Magnificent Mexico - March 2018 (Part 1)

Growing up, my brother and I were very fortunate to go on lots of lovely family holidays both abroad and in the UK, but I am at an age now (and have been for some time) where family holidays are no longer a thing. My holidays now tend to be cultural trips with just my partner, so when my parents announced they would like to go on a family holiday to celebrate their special birthdays, I naturally jumped at the chance! None of us had been to Mexico before but was somewhere that interested us all, so after lots of research on where to stay and what to do, we booked our trip which would last us 10 days in March 2018.

3rd of March 2018, we woke to a blustering snow blizzard, ice on the road and freezing temperatures. A world away from the Mexican paradise we were about to indulge in. Being extra cautious, we left for the airport in plenty of time to catch our British Airways flight direct from London Gatwick to Cancun. A comfortable day flight lasting approximately 10 hours, we landed into Cancun late afternoon local time. When we initially booked our trip, I was advised to book pre - book a private transfer to take us to our resort, and I can honestly say I was so relieved we did! Cancun airport is very busy with a constant flow of domestic and international flights arriving and departing, and truthfully, at one point I did think will we ever move through the customs line! I honestly could not imagine booking a shared or coach transfer, getting through that line and then having to wait another hour or two for the rest of the coach-load to get through, it would have been a nightmare and probably not a great start to our holiday after a long day of travelling. Booking a private transfer is a top travel tip I am so grateful to have received!

For our 10 night stay we chose to stay at the 4* RIU Yucatan in the resort of Playacar in Playa Del Carmen, a mere 5-minute taxi ride from the famous 5th Avenue and approximately 1-hour transfer from the airport. We chose this hotel based on its beachfront location, fantastic reviews and being part of the RIU chain, which enabled us to use the facilities of the nearby RIU Playacar and RIU Tequilla hotels too.

Upon arrival, we were met by hotel staff who greeted us in the grand lobby with ice cold fruit juices and a young bell boy who wheeled our cases off to our room. Check-in was smooth, we were handed a resort map and info leaflet, and another map for the local area. We were then shown to our rooms, ours being in block 6, just a two-minute walk from the pool, beach and main entertainment area. Rooms at the RIU Yucatan are decorated in blue and white tones, very spacious and all come with a balcony or terrace, as well as a fridge with soft drinks and beers and optics with branded spirits restocked every few days, all included as part of the all-inclusive package.

By the time we had settled in our rooms, unpacked our cases and made use of our optics, we all felt extremely tired from our long day so decided to call it an early night ready for the next few days ahead.

Our first few days in Mexico were mostly spent on the beach, in the pool and making use of the hotels facilities. RIU hotels provide an entertainment team which runs from very early in the morning right through until late evening, and includes water sports and fitness activities, children's club - RIUland, lobby games and evening shows. I was very impressed early on during our holiday at the amount of entertainment provided, there really is something for everyone, every day.

Dining options at the RIU Yucatan is another thing I should mention, with 5 restaurant options, there is so much food to choose from. Breakfast is served in the main buffet restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The main buffet area is also open for lunch and dinner, along with the Beach Club Mexican which is turned into buffet for lunch and A La carte waiter service for dinner. Alongside this, there is also the Asian, Italian and Steakhouse which are all A la Carte and included in your stay but must be pre-booked in the morning for that evening. All the restaurants served fantastic food, even the Steakhouse which only serves meat, not great for a vegetarian like myself, but once I had explained 'no meat' and after a few funny stares from the waiters (crazy English lady, no meat in a steak house?!) they were very accommodating and found me a suitable alternative of vegetables and rice.

As I am mentioning food, it seems only fair to mention drink too. RIU Yucatan has 3 bars, one swim up, one inside the lobby and one outside by the main pool. Very attentive bar tenders who, if you tip from early on, will remember your drinks without you having to ask. Tipping (known as propina) is very common in Mexico and is expected at most points of contact, from the transfer driver, the bell boy, the bar staff, we found tipping was the norm, and either US dollars or Mexican Pesos are fine. We also tipped our room maids every few days, who would show their appreciation for our tips by creating animals with our bath towels.

Speaking of animals, the Playacar area in general is filled with them, many I have never seen before, and particularly our hotel which had its own area especially for monkeys. The monkey 'sanctuary' has signs stating please do not feed them, but many people sadly chose to ignore this and if you get up early enough, you can sometimes see the monkeys snatching bananas off the hotel guests. (Due to the time difference it is very likely you will be awake at funny times of the morning, and if so, I recommend getting up and heading to the beach for sunrise, it is a beautiful sight, very calm and peaceful at that time of the day before the beach gets busy with holidaymakers).

Although this was a relaxing Caribbean holiday, we are not the sort of family to sit on a beach for 10 days solid, so excursions were an absolute must for us. Please read part 2 to discover the excursions we chose.