Hola from Mexico! I finally made my way to the Riviera Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula on Mexico's Caribbean. For me it is different from the other Caribbean regions I have visited so far beacuse the culture and beaches are much different here. This part of the Caribbean is not only a beach destination, but the Riviera Maya also rich with culture, great food, natural beauty, wildlife and really nice people. I totally enjoyed my vacation here. It is important to make sure you stay at a great hotel in a prime location right on the beach. My first day I arrived here around 3.00pm. I flew from New York on a very early morning flight. I was quite tired when I arrived but the good thing is that I did not lose a whole day after arriving here. I still had plenty of time on my first day to enjoy snacking by the beach and swimmin in one of the many hotel pools and then heading off for a few cocktails to end the night.

The Fairmont Mayakoba is a wonderul and unique hotel resort.  the resort is surrounded by a natural lagoon, wildlife and private beach. There are three restuarants and many beautiful pools here at the Fairmont. Just spending time in the resort and enjoying all of the amenities is already relaxing. I spent my second day relaxing by the beach, lunching on tacos and drinking habanero infused tequila on the beach, laying down and enjoying some sun bathing. The service here at the Fairmont is excellent. I always feel that great service makes my stay even more memorable. I love talking to the nice people who work at the hotel and really enjoy what they are doing - this has been my experience with the Fairmont team anywhere I go. The local people here are so sweet. I became know by the staff within a day as I was always asking them to make my cocktail extra spicy and they did a wonderful job! It is a simple happiness just to relax and enjoy myself here. 

The Riviera Maya is a vast area and it is important to rent a car because it can take 20 minutes to over an hour to visit the other attractions in the area including Tulum, Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and others. There are just so many interesting sightseeing and things to do.  For me, since I am here only for 5 days I could not visit all of the places I wanted to see so I have chosen to visit only the top on my list.  For this trip I the high expectation of snorkeling with whale sharks. I booked the trip well in advance but received a cancellation at the last minute due to the weather - rain, wind and heavy surf.  Unfortunately I never had the chance to snorkel with the whale sharks on this trip but I hope I will make it happen someday in the near future. Instead, I decided to visit one of the most beautiful beach in Mexico, Tulum beach. The beach is located in a national park area with the magnificent ancient ruins from the times of the Mayan empire. It is gorgeous here in Tulem; a big wide beach with soft white sand. There are large coral reefs in the area so I went for a snorkeling trip and was able to see many beautiful fish and the beautiful reef. Visiting Tulum was worthwhile because of the pristine beach, historical sightseeing and I also had a great lunch right on the beach which I did not expect at all. The grilled barracuda filet that I ordered turned out to be a great lunch and it was extremely fresh - what else can I ask for?

When you visit Riviera Maya, it's a good idea to visit 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen at least once to experience the downtown nightlife, bars, restaurants and souvenir shopping. Again, it's about a 20 minute drive from the Fairmont but definitely take a cab for safety if you plan to drink. I went to one of the best taco place in town, El Fongo. It was great, authentic and also a fine Mexican cuisine dining experience. I love the overall vibe on 5th Avenue. This restaurant is famous and there is always a line outside so prepare to wait. However, please be alert while you out at night. I felt quite weird while I was having dinner at El Fongo, while I was eating I felt like someone was watching me and my eyes caught on this guy who was outside the restaurant, but he seemed to blend himself in with the other people waiting so I ignored the feeling. After dinner I walked from this restaurant to 5th Avenue where there are lots of bars, restaurants and shops. I found a cool live band at a local bar so I went in and ordered a drink and about 10 minutes later the same guy who Ithought was watching me from the other restuarant came into the bar and sat next to me. It was a bit scary because the whole time he was following me so I decided to leave. Please do not misunderstand I am a bit sensitive and wary of things like this since I had such a bad experience on my trip in Istanbul earlier this year so I know it is not always safe. You never know so I thought it was better to just leave for my own safety.

As I told you before, in my opinion Tulum is the best beach in the Riviera Maya region so I decided to go back again and enjoy the day. There are so many things to do and attractions to see in the Riviera Maya that once you get there you will definitely figure out what you want to do.  i highly recommend the whale shark snorkeling tours and don't miss on the chance to snorkel at the world's second largest coral reef in off of Cozumel. According to my short schdule and weather, I was not able to do these side trips as I had planned, but at least I got to snorkel at Tulum. Keep in mind that each of these trips take time for transportation, it is a half day trip to go for whale shark snorkleing and you start very early in the morning.  I will definitely find a chance to snorkel with whale sharks in the near future becuse that is one of my dreams! Overall, this trip to the Riviera Maya was absolutely wonderful. If you are looking for a luxury vacation while still enjoying exotic food and exploring the pristine nature, I recommend the Riviera May.  I can definitely say that the Fairmont Mayakoba is a great place to stay. Please consider a longer stay because it is quite a large area and you may want to explore and  experience many more of the fun activities here. For more information and booking your trip please fill out our travel request form to start your exclusive personalized vacation package.