It’s not often you find a little piece of paradise that remains hidden away from the world. Well you haven’t found Dreams Tulum… yet.
This five-star, luxurious beach resort in Tulum, Mexico, is extra-ordinary from the moment you walk in the door. Golf carts take you to the marble front door, standing over 100ft tall, your luggage is already accounted for, there’s Champagne on arrival, a seamless check-in and magical scents of paradise floating around the lobby making you relax instantaneously. I think I have, perhaps, found my second home.
The greenery, the wildlife and the hotel layout lends itself perfectly to Mother Nature. Everything faces the ocean and the views are out of this world. Dreams has built itself a very reputable brand. You associate Dreams with luxury, finesse, style and comfort. This particular resort would suit families, couples (like us) or a big group of friends. There are no limits and everyone is considered.
There are 9 restaurants and 7 bars/lounges on site, cleverly designed so nothing feels on top of the other. Whether you wish for steak, seafood, a superb international buffet (I hate that word but trust me this is unlike any other buffet you’ve seen!)
I mean, a smoothie bar whisking up whatever vitamin bursting concoction you wish, meat and fish cooked especially for you, all fresh catches of the day of course, every seed, dip and side you could imagine, come on, this is no ordinary buffet. And don’t get me started on the guacamole. Out of this world. You are in Mexico after all.
I highly recommend an ocean-view room when staying at Dreams Tulum It’s worth the extra spend as you can enjoy the balcony vistas and feel truly connected to the place you are in. The rooms are presented well and the daily mini-bar re-fills (on the house if you’re all-inclusive) were a welcome treat after long beach days.
Two swimming pools, waiter service 24/7, a coffee shop, plenty of beach games, and loungers to relax on, Dreams Tulum really does offer a little taste of paradise.
As the days slink by you become more and more relaxed, more and more at peace with yourself, the surroundings, Mother Nature, your future. Whatever woes, stresses or troubles you arrived with, Tulum has banished them to the Earth.
Tulum is an extremely spiritual place, which acted as another draw for me. The Mayan heritage shines through and there are modern-day opportunities this resort offers for you to engage with the culture.
We took part in a sun-ceremony on the beach, which was highly emotional! It focuses on letting go and new chapters. The Mayan messengers are dressed in their traditional head-gear and chant a beautiful ritual while you face the sun and the moon at the correct times.
There is also the opportunity to sit inside an authentic Temazcal for a more in-depth cleansing ceremony. This takes place in the dark and is a real eye opener to their beautiful, very connected culture.
If you want to visit the surrounding areas of Tulum it’s extremely easy to travel off-site. A golf cart dropped us to the main entrance where we hopped onto one of the regular mini-bus style taxis. For under five dollars each you can travel up and down the high-way, jumping off at all the various destination points.
We stopped off at the nearby Mayan ruins, which were out of this world! It’s so impressive to think that the ancient, indigenous people built such unique temples and buildings before modern-day engineering. Even if you’re not one for history you must pay the ruins a visit.
Another absolute must is a day trip to the famous cenotes. These are natural sink holes in the ground. Mexico is made up of 6000 of them; some over-ground and some under-ground, and the majority are inter-connected. The cenotes we were taken to were breath—taking. The water is crystal clear with freshwater fish in abundance. The open-air cenotes look like lagoons in the middle of the jungle. It’s so hot you can’t help but jump in.
Next we move to an under-water cenote which involved making our way down some steps into the darkness. You are given a head lamp and told to get in. The water is cold, I’m not going to lie, and in the beginning you are quite reticent. However, trust me, get in, start swimming and you soon realize there is a beautiful world underneath the water waiting to be discovered.
There are very few fish but the rock formations are amazing to see. They are lit up so we’d dive down into the deep and just stay suspended in the stillness of the water. Holding our breath, observing the calm, is something I will never forget.
Tulum offers a certain purity. No place in the resort, nor outside, felt too hectic or crowded. Life became simpler here. We woke to the sun and dined under the stars. We ate 5* gourmet food but at the same time enjoyed the simple pleasures of walking along the beach hand in hand, never seeing another soul.
On our last night, we were lucky enough to dine on the beach and towards the end of our meal a giant sea turtle came up and started digging nearby. This was a timely reminder of how precious life is, how incredible Mother Nature is, so be sure to grasp every moment with both hands and live the best life you can.
Address: Carretera Chetumal-Puerto Juárez Km. 236.7, No. 1, Col. Tankah, 77761 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico
Phone: +52 984 871 3333
Follow Suzi on Instagram at @what_suze_saw
