It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I have been super busy! I wanted to share a recap of my fabulous trip to Mexico.

I’ve only flown one other time before, and that was to Disney World with my best friend when I was 18. It is a trip that will literally live in infamy for us. After stuffing my face with eggs and fruit for breakfast, we were up in the air. Since the flight was so early, we decided to get some shut-eye. Well, I woke up mid-turbulence and before I could process the nausea I was experiencing, up my breakfast came. All over the window, myself, and the people in front of us. My friend’s dad desperately tried to get a stewardess to bring me some paper towels and water, but they couldn’t remove their seatbelts because of the turbulence. I had to sit in my throw up for minutes. Meanwhile, my friend awoke from her nap in a groggy state and didn’t realize right away that I was covered in my breakfast. Like any true best friend, she helped me wash my clothes off in the bathtub once we checked into our hotel.

So it’s been six years since I’ve flown. Not necessarily because I didn’t want to (college and life got in the way) but I have always been a bit fearful about my next trip into the skies. When my boyfriend asked me at Christmas last year if we could go on vacation, I immediately had flashbacks to my trip to Disney. When we finally settled on Playa del Carmen in Mexico, I knew I would need to take some precautions this time around. I’m pleased to announce that I had no throwing up incidents on this trip! Phew! I did not eat before our 7am flight and just remained calm with some water and juice. Easy, breezy.

Once in Mexico, Cancun International Airport was a zoo! We, luckily, breezed right through customs and were released into the shark-tank filled with solicitors. Time shares, nightclubs, drug dealers, all swarming. Once outside waiting for our shuttle, we were pleasantly greeted by a man selling beers for $1. Yes, please. We sipped our beers for our 35 minute drive from the airport to the hotel. Our home for the next six days was Hotel Lunata.

Courtesy of Hotel Lunata

I came across this place while booking our trip via Expedia and it had some of the best reviews that I have read on that site. It was very no-frills, understated, and authentic. I was obsessed. Plus, take a look at that shower! Gah!

Courtesy of Hotel Lunata

The hotel is situated right in the heart of Playa, on the famous 5th Avenue. Shops, bars and restaurants abound! It was so fun wandering up and down the street, checking out all the little shops and experiencing the lively culture. Plus, our room had a balcony overlooking the street, which was fantastic for people watching. If we are ever lucky enough to go back, we would gladly stay there again.

A lot went into the decision process for where to go. We both made lists of musts. Well, let me rephrase. Mine had musts, my boyfriend’s just had one must. We must be able to go fishing. WELL! That didn’t help me out much. I did hours upon hours of research (seriously) before coming to the conclusion that it would be Playa del Carmen in Mexico. We decided we didn’t want to do all-inclusive for a number of reasons. The biggest being that we wanted freedom, and to be able to spend the money on experiences, not an all-inclusive package of mediocre food and drinks. Playa is like the college-graduate version of Cancun. There are still wild bars and parties, but the crowds are just a bit older and more mature. We weren’t looking to do any hard partying, but it was nice to know that we could find it close by.

After traveling all day, we had a nice dinner a couple of blocks down and turned in early. We had an appointment scheduled the next day at the Jungle Spa that we needed to be up for…

Stay tuned for my “part two” of the recap where I talk about my butt-naked chocolate massage, our doomed fishing charter, and some Mayan ruins! =)