Staycation at the Sheraton: A Review

For those of you who follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you know that I just returned home from an amazing staycation right here in Minneapolis. This staycation came at the perfect time, as I am well into my job search of finding the perfect position and company, and Nick and I will be moving in a few weeks (more on that later!). Nick and I stayed at The Sheraton in Bloomington, which was ideal because it was far enough from home (15 minutes) where it was a true vacation, and close enough that we didn't have to worry about any of the hassles of traveling! Without further ado, here is some more information on our weekend!

Relaxing in our amazing suite!

This amazing stay started before I even walked into the hotel. As Lily was joining us for the weekend, Nick parked the car and was waiting for me to check in. As I approached the front door, one of the valets gave me a huge smile and gave me a warm greeting, setting the tone for a weekend filled with impeccable customer service. And this was before I even walked in the door! Once I made it inside, the staff quickly greeted me, processed my check in, and sent me on my way wishing me a terrific stay. After checking in, I headed out to the car to grab Nick, Lily, and our bags, and it was off to the room we went!

As we made our way into the hotel, I began actually checking things out. I was immediately impressed, as this Sheraton did not look like any other Sheraton I had stayed in. I quickly learned that Sheraton is undergoing a massive rebrand, with every Sheraton location being remodeled by 2020. This specific location recently underwent a $15 million renovation, and is one of the flagship locations of which every other Sheraton will be modeled after. Needless to say, the renovations were stunning!

Couldn't get Lily to sit still for a second - she was so excited!

 As we entered our room, I was immediately impressed and surprised with how open and spacious it was. As a bonus, I discovered we were staying in a suite and had a separate room for lounging and relaxing, our bedroom, and one and a half bathrooms! Once I stepped inside the room, I immediately saw that the staff had taken care of Lily as well. Lily was all set up with bowls for food and water, two treats, a bag holder, and her very own bed! Previously when I have visited hotels with Lily, she has never received this level of service. I was very impressed with this, and it just added another element to the staycation! How nice to not have to worry about packing dog bowls and a dog bed, and to know that Lily will be taken care of!

Lela - so peaceful, and I loved the wine glass decorations!

My favorite part of any vacation is the first moment when you are able to sit down and enjoy a sip of your favorite cocktail. After dropping off Lily and our bags, Nick and I immediately headed to Lela for some happy hour and dinner. Lela is located adjacent to the Sheraton, and features a fantastic menu with steaks, pasta, and more; all created by one of Minneapolis' best chefs, Stewart Woodman. Nick and I started our evening off with a glass of wine apiece and an assortment of the happy hour menu.

Happy hour at Lela!

After enjoying a delicious meal, we decided to retire to our room in true staycation style and soak in the luxurious bathtub. Now, I don't know about you, but I love a good soak - especially when it is in a bathtub that could fit about five people! Because this staycation was all about relaxation, after a soak it was off to an early bedtime.

garden oasis right on the property

In the morning, Nick and I took Lily for a walk along the property. My favorite spot was a little garden oasis. While seated there, I certainly didn't feel like I was just minutes from downtown Minneapolis and the hustle and bustle of city life! Once our walk was completed, Nick and I headed off for a day of shopping at the Galleria (again, just minutes from the Sheraton).

On Saturday evening, we opted to take it easy again and simply relax in our room. Between work and moving, we wanted this weekend to be a true vacation with no stress or worries. As such, relaxing it was! This was our first true staycation, and it came at the absolute perfect time and place. Not only was the Sheraton a beautiful place to stay, but Nick, Lily and myself were pampered by the staff. Every detail at the hotel was thought of, from fresh flowers everywhere to complimentary newspapers and bright natural lighting. In addition, we had close proximity to anything we would want to do, and being able to grab a delicious bite to eat and drink right in the hotel was an added bonus. For anyone looking to take a staycation, I would highly recommend the Sheraton as your go-to!

Neither Lily nor I were ready to leave when it was time on Sunday morning!

drool-worthy treats to enjoy in our room!

**Disclosure: This review was facilitated thanks to Sheraton, Lela, and participating businesses at the Galleria. As always, this had no impact on my review and all opinions remain my own. **

How To Take Great Travel Pictures

Over the last year, I have learned a lot about how to take beautiful pictures while traveling. Of course, I'm certainly far from an expert - however, I have picked up a few tips and tricks to take better travel pictures. A lot of this has come from trial and error, but if you want to take stunning travel pictures these tips are sure to help you!

