Xavage Adventure Park
Posted on December 12, 2019 by Ching under Travel.
Here are some highlights from our visit to Xavage, the newest of the Grupo Xcaret theme parks. Grupo Xcaret has nine experiences altogether. Xavage happens to be the most extreme one and it’s the one that we chose to do first because it was on top of both Jay’s list and my list of things to do while on this #VacayWithJayJay trip.
Jay and I weren’t the only ones excited about our day at Xavage. I think everyone in the group was too. Here are some group photos of us that we took using the escanea stations throughout the park.
It turned out to be a beautiful day and we pretty much had the park all to ourselves. We didn’t have to wait in line for any rides/activities at all.
How it works.
A day at Xavage is not cheap. For those who are not staying at Hotel Xcaret where the park admission is included, a day at Xavage will set you back $60 per person ($30 per child) for basic admission or $135 per person ($70 per child) for the full experience. Both basic and full access includes your lunch, drinks, and snacks. The main difference is if you do the basic admission only, you just get the ropes couse and kayaking so you don’t get all of the other awesome rides. If you do the full experience then you get to do all the rides as many times as you want.
Since we were staying at Hotel Xcaret, we had unlimited access to all of the Grupo Xcaret parks so we didn’t have to pay for admission. It’s kind of like going to Disney where your wristband gets you into the parks/rides, etc.
So, since we pretty much had run of the park, we just went right for it. We chose the most extreme activity, Puma, for our first one. Puma is the monster truck experience. Here’s a video of us with a bit of intro to what we’re about to get ourselves into. Some pictures follow.
The next activity we did as a group was Dragonfly. Dragonfly is the high-adrenaline jet boat ride. There was another couple that went on the ride with us but we pretty much had the boat to ourselves.
Check out the awesome Go Pro footage Brian got in the above video.
The jet boat driver attempted to get us a bunch of great photos from the park cameras but boat was going so fast that the camera only caught us a couple of times. The rest of the pics pretty much just had a sliver of the boat in the corner.
Since we were already wet from having been splashed multiple times in the jet boat, we decided to just go for it. Our next activity was Barracuda, which is a simulated class 3 rafting experience. The park cameras got several great pics of our group during this activity. Here are just a few of them.
We also got some really good Go Pro footage of the rafting.
After this we decided to change into dry clothes and have some lunch. The buffet lunch was actually really good for having been included. I thought they would cut corners and just give you something really basic but you have lots of options, from traditional Mexican foods to American stuff like burgers and hotdogs. The guys even got to try some crocodile meat.
As far as drinks go, the non-alcoholic beverages and juices were all included but I think tequila and other things were extra. I don’t know for sure because we didn’t bother with it. Since the activities are so extreme, they do not let you do them if you’ve had some alcoholic drinks for safety reasons.
I did not bring long pants/leggings on this trip so Brian loaned me a pair of his shorts to wear so my legs wouldn’t get chaffed from the harnesses. That happened to me when we did the zip lines in Jamaica a few years ago. Anyway, that’s why you see me in Brian’s shorts in some of the pics.
After lunch we hit the zip lines or Hawk activity. This one is actually a laying down zip line instead of a sitting one. It was my first time with this type of zip line. We were really high up and had excellent views of the entire park, which was super awesome. It started out kind of slow but then went faster in parts. I would describe it as kind of like a solo roller coaster ride but instead of up and down you got flung from side to side as you turned on the curves. It was a nice long ride.
Contrast the pics of me above with the pics of Brian below. He never looks like he’s having any fun but, trust me, he’s having fun on the inside. LOL.
Here’s a short clip Brian got of the ride. Enjoy!
The Snake area is an open water park for people and their children to hang out. Everyone was busy doing activities and there really weren’t any children when we were there so the park was pretty much empty. It was a very nice water park with lots of slides and activities for kids to do. There were plenty of lounge chairs around too. I could see it as a nice chill spot for families to hang out after they are exhausted from all of the rides/activities.
