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During my recent visit to Puerto Vallarta, I had the opportunity to visit many resorts.  Among those were the Casa Velas and the Villa Premiere.  Both resorts are adults only, all-inclusive. Villa Premiere also has an EP (no meals or beverages included) option, as well.  Both are small resorts with 80 rooms or so.  This contributes to the intimate ambiance!  No kids contribute to the romantic feel of the resort!!

Casa Velas, although not on the beach, has a wonderful Beach Club just a short distance away.  Transportation is provided to the beach club which has its own pool, lovely beach, terrace & indoor lounging area. If you are planning a small wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Casa Velas Beach Club is the ideal venue. Very small, very private!  Catering can be arranged through the hotel, as well, for a lovely sunset reception!

All of the rooms at Casa Velas are suites, with 24 hour room service and a fully stocked (and re-stocked daily) mini-bar.  Some of the suites do offer a plunge pool or a Jacuzzi.  One of the suites, a 4 bedroom suite, actually has its own swimming pool, along with sleeping accommodations for 8 people!  Great for that extended family vacation.  Each of the bedrooms has a private bath, along with a powder room off the living room.

There are 2 ala carte restaurants available, which do require dinner reservations.  No worries, though, the resort is small, so you should have no trouble securing a table!

For those who just can’t leave the office at home, the Casa Velas offers a business center and WIFI throughout the property.  However, if relaxing is more your way of vacationing, the pool is beautiful with lots of lounge chairs, a great spa is available for that couples massage, and discounts for the nearby golf course are available.  To keep in shape, lighted tennis courts and a gym are waiting!

Villa Premiere is a lovely small, beach resort, not far from the town of Puerto Vallarta.  For that reason, some guests prefer to do the EP and skip the inclusive meals and beverages.  They feel there are just too many great restaurants in Puerto Vallarta to be missed.  Others love the all-inclusive program and not having to worry about the cost of meals and drinks.  It’s totally a personal choice.   The all-inclusive program does offer 24 hour rooms service and a fully stocked mini bar.  The mini bar is still available to EP guests, but a charge applies for each item consumed.  The same with room service, it is available for EP but with a charge.

Again the Villa Premiere is a small, adults’ only resort, with a great beach.  Each room, except for the entry level, has a Jacuzzi tub!  In the Spa Rooms, which are near the Spa (obviously), you will receive a free pedicure or a complimentary massage.  How great is that?  The Master Suite has the most amazing wrap around terrace!  The view is spectacular and great for a small dinner party or family gathering.

Three ala carte restaurants are available for your dining pleasure.  And pleasure it is!  They have the most amazing dinner rolls….with cream cheese centers!  The food and service at Villa Premiere is fantastic.

Think Puerto Vallarta for your wedding, honeymoon, or romantic get-a-way!  You will not be sorry.  Please call or email me when you are ready to start the planning process!  sandi@totemtravel.com or 425 821-4100.

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Do you like surprises? Who doesn’t? Especially good ones, right?  Right now, there are some great price-breaks for the El Dorado Hotels.  What’s the catch?  The resort will be the surprise.

You could be staying at the beautiful El Dorado Royale with its 11 gourmet restaurants and bars.  El Dorado Royale has the most beautiful grounds with lovely flowers & stone bridges everywhere.

Or maybe the El Dorado Seasides,  with the beautiful beach with all the beach beds, and the unique bars and restaurants.  El Dorado Seasides is only 10 minutes from the eco-park Xel-Ha and 20 minutes from the Mayan ruins of Tulum.

Perhaps you would be staying at the smallest and most intimate El Dorado Maroma. Maroma has the distinction of having cool sand; that’s right cool sand, which for some reason stays cool even in the direct sunlight.  Your toes will love that!  Maroma’s beach is serviced by beach butlers who will bring you drinks, magazines or even a light snack, so you never have to leave!!

Pricing will, of course, depend upon your dates and availability, but I have priced a 7 day vacation from Seattle, which would include airfare.  The “surprise”  price is $2879 for 2 people.  For comparison, if you were fortunate enough to get a room at the Maroma, you would save over $1200; at the Seasides you would save $1000, and at the Royale $300.  So surprises can certainly save you money and be fun, as well.  Taking a chance is really not a big gamble since all the rooms at any of the El Dorado Resorts include 24 hour room service and lovely furnishings.

If a surprise vacation is in your travel plans, please email me at sandi@totemtravel.com or give me a call at (425) 821-4100.  I look forward to helping you plan the perfect get-a-way, honeymoon, or couples vacation!