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1. Look for inspiration on social media sites such as Instagram! Personally, I love Instagram, and am always scrolling through both my feed and interesting profiles. Whenever I see a picture that seems unique and I enjoy, first I take a screenshot of that photo for future inspiration. After that, I also tend to go and scroll through that individual person's feed to further look for great photo ideas. Some of my best shots have come from looking at other people's travel pictures and later modifying them to fit myself!

This picture was clearly meant to capture the business and popularity of the beach

2. Before visiting a destination, plan! Spend some time looking at exactly where you might want to take photos and the best times to do so. For example, some places may simply have terrible light at a specific time of day. Plan ahead when and where you will be visiting a place in order to give yourself the best lighting - and the best shot - of a location! Beyond the lighting, another thing to consider is other tourists and the image you want to portray. For example, I've seen beautiful pictures of beaches that are heavily populated with tourists and it appears that there is not a single inch of space that hasn't been claimed. These pictures portray the busyness and popularity of a beach. Conversely, there are also pictures of beaches in which there is not a soul on the entire stretch of the beach and gives off a serene feel. Pick what you want your picture to say and go for that!

3. Take lots, and LOTS, of pictures. Along with the previous sentiment, it is better to have one too many pictures than wish you had taken an extra photo. Most cameras and memory cards now seem to have nearly unlimited memory - so just snap away and give yourself tons of options!

My red cardigan contrasts very nicely and adds a nice pop of color to this picture

4. When possible, consider your outfit and how it can improve upon or benefit a photo. Does adding a pop of color add to the photograph or take away? Is the focus of the picture on yourself, or on the landscape? For example, in the above picture I specifically chose to wear my red cardigan with a tribal pattern because it would match well with the feel of the picture I was going for. In the below picture, I purchased the hat with the Norway flag in order to help communicate exactly where I was. Your choice of clothing can certainly contribute to a better (and hopefully not worse!) picture!

The Norwegian flag on my hat was planned!

Find a natural frame, such as the cactus, to lend focus to your pictures

5. Pay attention to your surroundings. This can help you to determine how your surroundings can fit into the picture and help you to take a better photo of your attraction. Is there a natural 'frame' you can use to draw the viewers attention to exactly what you want? Can you tilt your camera up or down in order to capture a more interesting view? In the above picture, I loved the look of the cliff and the ocean. However, that is a view that has been captured thousands - if not millions - of times around the world. By adding a natural frame of the cactus, I was able to make this picture even more special and interesting.

The Rule of Thirds in action

6. Use the rule of thirds. This is one of the most basic photography rules, and it is for a reason. Divide your frame both vertically and horizontally into thirds, and try place your subject along one of those lines. In this picture, you can see that the focus of the subject is myself, with a secondary focus of the pool, beach, and palm trees behind me. If you were to place a grid of thirds across the picture, my body is on the leftmost vertical third line, and then the divider between the pools and the back edge of the pools and chairs are the horizontal third lines.

I over edited this picture, which detracts from its natural beauty

7. Don't over edit your photos. I've been guilty of this in the past, and even have been tempted to delete many of my previous pictures shared on this blog and various social media sites. For example, see the above photo. This is a shot I captured while on a fjord tour in Norway, but by overediting the picture and adjusting the brightness too much, I lose a lot of detail in the clouds.With a basic understanding of quality photography, a person would be turned off simply because the clouds are TOO white and over processed. In my opinion, less is often more!

Using leading lines can help contribute to a better picture

8. Use leading lines to draw the viewer's attention. In the above picture, a viewer will naturally place themselves in the picture. Their attention is drawn to the lines of the boardwalk and where the boardwalk leads. This is an excellent tool to help suck a viewer in!

A calm, serene day on a private beach

A much less calm day

A picture I've taken recently that really demonstrates most of these points is seen above. I first saw a similar picture on Instagram, and showed it to Nick saying "Hey, I really liked this and want to take a similar one when we go to Miami next week!". I carefully selected ahead of time my outfit - this specific suit was perfect to have nice detail in the photo. Obviously, I knew exactly where the beach was but I wanted to find a less populated space so we strolled up and down the beach for a bit. When it was go time, Nick snapped about 20 different shots. Ultimately, as I was looking and deciding the feel I wanted, I went for the calm and serene look (no waves) versus a more turbulent feel with waves crashing at my feet. This simple decision totally changes the feel of the picture! I am in an identical pose, with the same clothing, looking in the same direction - but the one second difference between the waves just crashing down and the ocean receding changes the feel of the picture.

