How I accidentally planned the most perfect last minute vacation
Usually "last minute planning" and "perfect vacation" don't go hand in hand. But after returning on Sunday from a weeklong vacation in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Brian and I have accomplished that sought after combination. There were several times over the course of the week that we would look at each other and simultaneously say, “how the hell did we pull this off?” While it could be a fluke, I think the combination of Groupon, patience, Brian’s uncanny ability to meet people even thousands of miles from home, and a lot of flexibility had a huge part in how we made this last minute vacation so successful.
Outer wall of Tulum Mayan Ruins guarded by one of the many iguanas wandering the site
At the beginning of May, Brian was offered a new job and before he accepted, he and I went back and forth for a while about if he should take an extra few days before starting so we could take a trip and if we do, where? Finally we decided to go somewhere. We had a problem though. Money. Our solution: Groupon Getaways. Bet you didn’t see that coming! Honestly, I didn’t either. I was incredibly hesitant. Like so hesitant that I was dreading the trip (sorry Brian). But after a heart-to-heart, reading reviews, and unsuccessfully trying to quell my wanderlust, we agreed and spent all of our free time for the next week trying to decide which getaway worked for us. If you have never looked at Groupon Getaways, they usually consist of an all-inclusive resort on a touristy beach in a tourist city. In high school I had gone to Mexico and stayed at an all-inclusive resort, and at the time it was great. But I had, at that point, not done all the traveling I have now and made this the idea of sitting by a pool at a thousand room resort made me feel a little trapped. I pictured being forced to only order from a limited room service menu, to not go for walks on the beach because of the rock walls breaking up the shoreline by each resort, to being locked away and not being able to experience any of the amazing culture our destination offered.
We ended up deciding on the Groupon solely on the fact that we would get a passport stamp without racking up some serious credit card debt. For a very reasonable price of $499 (minus $50 for the coupon code I found) Brian and I were able to secure a six-night stay in a hotel, all meals from four restaurants, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, access to the beach club, and our non-stop flights to and from Cancun.
We arrived at our hotel literally having no idea what to expect. Maybe it was because our expectations were low or because we could not have picked a better location if we tried, but we were over the moon about the location of Tukan Hotel and Beach Club. We drove past dozens of mega-resorts along Highway 307 on our way from Cancun with grand entrances that tended to lean towards the gaudy side. Our little Tukan was made up of several buildings covering only one block that all surrounded the open air reception and pool area. The rear entrance of the hotel opened directly onto Quinta Avenida, the main concentration of stores, restaurant, clubs, and whatever else you could dream of. Cross over Quinta Avenida and go one block further and you’re on the beach. With just this one feature, all of my fears of being sequestered by the four walls of a pool melted away (it could have also been the Mexican heat).
I had read a week before on one of my favorite blogs that it was the beginning of whale shark season in Mexico and seeing them was definitely on my radar to try to have a chance to see one. So while we were out wandering and came across signs for tours to swim with whale sharks, I planted the little seed in Brian’s head that whale sharks were the way to my heart. Being the good dude he is, we booked the tour the next day and on Tuesday all of the magic that is a giant ocean fish happened! Promise, more on this glory later. While it was a little pricey, we didn’t feel at all guilty about spending the money for the amazing opportunity because we hadn’t paid a ton to get to the paradise we were in. We were also able to haggle our way to a discounted rate. Another fave thing about Mexico, everything is negotiable.
One thing that there is not a shortage of in Playa del Carmen is the opportunity for tours. But they tend to be an all day affair and are $$$. Did I mention that our hotel was in the most perfect location? Only about six blocks south of the hotel, you can pick up a large passenger van called a Collectivo. Collectivos are used by locals to get to basically anywhere on Highway 307 South of PDC to Tulum and cost a whopping 80 pesos for the both of us, which is the equivalent of about $4 USD, each way. We used the Collectivos again the next day to get to a cenote 20 minutes south of PDC for a grand total of $30 USD each, including our entrance fee to the park. As long as you have you're walking shoes on, your day will be amazing and full of cool, crystal clear water as reward.
I'm sure you have figured out by now that I am not a big beach sitter. I love the ocean and the beach, but I love seeing more of a place than just a few miles of sand. So, while access to Kool Beach Club was included in our package, Brian and I only spent one day there. The second day we spent in the city, we walked the 4 streets up to the beach club, reserved ourselves a set of chairs close to the bar and lathered on our sunscreen. All of our drinks were included, and there was a little confusion as to whether or not food was, too. Brian said no, I said yes. We ended up eating back at the hotel anyway for a late lunch that day and we never made it back to the Club to find out. But, if all day beach lounging is what your after it was definitely the place to be. There was a restaurant on site, two bars, two pools, and obviously the beach. There was a DJ spinning by one pool, but I did sometimes question his music selection. I think our initial appeal to the beach club was it would keep us out of trouble, and by trouble I mean it would keep us from spending too much money.
As far as the restaurants associated with Tukan- The Living Bar is where it's at. This is where we concluded all of our nights, sipping our cocktails and people watching. Man, was it good people watching. It is all open air and made watching the American Cup Soccer tournament a fun experience. The wait staff (shout out to Caser!) was super friendly. La Cieba is the buffet restaurant just across the street from the main part of the hotel. We really only ate breakfast here. It was a pretty impressive spread with fresh omelettes made to order. Only downside: I would have loved more grab and go options like fresh fruit. Legends Sports Bar was the real MVP on the trip though. Brian's favorite hockey team was playing the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals while we were in Mexico. Seeing as he loves the Penguins more than he loves me, we could NOT miss a game. Legends put it on their projector screen and we had a lot of fun watching it outside with some other fans.
There are a few things I would keep in mind though. One being that tips are not included in your reservation. So while it is not required to tip, it is a really nice gesture. Especially considering minimum wage in Quintana Roo is only $66.45 Mexican Pesos per hour, equal to about $3.65 USD. Tipping standards are similar to that in the states ranging from 15-20% of your bill. Don't worry about trying to do the math after the countless pina coladas you've had, you get a bill after you finish you meals or drinks. Should you not want to carry cash, you are able to charge it to your room and pay for it upon leaving. If you are planning on taking any tours with a tour company, they generally charge in USD and most times will not have the ability to take credit card. So I recommend planning this in advance if you want to pay with a credit card.
After being pleasantly surprised with how our trip panned out, Brian and I are already very much looking forward to returning to Playa in the future and hope to bring some of our friends along with us.
Have you ever planned a last minute international trip? How did it work out?
