Tulum & Riviera Maya
To get to Cancun we flew with British Airways on their direct service from Gatwick to Cancun and booked a through ticket from Belfast City. By using the through ticket we were able to check our luggage from Belfast all the way through to Cancun and we would be looked after if there were any delays. Our Aer Lingus flight arrived in Gatwick on time and then it was just a case of changing terminals and then boarding our BA flight for the ten and a half hour flight to Cancun. The on-board entertainment system with BA with movies on demand helped to pass the time on our long flight. On arrival we then had another hour or so to get to Dreams Tulum.
At Dreams Tulum we were welcomed with a cold towel and drink followed by a very efficient check-in. We were then taken to our room in a buggy, we were in room 1201 and were delighted to discover that we had been upgraded to Junior Suite Adult Garden View. This was a terrific room overlooking swim-up rooms in adult only part of the complex. In addition (like many of the rooms) we had a hammock on the balcony. That evening we had our first meal in the resort at the El Patio restaurant which specializes in Mexican meals.
What followed was seven days of pure relaxation, with a choice of wonderful restaurants (including Italian, Asian and French) and all without the need for reservations. We received brilliant service from everyone at Dreams Tulum who really want you to have a super holiday. Dreams is a family resort and I was particularly impressed by the kids facilities and the leaders in the 'Explorers Club' who were just great with the children. Most of our time was spent relaxing on the beach and I was also very impressed by the efforts made to keep the beach pristine - which was hard work due to the amount of seaweed that gets washed up daily. We did however visit the ancient ruins at Tulum nearby and I would definitely recommend doing this visit, but make sure you use a guide to get the full benefit of this trip. There is also a full program of entertainment and sports to keep you busy during the day.
After our wonderful seven nights here we transferred about 45 minutes north to Secrets Capri Riviera on the Riviera Maya for our next stay. Now I really enjoyed Dreams Tulum, but Secrets Capri Riviera was in my opinion even better! Again we were fortunate to be upgraded to a Preferred Club Deluxe Ocean View. Now although this room was a bit smaller than that at Dreams Tulum the sea-view more than compensated. Because Secrets is 'adults-only' there is a different feel to the resort and one that I really liked. Also this resort is a lot smaller so it was easier to meet and build relationships with the wonderful people who work here. This second week we again spent relaxing, where the big decisions were: where to go for our next meal, or what cocktail to try next? The service throughout our stay was simply fantastic and everyone seemed so eager to please. We did however book one great experience, we went swimming with turtles at Akumal which was just wonderful and an excursion that I would recommend everyone try. Again there was a full program of entertainments and sports and we also took the opportunity to visit the amazing Spa at Secrets.
All too soon it was time to return from one the best holidays that I have ever experienced - I loved Mexico and loved staying at Dreams and Secrets. Do get in touch with me if you would like more detail as I am sure you will love Mexico as well.