With all of the fake news out there, me always looking for a chance to prove something wrong, I couldn’t wait to visit Mexico and see what all the commotion was all about! My seatmate was scared about the unknowns. As she put it, “with all the $hit going on out there, I don’t know why I’m even going!” I tried to assure her she’d be fine and as long as she didn’t do the wild and crazy things people from Green Bay do, she’d be fine. She smiled and corrected me - she wasn’t exactly a cheesehead, just had a Green Bay zipcode. Funny enough, upon our return, our paths crossed again in the airport as we were getting ready to board our flight back to the Midwest. I asked her how she enjoyed her vacation. Her reply? I barely remember what she said because her facial expression said it all. She had fun! She got a tan, had her first tequila shot, went ziplining and even made plans to do it all again very soon! With a smirk on my face I also asked her about the cartel and tainted alcohol - she sheepishly blushed a little and said how silly she felt for letting that all almost prevent her from going altogether. It was like she was set free from her own fear factory. I was so happy for her!
So if you’ve ever thought about going to Mexico but dismissed it for one reason or another, I’m going to share my Top 5 reasons you should visit Cancun ~
1) Weather
My weekly forecast for Cancun wasn’t as bad as my home forecast for 10” of snow in October but I’m not going to lie, I wasn't excited about the 85% chance of rain each day. Turns out, my brain can’t seem to remember in between trips to the tropics that 85% chance of rain means something completely different than 85% chance of rain back home. In the tropics, it rains almost daily. The difference is that it’s a light rain most likely accompanied with sunshine at the same time. And it’s so short that it’s like a quick shower to cool off the fauna and give them a little drink before the next round of blissful sunshine and warm temperatures. So yes, it did rain almost everyday but did it ruin my vacation? Not a bit.
2) Food
When you visit an all inclusive resort there will be more food than you can (or should) consume during your stay. However, the food has come a long way since the beginning of the all you can eat concept. In fact, more and more resorts are doing away with the buffets and limited a la carte dinner options. Now you can find mostly reservation free dining and menus that are full of variety. Because there was so much goodness on these menus, we found it way more fun to simply tell the waiter to serve us what he thought was the best. Since we didn’t know what much of it was anyways; what’s the difference between a tostada, enchilada and tacos? Nothing. They are all fabulous!
3) Off Property Activities
Most travelers I send away are looking for more than 7 days of beach time. They enjoy the pool activities, water sports and even nightly entertainment but they are looking for more local infusion to some level. Not everyone wants to visit an orphanage or school but if they do, I can make it happen. But if you are looking for a unique experience such as swimming in an underground cave or riding a camel or even snorkeling throughout an underwater museum that is here in Cancun as well. While I was here, we went to a Cirque du Soleil show. Very Vegas-y without the gluttony of Vegas. In fact, it had a nice Spanish flair to it. Joya was a 90 minute show full of acrobatics, dance, singing and even a few comedic antics. The bottle of champagne and delicious appetizers from from fresh shrimp to gourmet chocolates was a nice touch too. I highly recommend this for groups or even a night out as a couple.
4) New Resorts
If you’ve been to Cancun in the last 5 years you need to come back because so much has changed! The resorts have been refurbished. The resorts have changed management and even names. The resorts are better than they’ve ever been! The resorts of before boasted multiple buffets, multiple rooms and hundreds of lounge chairs. The resorts of today boast multiple restaurants that you order from a menu a la carte and in one evening you could dine around the world! Asian, Italian, Brazilian, Mexican, Lebanese and even Peruvian! The rooms today offer expansive bathrooms, aromatherapy and pillow menus, even two person jacuzzis either on the balcony or in the room! Paired with 24 hour room service, unlimited wifi and calls back to the US, there’s not much room for some to even leave their room!
5) People
At the end of the day, a resort with all the amenities, an impeccable weather forecast, a peppering of extra activities and food whenever and wherever you want it does not make it a good vacation. The people who work in the tourism industry are! From the driver who brought me to the resort and we chatted the entire way from talking about news headlines to weather to Trump, he was very kind and his smile was a sincere “welcome to Mexico”. The ladies who tidied up my room each day and left me handmade chocolate on my pillow were oh so sweet that I even left behind a few pieces of clothing and jewelry for them. Our waiters, servers, front desk, bartenders and even bellmen were all a pleasure to see and interact with. Never once did I feel like I was bothering them or they were having a bad day. No attitudes, only gratitude. Sometimes I think more people should take a vacation just to see how other employees interact with customers. We could learn a lot!
Viva la Mexico! And when you have your vacation time off, give us a call or drop us a message - one of out travel experts would love to send you on your very own Divine Destination!
