Cancun Me, Baby!

One of my dearest girlfriend's came over last night to watch a little hockey and catch up on some gossip. She's been studying like an absolute demon over the last three months and decided that after her final exams in April, she wants to take off to somewhere hot before she starts her teaching career. What with me being a freelance writer, and having the ability to travel when and where I want, we decided that we would take the trip together. After batting around a few ideas, we decided on an old favourite, Mexico.

Mexico has long been a beloved travel destination for Canadians and Americans, but recent reports of tourists being targeted at some of the West Coast resorts had me concerned. I'd like to think of myself as a adventurer, but I had absolutely no interest in coming home in pieces, so we decide that Cancun was a safer bet for a couple of seasoned women who weren't to be messed with! Let the bargain hunting begin!

If you haven't been to Cancun before, it's geography can most definitely effect your stay. Most of the resorts in Cancun are nestled along a very narrow strip of land. On one side, you will face a large lagoon called Laguna Nichupte. But if you want if you're after that tranquil view of the Caribbean Sea, you'll want to make sure you stay on the Isla Cancun. This is an important point to stress to your travel agent, if that's who you choose to book with. Location is everything!

Next up, where do you stay? There are literally hundreds of resorts and hotels to stay at, and it can be a bit of a headache to try to sort through them all. The first question I generally ask myself when I'm booking an all-inclusive property, there are a number of factors I like to consider. What's the crowd I feel comfortable with? Since my girlfriend and I are in our 30's, we're not looking to whoop it up with the under 25 crowd (no offence ladies, I had my party days too!), so we'll be researching properties that are a little more upscale. Second, call me a snob, but I won't stay anywhere that's a 3.5 or below. I'm not above budget properties, but not when I'm only away for a week, and I want excellent food, and decent cocktails, I want a little taste of luxury. Look, I've spent a year backpacking the world, but this is a different kind of trip. And lastly, I will spend several hours scouring Trip Advisor for real reviews from real people. My travel agent may do his darndest to convince me to stay at a particular property so he can up his commission, but I like to go in armed with as much information as possible. Mexico, here I come!