Cancun
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Spring Break in Cancun with a Complete Stranger

Cancun

What’s crazier than going to Cancun for spring break? Going to Cancun for spring break with a total stranger.

Okay, maybe I exaggerate a little. We’d met once at an event and we’d been talking afterwards, but that was that.

Now the trip was technically during “reading week” – the more scholarly term of spring break for us Canadian university students – and since it was just the two of us, we went for more of a relaxed route rather than the “party it up” kinda spring break vacay deal.

The trip lasted six days five nights and despite all the awkwardness of constantly being asked if we were on a honeymoon, it was definitely the most unforgettable reading week I’ve ever had.

Beginning with the first night, we checked in at Holiday Inn Express upon our arrival. Our flight was late in the evening so we didn’t want to check in right away at our fancy resort and waste those couple hundred dollars.

We caught a cab and went up the strip to the CoCo Bongo/Señor Frogs area where we grabbed quick bites from Carlos’n Charlie’s.

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Mexicans are so so soooo friendly. Neither of us spoke Spanish (except for hola, señor/señorita, gracias, and tacos) and the waiters weren’t exactly good at English either, but they were just so full of energy that the language barrier seemed completely minute.

I had the grilled chicken tacos and these were my first tacos ever and they were THE best. I can now say this because I’ve tried other tacos elsewhere and nothing compares to what I’ve had here. As you can see, Mexican food doesn’t really photograph well, but it was absolutely delicious. And yes, of course I had to have a margarita as well.

The waiters also pulled a prank on us by offering us a complimentary dish. But when I opened it, there was a fake spider inside. (-__-)

The next morning, we proceeded to check-in at our heavenly resort: NIZUC Resort & Spa.

Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa

It’s a five-star resort that opened back in March 2013 so relatively new still. A lot of people will come to Cancun and do an all-inclusive package sort of deal with food and drinks included in the hotel fees, but Nizuc does not offer that. Although the prices are more expensive, the quality of the food and drinks you get is definitely worth the money. You’ll see why in a sec.

Nizuc Resort & Spa

Now Holiday Inn offered complimentary breakfast, but you know us girls, we take our time to get ready hence I didn’t have time to enjoy breakfast. That said, first thing I did after we checked-in, eat. Breakfast is important alright.

Breakfast at Nizuc was buffet style, but I have a small appetite so I only went for one round, but even then I grabbed more food than I could finish. My friend had told me that breakfast was complimentary so although he already ate back at Holiday Inn, he still grabbed some papayas and fruits.

Turned out that breakfast was NOT complimentary. And it actually cost almost about $50 CAD per person. Haha, PSYCH! Few pieces of papaya for $50! I’m only laughing now because it’s just funny when you look back and think about these things, but we were both shocked speechless in the moment of. We knew breakfast at a five-star resort would be expensive, but we didn’t think it’d be THIS pricey. No doubt the most expensive breakfast I’ve ever had.

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There were four different residential buildings and mine was the Tzalam. It was the furthest of them all in relation to where most of the activities and amenities were located, but there was a restaurant/lounge and bar as well as pool right next door so this location wasn’t too bad. Not to mention, everything was fairly close together and there were butlers who drove guests around in golf carts. So for those with golden feet, let this not be one of your worries.

Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa

I quite liked the room! I always feel that hotels have the softest beds and pillows. Gotta find out where they buy their supplies man ’cause I just sleep like a baby in these.

Check here for availabilities and book a room today!

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We settled down a bit and somewhat walked around the resort then quickly headed out to explore Cancun!

Cancun

First stop El Rey Ruins – Las Ruinas del Rey.

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This place is famous for housing iguanas.

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Obviously not as big and exciting as the Chichén Itzá, but entrance fee was about $3-4 and you get to see iguanas! I’m very very scared of them and I think they’re ugly, but the ruin itself was still quite the sight. It’s right on the hotel strip and within steps to the Dolphin Beach so if you don’t want to travel the length to go see a ruin, hop on a bus and head down here, or better yet walk and enjoy the sun because we did and it wasn’t too too far.

Next stop was the Dolphin Beach – Playa Delfines.

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I was in awe. Never in my life had I seen water so clear and so green. The crescendo of the approcahing waves gradually crashing against the white sand shore was like music to my ears and I could just sit here all afternoon…

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… But we didn’t; went straight to the mall after.

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Then we hopped on the bus and headed for Market 28 – Mercado 28.

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At Market 28, you’ll find yourself enwrapped in rich Mexican culture with handcrafted souvenirs, exquisite jewelry, traditional clothing items, cool funky Mexican hats, and the list goes on.