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I was recently invited to participate in a Familiarization trip to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, formerly known as Nuevo Vallarta. Since I hadn’t been to Puerto Vallarta in some time, it was the perfect opportunity to see new properties, refurbished properties, and the changes in Puerto Vallarta in the last few years.

First and foremost our mission was to visit many resorts, to look at them as you, our clients, would see them, and to be able to assist you in choosing the best destination for your family vacation or reunion, or for your wedding and/or honeymoon.  And to determine which resorts are the best for families, couples, and singles.

RIU Palace Pacifico was opened in 2008, in Riviera Nayarit, as an all-inclusive, family resort.  It is a moderately sized resort with 445 rooms; not so big you can’t easily navigate, but not so small that you are constantly bumping into people!  This resort has just about anything you could need:  large pool, children’s pool, swim-up bars, a gym, a great children’s program, and 5 restaurants.

Rooms at the RIU Palace Pacifico are all Jr. Suites, same in size and amenities, and differ on by view, except the Jacuzzi Jr. Suite!  This suite is amazing!  In addition to the wrap around terrace, which would be perfect for a small wedding reception, there are 2 bathrooms, a Jacuzzi in one bathroom, and one on the terrace!  The view, of course, is of the water!

Grand Velas Vallarta is also in Riviera Nayarit, also all-inclusive, but a much smaller resort, very romantic resort.  Grand Velas is a member of the prestigious “Leading Hotels of the World” and offers first class accommodations and a world-class spa!  This is a family resort, but as you can tell, it caters to honeymooners, couples, and wedding parties!  Their ballrooms are perfect for large wedding receptions.  There is also a small gazebo which is perfect for a wedding!

All of the accommodations at Grand Velas are suites, with goose down comforters and pillows, a separate living area with a sofa, private balcony or terrace AND Oceanview!  A fully stocked mini-bar which is replenished daily and 24 hour room service add to the luxuriousness of this beautiful property.

With 4 restaurants and a snack bar, you will certainly not go hungry! Five open kitchens at the all-day casual restaurant Azul, ensure a very diverse menu.  Chinese, Mexican, Italian, and Japanese, as well as grilled specials are all available.  Azul is located in a Palapa overlooking Banderas Bay.    As if 4 international cuisines were not enough Piaf Restaurant offers gourmet French dining.  Reservations are required at this adult’s only (18 and over) restaurant. Samples of the menu offerings include Foi Gras Terrine with caramelized pears and port wine glaze, Snails Bourguignon style, Truffle Chicken, & Crème Brule.

Paradise Village has always been one of my favorite family resorts.  Paradise Village is on one of the most beautiful and accessible beaches in the area.  Kids and adults will love boogie boarding and body surfing off this beach.  Para-sailing is available from a nearby vendor, and is lots of fun.  The smaller kids can ride tandem with mom or dad.

Paradise Village is both all-inclusive, and EP (European Plan….no meals or beverages).  Because it is about 20 minutes from Puerto Vallarta, and does require a $20 cab ride, (each way) I recommend purchasing the all-inclusive program.  The food is great, and there are 5 restaurants from which to choose.

A children’s program operates from 9am-3pm, and has crafts and games for kids ages 4 to 12.  They will love meeting and making friends with kids of different cultures.  Maybe they can work on their Spanish, a little!  Adults will enjoy a little time to enjoy a Spa treatment, or a tennis match.

Totem Travel has several all inclusive specialists on staff to help you choose the family vacation in Mexico.  Please give me a call or send an email to sandi@totemtravel.com when you are planning your all-inclusive family vacation!

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Swim with the Dolphins on your next vacation in Hawaii, Mexico or the Caribbean

Has swimming with dolphins been one of your lifelong dreams?  Fulfilling that dream is easier than you think because many cruise ports and tropical vacation destinations offer dolphin programs.

A favorite experience is swimming with a baby dolphin and its mother!  This is an educational program as well as loads of fun.  You will learn about dolphin nursing, their anatomy, physiology, echolocation and the close relationship between the calf (baby) and its mom during the first 5 years.  You will also be able to throw hoops and balls to both mom and baby.  Kids 8 to 80 love this experience and the dolphins love it too!.

Is speed and action more to your liking?  How about swimming with dolphins in the Caribbean Sea?  This program affords you the opportunity to jump right in with the dolphins and let them pull you around the water!  What could be more fun?  Dolphins are very “people loving” and you will really experience the special bond between dolphins and humans while swimming in their world.  They love to kiss you, sing for you, and show off a bit by giving you a ride on their belly.

