Destination Yucatan

As a travel destination, Yucatan has it all. A range of hotels to fit every need (from luxury to budget, large scale to small scale); a range of activities (beach, cenotes, caves, jungle, Mayan ruins) and a lot of good food. Here's my recommendations for Yucatan.

Accommodation

Luxury All-Inclusive

If you have young kids and want to take advantage of the kids clubs, you can choose to  stay in an all-inclusive. For all-inclusives, the general rule of thumb applies - you pay for what you get. $600-1000 gets you a room at Finest Playa Mujeres, a luxury resort North of Cancun. It's newly built in 2015 and the furnishings are all good quality. (Hansgrohe taps, rain shower, jacuzzi bath in your balcony, etc) This was the view from our room. The resort was big enough to occupy you for at least a week. Added to that, everything from the landscaping to the  service was wonderful. They had 12 restaurants with decent food. We tried the Spanish Tapas and French restaurant and were not disappointed.  

More Affordable all-inclusives

There are more affordable all-inclusives. I took note of Secrets, a new all-inclusive resort located on beautiful Akumal Beach (Turtle Beach) We stayed at Sirens Riviera Maya, which had slightly dated rooms and facilities plus mass-market appeal. However, if you can overlook that, there are some nice things like their beach, their rooftop bar, where you can watch the sunset over the mangroves and the lazy 'river' where kids can sit on tubes and float around. I would not be going back to Sirens Riviera, mainly because the large-scale mass market hotels don't quite suit me. 

Boutique Hotels

Head down to Tulum for a more intimate experience. Boutique hotels dot the coastline of Tulum. Hotels like El Pez, Zebra Club, Mezzanine, Alaya are smack on the beach and have nice atmosphere. 

Beaches and Cenotes

Warm tropical azure blue waters, teeming with life. This is one of the reasons we chose have our vacation in Yucatan. The beach off Sirens Maya Riviera was great. They had a beautiful cove where fish would be swept in by the waves. You can stand a few meters from the shore and see schools of fish swimming around you. 

Tourists flock to Akumal Beach to swim amongst giant loggerhead and green turtles. I saw at least 10 giant turtles grazing on seagrass and I could almost touch them. There's hardly any waves on this stretch of beach so it's great for the kids. One downside is that it is super crowded so watch your valuables! 

Akumal Beach

My favorite beach hands down is Paradise Beach in Tulum. The sand was powder fine, the water was a beautiful blue and not too crowded! Extra bonus: lifeguards! 

Paradise Beach

When you're tired of the beaches, you can head to one of the many cenotes (underground sinkhole watering holes) Cenotes were considered by the Mayans to be sacred wells. These caves and underground rivers were created thousands of years ago. Gran cenote has something for everyone. For kids and snorkelers, they can explore the freshwater pools outside the caves and see fish and turtles. Serious divers can explore the surreal subterranean caves and admire the stalactites and stalagmites. Another cenote worth exploring is Yal Ku, a lagoon off Akumal (where fresh water meets salt water) and it's a great environment for kids to snorkel without waves. 

Entering Gran Cenote

Restaurants

There was no shortage of good eating places. There are many affordable seafood options in Akumal. 

We ate lunch at Lol Ha, a beachside restaurant with a big seafood menu. The deep fried grouper was fresh and crunchy, soft on the inside. Also at Akumal, Cueva Pescador is a great place to go local and enjoy Mexican food and seafood! We enjoyed a generous plate of ceviche for USD7.  

Mezzanine dishes up delicious Mexican breakfasts. The Chichen Itza breakfast consists of runny eggs on beans, roast potatoes and sausage crumble. You may not be a bean fan but this dish will win you over. For lunches and dinners. Mezzanine serves Thai dishes.

One of the upside of staying in small hotels is that you are more likely to explore local digs. We loved this small grocery filled with festive pinatas for the christmas celebration.

Downtown Tulum has a number of good restaurants too. La Estancia Jujena serves Argentinian meat and has a nice courtyard atmosphere.  

If you can your act together and reserve a table at Hartwood a month in advance, Tulum's farm to table restaurant, you certainly won't regret it. The restaurant recommends that you email them for reservations. An open-air restaurant helmed by New York expats, Hartwood specializes in seafood and food cooked over a woodfire. 

Unfortunately, we were not as organized this trip (the waiting list was 3 months in the Christmas season) So we opted for Kitchen Table and we had no regrets. As the name suggests, the 'Kitchen Table' is the center of activity in this small and excellent restaurant. The whole restaurant has a rustic 'open air' appeal to it. With a menu of 5 or 6 mains, your choice might be limited but be assured that all the dishes are excellent. We had the roasted octopus which was cooked to perfection, with slurpy gravy. And the pork ribs were delicious to the bone.   

Bonjour Vietnam

Of late, Vietnamese cuisine has gotten quite a lot of exposure on social media. President Obama conversing with Anthony Bourdain over bowls of Banh Cuon in Hanoi and Bon Appetit's video "This is how you should be eating Pho"which caused a backlash with many food bloggers.