Cancun is pretty much a city made for tourists so there isn’t a lot of authentic Mexican culture that you can observe, but Market 28 gives you a little taste of what Mexico is all about. But again, because their target market is tourists, that feeling of traditionalism is still somehow missing.

Nizuc Resort & Spa

By the time we arrived back at the resort, the sun had already started to set and everything about this golden hour scene was just incredibly breathtaking and magical.

Nizuc Resort & Spa

When I got back to my room, I discovered a cute little message and a mini chocolate gift (d’aww). Then I got changed quickly and hit up the beach and pool.

Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & SpaCheck here for availabilities and book a room today!

Dinner took place at Terra Nostra, which was right beside my residence. (Thank goodness I didn’t have to walk too far in my ridiculously skyrocket high high heels.)

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Dress and heels both from Lulus.

Nizuc Resort & Spa

I had the Chilean Seabass which was a baked Chilean sea bass topped with tomato confit and fresh herbs served with pesto beans and spinach mousse. It was phenomenal. The sea bass simply melted away into perfection my mouth and the rich flavour of the pesto beans and the spinach mousse pairing was genius. With that, a little bit of sourness of from the tomato just made this dish over the top. This was 445 pesos by the way, so approximately $35 CAD. This my friends, is why you shouldn’t go with an all-inclusive package.

And like I always say, no meal can ever be complete without dessert.

Nizuc Resort & Spa

When I returned to my room, there was another cute little box on my table and inside were some Mexican sweets.

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And so the evening ended with a relaxing bath and a glass of red wine.

Nizuc Resort & Spa

I slept in the next morning and got up and went straight to lunch at Ni. Yes, I know, first thing I do when I wake up – eat. But hey, nothing wrong with good food accompanied by an amazing view right?

Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa

The dish I ordered was called Sensation Ceviche which incorporated shrimp, octopus, and the chef’s catch of the day in a soft coriander sauce.

Ceviche is made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices so it is obviously served cold and it’s similar to what I would call a seafood salad. It was very zesty and tangy and the octopus was especially chewy, yet not in that plasticky sense. The portion was small, but I don’t eat a lot when I wake up so it was fine by me. I believe this was around 250 pesos (~$20) if my memory serves me right.

Following that, I headed straight for the beach! And I brought my laptop too so I could work one some school club designs and blog too as I soaked up the sun and enjoyed this beautiful weather alongside with my boozy cocktail.

Nizuc Resort & SpaHello sausage legs.

Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & SpaSun ray in my face, lovely.

Nizuc Resort & SpaCheck here for availabilities and book a room today!

Everything about this was unreal. Usually you only see this kind of sight from say a travel brochure or from other online travel bloggers (wink), but this view was real and it was right in front of my very eyes as beautiful as it could ever be. I spent half the time napping in this Mexican sunshine and it was oh so relaxing~

Dinner time came about and we dined at Romona.

Nizuc Resort & SpaLook at that foam!!!!!!!

This was the Tamalduck foie gras served with roasted corn foam and fresh fruit chutney (445 pesos/$35 CAD). The foie gras was delicious. It was grilled crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside. But look at that foam! I suspect it was some kind of an egg white mixture but it actually didn’t taste like anything much. Five stars for the presentation nonetheless!

The roasted corn on the bottom tasted like Asian rice cakes and the figs on the side added a touch of sweetness to this dish. Overall an A+ without a doubt.

Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa

For dessert, I had the Raspberry Savarin with frozen merengue, cream citric mascarpone with red berries and rosemary ice cream. What a perfect way to end to an amazing dinner.

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My dinner dress is from Urban Outfitters and I paired with the same Lulus heels from before. Gold feather temporary tattoo is from Tobi.com.

Chichen Itza Tour 

We got up nice and early the next day to catch the Chichén Itzá tour.

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Obligatory tourist pic.

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Where do I even begin…

Wow! Just wow.

Remember when you’d go on field trips with your school and there’d always be this boring tour guide who’d just go on and on about boring facts? Well, that was how I imagined this tour to be. But boy was I wrong.

Our tour guide was super energetic and he had a great sense of humour to keep us all awake. In fact, I was completely intrigued by his description of the architectural makeup and history of these ruins that I wasn’t even feeling tired from waking up at 4 or 5 in the morning!

Every little detail of the Chichén Itzá was intricately designed to reflect the Mayan calendar. And I obviously don’t remember the entire speech about the history and artifacts now, but in the moment of, I was just thoroughly amazed and taken aback by how intelligent the Mayans were in terms of their architectural designs.

