In this world, there are two extreme styles of travel planning: booking last minute vacations in the hopes of scoring an unbelievable deal, and at the other end of the spectrum, organizing travel details far in advance.   We all know somebody who loves the thrill of getting a bargain at the last minute, as well as somebody who cannot relax until their vacation six months away is completely planned out with an advance booking.  However, you may not really fall into either category, so how do you know when you should book your travel?  You need to first evaluate your present lifestyle and what you are trying to achieve with your vacation plans.   Take a look at some of the most important elements to assess before you book your next getaway and decide if last minute vacations or advance bookings are more your style. Your Personal Circumstances Without a doubt, this component is the most important when considering how to book a trip.  Planning a trip in advance is a good idea if …

Swimming in the sea is a delightful rite of passage when you are on vacation in a seaside destination, but are you aware that the ancient Greeks actually soaked and bathed in seawater for its health and beauty-enhancing properties?  They submerged themselves regularly in hot tubs and pools filled with seawater, which is rich in minerals.  Channel your inner Greek god or goddess and hop into the sea the next time you are on vacation to take advantage of its many benefits including hydrated skin, a boost to your immune system, increased circulation and a better mood.   Here are some of the top reasons why swimming in the sea is good for you: Enhance Skin Seawater is full of magnesium, which can help hydrate the skin and improve its appearance.  Your skin will happily soak up the moisture the seawater lends to it and can also benefit from a reduction in skin issues such as redness and roughness due to the high magnesium levels found in the water.  After some time in the sea, …

If you spend any time basking in the hydrotherapy circuit of the Village Spa during your vacation at Villa del Palmar Cancun or enjoy a heavenly massage or body treatment, you are sure to meet Francisco Lugo, the Manager at the Village Spa.  After 3 years running the spa and organizing wellness events at the luxury resort, Francisco makes sure your experiences at Villa del Palmar Cancun are relaxing and inspiring. Here are his top tips for enjoying the Village Spa on your next visit. Hydrotherapy circuit Be sure to arrive to the spa at least 30 minutes before your treatment, preferably 1 hour so that you may enjoy the wet areas. Start with the steam room followed by the cold plunge pool to stimulate your circulation. Then alternate between the hot and temperate pools for relaxation. Tzolkin Agave Ritual The Tzolkin Agave Ritual is my personal favorite. It takes clients on a 120-minute journey which involves a number of soothing techniques including the placement of stones in specific locations on the body related to …

If you are a parent, there is no doubt that you want to take your kids on vacations that will help you create special memories together as a family.  You may be drawn to the idea of staying at an all-inclusive resort or going on an exotic adventure with your kids, but have you stopped to consider what they are hoping to get out of their time during your family vacation? Not surprisingly, kids definitely have strong opinions about what they really want when they head out for a getaway with their families.  The travel experts at Lonely Planet published an article that discusses the highlights of research collected by Booking.com about kids and their travel priorities.  Curious to find out what kids thought about their travel experiences, Booking.com gathered more than 22,500 reviews from kids after they had gone on vacation.  Let’s take a closer look at what kids really want on vacation, according to Booking.com’s findings: Travel Goals for Young Children (Ages 5-11) A whopping 73% of younger kids wish to spend some …

The mainstream media really loves to drum up “vacation weight gain” as something to truly fear. We are sold the idea that we can’t regulate ourselves while enjoying a vacation and that we are bound to overindulge in all those foods that are bad for us. But is it really all that bad? Are we really doomed to jump up a dress size, or spend days on the treadmill in order to whip our bodies back into shape after a vacation? Well, not necessarily. In fact, stressing about controlling your body weight during and after your vacation can actually be really harmful for your health! Here’s the skinny (no pun intended) on vacation weight gain: What is Normal Weight Gain? You may have heard that gaining a few vacation pounds is quite common, but it’s unlikely that your body mass will change drastically in the span of an average summer vacation. Therefore, even if you lose all prudence and eat morning, noon, and night, you’re only likely to gain a pound or two. Furthermore, if …

