By: Elizabeth Wilding
There are few things better than a tropical resort vacation - the relaxing sound of waves crashing on the beach as you read a book, a cold pina colada by the pool, getting ready for dinner after sitting in the sun all day. Tan lines, good vibes, and of course, zero worries. This is you ultimate travel guide for your resort vacation!
We stayed at the Grand Oasis Cancun, in which we found on Groupon for an amazing deal! If you are looking for a budget friendly all inclusive, with shows, a nightclub, beach access, and multiple pools, this one is for you! It is not the nicest resort on planet earth as the beach had a bunch of seaweed buildup and the food is typical resort food, but that can all be overlooked for the other amenities offered (and the price!).
What to Bring
Bathing suits and cover ups - I bring four to five bathing suits because I HATE putting on wet bathing suits!
Dinner outfits - this means something different to everyone, but I pack one nice dinner outfit per night (plus one or two extras so that I can have options!). For me, this is cute dresses and matching sets with nice sandals or heels.
Casual day outfits - again, this means something different to everyone, but I like to pack one to two pairs of shorts (jean shorts being one of them, black athletic shorts being the other), casual tops, and sandals. It is nice to bring at least one athletic outfit and tennis shoes in case you utilize the gym, go on an excursion where you might get wet, or to throw on for breakfast!
Sunscreen and aloe vera - if you are pasty like me, you're going to regret not bringing sunscreen! You can buy it at the resort, but expect it to cost triple what you would pay for it at home. Don't forget other toiletry items such as makeup, skincare, shampoo and conditioner, a razer, and deodorant.
A beach read is a MUST for me. If you aren't a reader, you're missing out on all the relaxing vacation vibes a book on the beach provides! I also bring a journal.
Sunglasses and/or hats that block the sun, for obvious reasons.
Underwater camera, gopro, or disposable camera - if getting cute pictures on vacation is exciting to you, I highly suggest at least bringing a disposable camera! It is so much fun and the pictures turn out so different than iPhone photos. Bonus points if you bring a water proof pouch for excursions.
A plastic bag or two - this is mainly for packing wet clothes/swimsuits for the way home. Nothing is worse than a damp suitcase!
A nice water bottle (Stanley, Yeti, etc.) - most bartenders will make your drinks in your own water bottle (they stay cold for longer!)
My Resort Morning Routine
Good morning!! For some reason I am always the first one awake, so I take the liberty of taking all of the towels to claim a spot by the pool or on the beach. Sometimes, I will even bring a book or a journal (something people probably won't steal) to put on the seats so no one will take them. This is critical for getting a good spot! Next, I do a solo breakfast. My friend Maddie, whom I was traveling with, isn't a breakfast eater (I always bring her back a banana or muffin!), but I do not mind because it is nice to have alone time on vacation. The reason Maddie and I travel so well together is we allow each other space - if I want to take a nap and she wants to stay by the pool, there is no hard feelings. When you're with someone 24/7 on the trip, it is essential to do a few things alone. After breakfast, I stop at a coffee shop to get lattes to go, then head back to the room to get ready for the pool/beach!
Excursions
I recommend going on one or two excursions on your trip (which are usually an extra charge, but totally worth it!). Excursions help to break up the trip so you don't end up bored at the resort (dare I say it, sometimes doing the same thing for 7 days straight gets old, even if all you want to do is relax! I find doing an excursion or two makes you appreciate lounging around at the resort more, or maybe it's just me!).
Since we were at the resort for 6 days, we decided to only do one excursion. We signed up through the resort for a day trip to Chichen Itza, one of the new seven wonders of the world! The bus picked up up at the resort bright and early, and our first stop was in a local Mexican village for souvenir shopping, where we picked up a few postcards.
Next, we headed to Chichen Itza! When we got there, they assigned us a tour guide who spoke English. He was the sweetest man on planet earth and he gave us all the insider scoop on the Mayan ruins because his family is of the Mayan decent. He also has multiple history degrees and he was telling us discrepancies in what textbooks say about the ruins and what the Mayans report the facts are. The experience was incredible and the tour allowed lots of time to explore!
After we adventured around Chichen Itza, we got back on the bus for a traditional Mexican lunch. We were so hungry when we got there that I didn't take a single picture of the meal! During the lunch, there were traditional Mexican dancers twirling with trays of cerveza on their heads and a Mayan drumming ceremony.
Our last stop was at a cenote, which might have been my favorite part of the excursion! Cenotes are natural holes in the ground (specifically limestone) that exposes pools of water. Before you can jump in, you have to take a shower to rinse off all the unnatural products we may have on our bodies - it keeps the cenotes clean. They give you a life jacket, and you are free to swim! There is also a ledge where you can cliff jump into the water. This was such a cool experience.
What We Did at the Resort
Grand Oasis Cancun offered a lot of activities to partake in at the pools and on the beach. They have a crew that put on singing and dancing competitions on stage (somehow I got roped into the singing competition...I'll spare you the videos of have of this!), pool parties, and giant Jenga and other games on the beach. One of the days we went to a color party at the pool, where each person was handed an envelope of powdered paint and at the same time we all tossed the powder it in the air while they played music and everyone danced. It was so much fun, but you definitely have to jump in the ocean after!
The resort also had different shows you could go to at night, which you could find the schedule on the resort's app!
We also frequented the 'nightclub' called Coyote Loco, which was just a bar with a DJ where you could dance and mingle with other vacationers! I love Spanish music, so this was right up my alley.
Of course, we did a lot of swimming in the ocean and relaxing on the beach (possibly even take a beach nap or two!). Nothing takes your stress away quite like the sound of waves crashing against the sand. We took long walks along the coast line, hunted for shells, and even went back at night to search for crabs (please be careful on the beach at night, not all resorts are safe!).
One of my favorite activities is to read by the pool. Our resort can amazing cabanas and day beds (these go fast, so make sure you get to the pool early to claim them!). I love a good romantic comedy on vacation! For times when you don't want to read by the pool, bring headphones, make a beach vibes playlist and get your tan on!
When you get too hot from laying in the sun, you know its time to hop in the water! We met a lot of cool people while sitting in the lounge pools, some that we even met up with later in the evening.
The best part of the day is always getting ready for dinner - you probably just woke up from a post pool day nap, you have freshly tan skin, and you slip into a cute outfit. The obvious next thing to do is get cute pictures - why vacation if you're not going to post about it (this is a joke, you can laugh)?!
Resort food is usually pretty mediocre, but you always find one or two items that you crave each day. For us it was popsicles and tacos!
Why does it seem like sunsets hit different at the beach!? Some days we decide to take a sunset swim in the ocean, other days we sit somewhere to take it all in!
My friend Maddie and I started a tradition that every time we walked by the mirror in front of the elevator, we took a mirror selfie! I feel like these small traditions are the memories that you remember forever.
Hopefully this blog post makes you feel excited for your upcoming beach vacation or makes you feel inspired to book one!!
