Tour Review - Xenotes Tour Cancun Mexico

I first experienced a cenote last June when I stayed at Sandos Caracol in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The resort conveniently has one of these natural sink holes on site and allows guests to swim and explore it. I found it intriguing and refreshing and when I returned to Mexico in September I decided to check out some more of the Yucatan cenotes.

A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. There are several different types of cenotes. I was able to experience an open cenote, cave cenote and semi open cenote on this tour.

The Xenotes Tour bus arrived at my hotel right on time at 9:00 am. The driver, and our tour guide, Ismael, came out to greet me and my traveling companion. He was friendly and enthusiastic and I could tell that this would be a fun experience.

There were already a few people in the bus and we headed out to pick up a few more. In total we had about 15 people in our group. Ismael named us "The Iguanas" and gave us a quick overview of the day ahead in both English and Spanish.

The bus was air-conditioned and comfortable, until the "Mayan Massage" began. It sounds delightful, but is actually what our guide called the constant and intense bumps we experienced on the back roads that led to the cenotes.  Anyone with back problems or issues with a very rough and bumpy ride would find this quite unpleasant.

As we approached the first cenote, K'áak´, I saw a zip line that ran across. I immediately got excited and wanted to get in. Ismael, and our photographer, Jamie, took us to a shelter area with restrooms, showers and some picnic tables. Its important not to disturb the natural waters so we were all instructed to shower in order to remove any bug sprays, sunscreens, soaps and shampoo residue before getting in.

Next we grabbed our life jackets and formed a circle. It was time to ask the Alux for permission to enter the sacred waters. Once our chant was finished we lined up and took turns zip lining and dropping into the green water of this open cenote. The water was cool and refreshing and after the initial jump I allowed myself to just float quietly and take in my surroundings.

When we got out of the water we were treated to coffee, teas, fruit and snacks before heading to our next stop, the cave cenote guarded by Lu'um. This was bar far the most enchanting. When we arrived we were fitted with our rappelling gear, which included a harness and helmet before climbing up a steep set of stairs to a wooden platform built around the trees.























We were attached to our ropes and led down into the cave. The water here was the coldest. It was also the most beautiful. The water was a deep blue and there was a small amount of sunlight that shone in through the top. To my delight there were bats all over the walls, and there were tree roots that extended from the opening of the cenote all the way down into the water. It was incredible to be immersed in something so natural.

The next cenote was open and river-like. We all got into kayaks and floated down the water, surrounded by high rock formations. It was calm and peaceful. We followed that with snorkeling in another section of the cenote. There's not much to see in the water, but it was still a fun experience.

Lunch was great. As a vegetarian I was a little limited, but there was salad, a vegetable mix, bread and cheese. There was also lunch meat, soup and pasta salad. Wine and beer was provided, along with bottled water.

The final cenote was Lik, the wind cenote. This had two different options for zip lining. You could hang from a bar or use the sling. There was also a fantastic cliff that we were able to jump from into the water (That was my favorite).

This was an incredible introduction to several different types of cenotes in Mexico. I highly recommend the company, Xenotes Oasis Maya. The tour guides were professional and entertaining and I felt completely safe the entire time.

Interested in booking this tour? Visit LoveLandandSea.com for more information.

Resort Review - Sandos Caracol Eco Resort

Sandos Caracol, in Playacar, Mexico is a wonderfully unique place. A few weeks ago I was able to stay there and take a tour of this beautiful all-inclusive eco resort. I instantly fell in love.

This is such a multi-dimensional place and each aspect comes together in perfect harmony. The best way to explain what they offer is just breaking it down.

Accommodations

Sandos Caracol offers a Family Section, Adults-Only Select Club and The Royal Elite Section. I stayed in the Select Club and was very happy. My room  was located near the main lobby and also close to the Select Club pool and reception area. The Select Club has a private restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and became one of my favorite spots (more on that later).

The Royal Elite rooms offer a close proximity to the beach and pool, as well as VIP service and a private restaurant.

Family Suites are sprinkled in the middle section so again, be prepared to walk a little bit to reach the beach and main pool. There are golf cart shuttles that come around and will take you across the resort if needed, so it's not a big deal to be further back on the property. Plus, the grounds are so beautiful the walk is enjoyable!

Pools & Beach 

The adults-only pool was quiet, calm and relaxing. Very nice for couples on a honeymoon. The only downside is that these rooms are a little walk from the beach area and the main entertainment plaza.

The main pool was located near the beach and that's where you will find the activities, water sports and nearby dining options.

The beach has gentle waves, not as much seaweed as several other resorts in the area this time of year and is only rocky on one side. If you walk the beach you will find the perfect spot to walk in!

There is an adults only section and Royal Elite section on the beach too, which offers some exclusivity.

Dining 

There were plenty of places to eat at Sandos Caracol. From an international buffet, to Italian and Mexican buffets there were plenty of choices. In addition, the A La Carte options were amazing. My favorite was the vegetarian restaurant, called Salvia. They have recently been discussing more vegan options there too which is very exciting!

Other dining options were with Teppanyaki, Brazilian, Mediterranean, Italian and a Steak & Fish place. I didn't have anything bad to eat the whole time. I will also mention that in the past I have been to all-inclusive resorts where the desserts look beautiful but have no taste.. not true here. They were all amazing. I think it may have to do with everything being made on site.

There is also a snack place open 24 hours so there is always something to eat. I didn't try the food there (except one evening when I grabbed a quick ice cream cone)!

 The bars were all great. They have a list of drinks they can make for you as resort specialties, but they are skilled bartenders and will make any other drink you request as well. I was very impressed with the bar service and quality of the drinks.

