In February, I went on a double date weekend trip to Seattle! We stayed one night at the Hyatt House Bellevue, which was about a 20 minute drive to downtown Seattle.

We chose Bellevue over Seattle because the hotels were significantly cheaper (like half of the price cheaper!). Hyatt House also came with free parking, free wifi, and free breakfast buffet! All three things won us over.

Even though it was only one night, I really enjoyed my stay at this hotel.

One thing I really liked about the Hyatt House was how quiet it was. Even in the hallways, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Even though the hotel was facing a highway, you could not tell because of how greatly soundproofed it was.

Here is a shot of our room when you first walk in! We had the standard room with king size bed.

Right beside the entrance, was the small kitchen. I don’t want to call it a kitchenette because it came with a full sized fridge, a stove top, dishwasher, and all cooking utensils (pots, spatulas). If we stayed longer than one night, I definitely would have utilized it!

The bed was extremely comfortable. I loved the super soft pillows and power outlets were conveniently placed on the lamp holders. I slept really well and woke up feeling refreshed and ready to explore Seattle!

View of the room from the bed. It’s not very big, but it was comfortable enough and super quiet. With the windows closed, all the highway noise was completely blocked out.

The washroom was separated with the sink outside, and the toliet/bathtub inside. I was telling my boyfriend how I prefer this efficient set up and it is the style in Japan too. This way, two people are able to get ready at the same time rather than one person having to wait.

The toiletries were pretty average, nothing special about it.

In the morning, we woke up and went straight to the breakfast buffet downstairs! The breakfast buffet was really delicious and a lot higher quality than I expected it would be. There was a plethora of delicious breakfast foods, including waffles, scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, toast, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, and fresh fruit.

It was really clean and the staff did a good job in ensuring that nothing ever went empty. Definitely a great way to start the morning and fuel ourselves for the day.

As for cons, there honestly wasn’t much to complain about. Maki noticed afterwards that she was charged an ‘authorization for incidentals’ despite not making any phone calls, eating the minibar snacks, etc. But that was easily fixed after calling the hotel and they refunded her.

The cost of our hotel visit at Hyatt House Bellevue was $147.00 CAD, which was very reasonable considering the quality, comfort, and free amenities.

If you’re planning on heading down to the Seattle area, the Hyatt House is a great choice.

 

Hotel stay purchased by myself. Opinions are own.

Off the coast of Cancun, about a 15 minute ferry ride away, lies the small island known as Isla Mujeres. The boyfriend and I spent a couple hours exploring this quaint island during our vacation. Here is what we did!

There are three ferry ports which all dock from Cancun. To get to the ferry port, we took the local bus which was $1 USD each. Round-trip ferry was about $20 USD.

Tip: Board at either the Punta Sam or Puerto Juarez terminals and save yourself the taxes. If you board at the Playa Linda terminal, you’ll need to pay the taxes since this port is closest to the resorts, aka the Hotel Zone. However, Puerto Juarez is only an additional 5 minutes away so it’s not that inconvenient.

The ferry ride to Isla Mujeres is quite nice. There are two levels of the ferry, which also contains washrooms and a place to store luggage. The second level is open air, which is more popular for obvious reasons! During the 15 minute ferry ride, there was a live singer and on the way back, live instrumental music.

A few minutes before we docked, we were greeted by a sudden downpour of rain! Within 3 minutes, everyone on the top deck (including ourselves), were soaked! It was really funny and everyone on the ferry was laughing about it.

It was still drizzling a tiny bit, but we were greeted within seconds from a golf cart rental person. We probably looked like prime tourist bait, but he was nice and the rate was reasonable (our resort agent told us not to spend more than $20/hour for the rental).

So we paid for our golf cart and off we went! We drove along the beautiful coast, the drizzle from the rain dusting our skin softly. We blended in nicely with all the other golf carts around the island.

We didn’t really have a plan, but life shouldn’t always be planned out. There should be room for spontaneity too. All we knew was that we wanted to visit the Tortugranja, the sea turtle conservatory on the island.

There was a$3 USD fee to visit Tortugranja, which we didn’t mind paying because that was pretty cheap compared to other attractions. Plus, we love sea turtles and it goes to a good cause 🙂 You could also buy turtle food and feed the cute turtles too!

After checking out the sea turtle conservatory, our hours were an empty canvas. So we decided to just follow the main road which loops around the island. During our ride, we got lost once and ended up in the residential part of town and saw some locals.

