FAMILY OF FIVE TAKES TO THE TROPICS
Coming back from vacation to the cold New York winter is hard to do – especially after the trip we just had together in the sunny and beautiful land of Mexico! I can’t wait to tell all of you about our amazing experience, from the food to the scenery and all of the adventures in between. This was our first trip as a family of five, so planning our accommodations needed to be quick, effortless and cost-efficient. I used Hotel Tonight to book a hotel deal that was too good to pass up. It’s one of my favorite apps – and keeps things spontaneous when the Dekel clan is feeling the urge to travel. We discovered great hotels while using this app, and the deals are awesome!
My last trip to Mexico was in 2006, and I haven’t been able to get the country out of my head since. Noam and I had wanted to take a trip here when I was pregnant for our babymoon, but the Zika virus had delayed our plans until now. Looking back, I’m happy we got to wait because now all three kids were able to join us on our family excursion – first stop, Playa del Carmen!
We stayed at the Thompson Hotel, which had everything we needed and more. This boutique hotel was situated in the perfect spot: close to the shoreline and to the city. Besides being beautifully designed, the hotel was also kid-friendly and the rooftop pool not only overlooked the beach (such an amazing view!) but also had shallow areas that were perfect for Yuli and Ori to splash around in.
After a long day at the pool, we ordered room service so we could relax in bed after a pretty hectic first day. Did I mention our flight was at 7:00 AM? This mom only caught 20 minutes of sleep before we started on our journey. I packed until 3:20 AM and woke up at 3:40 to get the kids up and out of the house. Some fresh Mexican food in our hotel suite was definitely deserved ☺! The boys were happy too, and we think they found a new favorite food. The guacamole was some of the best I’ve had, and it was great to see the boys enjoy this nutritious spread with their meal. The tacos got some good points too... :-)
After the kids went to sleep, Noam and I were able to dip in to the Jacuzzi on our balcony and experience some must-needed adult time. Playa del Carmen is so full of energy and contains an amazing vibe that was both relaxing and invigorating. We found ourselves walking through the city and along the shore at night with the strollers and baby Romi in a carrier on my chest. These moments were some of my favorites from the entire trip.
The plan was to spend three nights in Playa del Carmen, and then drive over to Tulum for three more nights, but as most moms know trips abroad can be unpredictable when toddlers and babies are involved! Yuli unfortunately got sick on the second day with a high fever, and Romi followed with the same sort of sickness. We decided to stay in Playa just in case they would have had to see a doctor, which would have been easily accessible to us in the city. Both the kids began to feel better with some rest, and we all got to enjoy the fantastic rooftop pool for a few days longer.
We got to Tulum at night, so I didn’t understand the hype of this trendy vacation destination at first look. The morning was a different story. I woke up to the sound of birds (which is quite different from the noise of subways and construction in NYC that we are accustomed to), and the kids opened their eyes to paradise. Tropical trees and jungle-like scenery surrounded our private villa that was just steps away from the sand.
The Rosa de Viento was incredible and our room was huge, fitting all of us easily. Breakfast was included which made mornings a breeze for us and the kids. We started each day with fresh juices and bowls of fruit and then rode bicycles through the town. The staff was extremely friendly with two sweet front desk attendants even offering to babysit! Although we didn’t use the service, it was great to know that this option was possible.
The waters of Tulum were crystal clear and the entire environment made me realize how nice is it for us to immerse ourselves in nature every once and a while. Each restaurant we saw was charming and romantic – I definitely want to come back again! Maybe next time just Noam and I…
For now, I’ll be dreaming of Mexico in this chilly weather.
Neshikot=Xx,
DIkla
