Tulum - Jungle Oasis - World Citizens

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Hunab Ku

Spiral to the center of your heart, you feel the energy of the center of the heart.

Our trip to Tulum was absolutely amazing in every aspect (including the fact that it was my birthday). The lodging was perfect, our experiences were heartfelt, and the cuisine was delicious. Here’s our take on what you can do to have a trip just as great or better.

Lodging

We did an Airbnb for this trip, of course this presents a more cost efficient option when traveling if its available. The apartment was perfect. It was a one bedroom loft on the 3rd floor, contemporary design with large windows and a patio. Tulum is a town that habituated a jungle so in most areas the vegetation is very much alive and it is refreshing. Instead of cutting it all down, we noticed the people of Tulum choose to build around it. We had tall trees and other vegetation stretching up past our windows and lining the walkways to the door. It made for peaceful mornings and shower times. The Wooden House is in La Velata which is about 3-5 minutes from the town center and about 10-15 minutes away from the beaches. That brings me to the next area suggested for lodging. If you don’t mind paying a bit more for lodging you could go for a resort located in the “hotel zone”. The hotel zone is right on the beach with some of the resorts having beach clubs with private access to the beach. Most of the restaurants, bars, and night clubs you will hear about or want to visit are also located in this area, so that makes it a convenient location to be in and definitely walkable.

Experiences:

Relaxing Beach Day

Tulum is known for their beautiful beaches so of course that was our first stop. After traveling the previous day, we set aside the first day for the beach and a little exploring. The beach we decided to go to is Playa Paraiso or Paradise Beach and it was just that. The white sands and clear blue water was exactly what the doctor ordered. It was very easy to access. We simply drove to the Zona Hotelera road, found street parking near a public entrance and found a nice spot on the beach. When we got hungry, we moseyed over to Ramon’s which was setup with beach access so as soon as we finished we were able to get right back to laying out on the beach. The beach is lined with restaurants and bars so if you get hungry and want to refresh yourself, the best part is you don’t have to leave!

Airbnb Experience: Electric Bike Tour and Meditation

One of the highlights of the trip, booked via AirBnb, was an electric bike tour with Odi to see Tulum. The tour included morning meditation on the beach before biking down the road to the Archaeological Zone to see the Tulum Mayan civilization ruins. Odi is very knowledgeable of the history of the Mayan Ruins and offered up an abundance of information that helped us to connect with her and Tulum at the same time. She gave us a better understanding of the essence of Tulum and how it has evolved over time. She taught us Hunab Ku, the term we started this write up with, which means unity between opposite forces creating balance and harmony in life. Very representative of the people in Tulum. After learning about the history of Tulum, we biked over to a cenote, specifically the Grand Cenote. A cenote is a natural pit that exposes the water underground. It was so beautiful and refreshing after a day of sightseeing! We went snorkeling with the sea turtles in the cenote and then laid out in the sun. To end the tour we biked through downtown Tulum and had lunch at a restaurant. We would highly recommend this tour to everyone visiting Tulum. The tour not only helped us understand Tulum and its history, but fostered a deep understanding of its culture and people.

Zip Lining

For more adventure we went to Aktunchen to zip line through the jungle. It’s about 45 mins outside of Tulum. They offer a lot of other options like cave tours, an underground river you can swim in, and wildlife interactions.

Airbnb Experience: Mezcal Tasting and Dinner in the Urban Jungle

Another extraordinary experience we had, also booked on Airbnb, was a Mezcal tasting and dinner in the jungle. This experience was specially curated by Pablo and Juan Antonio, both of who brought their own special energy to the table, literally, to make the experience what it was. Juan Antonio kept us entertained and educated us on the process of making Mezcal. Mezcal is very popular in Mexico and has a smoky flavor that we’ve grown to love. And Pablo blessed us with a meal that literally was a culinary experience. We shared this experience with another couple and all of us ate at least 3 rounds of this culinary masterpiece prepared for us. Again we connected with our host on more than the surface level. In the future we plan to offer some experiences collaborating with each of the host we connected with on this trip.

Cuisine

The cuisine did not disappoint one bit! And to enhance the cuisine was the jungle ambiance in all the places we went to. Fresh air, vegetation, and appreciation of being one.

Gitano’s – I had some of the best guacamole human hands have made while I was at Gitano’s in the hotel zone. The guac amongst other small plates were a great introduction to the city, accompanied by some craft cocktails, live music, and a vibrant atmosphere. It was no wonder as to why you needed a reservation for a table and the bar was standing room only.

Ramon’s – Ramon’s on the beach was another delight. We enjoyed fresh ceviche in between catching tidal waves and napping in the sand. They had great fish and brisket tacos to boot.

Casa Jaguar – This was my next favorite restaurant in the hotel zone. Another popular dining spot that may require reservations to dine in on certain nights. Our dinner there was elegant and filling, not leaving any taste bud unsatisfied. The service there was great, our host and waiter walked us through the elaborate menu to make sure we selected the meal that would tickle our fancy and boy did it do just that! We left with the tank on full needing to walk the almost quarter mile back to the parking lot we parked in.

Encanto Cantina – At the end of our tour experience Odi took us to one of her local favorites Encanto Cantina. We indulged in a sampler that had quinoa covered broccoli, two types of pulpusas, and brisket tacos all mouth watering treats. The fresh guacamole and ceviche with chips were refreshing along side some freshly made passion fruit juice. A refreshing meal after touring Tulum on bike and swimming in a cenote.

Papaya – Odi also told us about a pizza parlor that was one of her favorite places to eat that we tried on another day. The chef is from Italy and he makes the pizza himself, so we were able to squeeze in some authentic cuisine from another country.

Moon – Last, but certainly not least. Our last official meal in Tulum was during the mezcal tasting experience booked via Airbnb with Juan Antonio and Pablo, we spoke a little about the experience earlier in this post. The food was simply amazing. The meat was grilled/smoked, a customary Tulum style of cooking, to perfection. He made a potato purée of perfection, grilled corn, and a salad that complimented the meat perfectly. This was a five star meal, each person at the table was amazed and had several servings. There was no scrap left behind.

Raw Love Cafe – Honorable mention goes to the Raw Love cafe for the fresh breakfast we enjoyed one morning before we embarked on another adventure. I love a good a açaí bowl and theirs did not miss.

I could go on, but I’ll just stop here. Tulum has no shortage of good cuisine so when you plan your trip here that shouldn’t be a worry. Because balance between the physical and spiritual is important in Tulum they have a lot of very healthy options including vegan restaurants. Connect with us and we can give you specific suggestions on not just restaurants but bars as well to get those preferred libations!

Tulum is well rounded and was much more than a vacation spot. We made connections with good people who taught us about the culture of the city. A lot of what the character of the city is about is being holistic, as in being in touch with yourself and in a healthy positive state of mind. They value their morals and beliefs and if you’re not careful or intentional you could miss the chance to make that connection or overlook the opportunity to take a step back and review yourself. We got a chance to do that and it left a special mark and place in our hearts for Tulum.

Be sure to connect with us so we can help facilitate your experience in Tulum! @WorldCitizensTravel Follow and Subscribe!

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