Excursions and Out Trips

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Excursions and Out Trips

 

      Are you a thrill seeker, ready to venture off the comfort of a resort? 

You need to put down the Pina Colada and come along with us on a journey of exploration and exhilaration.

I know, it's comfortable to just lay in a lounger by the pool or on a sun soaked beach.  But, there is time for that later....

 

     You arrive at your resort and are quickly checked in and escorted to your beautiful suite facing the ocean, and you think it can't be any better than this!  Before your bags are unpacked, you are dressed in your new swim suit and heading to the pool.  We have all been there, you scan the area for the best view and pick out a couple of loungers and sit back.  Next thing you know, there's a drink in your hand and you are in paradise!  You relax, listening to the music, spray on the suntan lotion, and sit back and start people watching.  Some of the folks who might have had a couple too many already are acting up a bit, and this serves up some enjoyment for a bit.  Soon, your stomach reminds you that it is time for food, since you have been traveling all day and the two crackers they served on the plane were filling at the time, but now it's time for some real food.

        The next day, it's a repeat of the first, but now you have picked out a better spot at the pool because you got up early and put your towels out.  Then you lean over to your significant other, and say.... "I'm bored!  Let's check out the excursion desk and see what we can do tomorrow."  This is a mistake, as the excursion desk is only going to sell you what they make big commissions on and they only have a limited number of products available.  Tip: When booking your vacation package, have your agent make the reservations in advance with a reputable excursion company.  Your agent will probably have experience with the tour/excursion already, and many agents have a network of preferred vendors that have been vetted and checked out for safety in advance.  Also, some popular excursions will be sold out and you are left with what the resort can sell.

        I wanted to highlight a few examples of what i am talking about on our recent visit to a resort in Los Cabos, Mexico in November of 2020.  As we visit resorts, we try to experience as much as we can and this info goes into a folder on our computer for future reference.  So, we did the straight tourist approach and went to the excursion desk in the resort.  As expected, they have a beautiful brochure listing out the available excursions and they give us the sales pitches on packages and pricing.  We are given quite a pitch on the Sunset Luxury Sailing (dinner included) as we visit the famous Cabos Stone Monument:  El Arco de Cabo San Lucas

       So we bite and make the reservations.  We also pick out the ATV experience for two.  We did want to do the mountain biking, but it was about 90 degrees and riding in the sun baked mountains with no trees for shade, did not sound appealing to my wife!  The next evening we are ready to go on our sunset luxury sail, and of course we get dressed up after seeing the photos and videos of the couple on the ship.  We are picked up at the resort and dropped off at the marina, along with about 200 of our closest friends, herded through a check in procedure, and given a wrist band.  Then, we are called to join a group.  It's then that we realize that this is a not a private cruise, but we are part of a group of eight other couples!  Our seat was on a towel, on the side of the ship.  The crew consists of a captain, mate, and photographer.  As we head out, we immediately see the rock formations and they are beautiful!  As we get closer, we realize there are about 25 other vessels going back and forth with their clients.  We "motor" around a bit with some narrative given by the first mate and then abruptly turn away from the rocks and start idling for the next 45 minutes as we toss and turn in the rocky waters. 

       As we idle around, the captain is making our dinner.  We are handed up meals from the hole in the deck.  These are plastic boxes with areas containing a salad, some type of meat, and rice and beans.   I guess this was the "luxury" part of the sailing experience.  I just pictured sitting on up on the bow, no others on board, and seeing the actual sunset on the rocks.  As we continue to idle around and get the food put away, some of the guests are now experiencing sea sickness from the bobbing and lack of actual movement.  As we turn the sip around, we see the sun starting the set on the rocks, but are too far away to get decent photos now.  Now mind you, the sail has never been removed from its protective canvas holster.  As we approach the rocks for one last view, out comes the sail and we are actually moving again and the cool breeze helps alleviate some of the motion sickness.  And, just like that, the sail comes down after about 10 minutes.  We then motor back to the dock.   Here is my next tip:  Book a shorter trip on a motor boat, see the rocks from both sides as the sun sets on the other side, and then have a good dinner in a local restaurant.  It will be more enjoyable and you will actually see the sunset!

       The next day, I wanted to cancel our excursions as they were not the most honest about the Luxury Sunset Sail experience.  But, no one was working the excursion desk.  We left the resort early and headed out to the desert of the Baja Peninsula.  About a 90 minutes later we arrived at the Cabo Adventures "ranch" and were taken to the check in area.  We presented our voucher showing our pre-paid package and were told that we needed to buy insurance, and this had to be paid in cash.  We were told by the excursion desk that there would be no other expenses.  Luckily, I brought some cash with me and had just enough to pay the insurance.  We headed over for our training on the ATV's and then we were off.  We were grouped with about eight others and formed a train of ATV's darting and weaving around the brush and cactus.  Hitting speeds of over 70kph was thrilling and we had a great time!  Next time, I'll remember to pack older shoes!  We ended up going back and forth at high speeds through a river bed for the photographer.  

        The views were fantastic, and we had a great view of the valleys below.  We ended the trip with an authentic meal back at the ranch.  The food was fantastic and plentiful.  Even the Mescal and Tequila were included! As we ended our adventure, we were walked over to a farm and given the option of a tour.  We took advantage of the tour and met some great people that cared for the donkeys, miniature ponies, and even the parrots/cockatoos.  We learned about the ancient trade of paper making using camel dung.  Yes, we brought home a small sample of the paper.  More like a piece of cardboard!  This was a great excursion and something I would recommend to my clients.  As we left, we were treated to some more views of the cactus and mountain animals.  Cows and goats roam the open areas in search of anything green to eat and drink. 

       We love to experience the local culture and talk with the people who live and work in these countries.  We learn that some have been out of work for over seven months surviving on bartering for life's necessities. We learn that some have been working in resorts and were laid off, now trying to make a living driving with Uber.  We find that others are working 14 hour days to serve tourists, and don't see their families for weeks on end.  They always have a smile and are so happy with life, something we take for granted at times.  As you plan your next adventure, ask your travel advisor for the unique excursions, off the beaten path adventures, and ones that include a meal with the families that run the trips!  You will come back with experiences that touch your heart and ones that you will never forget.

 

        I want to provide you with some idea of a great three night get-away idea, that includes your round trip airfare from Baltimore, transfers, and a beautiful five star resort.  At Two by Two Travel, we specialize in helping families and groups traveling together a great vacation package, worry free travel planning, and never having to worry about hidden costs and expenses.  Here is a sample itinerary.  Of course, pricing can change depending on your location, and days of travel.  We also book your special excursions and experiences in advance!

Passenger Information  2 Adults     Flight Information:

Outbound Flight: Southwest Airlines #394   Wanna Get Away
Return Flight:  Southwest Airlines #881   Wanna Get Away
Hotels:  Check-In Date: 10Apr21  Check-Out Date: 13Apr21

Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa - Optional Unlimited-Luxury

Rating: 5.0
Location: San José del Cabo 12.70 miles from airport (SJD)
Room #1: Junior Suite Ocean View King - Receive $200 in Resort Coupons!         From $1655 total for two

Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort - Optional Unlimited-Luxury

Rating: 5.0
Location: Los Cabos 7.00 miles from airport (SJD)
Room #1: Junior Suite Garden View Double - Save Up to 40% + $50 in Spa Credits!     From $1785 total for two

 

Contact us at: Cruise Planners - Two by Two Travel   www.twobytwotravel.com   Your Land and Sea Experts!