As you can see with all of the above pictures and tips, there are many ways you can set yourself up for success to take great pictures while traveling. Planning ahead, down to your outfit and the location, as well as basic photography rules such as the rule of third can contribute to more stunning pictures. So, are there any essential tips that I missed?!

(Not Quite) Sold on South Beach

For any of you following me on Instagram and Twitter (do it!!), you'll know I spent the last week in South Beach, Miami Florida. And it's been... Well, interesting to say the least. As a friend of mine put it perfectly when I described Miami to her, she said "Being in Miami is like being in a rap video!" Which completely hits the nail on the head with how I feel about Miami. Don't get me wrong, there are some beautiful aspects of Miami...

Enjoying the ocean in South Beach!

Case in point. Located in Southern Florida, Miami is home to many beautiful sand beaches and almost-Carribean style aquamarine blue beaches. On top of that, Miami is working to rebuild the natural dunes that typically line beaches - thus, there is always a gap between your hotel and the beach. This area is specifically dedicated to dune reconstruction, and in my opinion is probably one of the best things Miami has going for it.

Beyond the dune reconstruction, Miami does have the boardwalk. Portions of this (the cemented portions) are bike-friendly, while the physically boarded areas are not bike-friendly. It allows people to get around quite easily by bike or foot. There are conveniently located bikes for rental nearly every 2 or so blocks, and tons of different options for rentals. A bonus of one hotel we stayed at is that as long as hotel bikes were available, we could use those for free!

OK, so I touched on the beaches and biking the boardwalk. Beyond that, I'll be honest, Miami is quite...lackluster. It is overpriced, overcrowded, gratuity is included at almost every restaurant (meaning you receive awful service), and you can't walk more than five steps without the distinct smell of marijuana.

Pizza failure at i Paparazzi

First I want to talk about restaurants. Because real estate is so expensive in South Beach, it isn't a very easy area to navigate, just walk the street and pop into a restaurant you'd like to visit. No, you need a distinct plan and destination in mind or you will never find anything half decent. Trust me, I tried. See that pizza above? That was from the first time Nick and I decided to just stroll and find a place to eat. We went into the heart of South Beach, sat down, and ordered pepperoni pizza (me) and ceviche (him). Well, that is how my pepperoni pizza came out - about 60%ish covered in pepperoni, the other half not touched. Upon inquiring, the manager said "oh yeah, server thought it was only half pepperoni" ....OK, even if it was half pepperoni, you still failed at your job. On top of that, the pizza was only half-cooked and completely uncooked in the middle. Here I thought it wasn't possible to screw up a pizza - yep, I learned my lesson. Doesn't really ease my husband's mind about eating his RAW SEAFOOD from your restaurant, which clearly has a high level of attention to detail. (PS - the name of this restaurant is I Paparazzi ...so if you want to avoid it, I'd recommend that!)

The next failed restaurant experiment was when I strolled solo down the strip, found a cozy little spot with happy hour, and proceeded to order a beer and some food. I drank half my beer, and then notice there are little "flakes" at the bottom of my glass. After confirming they were definitely IN my glass, not on the outside, I asked the bartender if I could get a new glass and explained why. He (kindly) proceeded to grab a supposedly clean glass, pour my beer, and hand it to me. This time, I immediately saw flakes flying around in my beer. Yuck!

enjoying a glass of wine at One Rooftop!

Overall, Miami certainly had some positive aspects. The beach and boardwalk is beautiful. Unfortunately, beyond that, I just did not feel Miami was an easy city to navigate, restaurants had poor service, and the constant feeling of being in a rap video was just not a pleasant feeling. So, with that being said - yes, I will likely be writing about Miami in the future. However, it won't all be sunshine and rainbows, but that is perfectly OK. Sometimes travel isn't about the sunshine and rainbows - it is all about the experience, and not every experience is good!

Another trip in the books with my love!

Five Must Do Activities in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

stunning sunrises in Playa Del Carmen

WATCH THE SUNRISE
Oh, the sunrises in Playa Del Carmen. Watching the sun rise is one of my new favorite activities, and likely even beats watching it set. After all, when the sun rises, you are typically one of few people out and about and are able to have those quiet moments to reflect on your upcoming day. Watching the sun rise across the Caribbean is simply a stunning experience and an absolute must-do activity for anyone visiting Playa Del Carmen.

Sailing!

