Hey Michelle! Noted on Gitano and Rosa Negra, love having some good recommendations! I’m actually about to start posting about my trip to Holbox on my instagram — watch out for my posts there and eventually, here 🙂

I was reading your recent post about your Mexico girls trip and had to click through to this Tulum recap. A friend and I just got back from a four night trip on Monday, and I was smiling ear to ear reading this entire post! ARCA is indeed incredible, though we only went for cocktails before other dinners nearby. Also, we changed one of our dinner reservations to Wild at the last minute, and it was probably my favorite out of the three higher-end spots we tried (Gitano and Rosa Negra being the others)!

That said, definitely some negatives about Tulum, and especially so during these pandemic times. While all of the locals were wearing masks, my friend and I were in the minority of tourists who regularly donned masks. You’d think some of the tourists didn’t know a pandemic was even happening with the way they were partying! Nonetheless, I was captured by Tulum’s beauty and have already booked another trip to Mexico for January (based on a local’s recommendation, I’m going to check out Holbox)!

Well to your first point, that is a miracle because my legs are SO not long, ha!

As for the rest, I find your perspective here really interesting! I hadn’t applied that thought process before to destinations like Tulum but I HAVE thought the same thoughts about Burning Man. If you just want to go to a concert, go to a concert, and leave the tickets for those whoo really want to immerse in the full experience. But then I catch myself, because it’s not a very radically inclusive thought process 😉 Thanks for sharing your thoughts here!

PS: DYING to go to Siargao!

I may not articulate myself that well here, but hopefully makes sense. The whole travel sustainability over development thing is a hard one. There are places like Tulum, canggu, Boracay that really have struggled with over tourism (traffic, waste disposal, infrastructure etc) but on the contra, as a surfer and diver it’s so awesome to visit all these places, meet the people, eat the food, enjoy the scenery and often it’s the places themselves that over development themselves too fast or put in massive hotels when they should stick to cute boutique hotels or guest houses. As these are often third world places, they don’t have the planning structure and policies in place to expand and grow sustainably and it ends up a mare. My dream job would be some kind of tourism growth impact and planning consultant!!!
Where I get the most upset is by people chasing these destinations that were quieter sleepy places and turning them into the next big thing just for the sake of a photo or lying on the beach. This may sound snobby or over aggressive, but if you’re really just going to lie on the beach, tick off some attractions and want great internet for you insta pics and sufficient power for your straightener before heading for dinner, then there are some places actually suited and set up for that. I’m having a current gripe as all these travel articles are citing Siargao in Philippines as the next place to go, bali before it got crazy busy. Well… now Siargao will get crazy busy. Face palm. Having been and totally loved the sleepy surfer island which is really only known to the world because of its surf break, I would say, unless you are actually going to surf and perhaps check out some of the dive sites, then perhaps it can stay a sleepy surf Town and those chasing beach lounging can stick to another island like el nido ????‍♀️
That’s my personal opinion ????

So you went to Tulum, you gave business to the less popular area to stay, you went to a ruin, dived and swam cenotes, enjoyed the beach, rented a bike so didn’t need to be taxi everywhere plus I know you use your feet for walking, perfectly acceptable visit And I’m glad you enjoyed it

That sounds amazing, Kim. I agree though, it’s kind of like Burning Man — going over the years you feel the changes so distinctly, but if its your first time going, its still pure magic no matter what. We have to be willing to let places and experiences change just like we do.

Ah, I’d love to visit! While I’m so grateful to these short Mexico trips for helping get me through 2019, I would love to make my next trip a much longer, more thorough one.

LOL at enraptured and eye-rolling — yes. Lucky for you there’s a load of Mexico photos about to hit my Instagram feed 😉

I’d say more in line with Canggu in Bali — Koh Phangan isn’t nearly sleek enough, though it does have the hippie slash rave blend!

For you next mexico trip – might I recommend Sayulita!