Memories in Mexico

 

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

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!

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!

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/

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.

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.