On Oahu in Hawaii, Sea Life Park has a great program for small children called Dolphin Encounter.  The Dolphin Encounter takes place in shallow water, but the kids still get to experience a kiss and handshake from their new friends.  A Royal Swim is also offered at Sea Life Park and during this swim the dolphins will pull you around by their dorsal fin or give the ultimate “foot push”. You can feel all the strength and energy the dolphin has to offer as they jet you across the water from the bottom of your feet.  Wow!

Dolphin Quest on the Big Island of Hawaii, offers many of the same programs as Sea Life Park plus older kids and adults will enjoy shadowing a trainer for a day.  Beside pool interaction with the dolphins, participants help prepare the dolphins meals, help with health exams and learn some basic training skills.  Dolphin Quest is housed at the Hilton Waikoloa and many rooms have views of the dolphins.

Popular vacation destinations and cruise itineraries include Jamaica, the Bahamas and Mexico and each has a swim with dolphins program.  Ocho Rios has Dolphin Cove.  Playa Del Carmen, about 1 hour south of Cancun, has a great Eco-Park and dolphin program at Xcaret.

And in the Bahamas head to Atlantis on Paradise Island.  Atlantis is a magical place with a fantastic water park, but there’s also a swim with the dolphins program right on property!  The Atlantis is home to the Katrina dolphins which were swept away from their home in Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina.  After being rescued and nursed back to health, all of the dolphins were eventually transported to Atlantis to fully recover and reside at Dolphin Cay’s new state-of-the-art habitat.

Wherever you vacation, I strongly recommend you make reservations prior to your arrival.  Swim with the dolphins programs are extremely popular and often sell out months in advance. Please give me a call at (425) 821-4100 or shoot me an email at sandi@totemtravel.com to book your Swim with Dolphins vacation!

Iberostar Tucan and Iberostar Quetzal are wonderful, all-inclusive, family resorts near the town of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, on the Riviera Maya. The Tucan and Quetzal are actually one resort with separate management teams.  Each has its own front desk and lobby area.  You are free to use all facilities at both, including restaurants.

I was fortunate to be able to spend several days at the Iberostar Tucan a couple of years ago.  Although the resort seems to be very large, it has only 350 rooms on the Tucan side, and 350 rooms on the Quetzal side.  The rooms are located in several 3 storey buildings.  Walking from your room to the lobby and restaurant areas is a unique experience.  The winding pathways lead you through a fantastic jungle like atmosphere with small harmless animals, including monkeys….watch your glasses….they love steal!  At night is an especially beautiful experience, since the pathway is lighted.  If you don’t like the idea of walking through the jungle, you can take the sidewalks on the perimeter of the property.

The accommodations are quite nice, and include either a balcony or a patio for a little outdoor relaxing.  All rooms come equipped with a minibar (stocked and included), hairdryers, coffee makers, and are air-conditioned!  Most rooms are garden view, but the gardens are incredible, as in any tropical locale. Sea view rooms are available, though if this suits you better. I loved the gardens, since the fragrance is so calming.  Since I was actually on a working trip, by the time I got back to my room relaxing was first and foremost on my mind!

The complex, which consists of the Tucan and the Quetzal, has a fantastic pool are that meanders through the center of the property.  Lots of chaise lounges and umbrellas are available and included.  In case you get hungry while sunning and swimming, a pool restaurant has snacks and beverages available…that’s included, too.

The beach at Tucan and Quetzal is perfect for sun bathing and swimming.  The water tends to be calm and warm, so it’s great for little kids, too.   It’s so clear you can see your toes!

I especially enjoyed the entertainment each evening.  It is definitely audience participation!  During the day, the children in the Kids Club work on songs and dances to perform during the evening’s entertainment.  The kids are delighted to be the center of attention.  They usually have a game show style of entertainment, too.  They ask audience members to participate in games like the Newlywed Game, and Family Feud!  Everyone has a good laugh!  There are also local music groups who perform during the week.  They usually perform both Mexican songs in Spanish, and then add some American music, as well.

As everyone in my office will attest to, I am a very picky eater!  I had no problem eating at the Tucan.  The buffet in the morning and at lunch boast many Mexican specialties, as well, as many American dishes. Besides the buffet, there are 5 different specialty restaurants, which include Italian, Mexican, Caribbean and Steakhouse!   The specialty restaurants do require reservations and do have a dress code.

Please give me a call at (425) 821-4100, or send an email to sandi@totemtravel.com when you are ready to have a truly Mexican experience in Riviera Maya.