We recently took a family trip to Cancún, Mexico. Although it has the reputation of being party central thanks to Spring Break and MTV, it is actually a pretty family-friendly destination! I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for a place to go with your kids that is a bit off the beaten path, but still within arm’s reach of home.
We booked an all-inclusive resort at the beautiful Villa Del Palmar through a great deal we found on Living Social. Our deal was for a 4-night stay for two adults and up to two children under the age of 12 in a 952 square foot one-bedroom ocean view suite. The “all-inclusive” part included all meals, snacks, beverages, alcoholic drinks, use of resort equipment, free wi-fi, and 20% off spa services. Basically, once we stepped foot on the resort, all we had to pay was the price of gratuity for the entirety of our stay. We ate at every single one of the four fine dining establishments (a sushi restaurant, a steakhouse, upscale Mexican, and Mediterranean) onsite with no extra charge, and ordered room service every morning. Pretty amazing!
View from our Suite
I think an all-inclusive resort to any tropical destination would be a great option for families. It’s so nice to never have to leave the premises, and to not worry about costs because everything’s been paid up front. The resort we stayed at also offered complimentary activities for the guests, such as yoga lessons on the beach, kayaking, and paddle-boarding. We pretty much swam all-day every day in the pool and beach, and Noelle loved every minute.
One thing we always consider when we take a trip with the kids is our room situation. We try to stick to places that offer a closed off room and separate living space so we can still enjoy ourselves while the kids nap. This particular resort fit the bill because it came with a king-sized bed plus a Murphy bed in the living room.
What we did was have my husband sleep with Noelle on the Murphy bed. Since I was still nursing, I slept next to Jaren in the bedroom (me in the king-sized bed, and Jaren in a pack-n-play provided by the resort). We pretty much threw all sleep schedules out the window during the trip, and Noelle got to stay up until 10 pm every day.
Weather is another crucial factor to consider when traveling with kids. I used to be a gloomy, rainy weather type gal until kids came along. Now I know how to truly appreciate a beautiful, sunny day. We went in late May, and the weather was perfect. It was in the 80’s, but because of the strong ocean breeze it felt cooler than that.
We weren’t sure how the trip would be since we went with 10 of our CHILDLESS friends, but with friends like these, who made the biggest effort to bring your shy daughter out of her shell…
… and insisted on carrying your baby during every meal so you could have a breather… were such a blessing.
PROS:
– It was such a luxury to be able to order room service at any time of day. We opted for room service whenever the kids ended up sleeping in, and we knew they’d wake up hungry. Or sometimes after a long day out, the last thing we wanted to do was go out again for dinner, so room service in our PJ’s with the kids was just what the doctor ordered.
– The people of Mexico LOVE kids, and will bend over backwards to accommodate them, ask you questions, and even offer to assist you with them if you need it.
– The resort we stayed at had an on-site babysitting service and kids recreation time for those who want time away for themselves. We didn’t utilize this, but it’s nice to have the option.
– If you want to leave the premises, there is so much to do in Cancun. Our friends went swimming with sharks, whale watching, and swam in caves. We also took a short 30-minute boat ride across the ocean to a small island called Isla Mujeres, where the beaches are even more pristine and clear. The streets were filled with vendors selling all sorts of trinkets, and hole-in-the-wall gems filled with delicious, authentic Mexican eats.
– Jet lag wasn’t really an issue for us because the time difference is negligible (Cancun is in Central time).
– Since resorts usually cater to foreigners, we didn’t really worry about the water we drank or food we ate. All the quality was top notch, and the seafood was amazing.
CONS:
– Even though Mexico is relatively close to the states, it is still an International destination, meaning you still have to go through Customs, which is a huge annoyance in itself.
– The cost of plane tickets. Unless your kids are under 2, paying for plane tickets is going to hurt. My favorite airfare sites for scouring good deals on flights are Hipmunk, Kayak, and Airfarewatchdog.
What are some family friendly destinations you’d recommend?
Family Friendly Travel Destinations part 2 of 4
1. Cruising with Baby by Mrs. Chocolate2. Destination: Cancún, Mexico by Mrs. High Heels
3. Destinations: Sayulita, Mexico by Kristin @ Paleo Plus One
4. Summer Getaway to Chicago by Mrs. Confetti
honeydew / 7091 posts
Looks like so much fun!! Really wishing I could take a nice trip this year.