The last time I went to Vietnam with my sister-in-law, Hiep, we went on a food journey from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi, discovering wonderful Vietnamese dishes along the way. Vietnamese cuisine is so interesting because of its many influences from myriad cultures.

My sister-in-law with a Banh Mi Hawker 

Banh Mi is a popular street food that you can get in roadside stalls in Vietnam. From afar, it looks like a baguette sandwich - cold meats and pate served on Baguette. On closer inspection, you will find that the baguette is made with rice flour and the sandwich is filled with Asian pickles and herbs.
"Vietnamese food is all about smell and color, all of the five senses has to be engaged" says Hiep.

Making dumplings in Hoi An

Bo Bit Tet, Steak and Egg Breakfast on a hotplate

My sister-in-law introduced me to a wide spectrum of food, from Bun Bo Hue, spicy beef noodles from Hue, associated with royal cuisine to Bo Bit Tet (steak and eggs breakfast on a hotplate), popular in her hometown in Danang. Perhaps the influence for this dish was from the Americans when they were based in Danang.

The quintessential Pho is another example of a dish that has benefited from multicultural influence. It is said that the Chinese introduced noodles to Vietnam, the Mongols introduced Beef in the 10th century and the French popularized the Bullion, but it was the Vietnamese that married all these influences and made it their own - the clarity of the soup stock, the freshness of the herbs, the spice base of the soup, the cuts of meat.

Take a look at this video by the Culinary Institute of America. I have added here an adapted recipe from the book, "The Food of Vietnam" by Trieu Thi Choi (with inputs from my sister-in-law):

Recipe for Pho Bo

1 piece of fresh ginger
1 large onion
1 shallot
1 kg (2lbs) beef bones (knuckle bones, marrow and oxtail)
400g (13oz) beef brisket
Salt, sugar to taste
1-2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
4-5 pieces Star Anise
1-2 Cinnamon Stick
tsp each of cloves, fennel seeds, cardamon
1 cup bean sprouts
8 oz Rice Noodles
8 oz raw beef strip loin (thinly sliced)
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1/4 cup sliced spring onion
coriander leaves, basil, vietnamese mint, saw leaf herbs


1/ Grill ginger, onion and shallot on open flame until skins are charred.
2/ Immerse beef bones and beef brisket in a pot of boiling water to clean the bones
3/ Put beef bones and beef brisket in a fresh stock pot of water
4/ In a shallow pan, toast the spices (but don't burn)
5/ Put spice mix in a bouquet garni bag and add to stock, together with ginger, onions and shalllots
6/ Cook on low heat for at least an hour (preferably four hours) skimming the scum from the top of the soup
7/ Season with fish sauce, salt and sugar
7/ Blanch rice noodles in separate pot of boiling water. Portion into bowls
8/ Top with beef brisket, raw beef, sliced onion, spring onion, coriander
9/ Pour boiling soup into bowl
10/ Arrange a generous portion of herbs, bean sprouts, lime wedges and serve with pho.

By the way, if you are ever in Vietnam, check out the following eateries:

Ho Chi Minh City
Pho Hoa, 260 Pasteur Street (my favorite pho place, you won't be disappointed)
Anh Thu , 49A Dinh Cong Trang, District 1-Q1 (Ban Xeo Vietnamese savory pancakes)

Hanoi
Chaca La Vong, Paint Street, Hanoi (Crispy freshwater fish fried in turmeric, this 100 year old restaurant is an institution)

The Road to Hana

Fields of bamboo peeping through majestic rain trees, on the road to Hana

Many people say that if you want to get a feel of what Hawaii or Maui was like in the 1950s, go to Hana.  It's a 45 mile drive but the road to Hana is extremely windy and narrow at places so it will take you two hours or more.  

The road officially starts from the sleepy town of Paia. It's a good place to stock up on food and do some shopping along the way. 

The San Lorenzo bikini shop has a gorgeous collection of bikinis and beachwear. The Paia Bay Coffee (115 Hana Highway, Paia) at the back of the bikini shop, has a quiet tropical garden courtyard to sit and enjoy your morning bagel or choose to sample some Kona coffee at Anthony's coffee. 

Drive to Ho'okipa surfer's point and watch the surfers ride the waves. 

Then the road starts to wind. Remember to take your time and stop along the way. There are numerous roadside fruit stands where you can also get warm banana bread, a specialty of the area. We stopped at a grove of rainbow eucalyptus trees and hugged some trees with green and brown camo bark. 

The road hugs the coast and you're treated to views of the vast pacific ocean, road side waterfalls and tropical flora. Jungle lianas hung down and red ginger flowers peeped out from the lush vegetation.  Those traveling in the beginning of the year will be treated to the sight of red masses of flowering mango trees  - Hawaii's answer to the fall season.  

