening times depend on time of year). There are cool things to see at each hotel and things to do e.g. gondola ride, rollercoaster (age dependant), there are children’s museums, a shark reef aquarium at Mandalay Bay, Adventuredome (amusement park in Circus Circus), as well as age appropriate shows. Again, there can be a lot of walking so plan out your itinerary. Also be aware that there are signs and cards advertising prostitutes… although I am not sure if kids would even notice this with so much going on.

Must Buys: Ghirardelli’s chocolates, we didn’t bring any home but I did regret this! Basically, any dessert or ice cream on the strip, We did not have a bad one!

Wish List: During our stay I really wanted to do a twilight kayak trip which ended with you surrounding a camp fire toasting s’mores. Unfortunately, this tour is seasonal and did not start until June and our visit was the end of May. I would definitely love to do this.

Fun Fact: I have read that in Sin City there is a law prohibiting full nudity in strip clubs that sell alcohol. Some have their performers only topless so that they can sell alcohol and some give up alcohol in favour of full nudity! I found this law surprising for Las Vegas.

Oct 20, 2018 3

Tequila and tacos… need I say more to entice you to this amazing country?

: Beach in Cancun

Of course, Mexico is much more than this. It is vibrant, steeped in history and bursting with culture.

Click here for historical context of Mexico.

I visited Mexico with my husband before we were married or became parents, which gave us the luxurious option to stay at an adults only hotel… ahh the peace and quiet… both of which are now distant memories to us.

Sun Palace, Cancun is a modern hotel oozing with charisma… and food! Yes amazing food. Often when us Brits think of all inclusive food, we picture a tired looking buffet consisting of unappitising salad, pasta and soggy chips, along with a couple of unidentifiable dishes (hmm, do we risk a taste test to see what it actually is??) At Sun Palace we felt as though we were dining at a fine dining restaurant every night (a nice reason to dress up), and it’s all included in the package price, great! My two favourite restaurants were the Italian with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the beach, which one night had a mariachi band playing below. The other being the rooftop Thai restaurant; the deep fried ice cream was delicious! There was also a lovely bar with a pianist playing in the early evening.

This hotel rewards guests with credits, you use these dollar credits as you would money to book and pay for things at the hotel. All you have to pay yourself is the tax. Simple.

We stayed in a junior suite room with a large hot tub and a great view. This included access to concierge as well as an extensive pillow menu; I kick myself for not taking advantage of this, I mean who doesn’t want a lavender scented pillow? The room had a good selection of premium spirits in the mini bar, although there was really nothing mini about it, they were full sized bottles. We also had turn down service each evening with lovely chocolates. This room booking also included a couple’s full body massage and a romantic dinner on the beach.

The best part about the romantic meal on the beach, which really was romantic by the way, was probably the large sea turtle we saw making its way up the beach. This creature was quite majestic. We visited Mexico in August, which also meant that we were given the opportunity to release baby turtles into the sea. This experience in itself was worth the trip.

What can I say about Coco Bongo? Well, if you love night life and theatrics this place is definitely for you! There are short performance acts by very talented performers followed by 20 minutes of staff cleaning up the confetti until the next wave of confetti is released with the next act. If you are a bit claustrophobic I would recommend paying for a seated ticket in the balcony, you can still see the performers and absorb the atmosphere but this gives you a little more space to breathe. Entrance also includes unlimited drinks… bonus!

: Coco Bongo, Mexico

It was on our way to Coco Bongo that we were advised to take seasickness tablets before our swim with the whale sharks the following morning. Despite my husbands best efforts, the shop keeper did not understand his attempt at cerades. “Never mind, I have never been sea sick” I said for the last time in my life.

If I wasn’t awake already, being asked at 5am to sign a waiver stating that in the event of my death the company were not responsible, was definitely a wake up call. We boarded a speedboat out to sea. Wow! Just wow! Whale sharks are incredible. If you ever have the opportunity to swim with these amazing creatures I urge you to do it. These animals are enormous. Below is a short clip we took of them.

I can often be oblivious to what is happening around me. Hence why the guide had to pull me out of the way of a whale shark at one point, as they swim with their mouths open, and I was right in the way. I could have been his breakfast. Wowzers!