 Seven wonders of the world, one down and six more to go!

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After the Chichén Itzá tour ended, we headed to lunch followed by a visit to Cenote Ik Kil.

Chichen Itza Tour Chichen Itza Tour Chichen Itza TourThis was a drink made from a plant called Chaya. Super cold and refreshing, perfect for the hot summery weather.

Chichen Itza Tour

Just a quick note, food and transportation to all these different attraction sights were all included in our guided tour package which we signed up for back at our resort. We didn’t plan this before coming to Cancun and we literally booked this tour a day or two before coming. The price was roughly $100-$120 CAD so not that bad. (Not to mention we got free Coronas!)

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This cenote is about 40 meters deep. It was sacred to the Mayans and they used it for both relaxation as well as ritual services. Now it’s just a popular attraction sight where tourists can dive off and swim.

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When we got back to the hotel, it was sunset already and there was just beauty in each and every corner.

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Dinner took place at La Punta Grill & Lounge. (Makes you think just how big the resort is eh?)

Nizuc Resort & SpaComplimentary appetizer.

Nizuc Resort & Spa

I enjoyed the grilled lobster (690 pesos/$55 CAD) with a side of sautéed mushrooms. Mmm mmm, yummy in my tummy! And can’t forget about dessert!

Nizuc Resort & Spa

Next morning came around and I just chillaxed in my room with room service breakfast. What can I say, I just be living the good life.

Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & SpaBreakfast like a champ.

Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa

Okay, I swear it was just me alone in my room and me alone for breakfast, but I ordered enough food for like three-four people. When I looked at the menu, everything looked so good and I just couldn’t decide between waffles or french toast or french toast or sausage and eggs. In the end I could only finish the sausage and eggs and I was already full, phew! I have a big appetite for my eyes, not my stomach apparently.

And I know kids are starving in Africa, so I left a note asking room service to not clear my leftovers (got my lunch and dinner all covered ya know?) and I went out on my beach bunny adventures again.

Nizuc Resort & Spa

This was the adult beach (just how many beaches were there!?) and the water here was absolutely beautiful. The gradient of the emerald green and the indigo blue was simply gorgeous.

Nizuc Resort & SpaCheck here for availabilities and book a room today!

Nizuc Resort & Spa

There was actually free snorkelling courtesy of the resort and the water was really clear, perfect for seeing underwater wildlife, but I was a little too scared to go alone (like I said before in my other post, I ain’t no pro swimmer!). My buddy had gone to explore Isla Mujeres on his own, which I totally regret not going, but I can definitely see myself coming back to Cancun again so there’ll always be another time.

Nizuc Resort & SpaOh hello seaweed hair.

 I headed back to the infinity pool that I had gone on the first night so I could catch a glimpse of what the daytime view was like.

Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & SpaHere’s to another lazy afternoon of tanning and napping under the sun.

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I also headed back to the Dolphin Beach since last time we somehow missed the iconic Cancun sign and I was determined to take a photo with it! The tourist voice in me was definitely strong on this one.

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And no matter how many times I come here, the view just never ceases to amaze me.

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I actually left my flip flops by some log that was a little away from the shoreline and when we were leaving, I came back but my shoes were gone! We looked everywhere and even in the garbage bin but it was just nowhere to be found. Flip flop thieves? Watch out for them in Cancun.

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We headed back to the resort and this being our last night here, we walked around one last time inhaling in this beauty.

Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & Spa Nizuc Resort & SpaThumbs up for hotel slippers!

Nizuc Resort & Spa

Oh and I lied about the leftovers. We ended up grabbing dinner at Indochine.

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Yet another amazing meal and a perfect end to this unbelievable trip.

Our flight back home had an eight-hour layover so we ventured out and about Arizona, which you can read all about here: ≪Layover in Phoenix≫. Also don’t forget to check out my vlog!

As much as this was a super awkward honeymoon-like non-honeymoon trip, it was absolutely memorable and I can’t wait to be back in Cancun again. If you’re planning an anniversary trip, check out these romantic things to do in Cancun. Other than that, don’t forget to subscribe for my newsletters and I’ll see you in the next post!

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4 Comments

  1. Such a beautiful trip! Love love love the photos and very cool video too. Keep doing what you're doing girllllllll.

    P.S. those tacos look amazing.

    1. Thanks Elaine! There was a lot of lugging a suitcase around for half an hour because there were no busses and we didn’t want to cab. Definitely not as luxurious as my post may suggest XDD

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