What does it mean when you, your husband, and daughter all have birthdays seven days apart in March?! I still haven’t figured out what this means lol, but it does call for a great reason to get some traveling in! My husband and I have been traveling together for the past 8 years! From our very first trip together to Miami, to finding ourselves all the way in Boracay, Philippines! We have made it a ritual to travel somewhere for our birthdays, and we haven’t missed a year yet! It’s been such a blessing to add our daughter, Eden into the mix.
Our first time traveling as a family with Eden was to Nigeria, and we took our second family trip out of the country to Riviera Maya, Mexico. We were hoping to go in March, but our work schedules did not allow for it, so we coincidently found ourselves planning a trip for Mexico, on Cinco de Mayo weekend! Fun.
Riviera Maya
When visiting Riviera Maya, it refers to the 100 mile stretch on the Yucatan Peninsula, just south of Cancun, and past Tulum! There is so much to do in Riviera Maya, creating for either an adventure filled trip, or a chill vibe. I have been to Tulum twice, and visited Valladolid while on my trip to Tulum. My trips to Tulum always include adventure and good eating. If you haven’t been to Tulum yet, I definitely recommend it; it’s my favorite beach town– so chic!
A must do in Riviera Maya is visiting a cenote, which are natural sink holes filled with fresh water. I recommend the Gran Cenote, Suytun Cenote, and Dos Ojos Cenote! All are so beautiful, make sure you get there early before the crowds.
Where to stay?
Whenever we travel we typically like to stay in an airbnb. It allows you to be immersed in the culture of the city/town that you are staying in, with first hand recommendations from a local. For this trip we stayed on the northern side of Riviera Maya on a little beach called Punta Maroma. Since it was our first time with Eden on a trip without a gang of family, we opted to stay at an all-inclusive resort. I wanted to have things a little easy when it came to food options, activities, and getting around.
Do away with the itinerary
We were really able to slow down this trip. No agenda, no lists of things to do, just relax and eat good food. We enjoyed a couple’s massage while on this trip and the staff was kind enough to babysit for an hour for us to enjoy it! The resort had beautiful restaurants, that had great food to match. We of course enjoyed their authentic Mexican selections, but they also had a delicious Italian and Japanese restaurant that we indulged in.
Eden loves swimming, but to see a beach, she didn’t know what to do! It was her first time, and she loved every minute of it! 
Traveling with a toddler
It was such a fun trip! After flying to Nigeria and Mexico, Ive learned a thing or two about traveling with a toddler. Listed below are some tips when traveling with your mini:
- Keep the snacks on deck
- Pay attention to sleep cues, sometimes all they need is a little nap, no matter how much excitement may be going on around them.
- Bring whatever they need for bedtime with them: blanket, pillow, teddy? It will make the flight more enjoyable, and add a little extra comfort for their home away from home during bedtime or in-flight.
- If your child is into gadgets such as an iPad, make sure its charged and ready to go at all times.
- Bring books, and things they can use their hands to play with.
- Keep plans loose and go with the flow.
- Hand sanitizer, Tylenol, and Benadryl should be packed along.
- Brings lots of patience 🙂
shop: orange skirt , floral swimsuit, Edens swimsuit
What trips do you have planned for this year? Please, do tell! xo
