Riviera Maya - Mexico

When looking for a holiday to suit 16 of you it's hard to find a destination that offers something for everyone. Well Riviera in Mexico, just hour and 40 minutes south of Cancun, did just that! We travelled to the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya in the middle of August this year. We had been looking at the Med and were surprised to see how affordable Mexico is in comparison. Excited about our long haul adventure the experience started as soon as we boarded the Britannia Dreamliner form Birmingham. These aircraft are fantastic and definitely the way to travel if flying economy long-haul. Comfortable and spacious and offering great service and entertainment on-board. Our Hotel We were impressed as soon as we entered the grounds. The hotel offers 5 star facilities whilst remaining relaxed and friendly. On arrival we were taken to our room by golf buggy due to the vastness of the resort. The Sirenis is more of a holiday village set right in amongst the jungle and you certainly feel like you are having the jungle experience. The rooms are found in blocks no higher than three stories and each one has its own concierge who cannot do enough for you. Rooms are spacious, our family of 4 had plenty of room and we were lucky to have a sea view which was a bonus. The public areas offer something for everyone. Lively pool areas with day time entertainment, quieter pools to escape the noise steps away from a long sandy beach exclusive to the hotel. Weekly events such as Hawaiian Beach parties, pool parties are a fun experience but no pressure to get involved. The Food The food at the Grand Sirenis was fantastic and even the fussiest of eaters would find something. Numerous places to eat in the day including a fab barbecue shack on the beach. For evening meals the main restaurant offered themed nights such as Italian, and Mexican of course. My big tip is to experience the A La Carte Restaurants, 3 per week are included in your holiday and these really enhanced our holiday. Ranging from Italian, Thai to a Teppanyaki Japanese restaurant where the chef cooks in front of you, this really is an experience all of our party enjoyed. Trips Whilst in Mexico we ventured away from the hotel a number of times and took in a few excursions. Catamaran to Isla Mujeres - This was a great full day trip. Travelling by road to Cancun then onto a beautiful catamaran you have the opportunity to snorkel above an underwater museum and get the chance to see an abundance of sealife. You then travel to the beautiful island of Mujeres where you have a delicious lunch and then free time to explore and even sunbathe. We took this trip on a Sunday and it was great to see all the locals out enjoying the beach and the local markets. Swimming with Dolphins - Although the hotel offers swimming with dolphins after research into the welfare of these beautiful creatures we ventured half an hour outside of the resort. This is a half day trip and best to do first thing. I loved this trip and was quite overwhelmed by these gentle and fantastically clever mammals. I'm so pleased I got to experience this. Extreme Jungle Adventure - This was an adrenalin fuelled day trip not for the faint hearted. Setting off early our first hour was spent driving All Terrain Vehicles (not going to lie I was quite scared) through the jungle! Then off to our next stop where we abseiled into caves and swam through the freshwater, then zip wired over the top of the jungle, into caves and more. Our last activity was snorkelling through the famous Cenotes by torchlight. The day was rounded off by a delicious lunch. Playa Del Carmen - We ventured to Playa Del Carmen ourselves just simply by taking the bus. This is a vibrant lively town, offering many souvenir shops, restaurants and the beach is good too. We did this trip on a day that the weather was a bit showery. Definitely worth a visit and cost just £4 per person each way! Would I go back ? Yes absolutely! We had the most amazing time in Riviera Maya and will certainly return in a heartbeat, and although we had a few showery days due to the time of year this did not take anything away from our enjoyment, it was quite nice to have a break from the intense Caribbean Sunshine! Families, couples, friends this resort has something for everyone and certainly gets my seal of approval. Thank you Mexico for our Holiday of a lifetime