TAKE A CATAMARAN RIDE ON THE LONGEST CATAMARAN IN THE CARIBBEAN
When we visited Playa, we spent the day with Local Quickies and our day ended with a three hour catamaran ride on the largest catamaran in the Caribbean. The ride was everything I could have asked for and truly had something for everyone. Relax on the ropes on the front of the boat. Check out the Mayan Ruins in Tulum, and see them exactly as the Spaniards saw them hundreds of years ago. Listen to music. Eat fresh guacamole. Mingle with new friends. And of course, have a few cocktails with the open bar. Catamaran rides are certainly one of my new favorite activities for any vacation!

Delicious, fresh baked bread at Chez Celine

STROLL FIFTH AVENUE AND GET A DELICIOUS MEAL AT CHEZ CELINE
Fifth Avenue is the main drag in Playa, and there are endless restaurants and shops. Chez Celine is an cozy cafe & bakery located on the far east end of the main street. Oh, was everything amazing! I ate there twice and I was able to sit both indoors and outdoors and had two vastly different experiences. Outdoors, I watched the people walk by and enjoyed the warm weather. Indoors, I was able to watch the bakers and the dedication that they put into each individual baked good. It was so impressive to watch, and there is no wonder Chez Celine is as popular as it is!

Getting the second shot on a barracuda!

TRY SOMETHING NEW AND GO SPEARFISHING
Between my husband and I, we have had tons of different travel experiences. One thing we had never tried until visiting Playa Del Carmen is spearfishing, and I know that Nick is absolutely hooked by now. Spearfishing is a great way to experience fishing in a completely new way, and the best part is that you are also immersed in the water. Whether you actually get anything or not (which, trust me, you or somebody in your group will!) you will be able to see so much amazing wildlife underneath the ocean. My best advice is to just go!

Colorful streets in Cozumel!

TAKE THE FERRY ACROSS TO COZUMEL FOR THE DAY
Despite having been to Mexico several times and having heard great things about Cozumel, I had never made it over to this quaint island. On one of our last days, we hopped onto the 30-minute ferry ride to go visit Cozumel. I'll be honest, as much as I loved it - I truthfully have enjoyed other places in Mexico much more! However, it is certainly worth a day trip to go explore somewhere new. 

A Last-Minute Trip to Thailand!

Another day, another gorgeous destination! 

First off, Wow! Talk about a whirlwind last four weeks. Four weeks and three days ago, I officially moved back up to Minneapolis. Then, exactly four weeks ago, I woke up sick as a dog, and spent the next two weeks in and out of the doctors office and hospital. In the midst of that, I found out some very exciting news...

Nick and I!

My amazing husband received and accepted a new job offer! Starting today, he is the new Regional Vice President for New York Life / Mainstay Funds. The best part about this? He will be based right here in Minneapolis, covering Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin (with the exception of a few cities)!

Once we received this news, things began moving even more quickly. I planned a last-minute trip to Thailand, and things worked out where Nick was able to accompany me! So, off to Thailand we went! I only have time for a quick post today (time to get caught up on homework, unpacking from the move, and cleaning house!), but here is a wrap up of our trip to Thailand!

Making sure every detail is perfect!

We departed on a Monday around noon local time, and did not arrive in Thailand until almost midnight on Tuesday - so yet again, it was almost 36 straight hours of travel to arrive in Thailand! Once arriving, as soon as we settled down for the evening we caught a few hours of shut eye. After all, one of the primary reasons for this trip was to get Nick outfitted with several new custom suits and shirts. So the first full day of our trip was spent visiting Tailor on Ten!

On the left, you can see several of the colors of suit jackets we selected. Right hand shows the inner details we were able to customize!

Nick all decked out in one of his stunning new suits!

While at Tailor on Ten, we spent almost 5 hours selecting every single detail of 6 suits, 1 sport coat, and 13 shirts. Trust me when I say that despite this being a long time, it was worth every minute of it!  I'll be posting more about how to find the best custom tailor in Thailand (look no further- this is it) - at a later date, so please stay tuned!

This was definitely the best way to see ALL of Bangkok!

Besides spending time getting Nick outfitted, we had several other things we wanted to do on this trip. I had loved our previous river cruise on the Chao Phraya, so we elected to do a day cruise instead of a night cruise. I'm not going to lie - 20 minutes into the cruise, I thought we had gotten ripped off - but not long after, I realized that this was a great way to see Bangkok that many people may not. We were able to see many of the beautiful sights, as well as some of the not-so-beautiful back alleyways and canals that are not typically seen. A full recap of this experience will be coming later!

