Staying at the Sandos Caracol Eco-Resort and Spa

We wanted to have a bit of a relaxed and short vacation without any worries. Many friends have suggested going the all-inclusive route. I have never been to an all-inclusive resort as I am used to travelling about and exploring the countries as much as I can to learn more about the culture and people. And I have to admit that I had a pre-conceived notion it was more for those who just want to drink and party all day and every day. I am not much for that.

But with a bit of push and research, I did end up going the all-inclusive route via Westjet Vacations and booking through their website. I think I researched each resort that was in the 4-5 star and read reviews after reviews until my gut says to go with a particular one called Sando Caracol Ecco-Resort and Spa. What won us over? Despite being more of a family focused resort, we liked that it had some free activities such as biking around the resort, yoga and kayaking, the location was near the city of Playa del Carmen (10 minutes) as well as a short drive to and from the Cancun airport (45 minutes) and being near all the ruins (as much as possible anyways). On top of that, guests are able to eat at any a la carte restaurants every evening as some resorts limit you to a few days during your stay (e.g. 3 of the 7 days). And the bonus is that this resort does it's best to be eco-friendly as possible and has animals in and around calling the resort home. So that is a great experience for not only adults but children as well. Many of the reviews for this resort has been positive and many people do end u coming back to stay at the resort. Since we were going in the middle of April, the price was also great and included a shuttle to and from the airport. The only catch was that the times of the flights were not the greatest and it wasn't direct (I always try to get direct if possible).

Our flight out was unfortunately a red-eye flight departing at 11:30 pm on a Saturday. The pro about this is that we were able to do what we needed to do during the day before leaving and it was a direct flight; the con about it was it was so hard to wait for the trip to get started and that we arrived at around 6:00 am (about 7 am at the resort). Once you arrive, by pass ALL the timeshares and other resort staff who will try to lure you in with goodies and deals. Once you pass the sliding glass doors, go and find the stand that says "WestJet Vacations" and check in with the Best Day staff that runs the buses and tours as they are affiliated with the Westjet vacations. They will have a list of all the guests and will bring you to the shuttle bus that will take you to the resort. They will wait for ALL guests to arrive and sign in with them before leaving. We ended up staying for another 20 minutes as they searched for one more couple that may have ended up taking their own transportation out. If you do, just let them know so they don't wait for you. Our rep, Carlos, was very helpful providing tips such as not drinking the tap water EVER except for brushing your teeth and showering as it is not safe (the resort has water dispensers in each room so bring a bottle with you) and to avoid people trying to offer timsehare presentations even WITHIN the resort (the give away is when they ask for 90 minutes of your time). another thing you MUST do is that you have to meet your Best Day rep to not only set a time for the shuttle to take you to the airport but explain any tours.

We were lucky that Sandos was the first stop of the shuttle. There were 3 other hotels that were listed. The check-in for this resort was 3 pm. Although the room was not ready when we arrived (they told us to check back at around 11:30 am), they provided us with a bracelet and full access to the resort and all it's facilities while we waited for our room. we left our bags with the bellmen and explored the resort including taking in the buffet breakfast as we were famished! You can change and shower but in all honesty, I just wanted to unpack and shower at my own suite instead of packing and unpacking what we had.

There are 3 restaurants that offer a breakfast buffet - Mexican, International and Italian. They all had the same kinds of foods available such as fresh baked breads, fruits, oatmeal, tortillas and salsa, cereals etc. with each being slightly different (e.g The International had more variety and choices). We ended up eating at the Italian and Mexican (we had to wait again until 12:30 pm to see if the room was ready so we ended up eating again). We liked the quaintness of the Italian and visited there every breakfast and much of the lunches while we stayed. One staff, Jesus, was very helpful and friendly and was great with English. Our room was finally available at around 1:30 pm and I was happy as my patience was wearing thin with me wearing my long sleeves and not wanting to change in the blistering heat. But that was my choice. Also, be aware that you must wear your bracelet at all times even when exploring outside the resort.