Activities/Entertainment

This is where Sandos Caracol really excels. Sure, there are plenty of resorts in the Riviera Maya. They all offer entertainment, water sports, land sports, etc. What you get at Sandos Caracol is that - plus MUCH more. They are called an Eco Resort for a reason.

Wildlife

Walking around you can spot several types of birds, turtles, coatis, iguanas all over, racoons and spider monkeys. The best part of my trip was when I was eating breakfast at the Select Club and four spider monkeys came down from the trees to grab bananas. They were hanging around eating their breakfast while everyone took pictures. They had no fear of us, but kept their distance too. It was such an amazing experience to be so close to nature.

I was very impressed that the resort respects nature and wildlife and leaves the animals alone in their natural habitat.

Nature

This place was built around the jungle. They didn't knock everything down to make room for the resort. Instead, they built around cenotes, trees, Mayan ruins and lagoons.

Our guide showed us different trees and explained the stories that the Mayas told about them. He also showed us the ruins that are on site and did a sensory experience with our group that was really cool.

What makes this place so unique is that you can explore the jungle (on foot or on provided bikes), swim in a cenote, view wildlife, get immersed in Mayan history and culture, yet still have all of the comforts and benefits of an all-inclusive beach resort at the same time.

Culture

The resort has entertainment every night and a huge focus is the Mayan culture. You can watch fire shows and ceremonies and participate in a survival game too. It's great for the whole family. For something romantic, couples can take a private boat ride in the Jade river.

Kids

For kids, there is a nice water park with slides and pools as well as a kids program with a full schedule each day to keep kids busy and happy the whole trip.

I'm already planning my next trip back. I will be recommending Sandos Caracol to my clients for sure! For more photos visit facebook.com/LoveLandandSea

For booking info contact beth@lovelandandsea.com

Meat-Free Dallas

As a vegetarian, I must admit I was concerned about traveling to Texas. When I think of Texas I think of huge T-Bone steaks, smoked meats and lots of barbecue... at least I used to. I'll admit I'm a bit ashamed of my narrow-minded preconceived ideas of what Dallas had to offer in the way of dining. If you are looking to eat vegetarian or vegan in Dallas, here are some ideas and reviews.

Cane Rosso  Menu
My accommodations were near Deep Ellum, a neighborhood with several arts and entertainment venues that I wanted to check out. It was suggested that I try a place there for dinner.  Pizza is always on the top of my list to try in any city, so I headed to Cane Rosso for some Neapolitan style pizza.

The place was full of diners and bar-goers that Saturday night. The atmosphere was modern and hip, yet casual and comfortable. It seems like the perfect place to go on a casual first date or out for happy hour with friends. There was a 45-minute wait, and although there was a bit of confusion with the hostess finding us when our table was ready, my dining partner and I were eventually seated at a cozy table near the door.

Although vegan cheese is an option here, we opted for the Margherita Pizza with house-made mozzarella. The crust was thin and had the perfect crisp. It was easy to tell that the pizza was cooked in a wood-fire oven. The sauce had a subtle and fulfilling flavor that left us wanting more.

Besides the Margherita Pizza there were a few other menu items appropriate for vegetarians, along with the option to substitute vegan cheese. Overall I give this place a 6/10. The pizza and atmosphere were great, but I would love to see a few more meat-free specialty pizzas or sandwiches.

Cane Rosso

Dream Cafe  Menu 

For brunch on Sunday we found a cozy place Uptown called the Dream Cafe. We couldn't resist trying the cinnamon coffee cake to start. The decision was a good one. This was by far the best coffee cake I've tried. Next was the Granola-Crusted French Toast. While the overall taste was good, and unique, I would have preferred less granola on the edges since it made the overall texture awkward. We accompanied the french toast with some vegetarian sausage. Even though it was cooked from a frozen patty (Morningstar Farms) it was cooked to perfection and was a nice protein source to balance the "carb fest" we had going on.  The eggs we ordered on the side were tasty, and were cooked just as we requested.

The atmosphere is very laid back and casual. The staff was friendly and the vibe was chill. I noticed quite a line forming as we were leaving near 11:00 am, so earlier on the weekends is probably your best best. I would have liked to have seen some more vegan options, but overall this place was a 7/10 for me.

Outside of Dream Cafe 

Spiral Diner Menu 


This was such a find. If I lived in Dallas I would spend at least 1 meal a day here. Not only is the place completely organic, it's all vegan too. You can order anything off the menu and know that you aren't consuming any animal products. With so many choices on the menu, I consulted with a few patrons who frequent the Spiral Diner.

They suggested the nachos and cheese and said that it is considered the best nacho dish in Dallas, despite the fact that it's not even made with real cheese. They also insisted that I try one of the desserts the Death Star. One of the women ended the conversation with, "Really, anything you choose here will be great. I have never had a bad meal here."  We were feeling pretty confident that we would enjoy our food. The decision was hard, but I went with Ramsey’s Perfect
Protein Platter. The dish was black beans and quinoa cooked with homemade salsa,  avocado and tahini dressing.

Ramsey’s Perfect Protein Platter

My dining partner chose the Sketti and Meatballs. I had to try some, of course, and found that they had the a great texture, unique flavor and just the right hint of spice. I would definitely order either of these dishes again. 

For dessert, I took the advice I was given and chose the Death Star. Never in my life I have been more impressed with a dessert. This sundae  consisted of a brownie, covered with a shot of hot expresso, then topped with i-scream and whipped cream. This was the most delicious combination of vegan desserts I've ever had. I should mention, also, that I'm quite confident that anyone who tries this dish with the assumption that it is made with dairy products would never know the difference. It tasted like a real ice cream sundae. 

The Sprial Diner was my favorite restaurant in Dallas. I will return many times if I should travel to Dallas again.  This place was 10/10 for me. I wish they had a location in Cincinnati!