This year for our international family get-away we decided to go Mexico. We frequently heard about Mexico from friends and family who have travelled there several times and so we wanted to check it out for ourselves. To experience more of the culture and have a resort a bit more secluded from the main strip we went to Playa de Carmen which is one hour south of Cancun. Its 15 minutes south of Riveria Maya. We love to travel together as a family so we had our three kids with us who never say "no" to a Savich adventure.
TRAVEL TIP: With three kids I did some extra research to see if we could save some money on the trip expenses. When checking from resort to resort, I found out that the cut-off age for the kids being "free" was different. Some places didn't have an age and others ranged to 4 years old. When booking on Expedia or other travel agency's the age is not considered most of the time with the exception of kids under 1.
My wife had the opportunity to use the airport nursing station for the first time at JFK. She attested to a good overall experience and was very grateful for the private place and not having to sit in a family restroom.
Why Riu Yucatan? It was in a nice location, away from the main Cancun strip. It wasn't a bad 60 min taxi ride to the hotel. Definitely choose a private taxi over a coach bus/shuttle that makes several stops before it gets to the resort. We really enjoy good food and one of the priorities was a place with really good food. So the primary reason is FOOD!
The hotel is rated as a 4 star resort. Although not a new facility it is decently maintained but it could you use some updates. It has a really nice set up with rooms not far from the center of the resort where most of the dinning and front desk is located.
We learned on Trip Advisor that the best food was at the buffet that was open for breakfast and dinner. The reviews were spot on because the buffet had different food for every meal with some occasional repeats. But the themes and selections were enormous so it wasn't difficult to please the adults and 3 kids. For lunch we went to Sicilia (Italian restaurant) which had the same food everyday but it was so good that we didn't mind it at all. I could calamari and pizza everyday for a month.
Not surprised but it was really nice to enjoy some nicely prepared seafood dishes. They really catered to everyone without exception. There was even a gluten free station.
WEATHER: It couldn't have been better than this: warm, 85, sunny, and no humidity. One evening after dinner we walked out from the restaurant and watched a downpour for about an hour.
KIDS PROGRAMS: Although there were a couple different things that took place for kids on a daily basis they were not that great. The kids pool was small and not very entertaining, although our kids made the best of it when we did visit it to change things up. In the evening after dinner there was a Kids Mini Disco which we attended once and thought it was sufficient.
THE BEACH: It was a nice place to be, however it was not our first choice because of our young kids. We did walk out to the beach in the late afternoon to play in the sand and jump in the waves but it lasted about 45 minutes and then we returned to the pool where we had the most fun. The sand was very nice and well groomed. Minimal seaweed. The ocean was spectacular with plenty of shallow areas for the kids to play and jump in the waves. This time of the year it was not over crowded. The beaches in Mexico are public so there were some regulations that limited things like bringing the beach chair too close to the water. The only shade was from tall palm trees. No cabanas or umbrellas on the beach.
Destination wedding on the beach
THE RESORT AT SUNRISE: There were enough people at the resort therefore the cabanas/pool side space had to be reserved early in the morning...like 6 am! So I enjoyed a morning stroll to the pool cabanas to drop off our towels and claim a spot. I'm an early riser so it didn't bother me at all.
OUTSIDE OF THE RESORT: One morning we took a 10 minute stroll to a market looked in a small plaza. It was a nice walk with only a could tourists out.
"Native Mexican"
OTHER ACTIVITIES: I really enjoy kayaking and it was really nice to learn that kayaks could be borrowed at the resort up to one hour. I grabbed a double kayak and did some ocean paddling. Most of the time was spent going through the surf/waves near the beach.
Another time, I got a better deal on the beach and did some ocean jet skiing. It was $55 for 35 minutes. The waves were 3-4 footers and it was very thrilling flying through the air with 750cc propelling you from one crest to the other.
THE RESORT PETS:
Coati
Kids named him "Rascal"
Agouti
Iguana in a tree
Howler monkey
Yellow-throated Euphonia
A squirrel with a popsicle stick
Iguana sunbathing
The return trip was uneventful with out any plane evictions. The kids tolerated the entire trip really well. My son enjoyed it so much he asked if we could live in Mexico. Then we had to bribe him every step of the way. The kids had a thrill walking onto the plane from the tarmac.