As for us, we were not tired yet. We (well, most of us) were ready to take on our next challenge — the ropes course. I must admit, I didn’t mind saving it until the end (maybe partially hoping we would run out of time, LOL) because it looked quite intimidating. This area of the park was called Monkey. I really liked that they named the park areas after animals that kind of fit the activity. They had signs at the park that pointed you to the areas using these names (Puma, Dragonfly, Barracuda, Snake, Hawk, Monkey, and Crocodile) which made it really easy to navigate the vast park grounds and not get lost.
The ropes course was massive. We were quite fearless in the morning but then as the day wore on, and it sprinkled on and off a bit throughout the day, it started to look even more daunting. Tina, Justin, Jay, and I all still decided to go through with it. Becca and Brian opted out and just waited for us at one of the picnic tables.
Here are some pictures of me going through the course.
No Go Pro video this time because (a) Brian had our Go Pro and (b) I think it had pretty much run out of battery by then.
Tina and I did most of the course together and were right behind each other. In some really shaky parts, I preferred to go through the course all the way by myself because when someone is doing it with you then you have to contend with not just your weight and movements shaking the obstacles but then the other person’s weight and movements as well. It really tests your balance.
The interesting thing about the ropes course is they offer four levels. They are (from lowest/easiest to highest/toughest) Green at 26 feet, Blue at 46 feet, Red at 82 feet, and Black at 118 feet. We originally thought we were going to go for Blue (level 2) but after being tired from all the activities and the course being wet from the rain, the four of us agreed to do Green (level 1) instead. We wanted to go through it quickly because everyone wanted to hit Puma (everyone’s favorite) one more time before we had to head back to the hotel.
The one activity we didn’t get to do was the Crocodile, which was the kayaking activity. We were worried that it would take too much time and we wouldn’t have time to hit Puma again. Anyway, missing that gives us a good reason to return to Cancun and visit the park again. That place is really cool.
The ropes course took a lot longer than we expected, even at the easiest level. Part of the issue was it started sprinkling again while we were in the middle of the course. While we wanted to finish quickly, we also had to be extra careful.
It was a relief to finally finish it because it was a total body workout. That ropes course is no joke! I can’t imagine doing it at 120 feet above the ground.
By the time our group made it back to the Puma area, we only had about a half an hour before we were due back at the bus pickup area. Brian, Becca, and I opted not to go on another run and just watched the others. Brian and I used the opportunity to take a selfie while waiting for the trucks to make their way back.
Tina and Justin rode together. Jay had a solo ride. I took some videos of them with my phone, since the Go Pro was dead at this point.
Anyway, you got the driver’s perspective in the earlier videos. These two are from the vantage point of the spectator. Puma was super fun. I would totally do it again if we ever go back.
This next picture is of the Xoximilco gondolas. I found out that the park is Xavage during the day and then at night it transforms into Xoximilco with carnivals, games, music, and lots of drinking. So, basically, while there’s no drinking during the day and lots of drinking happens at night. LOL.
Xoximilco is one of those awesome parties that you don’t remember. Supposedly, people who go often don’t remember how they made it back to their hotel room the next morning. I can’t say that I wanted to get piss drunk but I’m all about experiences so I also wanted to experience while we were in Mexico. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time on this trip and these pictures are all I got. But, again, it’s the perfect excuse to go on a return trip.
Overall our Xavage experience was amazing and it was the perfect start to our awesome Mexico adventure. Until next time. GNG.
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Dinner at Cantina Los Faroles
Posted on December 9, 2019 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.
Our first dinner experience at Hotel Xcaret was at Cantina Los Faroles, one of literally a dozen amazing restaurants at the resort.
The restaurant had a fun ambiance and some really unique touches like hundreds of lanterns hanging from the ceiling and saddle bar stools.
Brian said they are surprisingly comfortable.
I took pics of the fancy menu.
Here’s the specialty drink menu.
Here are some pics of our food.
The food might have been a tad too frou frou for our group. LOL. Everything was beautifully plated and just so fancy.
The restaurant is so fancy that they have a man who comes to each table and makes fresh guacamole. You get to tell him what you want in it.
Here’s a quick table selfie.
