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The Hunt: June
Part II in Lori Lovely’s ongoing quest for the perfect Encantado Beach
After watching air fares and examining the price difference between high season and holiday season (as well as the minimum stay requirements), we adjusted our travel time. Much as I hate spending Christmas in Indiana, our plans will work better if we avoid holiday season.
Determine your priorities: specific travel dates or bargain travel. Flexibility is key if you’re bargain-shopping. The winter holiday season is the most expensive time to travel to the tropics. By adjusting your vacation to just before or just after, you can jump down a price level to “high season,” which will trim a considerable amount off your bill. Of course, the last time we did that, we ended up adding a short trip to the Virgin Islands for Christmas: so much for savings!
As I said before, I usually book our hotel(s) first, mostly because we prefer small, private, intimate, unique places, as opposed to gigantic resorts. Therefore, availability is limited – especially during high or holiday season.
Because we plan to pick up a rental in Cancun, rather than make several short plane hops, I had much more flexibility when booking hotels. After doing my research, we settled on the places we wanted to stay. It’s always a good idea to check web sites, travel books and even user reviews, or get referrals from trusted travel friends. Web sites provide important information about accommodations, facilities, amenities and policies – and frequently post photos of the grounds and room interiors. While that’s a big help, the photos aren’t always truly representational. I think our Mexican hide-away looks much better in person than in the photos, but clearly the photos taken of our St. Croix hotel were from a previous era when it was in better condition than we found it.
Things to consider when booking a hotel include
- the type of facility: do you prefer partying all-inclusive resorts or quiet, intimate hide-aways?
- its proximity to places you want to visit, whether a beach, a ski slope or historical points of interest
- the availability of desired amenities: do you require a pool? on-site restaurant? parking? view?
- its policies: are children allowed or is it adults-only? are pets allowed? is it clothing/optional or nudist?
We found a quiet, small, interesting place in Belize conveniently located between several Maya ruins we plan to visit. Our “traditional” retreat in Mexico, while not as convenient for some of the long day-trips we plan to the other side of the Yucatan, has become such a “second home” to us, we wouldn’t consider staying anywhere else. Its benefits are manifold: beach, views, adults-only, clothing optional, quiet and private, and near many of our favorite haunts, which no amount of over-scheduling by me will keep us from visiting.
By switching our trip out of the holiday season, our familiar and well loved resort in Mexico dropped its one-week-minimum-stay requirement, freeing us up to spend more time in Belize and Guatemala. Thus, our trip will be a pleasant mix of the familiar and exploration. We look forward to discovering new regions in Belize and Guatemala, as well as seeing what changes progress has brought to our beloved Tulum: the perfect blend of relaxation and adventure.
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