Memorable Mexico
I’ve been lucky enough to spend my birthday in some fabulous places over the years working in travel and Mexico had been recently added to my wish-list after I arranged a Rick Stein inspired foodie trip there for a client last year. Time off is precious, and I like to combine some cultural and food experiences with some relaxation so booking a beach-based stay with some excursions was my ideal short break.
We flew from Gatwick to Cancun with TUI on their daily 787 Dreamliner service and pre-booked a bottle of champagne onboard to start the trip with a pop. On arrival we had also pre-booked a private transfer to whisk us straight off to the resort after the 9.5hour flight.
The Grand Oasis Hotel is located on the beach in Cancún's Hotel-Zone; approx. 20mins from the airport. The Pyramid at Grand Oasis is the VIP All Inclusive level with separate concierge, 5 exclusive restaurants, 4 exclusive bars including a beach club, a relaxing spa, special lounge, upgraded minibar and entertainment shows available to guests.
After a speedy check in at the dedicated Pyramid lounge, we were shown to our Deluxe Ocean View room. Unpack and quick change, we set off for to explore the resort and check out our dining options for our first meal. In total, there are 10 restaurants and 19 bars across the Grand Oasis Cancun complex, so we were spoilt for choice during our 7night stay. There was somewhere to suit all tastes from the Black Hole dine in the dark experience to Benazuza techno emotional cuisine. We decided to book The White Box gastrobar for my birthday meal which didn’t disappoint. It was a 10-course tapas style food extravaganza which was visually beautiful and tasted superb, finished off with a special birthday cake.
Lazy days were spent relaxing by the pool. The huge main pool has plenty of sun loungers for all the guests with a flash mob style pool team randomly popping up to entertain you. The Pyramid guests also have exclusive pool and beach areas with day beds and cabanas with waiter service for your refreshments so well worth the upgrade.
Between relaxing, we also booked a couple of day excursions with the onsite tour company. One day was spent on a sustainable tourism snorkelling trip to the nearby coral reef. Whilst the guide pointed out turtles and Nemo lookalike fish to the group, I was saddened by what had happened to vibrant colourful seabed I remembered from my first visits to the Caribbean almost 20 years ago.
Another trip was to the temples at Chichen Itza. The long drive included a stop en route at a Mayan visitor centre for lunch where I had my Mayan birth chart read for my landmark birthday. We reached the awe inspiring Chichen Itza site in the mid-afternoon sun so after a 2hour guided tour, the next stop at a freshwater Cenote for a refreshing swim was welcome. A quick visit to the magnificent church at Vallodolid on the way home finished off our long day out.
A week passed quickly in a blur of cocktails and champagne and soon enough my birthday holiday was over. Arriving back at Gatwick, at least I had more birthday celebrations to look forward to. The trip left me wanting to know more about the mysterious Mayans and their legacy and wanting to return to Mexico to explore more. If you want to know more about Cancun or have special trip in mind that you would like help planning, please get in touch.