How to get the most out of your luxurious trip to TULUM, MEXICO

DAY 2

The drive was really peaceful and I loved just looking out the window and remaining grateful for where I was raised because they truly don’t have much in this area nor the resources or opportunities that we have here in the US. Everybody is just so nice and I am always so blown away with the hospitality and how all of the workers treated us. Arriving on the beach road in Tulum I finally saw what they meant when they said there’s a lot of traffic just to get a few miles from one side to the other, it can take some times 1.5 hours from one side to the toher because it’s a very narrow single car lane road with all the hotels along the sea. We of course stayed at the opposite end, Nomade, but couldn’t be happier with our choice. It was around $600/night but 20/10 experience. All of the hotels are absolutely stunning driving in and it was making me so excited to explore the town. Upon arriving to the Nomade, they parked our car and concierge helped us with our bags. In the lobby, the scent of copal is something that is so distinct in the coal burning throughout the entire property to help with the bugs truly set the mood the second we walked into their tent that served as a lobby it was absolutely stunning with BoHo chic vibes and absolutely stunning aesthetic that I was so excited to be there. They carried our bags through the property and I was laughing because you are literally in a jungle on the beach and definitely recommend getting some help with your bags through the sand. The whole property is lit by candlelight four it was explained to us that the city of Tulum does not have electricity and it is ran on a generator so each property has to split up their use of electricity. So I was a bit nervous on how I would find my room at night in the dark with just a couple tea lights, but you quickly get used to where your room is. Walking up the steps to our room we got the jungle suite that I highly recommend because your shower and bathroom are inside your unit. It was the most beautiful staircase up to our room and the most amazing luxurious tiki hut that I ever saw. They immediately exchange phone numbers with us so they could help us with reservations through WhatsApp and making sure that we had everything we needed and had the best experience ever. We even ask them for a blow dryer and 30 seconds later they were knocking on our door. 10 out of 10 so far for Nomade. 

That night we had a reservation for Cassa Jaguar, that was on my list of places to go eat. I figured we could take a nice walk to dinner but we were running late and ended up having to grab a taxi that charged us $20 to get a mile down the road. But now we know haha The food was very fresh and beautifully prepared. A lot of plant-based dishes and tons of seafood options as well. We have course got the grilled octopus that was incredible and a tartar and huge wholefish. And the cocktails are also so amazing, I got a spicy Mezcal margarita and I started off with a cucumber cocktail that was on their menu because I love trying signature cocktails of different places that I venture to. After dinner we took a walk, and the streets are very lively. Even in times of Covid I was very surprised but the streets are full, people are riding bikes and walking and waiting for their tables and drinking at the bars that are all outside. We stumbled across another bar that was on my list to go to MUR MUR. It was really cool because there were swings that you could sit on around the bar instead of your traditional barstool. I tried their spicy watermelon cocktail that was incredible and not too sweet and then switched back over to my usual spicy skinny Mezcal margarita. It was still around 85° even after 11 PM at night and I haven’t experienced that hot hot humid Caribbean weather after the sun has gone down in quite a while the concrete was even steaming. We walked back to the Nomade for exercise. We’ve had quite a full day. We were so hot and just ready to get back to wake up early and celebrate my birthday. 

DAY 3

ITS MAAAAA BIRTHDAYYYY. We woke up early and finally got to see the grounds in the daylight and the luscious green jungle that you walk through is just absolutely stunning and some thing that I can’t even put into words without you experiencing it. We were told all of the beach beds were first come first serve so Stefan ran out to snag us a bed and hold our spot while we enjoyed our breakfast. They have the most beautiful continental breakfast, that is three courses and you can choose off of the menu I got the açai bowl and stuff and got these eggs that I actually stole a few bites and decided I would try those the next day because they were so delicious and flavorful. They give you beautiful cut melons and fresh exotic fruits and croissants they even have almond milk and oatmeal to make lattes which I was super excited about. 

Around 11 and we head to the beach and I will say it was extremely windy but it makes it less hot and keeps all of the bugs away but it really was only extremely windy near the beach. After a glass of rose I forgot about the wind it was still 88° and I was attempting sunscreen as much as I could think about it but after we finish our first bottle of Pinot Grigio and sparkling water I think forgot about sunscreen. I bought beautiful handmade bracelets from a seven-year-old boy and seeing him with his parents and his family trying to make a living off tourists on the beach made me even more grateful and excited to support their small business. I truly had the best day ever. The sand on the beach is like flower it doesn’t even feel grainy in between your toes because it is so fine. The turquoise blue waters are the bluest and most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen in my life. We decided to get a second bottle of Pinot Grigio and continue our spritz and I actually even fell asleep and took a nap. Spent around $250 for 2 bottles of wine, tacos, sparkling water, the beach bed and amazing service + views. Well worth it. Around 4:30 we head back to our room to shower and get ready for dinner. 

