I just got back from a very relaxing vacation at the El Dorado Casitas Royale (a resort that’s very popular with my honeymoon clients), and my husband was nice enough to write a “guest blog” post describing the experience from his point of view. Since he’s an all-inclusive “newbie”, and has not been to Mexico in many years, I figured his feedback would be more interesting to most people than mine.
“Your wife is a travel agent? Wow, you must get to go on some pretty cool trips.”
How right you are!
Even travel agents need to get away from it all, and this past week I was able to sneak away with Annie for a trip to El Dorado Casitas Royale, an adults- only resort just south of Cancun. I hadn’t been to Mexico in over 15 years, and had never spent any length of time at an all inclusive resort. Both were a pleasant revelation!
The flight to Cancun via Charlotte was easy as could be, and we were in Mexico in no time. Upon arrival at Cancun airport, one of the many perks of listening to my agent really came in handy. Annie had reserved a private transfer for us from the airport to the hotel. My Spanish is non-existent, and while the Cancun airport is modern and easy to navigate, having a driver to meet you and lead you where you needed to go took away whatever stress there might have been in getting out of the airport and to our resort.
The Casitas is part of the El Dorado Royale, an adults-only resort. While we love our kids and travel with them frequently, sometimes you want to get away from it all. The Casitas was a perfect location to get away and unwind. We were welcomed at the front desk of the El Dorado Royale with champagne, and later transferred via golf cart to the Casitas section of the hotel for our room assignment.
Our room may have been the most “basic” of the categories offered in the Casitas section, but it was one of the most comfortable and well laid out of any that we have visited. It had all the amenities, including a Jacuzzi, a screened in porch with a day bed, a mini bar, an outdoor shower, and a rain shower that made me want to renovate my bathroom at home!
As an “all inclusive newbie” I was concerned that I would be underwhelmed by the food, but I was told by my favorite travel agent that Karisma resorts prides itself on their restaurants, and nothing in my experience led me to think otherwise. We did tend to gravitate towards the restaurants and bars in the Casitas section of the resort. Kampai is done on a Pacific Rim theme which you would think would somewhat limit its menu, but during the course of our stay we ate breakfast, lunch and dinner here, and always found plenty to enjoy. D’Italia is, as the name would suggest, an Italian restaurant, and the meal here was probably my favorite of the trip. We were disappointed that due to a scheduling conflict of my making (more on that below) we were not able to eat at Fuentes ( a culinary theatre), but we met several people who thought it the best of the best. I may have started out high up on the all inclusive food ladder, but I wouldn’t hesitate to say that the food was quite good.
By far the best part of the Casitas experience for me was all of the spaces that you could visit to lay out and sun without feeling the least bit crowded. If you’ve ever been on a cruise ship during peak season and had to get up earlier than you do at home just to save a deck chair, you’ll appreciate the variety of options available throughout the day to find that perfect space to sit and read, sun worship, or enjoy a cocktail or two. Whether it be the several pools with swim up bars or the daybeds on the beach, we never had trouble finding a prime spot to sit and enjoy the beautiful weather.
I did also learn one of the many things that make my wife’s job difficult. Not knowing better, I would have assumed that all Caribbean resorts on the water have great beaches. Not true! While the physical plant and grounds of this resort are some of the nicest I’ve seen, I was surprised to see that it would not be the best choice for someone who loved water sports or the feeling of talcum powder sand between their toes. Not being much of a beach goer myself, this was of no consequence to me, and I was happy to spend my limited time at the beach sitting in a day bed reading a book. Annie explained that there are resorts nearby that do offer better beach experiences, and it’s one of the things she asks her clients about when deciding what resort(s) to recommend. Who knew?!
Annie unfortunately not only married a lawyer (who probably asks more questions than he should) but a non sun worshipper who has been known to get antsy even in the most gorgeous of locations with the best of company if he sits still too long. Luckily, not only is my wife a talented travel agent, she’s an accommodating sort who knows I would rather be standing in the hot sun in a remote location fishing than laying at the pool at a gorgeous resort. (If you can’t tell by now, she’s also the smarter of us two!). Given this, she made arrangements for me to spend two days at Pesca Maya lodge near Ascension Bay. For those interested in light tackle fishing, I can’t recommend a trip there highly enough, and if you have an interest, please check out my TripAdvisor review here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g667233-d481691-r185523023-Pesca_Maya_Fishing_Lodge-Punta_Allen_Yucatan_Peninsula.html
Having married the girl of my dreams many years ago, I was not terribly interested in the destination wedding facilities of the resort, but my wife has a passion for all things relating to her business, and we spent part of a day checking out the multiple venues available at the resort. I was surprised to see the variety of spaces available. From small chapels and courtyards to larger spaces and docks overlooking the water, there really did seem to be a location to fit every couple’s personality.
Lastly, a word about the Mexico I visited versus what I’ve heard and seen in the media. Yes, they speak a different language (although literally everyone I met was bilingual), and there are parts of the country that you would not want to visit. But I can say from experience the same things about many parts of this country. You can get mugged or worse in Orlando, no matter how Disneyfied it becomes, yet I wouldn’t give visiting there are a second thought. It is a source of much frustration to travel professionals that many travelers write Mexico off as a destination solely due to media reports of drug violence and the like. I saw or experienced nothing in our time there that would give me the slightest hesitation about visiting Cancun or the Mayan Riviera.