After a short time, the seasickness grabbed me and then consumed me. It felt better being under the water than it did being above it. I ended up ungracefully vomiting everywhere. I felt more sorry for the person who my sick floated towards in the form of a wave. If you’re reading this, I do still feel bad about it.

The whole evening back at the hotel was horrible; it felt as though the whole place was swaying. Moral of the story kids… certainly do this activity. Definitely, without a doubt take seasickness tablets beforehand!

: Waiting to swim with Whale Sharks, Mexico

My bucket list at the time of this visit contained swimming with dolphins in the sea. I realised on this holiday that I needed to be more precise. Really, I wanted to swim with them in the wild, not just the sea. This trip was in the sea but still in captivity. (See my upcoming post on Mauritius to learn about our time swimming with them in the wild.)

The swim was advertised as swimming with dolphins (plural), although in actual fact we only got to swim with the one. This was still nice but not as magical as swimming with a pod of dolphins. This activity took place at Moon Palace resort. This hotel is a great alternative to Sun Palace if you are travelling with children.

The excursion also included an afternoon at the waterpark ‘Wet ‘n’ Wild’. Not the most extrodinary waterpark I have ever been to but enjoyable none-the-less.

Our not so enjoyable activity started with a long drive in the pouring rain. This trip should have consisted of a swim with sea turtles followed by a visit to the cenotes. Unfortunately, due to the rain unsettling the water and making it look murky we only spotted one turtle. The afternoon was cancelled and we did not get to visit the cenotes. All in all this day felt wasted. I am sure this would have been fantastic had it gone to plan.

One day that did go to plan was our visit to Chichèn itzá. This is one of the modern 7 Wonders of the World. When we arrived, the entrance was packed with tourists. It was a boiling hot day and I was not looking forward to feeling wedged in a crowd all day. However, once we were through the entrance this was not the case. Although the place was busy, the grounds are extensive, meaning that you are not trying to push your way through crowds all day.

We had a guide who filled our minds with intriguing information about the Mayan ruins. This place is spectacular and I would urge you to visit if you are in the area. If you are not planning on having a guide I would suggest researching the history before visiting. Here is a site to get you started: http://www.chichenitza.com/

: Chichen Itza, Mexico

After the tour we had free time to explore on our own. There were also little stalls selling souvenirs. We were in awe of a chess board which represented the Mayans and the Spaniards. I still love this chess board, it is gorgeous!

If you visit Mexico and especially if you have kids (we didn’t but this place was still awesome) Xcaret is a must. Our day did not start ideally. I got my timings muddled and we missed our pre-paid transport by one hour. Grrr! We ended up having to pay for a taxi there which was a bit annoying. However, my mood soon changed once we arrived.

: Xcaret, Mexico

The park has so much to offer, shows, animals, underground rivers, a beach, restaurants, cenotes, a Mexican cemetery, a replica of a Mayan village. We only stayed during the day time but there were also many activities going into the evening. Check out the activities available here.

We only stayed in Mexico for 10 days which was enough for our holiday. Although, we would definitely love to visit again.

Must Buys:

Mexican blankets. We have had ours for a while now and they are amazing, they don’t seem to age regardless of how much they are used and how often they are washed. They are so cosy and warm! We saw some similar blankets at Venice Beach in California but they were not quite the same.

Tequila! No Mexican trip is complete without bringing home some tequila. We bought a trio pack in cute authentic bottles. Each infused with a different flavour.

Wish List:

I so wish that we had explored the underwater museum. This looks tremendous. Unfortunately, we did not have time to do this on our previous trip. Next time we will for sure!

The Cirque du Soleil show, JOYA. My friend recently returned from Mexico where she saw this show. Click here to see the official trailer.

I think it would also be cool to visit Mexico during one of their festivals or fiestas. I quite fancy visiting during the Day of the Dead (2nd November). Here is Lonely Planet’s Top 10… which one do you fancy most?

Do you have any tips or wish list ideas for Mexico? Please share them with us all in the comments section below.

Aug 22, 2018 3