Some may say that living in a place like Playa del Carmen, with the beautiful beach and surrounded by nature is all you need to enjoy a plenty, wonderful and relaxed life right? But what about all those simple but yet important details that make life not only good but extraordinary? Is it possible to get an “upgrade” from good to wonderful – even in paradise? Yes, it is! A wild adventure can also be lived in luxury and comfort!
If you’ve read some of my previous posts, you’ll know that I’m kind of an adventurous, easy going guy. I really don’t need much to have a great time; as long as there’s beach, wildlife, a thrilling activity and of course, delicious food – I’m all good! But I must confess that I really enjoy being pampered from time to time. I do like sipping exotic drinks and gourmet food and enjoying all the luxurious and sometimes even exaggerated amenities of a nice resort. I love trying new stuff with Maria. We are a simple pleasures type couple who don’t need too much to have a great time. We enjoy a fancy dinner as much as having tacos on a street joint and planning weekends escapades to visit new places. (Mextip 1: the best Mexican food is found on the streets of any Mexican town).
One of our favourite activities is packing a tent, some nice steaks, the grill, a bunch of junk food and go camping on the beach. There’s something magical and unique about sleeping under the stars. Hearing nothing but the sounds of nature, the crashing waves, the jungle calling! But let’s be honest; camping can be too “wild” for some people and some may find it uncomfortable to use lanterns to go to the bathroom (or not having a bathroom at all). Some can’t even figure out how to spend a night without charging their phones. Our society depends too much on some of the amenities that make life so much easier. This is 2017 and technology keeps evolving to make our life easier… what a time to be alive! Of course, it’s okay to disconnect from it all and getaway from the city and go spend the night in a quiet, secluded area in the middle of the jungle, to get in touch with nature and of course to your inner self, but what if I tell you that it’s possible to have the best of both worlds?
Adventure, relaxing and luxury are perfectly mixed in a concept that’s taking travelers by surprise: I’m talking about Glamping and got the opportunity to try it (and fall for it) at Serenity Eco Luxury Tented Camp, a Glampling complex developed by Xperience Hotels.
At first, I was a bit skeptical and didn’t know what to expect. As I said, give me a tent and I‘m done! But since the first step I took into the lobby tent of Serenity Camp, the decor, the details & the serene atmosphere made me feel relaxed and happy. The friendly staff showed us to our tent while giving some important information about the eco practices that make this destination: No chemical products allowed, smoke-free facilities, no noise after 9 pm, just to name a few. After a small walk to end of the camping complex, we got to a beautiful luxury tent equipped with the “basics” to ensure a pleasant stay. Sleeping bags? Not here, but we did have quality tents to cover us from all types of weather which was nice as I was expecting to have to bring my own weatherproof tent, more here as examples of quality tents like they provided! A big king-size bed, full-body mirror, a rain shower, AC and even a hammock and a hot tub outside on the porch! All details perfectly in tune to achieve a nice feeling of “sexy serenity”.
After we set up, went straight to the restaurant where Chulim a smiley waiter, served one of the best burgers I’ve ever tried in the area, (not lying) while Maria enjoyed a Club sandwich. Music was set just at an exact volume so it wouldn’t mess with the sounds of the surrounding. Birds, trees, air whispering, the running water of the pool’s waterfall… feeling nirvana, already?
Serenity Camp facilities are well planned to provide the guests, which they like calling Ambassadors with everything needed to relax and pamper themselves. There’s a Yoga shala, a nice warm pool, and a Spa, but of course, we headed straight to the beach club, as Serenity Camp facilities are 200m away from one of the best beaches in the whole Riviera Maya called Xpu-ha, my personal favorite, where we stood till sunset, contemplating the amazing colors of the Caribbean sea.
MexTip 2: If you ever come to Xpu-ha and want to enjoy a calmed day on the beach, just walk past the beach clubs to the right and you’ll find a great area to enjoy away from the crowds.
There’s a time of the year when you can even see turtles nesting on this beach at night There’s a big campaign to preserve the turtles going on in the Riviera Maya, but we decided to leave it for our next visit.
So after a refreshing dip in the beautiful pool, we took a nice and warm shower with organic bath gel and honey shampoo provided by Serenity Camp, it was time for dinner. My first thought was: So this is still camping, I may get a hot-dog and beans, right? wrong! A perfectly grilled salmon was served (pretty quick, by the way) while Maria got a Salmon carpaccio and a delicious salad. Then, of course, dessert! We shared our favorite: Chocolate volcano filled with creamy, warm fondant that tasted like heaven. Our concierge provided us with some marshmallows to melt in the beautiful copper firepit located by the pool (cause there’s no camping without eating marshmallows) but mosquitos didn’t want us to enjoy the starry night out, so we had to find shelter in our room. By the way, did I tell you there was a hammock, too? I should’ve been annoyed by the fact that the mosquitos prevented us from eating our marshmallows by the fire, but the truth is is that mosquitos can invade anywhere including your own garden at home. Unfortunately, due to the circumstance that we were in, I couldn’t just bring in someone similar to these pest experts from Arizona, (https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/local/arizona/) so we had no choice but to escape them and find safety in our rooms. Hopefully, we will be able to do this activity again soon but without the uninvited guests.
The next day, we wanted to get to the beach to have some fun under the sun as soon as possible since the day before it was crowded (summer time baby!) and since it was Sunday, we wanted the make the most of it (also we had some home errands too) so after a delicious breakfast (coffee could get better, though) we headed to the beach club.
While Maria took a nice nap, I made my way through the amazing coral reef of Xpu-ha where it’s really easy to spot lots of colorful fish, rays and if you`re lucky enough… turtles! No turtles this time but trust me, they are around.
After a well spent time snorkeling, I got back to Maria and while we couldn’t be more relaxed, it was time to go back home, and (again) we felt lucky of living in such an amazing place where “going back” means a 25 minutes ride… So I’m pretty sure we’ll be back soon! During our stay, we came up with some fun and cool Instagram Stories, check this compilation of our experience.
We found that the glamping experience at Serenity Luxury Eco Tented Camp is a unique, wonderful way to enjoy a romantic escapade, It’s calmed and serene during the day and at night the atmosphere changes to turn into a whole mystical romantical experience. Whether you live in the Riviera Maya, or coming for vacations, consider staying at Serenity Luxury Eco Tented Camp by Xperience Hotels a place where not only you’ll get the best service, great food, and luxury amenities, but you’ll have the chance to feel the connection with nature, your couple and your inner self. For booking, visit their official website.
Have another cool tip and would like to share it with me? Find me as @pepeyanez on Instagram and Twitter and of course follow @DoTheDaniel and let me know where you’d like me to take you next for #DTDTravels. Enjoy life under the sun!
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Photos: Pepe Yañez
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