Our Dream Holiday In Mexico (Part 2)

This is the second post about our holiday in Mexico back in October 2010. It was truly one of the most special holidays in my life. Sukh and Shalini agree that it’s definitely one we remember fondly. Shivam was only a baby then but he’s seen the video of the holiday so many times he thinks he can remember it! I can’t believe it was almost eight years ago because I remember it so vividly. Click here to read Part 1.In the first part, I talked about planning the trip, our first impressions of the hotel and what we got up to, which mainly included relaxing by the pool and enjoying a’la carte meals in the fabulous restaurants.We mostly ate at the World Cafe for breakfast and lunch. There was always a wide variety of foods on offer so no meal was ever the same.Our favourite waiters were Victor and Orlando who really looked after us for the duration of our stay. They were great with the kids. I have no idea if they still work there, many years later. But if you ever visit Dreams Riviera Cancun, then do look out for them.After lazing around at the pool all day, we would get ready for dinner. I loved how big a deal we made of getting dressed up for our meal. We weren’t leaving the resort but it was nice to make an effort. We made a real night of it. After our meal, we would chill at The Rendezvous bar in the lobby. We stayed up till late because the kids were content and relaxed.Our favourite restaurant was Portofino, which serves Italian and Mediterranean food. The menu had many options but we particularly enjoyed the lamb shank. We went back a few times for the dish. This is why unlimited luxury is the best option for us. I hate all-inclusives that limit the amount you can eat at an a’la carte restaurant.During our first week, we ventured into downtown Cancun to do a bit of souvenir shopping on Fifth Avenue. A free coach picked us up from the hotel and back again a few hours later.It was nice to get out for an afternoon. We had fun walking around and soaking in a bit of culture.Shalini was fine for about an hour but once she had picked up the bits and bobs she wanted, she was itching to get back to the hotel.We met a lovely family from London at the pool during our first week. Anu, his wife Anju and their three-year-old daughter Alisha.Shalini hit it off with Alisha straight away and spent most of the two weeks with her. Sukh and I really got on well with Anu and Anju and we ended up having most of our evening meals and spending all our days at the pool together.One night we wanted to try the adult-only French restaurant – Bordeaux. We agreed to look after Alisha for an hour while her parents went for their meal and vice versa. It was so nice for us to have a date night without feeling guilty about the kids. We did our next trip to downtown Cancun with them too and Shalini had more fun this time because she had a friend.Most hotels abroad have themed nights and we decided to check out the Mexican Night on evening. It was different to the other nights as this was an outdoor event, with a buffet and tables set up around the pool. We didn’t enjoy the food as much as we did at one of the restaurants but the evening’s entertainment made up for that. It was a fun night with traditional Mexican dance and fire eaters.Sukh really wanted to scuba dive. Neither of us have done it before but he is much braver than I when it comes to the sea. I’m better at rollercoasters! (Check out our Orlando vlog series)I was a bit nervous about him doing it but I didn’t let on at all. He did the necessary training in the pool a day prior to the dive. When the day came, he got his stuff together and kissed the kids and I. I wouldn’t;t have said anything except he tried really hard to wind me up. He asked me what I would do if he never came back! I was mortified and told him not to dare leave me here alone, with two children!Once he was gone, the kids and I had a long leisurely lunch and then chilled at the pool with Anju and Anu for the rest of the afternoon. I did worry a little one hour turned into the next, wondering when Sukh would return. Of course I knew it would take a few hours but I was still anxious.When he did come back he was literally smiling from ear to ear. He was like an excited school kid telling me about his experience. Sukh had loved the dive and couldn’t believe how fast time had flown. He said I would have loved it down there although diving into the water and the pressure in your ears can be a bit scary. Maybe one day I will be brave enough but for now, snorkelling is enough. We managed to have a good giggle about the exchange we had had before he left.That night we all went to eat at Himitsu, the Pan-Asian restaurant. We managed to book the Tepanyaki Table on the same day at the Concierge desk. The kids were really impressed with the show-cooking and the food was really good. The chef cracked a few jokes, along with the eggs, and we all had a fun evening. It’s definitely a restaurant I would recommend visiting if you’re ever at a Dreams resort.Shalini had a lot of fun at the Explorer’s Club. I was a bit worried to leave her and a part of me felt guilty too. But she said she wanted to do some of the activities they had lined up. The staff was really friendly. They reassured me she would be fine. We agreed to just keep her in for a short while on the first day so she could see if she liked it.They gave us a pager and when she was ready to be picked up, the pager would buzz. She had loved every minute and asked if she could go for a couple of hours each day. She enjoyed the disco on Friday nights the most.During the second week, we decided to visit Chichen Itza, which we booked via the hotel. It was a long trip but nothing prepared me for just how long it felt before we reached. Shivam had started walking a day before we left for Cancun and so he kept wanting to crawl off my lap on the coach. He was such a happy and calm baby but this trip really took it out of him – and us! It was hot and sticky when we reached but the landmark is really impressive and worth seeing. I was glad we had made the trip but I was exhausted by the heat and the drive.

On the way back we stopped at a Cenote. These are underground caverns with a hole in the earth that leads to a pool of gorgeous turquoise-coloured water. I volunteered to stay with the kids so Sukh could enjoy a swim. It was quite a walk down hundreds if steps.The kids and I watched as people dove into the cold water from several heights. Sukh returned refreshed and re-energised.One of the highlights of the trip was the photo shoot we had booked. The on-site photographers booked us in and we spent a couple of hours getting ready. It was our first photo shoot as a four so we wanted it to be perfect. We dressed up in similar colours and took spare outfits for the second part of the shoot. The photographer was patient. It wasn’t always easy to get Shivam to look at the camera but we managed to get some great shots.Sukh had an idea about the kinds of shots he wanted and worked with the photographer to make them happen. It was nice to capture pictures of just Sukh and I too. We went back a few days later to choose our photos. We were impressed with the results. Sukh ended up getting most of them!Sukh turned the photos into a lovely canvas, which now hangs above the sofa in our living room. Every time we look at it, it reminds us just how beautiful the holiday was. Hats off to Dreams for our luxury experience.

Here are some more photos from our trip:

If you enjoyed reading this, check out our Florida Roadtrip.