Sunglasses are a fabulous way to accessorize any outfit and have so many purposes. Whether you need to hide dark circles and protect your eyes from the ache that comes from a late night on the town, or you simply want to get away from the effects of the UV rays present outside, sunglasses are your friend! There’s no time like being on vacation when sunglasses aren’t more necessary. Sunglasses for your vacation A good pair of sunglasses may just be the most important accessory in your vacation arsenal! Of course, it is key that you choose a pair that will make you feel confident and attractive, as well as suiting your face shape. There are so many styles now, however, that it makes sense that you might feel overwhelmed. How do you know which will suit you best? Determine Your Face Shape First you have to figure out what your face shape is, but that’s a snap. Pull back any hair that may get in your way and trace the line of your face …

Vacationing is a thrilling and fun part of the year, but of course you need to take steps to protect yourself while in any foreign country; there are so many things that you simply don’t know, and this can make even the safest place a bit of a minefield. Your safety in Cancun, Mexico on Vacation Mexico is a pretty safe place to vacation, though the mainstream media might have you believe otherwise; the headlines which focus on all the negative aspect often greatly exaggerate the number of such incidents and make it seem that everywhere in Mexico is full of dangers. The truth is that most parts of Mexico have relatively low rates of violent crime in comparison even to the USA! The top tourist destinations like Cancun and Puerto Vallarta have particularly low crime rates, which is what makes them more and more popular each year. Ensuring your safety in Mexico while on vacation is as simple as following this advice: Use your Common Sense! Above and beyond everything, you must use your …

Without a doubt, building sandcastles is one of the most cherished childhood beach activities on the planet.  Not only does building sandcastles bring families together for hours of seaside fun, it’s a terrific way to deepen bonds and create lifelong memories.  Thankfully, it doesn’t take any more than sand, a shovel, a bucket and a whole lot of imagination to enjoy this relaxing pastime.   It should come as no surprise that building sandcastles ranks high in many people’s favorite childhood memories, largely because they shared the activity with loved ones.  Ensure that you and your children are prepared to make some significant memories of your own while building sand castles with these ideas: It’s All About Teamwork Sure, you can build a sandcastle by yourself, but it’s not nearly as much fun as working as part of a team.  Gather up your family members and friends and come up with a plan.  If you have a large group, assigning a leader might be helpful.  After everyone agrees on a design, delegate jobs to everyone …

Everyone has heard about the many benefits of wearing sunscreen, but unfortunately there is still a large number of people who go out in the sun, exposing themselves to dangerous UV rays without wearing sunscreen. It doesn’t matter if you like to use oil and bake your skin in the sun on vacation, which is very dangerous, or you rarely wear moisturizer with SPF, when you are commuting daily, anytime you are in the sun and you are not wearing sunscreen you are exposing your skin to dangerous UV rays. Remember, the dangers of sun exposure are not limited to taking a vacation in the sun. Why should you use sunscreen? Look at the top reasons why you should use sunscreen every day: It decreases your chances of developing skin cancer Wearing sunscreen is essential for everyone, because skin cancer can be very serious and deadly. In fact, incidences of skin cancer are rising more each year. It has been researched that nearly ninety percent of all skin cancers, including non-melanoma,along with sixty-five percent of …

It is customary to tip good service in most countries around the world, Mexico included. Besides being good karma, in some countries staff rely heavily on tips to supplement their wages making your voluntary contributions both a necessity as well as a good incentive to offer excellent service. Tipping is a great way of showing your appreciation. How much is a good tip? In Mexico, the precise amount you should leave as a tip is left to your discretion, but the standard is generally between 10% and 20% of the check or cost of your ticket when it comes to attractions. Currency In top tourist destinations such as Cancun, both pesos and dollars are acceptable and you will usually see many prices quoted in both dollars and pesos. While pesos are more convenient for the person receiving the tip, dollars can be favorable depending on the exchange rate. When tipping in dollars, give notes only as coins are not accepted for exchange. Restaurants If you are dining in a big group it is likely that …