Eventually, we made it to Punta Sur, which is the southern tip of the island. There was a restaurant, souvenir shop, and mayan temples… but the most breathtaking part of Punta Sur was nature.

The southern tip was characterized by high, rugged, and rocky cliffs whereas the nothern tip (Punta Norte) features white sand beaches. It reminded me of Maui with all the lush tropical vegetation but also of Ireland’s cliffs.

We spent some time walking around here, and I also purchased a fresh coconut for only $3 usd! It was delicious and much needed hydration.

It was time to continue driving on the main road around the island. The drive to the north tip, Punta Norte, was about 15 minutes so you can see how small the island is. During the drive, it was mostly cliffs and rocky beaches so we just enjoyed the scenery from the golf cart. We passed some stray dogs and saw some beautifully designed Mexican-style homes. It was truly a sight for our eyes, since we watch a lot of interior design & HGTV shows!

Playa Norte is the postcard staple of Isla Mujeres – beautiful white sand beach, blue water, palm trees. However, it was also very crowded and hectic and not like Google Images. Souvenir stores dot the road and the sales people are extremely pushy, going up and following you.

In all honesty, I liked the southern tip more because it was calmer and no pushy sales people. Playa Norte was too busy for me, and we had the beautiful white sand beach and blue water at Cancun anyways!

The southern tip had more of the quiet, calm island vibe I was wanting. So after buying some souvenirs (and avoiding very pushy sales people), we quickly got out of Playa Norte and returned our golf cart and went back to the ferry terminal to our resort!

Writing this post, I just realized I didn’t take any pics at Playa Norte because it was so hectic and pushy that I just wanted to buy my souvenirs and go to the ferry terminal!

I would definitely recommend a few hours at Isla Mujeres. There are many restaurants to relax at, swimming with sharks, whales, snorkeling, etc etc. Although we didn’t partake in these activities as we wanted to save money, I have no regrets and enjoyed simply golf carting around the island with my other half.

Happy 2018! My first blog post of the year!

While in Mexico, the boyfriend and I wanted a relaxing vacation but also a couple days of adventure. On Trip Advisor, Xcaret Park was listed as one of the top activities and after doing some research on the park, it seemed like something that we would enjoy!

Xcaret Park is an eco-adventure park about 1 hour from Cancun and 15 minutes from Playa Del Carmen. When reading reviews, guests had mentioned the park is huge and I definitely have to agree. You should plan your day out or else you risk walking around aimlessly which cuts a lot of your time out.

Luckily, we got the insider scoop on the best way to maximize your time at Xcaret, which I will be sharing with you now! This is the order of activities that we did in the span of 12 hours (9am-9pm), not including a delicious lunch buffet next to their jaguar island. These activities are also all included in your admission price.

1- Paradise River: We started off with a relaxing boat ride along the river. For those who do not want to get wet or go swimming, this would be a great activity.

2- Shops/walking around: We spent about a hour following one of the paths, which had handmade souvenirs from local vendors, a fresh tortilla shop, woolmaking shop, and lots of art. Xcaret Park is extremely organized. They have different coloured marked paths so that you won’t get lost. Following the paths ensure that you reach your desired destination and that you are able to see everything.

3- Coral Reef Aquarium: We also spent some time checking out the marine life at the aquarium.

4- Jaguar Island: The jaguars are the largest cats in North America. We were able to spot 3 jaguars hanging out on the island. There is also the international buffet restaurant next to the Jaguar Island, so we enjoyed a delicious meal trying to spot the jaguars.

5- Underground river: This was the highlight of the day for me! There are natural underground rivers that run throughout the park. There are three rivers, and each of them end up at the opposite side of the park.

It was relaxing and really cool to float along the river and inside the caves. From one end to the other, it took 1 hour – which gives you an idea of how large the park is.

6- Take pictures by the coast: The most scenic part of Xcaret! Once we finished the underground river swim, we ended up by the rugged coast line. There were more restaurants, gift shops, and hammocks in this area. We spent some time taking pictures of the beautiful view here, which is a must.

7- Sea turtles & parrots: However, the path back was full of sights to see! We took pictures with parrots on our heads, walked by a beach and snorkelling area. We stumbled upon the sea turtle conservatory area. There were many types of sea turtles and babies here that would eventually be released back into the ocean.

8- Mayan village dance: After about a hour of walking back to the main area, we arrived to the Mayan Village to see the show! I quite enjoyed the cultural show which featured traditional dances and costumes

9- Dinner: At this point, we were just exhausted from all the activities. I would recommend going for a quick dinner. However, we decided to save money and buy some pastries and snacks from the gift shop instead.