The night we were there, they had this wonderful all female mariachi band performing. These ladies were amazing!
We had a great experience on our first day overall with our late lunch at El Mercado, some late night swimming, and then our delicious dinner at La Cantina. Come back for more vacation recap next time. Until then, GNG.
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Post Birthday Trip To Mexico Part 3
Posted on December 8, 2019 by Ching under Travel.
Here are the resort photos I promised. First one is a pic of the Trajinera pool.
Here we are enjoying the pool on our first night.
Brian with Becca, Justin, Tina, and Jay.
Jay, Becca, Tina, Justin, and me.
Tina and Justin.
A few more night swimming pics.
Enjoying the semi-private pool outside our room.
View of our swim-up room from the pool.
Amazing views from the rooftop pool of our building.
Rooftop pool selfies.
Looking down at the lagoon from the rooftop pool deck.
Here’s the view of the Espiral from the rooftop pool.
Brian and I got some pictures up close when we were exploring one night.
Speaking of exploring, here are a few more pics from just us walking around and exploring the resort grounds.
Views from our table on the patio of Fuego Restaurant.
Here’s Brian at the table.
Jay and Becca at the bridge.
Views from the bridge.
Pics of various spots around the resort.
That is all for now. More trip recap next time. GNG.
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Post Birthday Trip to Mexico Part 2
Posted on December 7, 2019 by Ching under Travel.
This post is all about the food at El Mercado. El Mercado is a buffet unlike any other. It’s set up to look like a marketplace — except you don’t pay for anything. Delicious food was in abundance and we enjoyed a lot of it. Here are some pictures of El Mercado, our go-to place for meals throughout our stay.
This amazing fruit stand greets you as you enter and it is always well-stocked.
The restaurant has lots of neat touches like fresh food in baskets and pinatas hanging from the ceiling.
Though busy making food, the staff was always friendly, helpful, and ready to answer questions and offer their assistance.
There were multiple stations with fresh fruits and vegetables.
In the morning, there is a panero (Spanish for “bread man”) that goes from table to table to offer you delicious bread.
It’s always really hard to choose because everything looks amazing.
They also have a pancake and waffle station.
In the evening, there’s a street taco stand.
The dessert station always has so many options.
This place didn’t just give you little pieces of desserts. They gave you full-sized ones!
I even found some handmade chocolate!
On one of the days, they had these ladies making fresh tortillas for the tacos.
On another night, there was a marquesita stand.
Here’s a video of my marquesita being made.
El Mecado was just one of several amazing restaurant options at Hotel Xcaret. I know I said I would post more pics of the resort but I might save those for last because I want to share some pics of all the food that we enjoyed first. More restaurant pics next time! Until then, GNG.
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Post Birthday Trip to Mexico Part 1
Posted on December 2, 2019 by Ching under Travel.
For my birthday this year, I managed to convince Brian to travel to Mexico with the Vacay with Jay Jay crew. It’s quite exciting because Brian has always been super paranoid about Mexico (based on stories from former coworkers who lived there) and vehemently against traveling there for vacation. We’ve been to Cozumel, Mexico via cruise ship but we’ve never flown there and stayed at a resort because he’s always been very afraid of being ripped off, mugged, abducted, or worse – murdered – because there’s supposedly a lot of violence and criminal activity. I’ve never been worried about this because the best resorts (about the only places he would even consider) provide transportation to and from the airport. I didn’t think we would ever be in any danger. This time we had two other couples on the trip (the Huntees and the Dills) and I suppose it’s quite a special birthday (we were going with the group but also the trip was what I wanted for my second 21st birthday). This was the year he actually caved and gave in.
We’d heard of people vacationing in Mexico for less than $1000 because of all the fabulous deals to be had. That was not the case with this trip. The place we stayed at was relatively new (only two years old) and in such high demand — we paid a lot. But, as you’ll see from the pics, the place was worth every penny.
We’re going to start our recap at the Wichita airport. As always, Brian had us there two hours before our flight which was completely ridiculous. The airport wasn’t even open yet! I tried to tell him but he wouldn’t listen.
