To All Inclusive Or Not To All Inclusive: Part 2

View from our room at the Barcelo Karmina Palace in Manzanillo, Mexico – 2010

Welcome back to part 2 of “To All Inclusive Or To Not All Inclusive”. While an all inclusive resort may make you worry that you’ll be restricted in what you can do or where you can go, I assure you, that’s just not the case. However, if you need to ease into international travel, this might be how you may feel most comfortable to start. Now, let’s talk about all you can eat and drink, shall we?

Food and Drink:

Everything you need is likely on the property. You’ll have a selection of restaurants; some buffet and some á la carte (which you may need to book in advance). Besides checking the time that the restaurants are open, you won’t need to do much thinking. Some resorts have more than one buffet, or a snack bar that are open at alternating times. The biggest complaint I hear about in reviews is the quality of food.

Dinner at the Mexican Restaurant

I guess I’m just not that picky- I’ve never found the food to be all that bad (not even in Cuba, which has a notoriously bad reputation) and often found it to be excellent. If you’re a foodie and you have a very high bar,  please remember that most resorts are large places and cook “work camp” style. They need to make large portions of everything, and nothing is overly spicy, but I’ve always found resort food fresh and flavorful. There are usually lots of options, meat, vegetables, seafood, fruits and vegetables, deserts and even a selection of “homesick food” like fries and hot dogs. Food sensitivities and allergies are being taken more seriously and usually if you let your waiter know directly, they will discuss with the chef what you can safely eat. I personally have sensitivities to dairy and wheat but I’ve often found the food at the resorts in smaller countries to be fresher and less processed with fewer preservatives and additives than in my food at home, especially if it’s locally sourced. I’ve generally had little trouble eating at resorts. Most resorts have one or more á la Carte restaurants. These are a bit fancier and usually themed; seafood, Korean, Mediterranean, etc. Usually reservations are required (and sometimes book very quickly) as is a dress code.

View of the sunset at dinner

Dress is still resort casual but typically a button up shirt and dress or skirt are acceptable for dinner. Usually the food here is a step above what you’ll get at the buffet but can be hit or miss on, for example, Cuba’s take on Italian food was pretty much penne and tomato sauce. While they are a nice romantic night, sometimes after a day in the hot tropical sun it can be a real effort to clean up and be on time for dinner. But there’s still the buffet where you can be a bit more casual for dinner. Liquor is a big plus of all inclusives if you drink, as it’s included. No need to watch the wallet. Most places have your standard domestic hard liquors, maybe two types of beer on tap and a house red and white wine. The higher end resort we stayed at in Jamaica and in Manzanillo had two beers on tap and three canned varieties (if memory serves) and a cheaper resort we stayed at in Puerto Vallarta only had one brand of beer. Usually higher end “non-domestic” alcohol is not included, but can be purchased for a reasonable price.  The same is true with the wine. If you can’t stomach the house wine, you can usually buy a bottle of a different brand.

Wedding Night Dinner

A lot of online complaints about resorts mention drinks being “watered down”. I’ve honestly never experienced this. Most places I’ve visited have had quite strong drinks. There are usually a selection of drinks in the mini fridge in the room – also included in the cost but usually limited. Only one place we stayed at didn’t include liquor in the room fridge and only had soda and water. Most places will stock a variety of soda, 2-3 bottles of water and 2-4 beers. We’ve found that if that’s not quite enough, if you leave a small tip inside the fridge, they may leave a few extra beers for you. Most places will also leave a water or two on the bathroom counter for brushing your teeth. If you need more, they re-stock daily and they can always bring more if you call the front desk. Most resorts offer room service. Sometimes it’s included (but usually a limited snack menu) and sometimes it’s an extra, reasonably priced charge. We learned a secret on our trip to Playa Del Carmen; we had an extra early excursion scheduled to depart before the breakfast buffet opened in the morning. One of us had the idea to pre-book a very early room service breakfast. It worked great, as you never know when you might get to eat on an excursion.

Entertainment:

Mexican Show at the resort

Shopping at the Saturday market in town

Boat trip through the mangrove

There is always something to keep you busy at an all inclusive. Daytime activities might include yoga, aquasize, or some kind of aerobics, sometimes they have a trivia type game by the pool. Some places have crafts, archery or a market of local vendors set up. If you’re planning on staying at a kid friendly resort, they usually have kids camps or activities specifically for them. In Huatulco on our most recent trip they had a morning guided bird walk to discover some of the wildlife around the resort. Most places include one hour per day of some kind of water sport activity like kayaking, wind surfing or stand up paddle boarding. At night you’ll be able to find small lounge acts in the main lobby, and of course, you’ll find “the show”. Every resort has some kind of variety/talent type show. It’s usually a different theme per night, sometimes dancers in traditional dress, a celebrity impersonation night or an 80’s night. These shows are typically not up my alley; if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, but check one out and see if you like it. In Antigua, the resort we stayed at had a better (less predictable) variety of entertainment with a karaoke night and a beach bonfire with tradition fire dancing by the locals. Some places have movie nights, discotheques or evening vendor markets as well. There is no lack of activities at an all inclusive resort.

Tour of a nearby sea turtle and reptile rehab and rescue

I’ll leave you here for now and when I come back with part 3 of my thoughts on all inclusive resorts, I’ll tell you about the excursions that may not be included in the price but will let you get out and really see the place you’re visiting. You really can have it all! See you soon!

a baby sea turtle that will be released

Injured sea turtles being nursed back to health

Holding a baby sea turtle. Truly a magical experience