You really don’t need much time to get ready because it is so humid outside I would let my hair just air dry and work early every day. We took a cab again this night because we had to get to the opposite end of the beach road to another hotel that was on my list that has a beautiful restaurant inside nests high up in the sky called AZULIK. I was hurrying to get there for sunset and we didn’t make it but we still got to experience it at dusk and see their beautiful grounds I for sure would go back there. We got really yummy cocktails and enjoyed a drink before our dinner reservation at Hartwood. You have to make a reservation months in advance and they only make reservations via email. This place was clearly popular. Even with the reservation we waited over an hour. But luckily we got some water and had a couple drinks while we waited that helped make our time go by but eventually we were even considering going to another place because we could not understand truly how busy it is so make sure that you don’t come starving or you won’t have the patience to wait. But it really was worth it, it’s awesome because every day is something different based on whatever is fresh. The menu is very simple and it is written on a chalkboard and as they sell out of things they just erase it off of a chalkboard. Being that there’s no electricity and Tulum, the food is out of this world because it’s not cooked in a conventional oven. Everything‘s cooked over a fire and it makes for the most amazing dishes. We again tried the octopus and got a fish as well as a starter that I can’t remember haha I even said no to desert on my birthday because I was so full and tired. On our walk back we stumbled across the bar we went to the night before, Mur Mur and the bartenders actually remembered us so we decided to stay and have a couple drinks. But of course Nomade didn’t forget it was my birthday and they had a cake waiting for me in my room when we got back.

Every single day they picked up the room and pulled back our bed and gave us fresh towels. It was luxury glam at its FINEST. 

DAY 4
We woke up and went to breakfast at the nomad and realize that we were absolutely burnt to a CRISP. I’m talking very burnt to a point of couldn’t even wear straps on my shoulders. Stefan mentioned he’s only been burned twice in his entire life even with his olive European skin complexion and he too was completely fried crispy. It made it hard to enjoy our day on Friday but we found a shop with this amazing medicated spray for sunburns that helped a ton but being that we were going into cenote is and swimming with turtles we actually weren’t allowed to spray it on our body until after our day so we just had to suck it up.

We made a reservation prior to the trip for a guided tour with Kay Tours, it was $400 for the day for 2 people. That included: Mayan ruins, a cenote, swimming with turtles in Akumal, transportation to and from everything, guided tour, lunch and a photographer to take pictures and videos of you all day long that they send to you after. AMAZING. Our tour guide came and got us in the morning and it was an amazing one on one experience with him where he told us so much about Tulum and everything that we were doing that day. Did you know that Tulum had been remade in the last five years specifically for Instagram? That’s what got me there… Well it worked haha being that we were burnt and didn’t want the full sun we decided to head to Akumal Bay where the turtles are and swim with turtles first. We put on lifejackets and secured our belongings and took my new camera with the GoPro dome and he took lots of pictures and videos as we got to swim with turtles and see all of the sea life up close and personal. We even saw a couple of stingrays, it was so awesome.

Next we went to CenoteTak Bi Luum (hidden world). It started raining on our drive but it didn’t matter because we were already wet and had to drive about 30 minutes through a jungle just to get to the cenote. It truly was like an underground world which is what the name means. The water was cold especially on our scalding hot sunburns and we swam through a cave and saw tons of bats. 

Last we went to the Tulum ruins that was really cool to see how they lived and what their village looked like thousands of years ago. Along the coast right there was probably the most beautiful view I had seen and was straight out of a postcard. And last he took us to a really cute lunch spot where we had amazing shrimp tacos and a cocktail. 

We were pretty pooped from our day as well as being very sunburnt so we went back to our room to change and relax and didn’t have any dinner plans so we just put on some comfy clothes and went for a walk and found a little Asian place to grab a bite and then got gelato for dessert.

DAY 5
We have course got up and actually drove 20 minutes to the cenote Calavera to snag a picture where I ended up meeting a photographer that was willing to take my photo because stefan was struggling. We paid $20 a person just to take a picture haha tried to snag a spot on the beach but who knew that it was a popular day that 9 AM just isn’t early enough but luckily we did get a Beach better just sit and have an umbrella of course the day that we needed the umbrella the most. We enjoyed our breakfast at Nomade and then lathered up with sunscreen every 30 minutes and enjoyed our last day on the beach. We had reservations at another beach club, but the complimentary beach bed at Nomade and vibes there are just increible, we didnt want to leave so we canceld and hung there for the day, eating and drinking. Stefan even bought a hat it was hilarious. Saturday night we had dinner reservations at Arca and it was a single burning candle on our table in the pitch black jungle enjoying our meal. Was amazing vibes.

DAY 6

We got up and went to breakfast and then started our Journey back to the car rental place in Cancun. They drove us to the airport, and we both separately boarded our flights as I was coming back to Cleveland and stuff and was going to quiterera for his best friends wedding.

BREAKFAST

Macondo Tulum

Raw Love Tulum

Matcha Matcha

LUNCH

Papaya Playa

DINNER

Kin Toh

Casa Jaguar

Hartwood

Gitano

Parole

Arca

Chambo

DRINKS

Mur Mur

Azulik/Kin Toh

CENOTES

Grand Cenote - very popular

Cenote Calavera - big hole with stairs (in pic)

Cenote Ik Kil - Hanging greenery near Chichen-Itza

Carwash Cenote

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