There was not a soul there. I really could have slept an hour longer but instead we were at the airport at the butt crack of dawn waiting for airport security to open. All of the time wasted waiting at the airport is probably one of the worst parts about traveling with Brian (the other bad parts are his incessant paranoia and constant worrying — the man just cannot relax). I often joke that had we traveled together when we were dating, we probably wouldn’t have ended up getting married. He is such a pain to travel with!
We traveled with the Huntees — Justin and Tina Huntington. I suppose they are smiling because they didn’t have to get up as early as we did. They arrived at the gate just as First Class passengers were getting boarded so they walked right on. They didn’t have to wait at all. I told Brian that, next time we travel with these guys, I am spending the night at their house so I can ride with them to airport and not have to get up stupid early only to have to wait for two hours in an uncomfortable seat at the airport when I could have been still sleeping!
Anyway, the Dills didn’t travel with us because they were already in Mexico on a work thing. They basically just extended their trip so the six of us could hang out.
The place that we stayed at is called Hotel Xcaret. Our arrival was actually delayed almost two hours because we missed our connection in Dallas. Our plane left Wichita late because the de-icer wasn’t working and they had to get another de-icer truck. Thankfully, the four of us were able to get on the next flight out to Cancun so it wasn’t too bad of a delay.
Once we arrived in Cancun, we made a beeline for the transportation pickup outside. The Dills were already there. Rather than paying for a special transfer from the other resort they stayed at for the first part of the trip to Hotel Xcaret, they took the free/included transfer from their resort to the airport and then just hopped on the Hotel Xcaret bus. It worked out great because the six of us were able to ride to the resort together.
When you arrive, the first thing that you notice, besides the grand lobby, is the amazing smell. Brian thinks the fragrance comes from the hanging plants which are not only decorative but also serve a purpose. No matter where fragrant aroma comes from, I loved the walking through the lobby because of the wonderful spa-like smell. It’s very relaxing.
We splurged on an ocean-front swim-up room just ’cause. I mean, how often does one turn 21 really? Well, this will be my second 21st birthday technically but the first time I couldn’t afford to travel to another country. LOL.
Here are some pictures of our amazing accommodations.
Upon entering the suite, you’re immediately drawn to the amazing view of the ocean outside. Though you only see one hammock in this photo, you actually get two (one for each person).
You can see the other hammock hanging in the corner in this next photo.
Here’s a pic of Brian and me enjoying the hammocks.
And a pic of just Brian. It’s nice that we each got our own.
While the view outside is magnificent, the interior of the room is equally impressive. We found the bed comfortable and the rest of the furnishings very nice.
There’s a small round table next to the bed and a bigger one by the sliding door. The glass table (pictured below) is perfect for enjoying some room service.
We never did get room service (even though it was free/included) but the butlers did leave us some delicious cakes a couple of times.
I didn’t get a pictures of the luxurious hooded robes and comfy slippers that the resort provides but I did take a pic of the water bottles. The place is so eco-friendly that, instead of providing you with water in disposable plastic bottles, they have water in reusable glass bottles. The bottom of each bottle has a bottle opener. It’s a very elegant and ingenious way of avoiding excess plastic waste.
Another special touch that I appreciated is the tray of treats that they provide in the room which gets replenished daily. The mazapan candy was my absolute favorite because it reminded me polvoron.
The free facial kit that I found on one of the bathroom shelves was also a nice surprise. The kit contained a small tube of scrubbing face gel, SPF30 sunblock, moisturizer, and eye contour gel.
Besides that, the resort also provides everything you could possibly need in the drawer beneath the sink. All the stuff was natural, including the wooden comb and toothbrush (the bristles were not made of wood — LOL).
The toothbrushes actually came in handy on our departure day because we had already packed ours in our suitcase.
Every night, you got surprise candy from the housekeeping staff. That was a nice treat as well. We also got a keepsake bag and little hand-woven baskets that the treats came in. There were so many thoughtful touches. They even provided you an umbrella to use on rain days.
Our room was was super nice and the rest of the resort was equally impressive. I will post some pics of the property in the next blog. Until then. GNG.
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