Isla Mujeres is where DH and I spent our honeymoon. It was amazing!
coconut / 8498 posts
This makes me want to pack up all of our friends and head south! Looks like fun!
honeydew / 7444 posts
Glad you had a great trip! I find that it’s really hard to get reasonably priced all-inclusive packages when you’re looking for a suite. When our family went to Cuba, we paid an arm and a leg to be upgraded to a real suite.
You’re definitely blessed to have such wonderful friends!
Did you have any issues getting N’s sleep schedule back on track? Or was it okay since she’s older? I find that it’s easier to be flexible with schedules near the 2 year mark (according to friends).
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
Yay for awesome friends and all-inclusive resorts are the way to go sometimes!
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
@Freckles: No issues with getting her back on track. She slept in the day we got back (only an hour extra), and went to sleep a bit earlier but that was about it!
It’s true that once the 2-year mark hit it became a lot easier for us to be flexible. We used to be really strict on her sleep (down by 7 pm no matter what) because she’s the type who would have a meltdown if we kept her up too late… but now she can sleep anywhere from 8-10 pm and be completely fine.
guest
OMG, were leaving for Cancun July 7, and this is the exact same resort we are going to. We are also going with a big group, my FIL is bringing the whole family for 9 days. Our son will have 4 cousins to play and swim with, and were all planning in sharing kid duties so each couple can have at least 1 night off. Your post just got me really excited. Did you guys need to make restaurant reservations ahead if time? With a big group, we’re worried about dinners.
grapefruit / 4923 posts
totally sent this post to my husband. we went to cancun last year and really enjoyed the ease of an all-inclusive vacation. he tends to like “forge your own path” vacations, but with LO now here, i’m pushing for the all-inclusive resort route again!
aw, what sweet, awesome friends you have!
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
@Erin: you’ll love it there! yes, we made reservations ahead of time at the insistence of the resort because we were a large group, BUT most of the restaurants are never filled to capacity. You should do it just so they can plan ahead for you though.
@edelweiss: This was my first time at an all-inclusive resort so I kept asking my husband, “What do you mean we don’t have to pay for any of our meals there. Are you sure??” – I was so doubtful, it sounded too good to be true, haha! But it was well worth it!
pomegranate / 3225 posts
I love that you took your kids on a “friends” trip! Other people that have kids seem to think we are nuts that we travel all the time with our LO. I can’t imagine not !!!
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
WOW! The resort looks amazing! Glad you had a good time!
grapefruit / 4120 posts
Looks good! I totally agree with you about Mexicans loving kids. It’s such an easy place to have little ones. We are on vacation in Oaxaca right now and today the salesgirls were all loving taking turns holding my baby while I tried things on
I have never once here felt like my kids were annoying anyone. Which is pretty amazing.
We have stayed at the Fairmont Mayakobá which is between Cancun and Play del Carmen and it's gorgeous! Great family place and I think they have an all-inclusive option maybe?
cherry / 175 posts
This looks like a great way to do a family vacation! And with friends, to boot! Thanks for sharing!
nectarine / 2600 posts
Looks amazing! I love the pics of your friends with your LO’s, so cute
blogger / pomegranate / 3300 posts
Beautiful pictures. The trip sounds fantastic!
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
love the pics and so so glad you enjoyed your trip!!!!
what great friends! and goood babies!!
cherry / 248 posts
Living Social is running the deal by us too and I was looking into it. Was it hard to book specific dates? My husband works in Mexico so I have work around his schedule so that we can fly and meet him there.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
@threeplusme: we called the resort before we purchased the deal to make sure they had openings for the dates we wanted to go, and enough rooms for all of us since we went as such a large group! The deal ran for a week or so if I recall correctly so we ha time to do that. Is that the case for you? But if the deal time is running out, Living Social offers a refund for 7 days (i think thats the amount of days – they have a good refund policy) after your initial purchase no questions asked.
cherry / 248 posts
@Mrs. High Heels: Thanks for the response,the deal is running for a week so I will have time to plan. It looks like a great time.
blogger / persimmon / 1398 posts
OK. First, that looks like an amazing place and I SOOOO need a little getaway right now. Thank you for sharing! We too love the closed off room, it’s hard to enjoy yourself when it’s lights out at 7:30 pm.
Second, thanks for the airfare sites! Airfarewatchdog is new to me and I currently obsess (and torture myself) over how much flights to Korea are. Now I have a new site to utilize!
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
@Mrs. Paintbrush: I always set up alerts on airfarewatchdog whenever I’m looking for specific places to travel to. Hope you find a good deal on a flight to Korea!