Nutcharee's Authentic Thai Food (5050 Uakea Road, Hana ) was a good spot for lunch. It was a nice change from the usual Fish Tacos stands found around the island. Try the local fish with green mango salad. Along the road,  look out for the signs along the way advertising for Huli Huli Chicken (Barbecued chicken seasoned with soya, ginger, garlic, brown sugar and more). We found ours at a casual drinking place by Koki beach and it hit the right spot. 

The highlight of Hana would be the Kipahulu State Park which includes the Oheo Gulch (seven sacred pools that cascade into the ocean) and the Pipiwai trail. Some literature I read stated that you should not pick up any stones from Oheo Gulch as the site is sacred. I was tickled to find out that "the seven pools" is actually manufactured by marketing people. The pools are not sacred and there are actually a dozen pools. Microclimates are pretty strange in Maui. I swear there must have been a perpetual cloud of rain over our house. However, when you drive a few mere miles away towards Kipahulu, it is nice and sunny. We even found out from the ranger that the national park had not had rain for the past few months and "it was the driest in sixteen years" according to a fellow traveler. Unfortunately, Oheo Gulch was devoid of water (so no swimming) We decided to walk up the Pipiwai trail instead and it did not disappoint. There's lots to see on this route. The first amazing site would be the enormous banyan tree. The bamboo forest has to be the highlight. I have never seen such density of bamboos. As you walk through natural tunnels of bamboo, you imagine you're in some sort of crouching tiger hidden dragon location. You can hear the bamboo stalks knocking each other "Tok Tok Tok" as if they were making music. 

Red foliage of the mango trees top the waterfall 

Pools of water on the Pipiwai trail

Despite the rain, we were glad we ventured to Hana. We saw a lot of local life and soaked in the wild landscape. Lots of people will say that Hana can be certainly done in a day as a day trip, but why rush? Slow down and feel the spirit of Hana.

Sunrise at Haleakala crater - breathtaking moonscape

Note: 

• We were traveling with our three year old and five year old. It's a two mile track (back and forth) on the Pipiwai Trail so be prepared to carry young kids part of the way as they WILL get tired. However, it is totally doable with young kids. The $10 entrance fees for the park includes the summit of Haleakala volcano and Kipahulu State park (2 day validity) so plan to do both activities within the 2 days.  

Aloha Maui

There must be a whole vocabulary in Hawaiian for the myriad types of rainbows on the island. Traveling to Maui in the beginning of the year has its perks - it's the off-peak season and flights and accommodations are relatively cheaper. However, you have to contend with the wet season. On the other hand, you will be rewarded with stunning rainbows. We saw double rainbows, rainbows with really intense hues and halo rainbows, all in one day. And don't be discouraged by the wet weather forecast, there is still plenty of sunshine in between the rain. 

WHERE TO STAY

It doesn't rain all day but it's vital to choose the right spot to stay to make the most of the sunshine. The driest part to stay on Maui is on the Western side (from Lahaina to Kihei). Lahaina's where all the big condo properties and hotels are situated. It's a good place to base yourself if you are a first timer in Maui. Properties like Honua Kai have great facilities - swimming pools, hot tubs and slides for the kids. It's also right next to Kaanapali beach. The in-house restaurant, Dukes serves good quality food. Try their eggs benedicts and calamari. 

BEACHES

Be sure to try the black sand beaches as well as the white sand beaches. If you want to get away from the condo action, Big Beach in South Makena Road, Kihei, is idyllic and has plenty of white sand. For those with young kids, we heard that Baby Beach has calm waters. The black sand beach in Waianapanapa State Park, Hana, has beautiful shiny black pebbles. It is probably not the best place to swim but it is great for photos and exploration. 

MAUI FRESH

Not surprisingly, you can always tell about the culture of a place through its food. Fish factors big in Hawaii and the fish and seafood you order in Maui will always be extremely fresh. Fish Tacos is popular here. A good casual place to sample fish Tacos and other seafood is The Fish Market Maui. 

We ordered the calamari steak (picture above) which was extremely juicy and not at all overcooked. Servings of food usually come with sticky rice and macaroni salad. Another good dish to try would be the Ahi Poke or Tako Poke. Fresh sashimi salad, seasoned with soya sauce and seaweed. 

You are bound to notice fruit stands when you drive around the island. Pineapples, avocados, coconuts, guava and mangos make good snacks on your drive. 

A lot of the stands work on an honor system. The fruits stands are unmanned, but be sure to put payment in the buckets. Look out for farmer's markets where you can pick up fresh fruits, vegetables and local jams. The Honokowai Farmer's Market in Lahaina is open on Mon Wed and Fri (7-11am). I was on the lookout for local fresh markets (like the wet markets in Asia) but I was disappointed to hear from a local that they do their grocery shopping at Safeways. We insisted on trying local produce in Hawaii and we found out that you can buy local grass-fed steaks at Long's Drugs Pharmacy. (how bizarre!) 

On a hot day, cool down with some Hawaiian Shaved Ice. They come in many fruity flavors and you can even add ice cream.  If you want to try it like a local, drizzle some condensed milk on top.