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Iberostar Paraiso Maya – a great family vacation in Mexico

By Linda | Published December 29, 2007 | Posted in Mexico

Iberostar Paraiso Maya in Playa del Carmen Mexico
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My son and I just returned from a pre Christmas week in Mexico where we stayed at the Iberostar Paraiso Maya Resort. The Maya is one of 4 all inclusive Iberostar resorts that share a lovely long stretch of beach about ½ hour south of the Cancun airport and ½ hour north of Playa del Carmen.

Having stayed at Iberostar Tucan on a previous vacation, we expected nice accommodations, good food, friendly service, big pools and a wide variety of activities and entertainment. We were not disappointed!

During our stay we dined at 6 different themed restaurants (all good), sampled a variety of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, took a hobbie cat out for a sail, did one scuba dive on the reef and two in a cenote (an awesome experience but physically demanding), floated the very-lazy-lazy river, jumped waves in the wave pool and ocean, walked the beach, played pingpong, took in a show and read some great books under the shade of a palapa.

All rooms at the Iberostar Paraiso Maya are junior suites with one king bed or two doubles, a furnished balcony/patio with hammock chair, generously sized bathroom with jetted soaking tub and separate walk in shower, plus a step down living room with couch, table and writing desk. Iberostar Paraiso Lindo, Paraiso del Mar and Paraiso Beach have standard rooms with a small sitting area and combination tub/shower.

Guests at the Maya and Lindo have full use of the pools, restaurants and bars at all four hotels. Reservations may be made in advance for unlimited dining at nine specialty restaurants including French, Italian, seafood, Japanese, Mexican, Cajun, gourmet, steakhouse and Chinese in addition to an extravagant main buffet, poolside café, beach bar and grill, and 24 hour room service. An upgraded liquor selection is offered in the Maya bars.

Iberostar Paraiso del Mar and Paraiso Beach have fewer specialty restaurants and are guaranteed 3 reservations during a one week stay. The lazy river and wave pool are reserved for Maya and Lindo guests and only Maya guests have complimentary use of the beautiful and spacious spa facility with sauna, steam, heated lounge chairs, heated indoor pool and Jacuzzi. Other guests may pay $35 per person per day to use the spa facilities and spa treatments (wraps, massages, pedicures, facials, etc.) are available to all at extra cost.

There is a teen club and an adult only nightclub open until the wee hours and I was told that the golf course was well maintained and challenging. There is even a shopping center on property with complimentary food and beverage service!

Overall the 4 Iberostar Paraiso hotels make an outstanding resort complex for active families and fun loving adults and the new Iberostar Paraiso Grand offers an even more upscale option for honeymoon couples and discerning adults. More on the adults only Grand later!

Call or email for help planning your family vacation.  Our slogan is “Get personalized help from a travel expert at no extra cost!  Totem Travel“.

The best travel agents travel!

By Linda | Published December 29, 2007 | Posted in Caribbean, Cruises, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico

 

The best travel agents travel and in 2007 Totem Travel was in Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, the good ol’ U.S.A. and on the high seas with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Jennefer started the year with an all inclusive vacation at Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort.  Her next stop was Las Vegas for a special family birthday, followed by an  NCL Alaska cruise and a week in France touring the Loire Valley to complete her France Specialist certification program.  She wrapped up the year with some fun in the sun on the lovely island of St Lucia and is sadly “grounded” until April when she’s off again to Scotland. 

Sandi spent a week in Jamaica, tested her slot machine skills in Reno & Lake Tahoe, hosted a group of friends on a Royal Caribbean fall foliage cruise to New England and visited the Big Island of Hawaii in December.  Some of her favorite vacation resorts were Sandals Dunns River for couples only, Kona Village for Hawaii “the way it used to be” and the Hapuna Prince Resort.

My travels included a family vacation sightseeing in Washington D.C., three weeks island hopping in the Caribbean and a Christmas trip to Playa del Carmen Mexico.  My favorites were Jade Mountain, Ladera and Jalousie Plantation for an intimate and very private villa style honeymoon, Beaches Negril or Iberostar Paraiso Maya for an activity packed all inclusive family vacation, and Sandals Whitehouse or Sandals Grande Antigua for the newest “luxury included” couples only resorts.

As a rule, the staff at Totem Travel is pretty much office bound January through March booking everyones’ sun breaks, school vacations and summer honeymoons.  But you can count on us to hit the road again by April because the best travel agents travel and we’ve got some of the finest travel junkies in the business!

Ixtapa and Zihautanejo Mexico

By Linda | Published May 21, 2007 | Posted in Mexico

Have you been to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo and are looking for something a bit more authentically Mexican?   Zihuatanejo is a classic Mexican village, founded in 1522 by Spanish explorers who found it too small to be strategically important for war or trade.  It is a laid-back town where you will find sheltered beaches, a seaside promenade, alfresco cafes and native markets. 
 
There are also several exceptional hotels in Zihuatanejo.  One of our favorites for honeymooners is Villa Del Sol.  This boutique hotel has only 70 rooms and suites and is located on a private beach that stretches for over 600 feet along the calm blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.  Dining at Villa del Sol is a gourmet experience and a number of packages are available which include some or all of your meals.
 
North of Zihuatenejo and Ixtapa is our favorite choice for families – Melia Azul Ixtapa. This is the by far the best all inclusive hotel in Ixtapa with fabulous pools, an excellent childrens program and beautiful rooms, most with a wonderful oceanview.
 
The city of Ixtapa offers fine boutiques, cafes, gourmet restaurants, all-night discos, two golf courses and the main hotel zone.  Here you’ll find a selection of moderately priced resorts such as Barcelo, Dorado Pacifico and Krystal. 
 
For more information on Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo please call or email Totem Travel! 

Riu Palace in Cabos San Lucas

By Jennefer | Published January 1, 2007 | Posted in Mexico

 

Hola and Happy New Year!
 
We recently returned from Cabo San Lucas where we stayed at the beautiful new RIU Palace all-inclusive resort. It’s located just outside town, so you can walk down the beach or take a quick cab ride to the shops and nightlife. The weather in the early part of December was perfect, hovering in the mid 80’s during the day with cooler evenings. 
 
The RIU Palace is a beautiful resort sitting on a spectacular beach with immaculate grounds and purple and red bougainvillea blooming everywhere. The infinity pool is oceanfront and the poolside service was wonderful, they bring the drinks right to you!
 
Oceanfront rooms are fully appointed with a stocked refrigerator, full wet bar and all the other amenities you’d expect at a full service resort. There are several restaurant choices in addition to an excellent buffet, nightly entertainment, children’s program and lots of optional activities like jet skiing, snorkel trips and parasailing.
 
You might also consider a spa treatment when you need a break from lounging by the beautiful pools, walking on the spectacular beach, shopping in town or resting in the beautiful Baja sun.
 
If you’d like more info about Cabo San Lucas or the RIU resort please call or email Jennefer or Sandi or check out our Mexico or All Inclusive page. We’re offering an extra $100 off qualifying vacations for bookings made in January! 
 
Jennefer & Sandi

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