10- Night show: The daily night show from 7-9 pm is a must see. The beginning performances had some fire shows, including an activity which looked like hockey except the puck was a flaming ball. Then, they had dance performances and music from different regions of Mexico. It was a great chance to see various cultures within Mexico and we really enjoyed it.

Little things:

– Organization: Xcaret is a very well organized and tidy park. Since it is a huge park, they have specially marked colour paths that you can follow to reach your destination. Following these colour paths will ensure that you make the most of your visit as you won’t be getting lost!

-Photo pass: For an extra fee of $75/group (max 10 people), there are many photo stations around the park which you then download online. When you reach a photo station, you scan your wristband and it will snap a photo for you. This feature came in really handy for us, and we were really happy with how the photos turned out – very high quality and professional looking.

-Convenience: They really have everything thought out here. For the underground river swim, you put your belongings in a large duffle bag (no valuables such as camera, phone, wallet). Your duffle bag with your belongings then get transported to the other end of the park, ready for pickup after you finish your swim. It was so nice to have our towels and shoes ready instantly.

-Transportation: Although I was provided with media passes, they did not come with transportation. We paid $30 each for a roundtrip shuttle bus. At the end of our 12 hour day, I was SO thankful we did because we were so tired. The bus ride was about 2 hours one way, which I used to nap. The buses were also air conditioned and have washrooms.

We had a really fun and smooth day at Xcaret, thanks to the organization of the park and friendly staff. Not only was it fun, but we learned so much about Mexican culture and history too! It was such a great day and I would recommend spending a day here when you’re in the area.

Disclaimer: Media entry passes provided. Opinions are own.

Hola! I am back in cold and foggy Vancouver after a beautiful, fun and relaxing vacation to Cancun! I was planning on doing some blogging over there, but unfortunately my laptop charger broke and was rendered useless. 🙁

Stay tuned for some travel posts on Cancun! The first review will be on our resort, Iberostar Cancun! It was both of our first time going to Mexico and doing an all-inclusive. Can’t believe four years has passed since our last vacation, this trip was much needed!
While looking for a place to go, Cancun was surprisingly not our first choice, nor was Mexico. I actually did not want to go to Mexico at all originally, due to all the bad food poisoning stories I have heard. However, we found some really nice resorts, did lots of research on preventing food poisoning and before I knew it, we had booked our tickets to Mexico!

The boyfriend was the one who found Iberostar Cancun online. We were debating on going to Cancun or Puerto Vallarta but decided on Iberostar Cancun because it looked really nice. The trade off was that our trip was shortened 2 days because Iberostar Cancun was more expensive.

I am not even sure how to begin this review because I don’t think I will do it justice. Iberostar Cancun met and exceeded all our expectations. It’s hard to clearly articulate my thoughts on the resort because all I want to write is IT WAS AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL YOU NEED TO GO BYE but that isn’t too informative now is it? LOL! So let’s break it down into five categories: resort grounds, service, beach/pool, entertainment, room, and food.

Resort Grounds

Situated right on the coast, the resort ground was stunning. Infinity pool, swim up bars, endless beach chairs, manicured lawns, palm trees… they did a fantastic job curating the perfect tropical getaway. The resort was clean and spotless, and they used hawks as a natural pest control.

Service

Service was impeccable. The staff at Iberostar Cancun worked really hard to upkeep the beautiful resort grounds, especially the dining staff. We were always greeted by staff while walking around the resort. Over the week, we started to recognize the dining staff as well as the other way around. The only time we didn’t have good service was at their Japanese restaurant.

They had a large number of staff working each day to meet the needs of the guests. There was a server on the beach, many waiters/waitresses, groundskeepers, towel staff, bartenders, front desk, and maintenance.

Beach/pool

It was my first time on a tropical vacation, and I kept asking myself if I was dreaming or not. The beach was tastefully planned for the ultimate relaxation. I lost count of how many times I drifted off on the beach despite party music playing a few meters away.

The pool seemed endless as well and planned with thought. There was a swim up bar so that you could chill in the pool while getting drinks. This bar was the most crowded and loud though, I preferred to get my drinks on the beach. The pool only went up to my shoulders and I am 5’3, I think they designed it like that so that guests can just chill with a drink in the pool.

Entertainment

For the first five nights, we didn’t take advantage of their nightly entertainment options. We went to the night shows for the last two nights, which start promptly at 9:45pm. The first one we went to was their magic show, which was really impressive and not disappointing at all. The second one was a live Disney musical, where they played clips of certain Disney movies and performers would come out in costume and do a dance routine.