I would recommend based on our experience to go to Guest Services after you arrive. This will help in terms of them giving you a map (although there is a map all over the resort) and to provide you with any tips in and around the resort. It probably will take about 30 minutes depending on what questions you have and who you end up with. A word of caution that they will try to get you to a 90 minute presentation to view the Elite portion of the resort and offer you a free beach bag and such. If this is something you are interested, I say go for it and if not, please don't waste your time nor theirs and just say no. We passed on it and did end up seeing some people with some nice beach bags the second last day of our stay but we're ok with that.

The second recommendation to pass the time while you wait for your room to be ready is to visit the hospitality area where the Best Day reps are. You will receive a book with info and tours when you get on the bus shuttle. On the front page, is a sticker with the time booked to visit your rep. (usually the next day at 10:30 am). We decided to do it earlier as per Carlos' suggestion. It took about 40 - 45 minutes and was informative. They also booked your shuttle when you check-out and was nice to know the time needed at the beginning of your stay. They will provide a printed ticket and the time to meet out at the front. Our departure flight was 7:35 am so the shuttle was leaving at 4:10 am. It was good to know when we were planning what we would like to do especially on the last day. In addition, by visiting the rep the day you arrive, you are able to do what you want the next day without having to re-arrange your day around the appointment. It's a win-win situation.

The third recommendation is to go to the concierge and book a time to eat dinner at the El Templo for a Teppanyaji dinner. This is highly recommended as it is booked solid daily and you may not get in at all during your stay there. It is rare that people would cancel out. A printed ticket will be given to you for your booking. Ensure that you arrive 10 minutes early. You will NOT regret booking this. The show was spectacular. We have something similar in Edmonton called Japanese Village but after seeing this show, I think they should send their cooks this way to get them trained! In terms of the other a la carte restaurants in the resort, we found that the best food (for us) was Los Lirios - Steak and Fish Club. There desserts were fantastic if you get in early. Once busy, we found that it was a bit lacking on the details which is understandable with the amount of people and staff. The best dessert was hands down La Riviera - Mediterranean Cuisine. They had THE BEST Creme Brulee and the brownie was a close second. We did not go to the Fogo de Brazil nor Salvia (Vegetarian Restaurant) based on what we felt like each day but we heard some great things from other people we have met along the way. In the end, it will be subjective as we each have our own taste buds to satisfy. But one thing is for sure, go early. Most of these restaurants open between 5:30 - 6 pm and if you come after 7 for any of them, be prepared to wait from 30 min to an hour.

Last thing I would like to mention is tipping. We brought pesos instead of USD. We didn't go on any tours but we did do our own things and when eating within the resort, each staff really go out of their way to do a great job from getting your drinks on the beach to making your drinks at the bar so tipping is highly encouraged. I did research and came across a very informative tipping shared by one of the guests that frequently goes to Mexico (I don't have the link I found on Trip Advisor as it was removed) and this is what we used from him:

• Housekeeping: 50 pesos/day
• Minibar refiller: 10-20 pesos/day 
• Porter: 10 pesos/bag
• Buffet: 10-20 pesos
• A La Carte: 50 pesos
• Bartender: 20 pesos/round

We also tipped the taxi or drivers about 20 pesos. Using the above, this can help in terms of how much to bring before heading to an all-inclusive. The only thing you can't anticipate is what tours you may go on unless you are a solid planner and know before hand. I do recommend that you credit card the tours as most of them are in USD. Some are in CAD but ensure you ask the Best Day rep or any rep you choose to deal with. 

There are many things to do when you do want to just stay in the resort. As mentioned before, there are water activities, pools, one pool with slides, the beach, Kids Club, 24 hour snack bar, shop and weekly vendors they bring in and also the theatre at night. The shows are kid friendly and usually start at around 8 - 8:30 pm depending on what it is. We watched the Heros Parody which was excellent and the Freddy Jackson Show (Michael Jackson tribute). Be warned to spray some bug spray as we were eaten alive inside the theatre by tiny mosquitoes (they originally seemed harmless). We itched all day and the rest of the week and the welts were defined and huge in comparison to what I usually get. Craig usually does not react as he is not allergic like I am but he, too, was welting like crazy. They also turned purple and looked like bruises. We had about 23 bites altogether for each of us on both of our legs. So please, make sure you have bug spray!

Otherwise, just enjoy your days in Mexico whatever your plans may be.