Eterno Dia PhotographyTo All Inclusive Or To Not All Inclusive: Part 3, The Finale
Sunset in Nuevo Vallarta
Welcome back avid reader and travel enthusiast to my final thoughts on all inclusive vacations. Excursions, day trips, adventures; whatever you choose to call them, there is no reason to feel trapped because you’re staying at a resort. You will likely have so many choices to get out and see the country you’re visiting, experience the culture and history and still have a guaranteed place to go back to rest your weary head at later.
Excursions:
While excursions are not typically included in the price of an all inclusive, they are easy to access. I highly recommend booking your trips through the tour companies at the resorts for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s safe. Yes, you may be able to find someone in town to take you on that fishing trip for way cheaper than the resort trip, but what if it’s a scam? Will he really give you what he promises and not rob you blind out at sea?
Secondly, what if something unexpected happens? He’s likely not insured, he may not know what to do in case of emergency, he might not have life vests, etc. If you take a tour with a local who isn’t insured and you get hurt or robbed, your travel insurance may not cover the cost – just something to think about. A third thing to consider is that while the government as a whole is kind of exhausting, sometimes they hold tour companies to environmental standards that are important for protecting natural resources.
Tourism can be very hard on local flora and fauna and can cause devastating long term effects on plants and animals and the ocean. Mexico is actually fairly regulated and seems to be quite forward thinking in terms of protecting its natural resources. Booking through a tour agency is usually the responsible and safe thing to do. I’ve generally found most tours to be affordable and include a lot of bang for your buck. I’ve rarely been disappointed. Usually the tours are offered through the travel agency you booked with, right at the hotel. You can find out on your first morning after your resort orientation what types of tours you want to do and schedule them accordingly. Typically you’ll find things like snorkeling day trips, fishing, ATV or zip line adventures. You may find a historical or a city tour (which I highly recommend as your first tour so you know what you may want to do in town). You may find there is something you wanted to do that isn’t listed. It can be arranged. Maybe you want to go scuba diving or take a day trip not listed. The reps will help you find someone reputable and trustworthy to book a private tour with, or help to find a tour with another agencies group.
Budget:
All inclusive resorts are typically a great option if you need to budget. It can be stressful to think about how much you can spend per day on meals and drinks, souvenirs, tips and tours. I typically allot a certain amount of spending money for tipping (again, appreciated but usually not expected) I usually leave the equivalent of a few dollars for the room service staff. For breakfast or lunch buffets we leave a dollar or so if the service was really attentive. At the beach or the bars, I’ll tip once per day or night, especially if the bartender was quick and attentive and at the á la carte restaurants, which are usually quite nice and well presented, I may leave the equivalent of five or 10 dollars. Besides the money you’ll spend on souvenirs, tipping and excursions, you won’t have to spend a dime. Not having to think about money makes your vacation that much less stressful, which is kind of the point, yes? Your biggest worries will be gaining a few pounds or a experiencing a raging hangover in stifling heat.
The Experience:
As a whole, all inclusive resorts are easy, they’re safe, and everything is included so you won’t have to think too hard on your well earned vacation. If you’re a first timer with some travel anxiety, or if you literally want to just decompress and do nothing for a whole, glorious week, these resorts are a great option.
sunset palms
However, if you’re more like me and you like to get out there and see the world, a resort isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We always book tons of tours, we go into the nearest town, often more than once. We eat there, shop there and see what the locals do for fun. Even if you’ve paid for an all inclusive, if you can afford to eat out a few times, I don’t think you’ll feel like you’re “wasting” you money. These vacation packages are usually are a good deal for how much they include. If you do the math and determine how much a flight and hotel would be on their own to these locations, you’ll likely find food and beverage are way less than you’d need to budget on a DIY vacation. Sometimes after a full day trip in the hot sun in a foreign country, knowing you can just zombie into the buffet without a reservation or recommendations and refuel is a better option than having to hunt down food in town. Don’t feel that you need to limit your activities just because you’re at an all inclusive.
lights in the restaurant
In Antigua, we did a full circumnavigation day trip where we literally boated around the entire island. You can still get out there and experience other cultures and see the countryside while your home base is the resort. My husband and I usually “reserve” two “resort” days to lay around, relax, read, nap and swim in the pool, or the ocean, and then we usually book two or three trips to get out and see things. Don’t let a resort scare you into thinking you can’t be adventurous on a vacation, and don’t let the anxiety of a vacation stop you from going on a vacation. Consider a resort to make your vacation a more relaxing vacation. You really can have it all!
Happy traveling and please feel free to comment and let me know about your travel experiences? How do you make the best of your time? Thanks for reading. Until next time!
Sunset in Neuvo Vallarta
Eterno Dia Photography 
Makes me want to go again!