One of our members, Yaro, wanted to tell us about his experience in Playa Del Carmen. A very interesting read especially if you’re a single traveler!
So I recently returned from an all-inclusive vacation in Playa Del Carmen, which is located on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. This was my fourth all-inclusive trip to Mexico, but a first one to an adult only resort. Needless to say, unless you don’t like the sun, the beach, or free alcohol, all-inclusive resorts are a blast. Of course, there are many different ways one can spend time at such resorts, but that all depends on who you’re going with.
I’ve been fortunate enough to go to all-inclusive resorts on 4 different types of vacations. Once as a couple, once on a bachelor’s party, once for a wedding, and once as one of four couples. Of all those times, one apparent factor was constant. The more people went the better the trip was. Now I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t spend time with your significant other or that I didn’t have a good time with my future wife, but let’s call a spade a spade. When the majority of you vacation is spent lying on the beach, playing volleyball, snorkeling, eating, and drinking, it’s just that much more fun to do so in a large group.
First of all, there are things that only you or your significant other might want to do, so that leaves the other person “stranded.” With more people present, chances of you doing stuff alone decrease substantially. For example, let’s say you’re an avid adventure-type, who loves zip-lining, while your partner is more of an arts-and-crafts person. Instead of each of you doing your own thing alone, or forcing the other person to do what he/she does not want to do, with a group of friends, you each get to do what you like, but now with a friend. That sounds good to me.
Second advantage of a large group is dining and eating. Those of us who have been to Vegas know what it’s like to go to a nice buffet to only be disappointed by the not-so-vast size of our stomachs. Well, all-inclusive resorts are like that, except instead of having only buffets, you have 5-7 4-star restaurants and all within walking distance of your room. With the two of you, there is only so much you can feast on, but the larger the group, the more awesome stuff you can taste. I don’t think I need to go into reasons why a large group works better when you’re drinking.
Third, think about the memories and stories. When you’re at a party and telling a story of how terrific the Caribbean Sea was or how you hurt your foot when you stepped on a sea urchin, it sounds a lot more fun when other people cannot only contribute to the events that took place there, but also validate them (yes, I really did step on a sea urchin). Just to be able to share laughs, fun facts, drunken incidents, or plain stupid or embarrassing moments, it’s worth doing so with a bunch of friends.
Last, but not least, Mexico offers outdoor fun and history, where in many other places you have to choose one. You can explore the Mayan culture and visit the famous ruins of Chichen Itza, Tulum, or Coba, and at the same time, kayak to beautiful reefs where you can snorkel with the sting rays and tropical fish. You can ATV, zip-line, and swim with the dolphins, and at the same time, visit a Mayan village and swim in the mysterious and gorgeous cenotes.
So next time you’re planning a vacation, don’t hesitate to call your friends and tell them you have a vacation in mind that they will never forget. Or, travel with us and make friends for a life time!