Before the shows, they also had hilarious segments with the audience. It had us cracking up and almost in tears! I wish that we went to more of the shows!

Room 

Each room at Iberostar Cancun faces the ocean, so you are guaranteed an ocean view no matter which room type you select. They do not have rooms on the other face that face the street.

Despite having the most basic room, it was very comfortable and relaxing. The king sized bed came with what seemed like an endless supply of pillows, which I had no idea what to do with. The wifi in the room was very strong as there is a router in each room.

The bathroom is separated into two sections: one area with a large counter and sink, the other with a toliet and shower.

We took advantage of the room service numerous times! It was great after a long day of exploring and when we just wanted to chill. Although they always told us it would take 30 minutes, the food would arrive in under 20 minutes.

Food

Food!!! Iberostar Cancun had many food options… buffet, a fine dining French restaurant, steakhouse, Japanese restaurant, Mexican restaurant, burger bar by the pool, and room service. This does not include the numerous drink bars either!

We mainly ate at the buffet and the food was delicious. Main highlights of the food buffet were the fresh guava juice, freshly baked croissants, and guacamole.

The Japanese restaurant was also good, it was teppanyaki so we were able to see the chef cook our meal. It was entertaining and fun.

If you’re thinking of doing an all-inclusive in Cancun, I would not hesitate one bit to recommend Iberostar Cancun. It was such a great experience here and exactly what we wanted on a tropical getaway. Even though our vacation has ended, I constantly find myself daydreaming about relaxing on the beach under their straw huts with a pina colada in my hand.

Disclaimer:Resort stay purchased by myself. Opinions are own. 

 

I envy those people who just hop on planes every couple months or so! Well, not really because I don’t like plane rides… but I DO look forward to getting off that plane and exploring the destination!

Lately, I’ve been having a strong desire to travel but my next trip will be soon! To where? You guessed it… Cancun, Mexico! The boyfriend and I are celebrating a couple major accomplishments and it’ll be our first airplane trip together in FOUR years.

The last time we went on a plane together, I didn’t even have this blog yet… which is really saying something! We have done some short weekend getaways but not more than 4 hours drive away from Vancouver. I’m looking forward to a “real” vacation!

Anyways, to curb my travelling desire and to share my excitement, I’ve decided to write a Cancun bucket list!

Here are the things that we would like to do:

Day trip to Isla Mujeres: Isla Mujeres is a very tiny island about a 15 minute ferry ride from Cancun. There are also lots of excursions to do here, but we will probably just do a stroll of the island and relax on the beach to save some $.

Playa Norte, one of the beaches there, looks absolutely breathtaking so I imagine that there will be some time spent there too!

Snorkelling: Snorkelling is an absolute must! It’s both our first time in a tropical place, and we’ve both always wanted to try it. We are excited to be partnering up with Total Snorkel Cancun for our first ever snorkel experience!

You can also check out their Facebook and Instagram for more pictures!

Downtown Cancun: Cancun is divided into two sections: the Hotel Zone and Downtown. Most of the resorts are in the Hotel Zone, whereas Downtown Cancun has more of a local vibe. There are also shopping malls but I don’t really want to shop at western stores because I can do that in Vancouver.

I want to see the local vendors and markets there instead! Apparently, Cancun is well known for their vanilla extract too which you can buy in this area.

 

Cancun Underwater Museum (MUSA): At the bottom of the warm, beautiful waters of Cancun, lies an underwater museum dedicated to the art of conservation. It seems like a very unique activity!

Our 2 hour snorkelling package with Total Snorkel Cancun includes a visit to MUSA.

Cozumel: This is a bit of a stretch and I don’t know if we will end up having enough time to do this, but Cozumel would be really nice to check out too. It is an island in the Carribean Sea and a very popular cruise port. It looks very beautiful but it takes 3 hours from Cancun, which means 6 hours round trip. Reviews I’ve read recommend Isla Mujeres instead since it’s closer.

Last but not least, most of our time will be spent relaxing on the beach or swimming pools at the resort of course! It’s funny because usually when travelling, we don’t purposely try to spend time at the hotel and rather go out and explore… but that’s how it goes with an all inclusive!

For more things to do, check out Cancun Riveria Maya’s website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! They are also a reliable and trustworthy site to book your snorkeling tour with Total Snorkel Cancun.

Do you have any Cancun recommendations? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: Post in partnership with Total Snorkel Cancun, in exchange for media passes.