Rooftop Garden at Amari Watergate - beautiful, and so secluded!

Previously in Bangkok, Nick and I have stayed at two different hotels. On this trip, we decided to hop around a little bit and explore some new locations, so we stayed at our third, fourth, and fifth Bangkok hotel. Two of these hotels were in a familiar area of town for us off Sukhumvit near Nana Plaza, one of the popular areas of town. Then, we decided to venture out a bit and experience amazing service from Amari Watergate! While in Thailand, I've never stayed at a traditional 5-star hotel - rather, I have opted to try and save a bit of money to indulge in more street food and massages.  Staying at Amari really gave Bangkok a different feel, and made both Nick and I feel much more ready to embark on a 36 hour travel journey home at the end of our trip!

This view of Bangkok just can't be beat!

Overall, the biggest activities we took part in were hopping between rooftop bars and both day and night markets. I discovered that Chatuchak Market is definitely my favorite market in town. The sunset (if you can call it a sunset in Bangkok!) really can't be beat from Above Eleven. Above Eleven is a rooftop restaurant that may take you a moment to find, as the entrance is a speak-easy type entrance with a private elevator at the back of a hotel. Definitely an awesome place!

In addition to all of this, Nick and I had our first REAL experience at Bangkok's Red Light districts. There are three main red light districts, and we had (somewhat) unknowingly visited two of them on our previous trip to Bangkok. This time around, we purposefully visited, spent a few minutes, and then pretty much ran away from them. Lets jus say I will never look at ping pong balls or darts the same way... No worries, I'll be giving you a full detail on what you need to know about Bangkok's red light districts in the future!

Had to get a shot of our new tickets, passport cover, and Delta flight credit!

Finally, our trip concluded on a VERY high note. We woke up at 3 AM to get to the airport in time for our 7 AM flight. Upon arrival, we were informed that our flight was overbooked, and if we were willing to give up our seats in exchange for a $1000 flight voucher per person ($2000 total!) we would be rebooked onto a flight departing two hours later. With zero hesitation, we said yes, hoping that everything would fall in place - and it did!

After several long flights home, we made it back safe and sound. Since then, I've been busy catching up on MBA homework, and Nick has been prepping for his first few weeks on the job. It will definitely be a busy few weeks around here, as I still have posts to catch up on from our time in Mexico, and now a whole slew of Thailand posts to write! What do you most want to hear about from our time in Thailand? I'm so looking forward to catching up with all of you!

A Local Experience in Playa Del Carmen: Local Quickies Review

snorkeling with the Local Quickies in Playa Del Carmen!

Have you ever gone on a trip and taken a tour, only to think "wow, this is exactly what every other person visiting this area has ever done". Isn't that a let down? Whenever I am traveling, I always like to find something a little unique, a little local, and overall - just a little bit different from the same thing that every single other tourist in the area is doing. Which is exactly why a few weeks ago, I was so excited to take a trip with Local Quickies in Playa Del Carmen!

beautiful beaches in Tulum with Local Quickies!

Yes, Local Quickies is a tour group - but it is so much more than that! Rather than herding groups of tourists in the same direction every day, Local Quickies is meant to be all about hanging out with friends! Bonus points that your tour guides on the trip are going to be locals to the area, and have some of the best knowledge of the area and are more than happy to spread it. In any case, let's take a quick look at our day!

The day started bright and early with an 8 AM pick up right outside of our condo in Playa Del Carmen. We hopped in the van and headed to Akumal, a gorgeous beach located just south of Playa. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Akumal, Akumal directly translates to "Place of the Turtle" in Mayan language, and boy is it obvious!

Just one of the many, many wild sea turtles we saw!

Once we arrived in Akumal, our group donned snorkeling gear and headed out into the ocean hoping to catch a glimpse of wild sea turtles. Not more than five minutes into the ocean and we had spotted our first turtle grazing on sea grass! One of the best parts about snorkeling with the Local Quickies is that all of the snorkeling is done completely in the wild, with no cages or pens. We were able to see so many sea turtles, and learn about them as we went! It was very interesting to learn that the sea turtles in the Akumal area tend to stay there feeding until they are about 9 or 10 years old, at which time they naturally know to migrate to better feeding grounds that will meet their needs.

Wouldn't you love to kayak or zipline this cenote?

