So I did it. I had the real USA college spring break style vacation (yes I did just say vacation, I am a real American now). But anyway I loved it. I headed to Mexico with 4 of my friends and we sunbathed, swam, and had the most amazing experience, in one of the coolest countries I have ever visited.

So prior to my trip whenever I would tell anyone I was going to Mexico, particularly Americans they wouldn’t say have fun or that is amazing. They would always say ooo ‘be careful’ or ‘be safe’, now I’m not sure if that is because there is so much anti- Mexican rhetoric circulating in the USA right now, or simply because many Americans have never travelled before. But anyway, before I arrived in Mexico naturally I was slightly worried especially after all the horror stories I had heard before my arrival. Lost baggage, stolen phones, drug cartels and creepy guys. Well I can hand on heart say I didn’t experience anything like that. In fact the Mexicans I encountered were some of the kindest and friendly people I have ever met in my life. Obviously this is a fairly sheltered account of Mexico as I only stuck to the area of Tulum beach (which was swarming with primarily American tourists) and the area of Yucatan where Chichen Itza is located (again a huge tourist hot spot). So maybe my blog wouldn’t be the same if I had been walking around late at night in Mexico City for example. But I feel like this is the same everywhere you go, there are always scary places you wouldn’t want venture and there are always places you feel safe. I can happily say that Tulum was one of those places.

So if anyone is planning on spending the year in America in 2019 or are doing a spring semester somewhere in the USA I would highly recommend Tulum. Especially if you are looking for a more classy style spring break rather than a Maga, Zante kinda thing. Back when I was 18 I would have loved to have done booze cruises all day and pass out on the beach. But now I’m a little older I wanted a nice mix of culture, drinking and relaxing (I hope I don’t sound too much like a mum). Anyway, I will lay out my Tulum vacation itinerary with costs. I would encourage you all to go.

So we flew out from Washington Dulles Airport to Cancun International Airport (costing $254: roundtrip). Once we arrived in Cancun we had arranged for a private shuttle to pick us up from the airport as Tulum is about a 2 hour drive from Cancun. When we hopped off the plane, got through security and got our dollars changed to pesos we walked outside and there was a man waiting with a sign with our names on. We then hoped in our shuttle and made our way to Tulum. The shuttle cost roughly $150 for 4 people (roundtrip) so individually it was only about $40, which was definitely worth it for the ease.

Once in Tulum we checked into our hotel, the Residencia Gorila. It was a really cool place run by two twenty year olds. The vibes were so chill and we got a room for 5 people with two double beds and a bed on the upper level of the room. It was set up kind of like a tree house. I will attach photos below. It was in a great location and was about a 30 second walk from the beach. The cost of the hotel for 6 nights was $1200 which ended up being about $300 each.

Once we were in Tulum we tried to eat fairly cheaply. The area we were in was quite expensive and prices were fairly standard, so about $7- $10 for a meal. But in Tulum town the meals were a lot cheaper, meals were roughly $1-$3. So maybe you could venture into town and grab some food, but I would definitely recommend staying in Tulum Beach. A taxi into town costs roughly 150 Pesos which is about $8, so divided between 4 people it is virtually nothing. You must always remember to agree on a price before you get into a taxi.

When we were in Tulum as I mentioned previously we visited Chichen Itza, one of the 7 wonders of the world. The roundtrip bus trip cost 460 pesos which is roughly $25 each, and once we arrived in Chichen Itza we paid to have a tour guide show us around. This is a must, without the tour guide we wouldn’t have had a clue, so it would have been pretty pointless heading all the way there. The tour guide cost 1000 pesos for a private tour, which divided by 4 cost us $15 each. Absolutely worth every penny.

Also when we were in Tulum beach we visited a cenote which was about a 20 minute drive from our hotel. It was called Grand Cenote and again was a must if you are in Tulum. It cost 180 pesos each which is roughly $8-10. Again so cheap.

Finally the other activity we did while on our trip was we cycled to the Mayan ruins. The overall cycle was about 13 miles to and from our hotel. The cost of the bikes was 200 pesos each, again roughly $10. Then the cost to enter the ruins was again 200 pesos. So overall that day cost us about $20.

The final expense of the trip was the clubs, the club I would highly recommend is called Papaya Playa Project, it is a beach club and is about a 10 minute drive from the Tulum Beach strip. It was so amazing, especially after a year of listening to cringey American music as frat parties. I needed a night like that.

I will now attach a list of the restaurants and bars I visited when in Tulum. All were great and great value for money.

1. Raw Love
2. Ziggy Beach Club
3. Hip Hotel
4. I Scream Bar
5. Gelato
6. La Zebra
7. Taqueria La Eufemia

If you end up going to Tulum Beach it isn’t hard to find restaurants and bars. It was an experience I will never forget. Overall the trip ended up costing me roughly $800 including spending money. It was so worth it and I would recommend trying to venture out of the states for spring break if you can.