The perfect trip to kick off 2022 travels was a weekend getaway in Tulum! I had been meaning to visit Tulum for years and decided to head out there to celebrate my 29th birthday with some of my friends.

A girls’ trip is one of my favourite things and in the last year, I have visited Los Cabos and Dubai with some of my best girlies. Keep reading to see everything we were up to in Mexico!

FLIGHT & TRANSPORTATION

The entry requirements to Mexico is pretty straightforward, and I wrote all about it in my Los Cabos Travel Guide. We travelled on a long holiday weekend, so there was some foot traffic but getting through Immigration was pretty quick and easy.

Tip: After getting through Customs, keep your tourist card in a safe part of your luggage as you will need this when you are leaving Mexico. If you loose it, you will have to pay $50 to replace it.

The best way to get to Tulum is to fly to the Cancun International Airport and take a 2-hour road trip to Tulum. You can opt for the ADO public transport, for a cheaper fare or book a private transportation for convenience.

We booked a private driver, Juan, for the duration of our stay and he also coordinated our airport pick-ups and dropoffs. He has the best reviews and I 100% recommend him! You can contact him on WhatsApp here +52 984 177 4450

ACCOMMODATION

There are plenty of accommodation options to choose from in Tulum. Depending on your group size and budget, you can opt for a hotel or an entire home. In our case, we decided a house was a more suitable option, and we found some luxury options on Airbnb, Vrbo and Exotic Estates.

We stayed at the architectural Villa Nimi residence . It was a beautiful 2-storey house with 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 4 king beds, 2 queen beds, a pool, dining area, living room and kitchen. It can comfortably fit 10 guests and the hosts did a great job at helping us create an itinerary for our entire trip.

Depending on what you need, a responsive concierge can book private services for a chef, masseuse, driver, yoga instructor, and many more.

Pros:

• Spacious
• Cleaning services
• Responsive concierge/host

Cons:

• No hot water for the first two nights. The maintenance unit came to resolve this as soon as they were notified.
• It isn’t central/downtown Tulum.
• No full length mirror

To see a tour of the villa, check out my vlog on YouTube.

Cost: $6,190 CAD

ACTIVITIES

We were in Tulum for 4 days, and had activities planned for each day. We were mindful of the fact that we wanted to experience Tulum, have fun, but also have some time to relax on the trip.

BLACK HAUSE JUNGLE PARTY

On the first night, we attended the DOPEST black party hosted by BlackHause. It was the perfect kick off to our trip and we had a lot of fun dancing to Hip Hop, R&B, Rap and Afrobeats all night!

They throw parties every Friday and also host Yacht experiences. You can check out their event calendar here.

The tickets cost $25USD / 33 CAD per person and you can either buy it online or in person at the door. To see how much fun we had, check out my highlights here.

CENOTES

A trip to Tulum isn’t complete without swimming in cenotes. Cenotes are popular tourist attractions and there are a number of them between Tulum and Playa Del Carmen.

We visited Cenote Casa Tortuga, but some other popular options are Gran Cenote, Cenote Suytun and Cenote Dos Ojos. Cenote Casa Tortuga is a collection of 4 cenotes: Wisho, Tortuga, Tres Zapotes and Campana. I loved that each had a unique significance and we were able to experience the beauty of swimming in both open and cave cenotes within walking distance of each other.

This was my first time swimming in a cenote and at first I was pretty nervous, but it became very relaxing quickly! It’s okay if you’re not the best swimmer because there are life jackets and you can float through the experience.

Some cenote tips:

• don’t wear too many clothing – you will need to store everything in a locker, so the less you bring, the better
• do not swim with any priced jewelry – I lost an earring and had a full on Kim K moment. The girls that get it, get it lol.
• do not dive into cenotes – this is advised because cenotes are not as deep and you are likely to dive head first into a rock.
• buy a phone pouch to take photos and videos – you can watch some of ours in the vlog here.
• wear sunscreen!

Cost: $35USD / $350 pesos per person.

YACHT DAY

What’s a tropical trip without a boat day? On the second day of the trip, we rented a boat in Puerto Aventuras and sailed for 3 hours to a party area on the water. This was a very chilled way to enjoy the day, especially because our package included unlimited drinks and snacks.

The boat was rented through Riviera Elite Private Yacht

Cost: $1,040 USD.

BEACH CLUB

Tulum is a land of beach clubs! Some of the popular ones are Taboo, Bagatellee, Tantra and Casa Malca. We spent an afternoon in Tantra, relaxing and eating some good food. This beach club was also connected to the most gorgeous beach, so just a few steps out will give you a different experience!

The service, food and ambience were a good 8.5/10!

FOOD

We got so many good restaurant recommendations from locals! My favourite was Casa Banana because of the ambience, menu and of course, the food! It is an Argentinian restaurant and if you are a steak lover, you have to try their Rib Eye, it’s honestly one of the best I’ve ever had! Rosa Negra was a close second, but note that this restaurant also doubles as a club. If you’re looking for a more quiet dinner experience, this one is not for you.

TIP: Other highly recommended restaurants:

Breakfast

• Burrito Amor
• Don Cafeto
• Kibo Tulum
• Babel

Lunch + Beach Day

• Casa Malca
• La Zebra Hotel
• Tantra
• Taboo Beach Club

Dinner

• Parole
• Casa Jaguar
• Mezzanine Hotel
• Posada Margarita

P.S Most places advise you to book a reservation ahead of time, but they are also willing to accommodate if it is a last minute walk-in.

This trip was a memorable one for me, and I’ll always cherish the memories I made with my friends. If you’re looking for a good destination for a girls trip, I encourage you to consider Tulum!

If you’ve found this guide useful, leave me a comment down below and share it with your friends!

Where to next on The Alma Chronicle??? Stay Tuned!

A.R.E