After a morning swimming with the sea turtles and tons of other wildlife, we were off to explore the swiss cheese of the Mayan Riviera! Never heard of it? I'll be honest- I had not either! As we hopped into the van, Mariano, our local guide, took the time to educate us on the local ecosystem. Essentially, the Yucatan Peninsula is somewhat like swiss cheese made of limestone: throughout the entire peninsula, there is an underground network of cenotes, natural sinkholes, that are connected.

Check out how beautiful and clear that water is!

The entire network of cenotes in the Yucatan is comprised of fresh water pools and rivers that are all interconnected, and ultimately empty out into the ocean. Cenotes were very important to the Mayan culture, as the name cenote translates to "sacred well", and many Mayan villages were built on the edges of these cenotes.

Just another day in paradise with Local Quickies

We visited the a private cenote and had plenty of time between our group to relax, swim in the crystal clear blue water, sunbathe, and take a jump off the cliffs! After we had relaxed and dried off, we went for a walk through the stunning, authentic Mayan village before heading off the lunch for the day.

beautiful Mayan place of worship

one of the houses in the Mayan village

a well located within the Mayan village

One of the best parts about taking a tour with the Local Quickies was the great exposure we had to authentic aspects of life. Rather than partaking in another touristy activity, we were able to see how some of the Mayan people actually lived by walking through their village. After our tour through the village, we hit the road again for a quick lunch stop.

our amazing lunch spot!

Again, Local Quickies exceeded our expectations and provided us with an authentic, roadside Mayan meal featuring cochinita pibil, a slow roasted pork dish that has been marinated with oranges and cooked underground in banana leaves. Trust me when I say words don't do it justice! The cochinita pibil is served with all of the fixings, including handmade tortillas made fresh on the spot.

Really, Tulum, could you be any more picture-perfect? 

Once we had all eaten our fill, it was back to the shuttle to spend some time on the beach in Tulum! We were instructed that if we liked, we would walk to see the Mayan ruins on the beach of Tulum. However, it was not highly recommended, as we were told instead to wait until we boarded our catamaran home and could see the Mayan ruins as they were viewed from the ocean hundreds of years ago!

You can see the ruins from the beach in Tulum

from several kilometers away the ruins were VERY impressive!

Of course, I'm not going to lie - I walked over towards the ruins, and I was not that impressed from the beach. The Tulum ruins are built on the cliffs of Tulum, and are believed to have been constructed prior to 564 A.D. Eventually, the city of Tulum was abandoned and not discovered until the Spaniards sailed to Mexico and saw the ruins peeping over the cliff hills. In any case, after time on the beach, we loaded up the catamaran and began our departure back to Playa Del Carmen.

Sailing with the Local Quickies!

Let's take a moment to talk about this catamaran ride. With Local Quickies, you will get to set sail on the largest catamaran in the Caribbean, and my gosh is it impressive! The catamaran raced around the world twice prior to being converted to commercial use. As we loaded the catamaran, we were each greeted with complimentary cocktails and refreshments until departure.

Of course, it wasn't all fun and games! The guys were enlisted to help with the sails, and impressively enough were able to get the sails fully open! After the sails were opened, we set sail for several hours back towards Playa Del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras.

The entire ride was met with complimentary cocktails, refreshments, fresh guacamole, music, dancing, and an overall relaxing yet festive mood. The entire trip followed the scenic coast, and for quite some time as we left Tulum we were able to view the impressive ruins. The ruins only got more impressive the further away we got! Eventually, they slipped out of view and it was the perfect opportunity to relax and take in the beautiful ocean views.

Dance parties on the catamaran are a must!

As always, all good things eventually came to an end and we made it back to Puerto Aventuras. We departed the catamaran and reluctantly said good bye to the rest of the crew and an amazing day. For most of the day, it had been our group of just six people joined by our local guide. Parts of the day we were joined by others, but each individual on the tour was warm, welcoming, and ready for a great time!

Overall, the best part about the day was how generally relaxing it was. Yes, we were off on what could have been a traditionally touristy tour, having irrelevant information tossed at us. Rather, each individual we encountered genuinely loved their job and wanted to spread knowledge of the Mayan cultures and traditions, education about the sea turtles and sea life, and ensure that each passenger had an amazing time. If you are looking for the best tour in Playa Del Carmen, Tulum, Puerto Aventuras, or Cancun - look no further! Local Quickies will make sure to exceed your expectations in every way, shape, and form!

Wouldn't you like to join a tour with the Local Quickies?