Oh Tulum, how I love you. You’re slow pace, your earthy feels & the smoothie bar around every corner that has my tummy super happy whenever I visit you. You’re effortlessly cool, just like the yogis, artists & hippies who have moved in, making this incredibly unique Mexican beach side town the perfect place to enjoy a girls trip or romantic weekend away.

It’s great to return, I’ve been here once before when Chesh & I backpacked through Central America in 2015, this time it’s a little different as I’m not on a shoestring budget. However, this guide is for everyone because it includes a wide spectrum of accomodations, activities & food options to meet every budget – promise!

To get you acquainted – there are two areas to choose from, Tulum Town, which is perfect if you are on a budget & beachside Tulum, if you’d like to splurge a little & be where the action is. A shuttle moves between both locations regularly or you can rent a scooter for a small cost. Town has lots of market shopping options, cheap family taquerias (I’m talking $1.50 for 3 fresh tacos) & is in a prime location if you are wanting to visit the many cenotes in the area (the main bus stop is in town & a shuttle runs regularly to all the surrounding hotspots for around $3 one way). We opted for Beachside Tulum to be amongst the jungle & right on the ocean. This area spans a distance of about 10 kms end to end & is dotted with accomodations, organic eateries & high end shopping. Most accomodations provide bikes & if you select your accomodation wisely, you’ll never have to ride 10km’s, you’ll be in easy reach of all the hotspots that we note below.

There is so much accomodation to choose from ranging in price & experience including beach front treehouses, jungle B&B’s & luxury properties. We found it seriously hard to choose, so we spent 2 weeks hoping between properties for the ultimate experience.

EXPERIENCE

Azulik Hotel

Stunning Hotel & restaurant with panoramic sea to jungle views. Expensive for a meal, but you can pop in just for a drink. Book in advance!

Cenote Dos Ojos

Take the shuttle bus about 25 minutes North (back toward Cancun) & you’ll be in this epic jungle oasis. It will blow your mind! The water clarity is incredible & if you arrive early, you’ll have this entire place to yourself!

Honourable mentions (things I have experienced on previous trips to Tulum & LOVED)

Akumal (swim with turtles right off the beach + there is an amazing cenote there too! (45 mins shuttle bus North from Tulum)
Grand cenote (Close to Tulum & easy to get to – similar to Dos Ojos, the latter is just much bigger with more variety)
Sian Kaan (in 2015 we lived in a beach hut for weeks – this region is VERY remote & there are very little accomodation choices – but one of my fav experiences ever!)
Coba & Tulum ruins – absolutely insane & so mind blowing to see – learn about the Mayan culture, it’s so interesting

ACCOMODATION

La Valise

This hotel is without doubt my favourite in Tulum & would be up there with one of my top choices in the world. It’s got a really elegant boutique charm & offers a lovely personal touch because of its size. It’s completely beachfront, so you can walk from breakfast straight into the ocean & enjoy cocktails on your private beach just steps from your room.

It’s perfectly situated in what I would call the quite zone, so you’ll enjoy the calmness of the jungle & a refreshing laid back feel in the neighbourhood. It’s the perfect spot to experience paradise, while still being in close biking proximity (bikes provided) to some of our fav foodie spots like Matcha Mama & Charleys Vegan tacos.

You can pop over the road to enjoy dinner at their signature restaurant Nu Tulum – the cocktails are on point & the food is crazy good after 7 chefs left Mexico City to open this foodie heaven!

We’ll never forget our stay – where the jungle meets the turquoise sea.

Casa Malca

This place is super cool, beachfront & provides a beautiful backdrop for photos (or simply enjoying the unique vibe). I’m sure you have probably seen this property all over instagram, particularly it’s grand entrance fitted with hanging chairs & Moroccan rugs.

It’s far more than an instagram hot spot though. It’s the artistic epicentre of Tulum unlike any other property available. Rooms are appointed with eclectic furniture & the overall space feels like a funky contemporary art museum. Rooms are big, luxurious & most with ocean views! Day beds are available for all guests & you won’t even need to lift a finger if you choose, the lovely staff are more than happy to bring you a margarita while you swim, read & chill all day!

What a beautiful, pampered stay!

Habitas

Loved this property so much! Tent style accomodation with a super luxe twist.

Right on the beach & VERY conscious of nature & environment, making huge impact conserving water, sourcing locally & building with renewable resources. This accommodation is very special & will be a home away from home for you. Beautiful rooms, yoga daily & movie nights under the stars will literally have you in awe. Also has an oceanfront pool & bar (right on the sand)… tropical dreams are made of these.

Papaya Playa

This hotel has nature & community at the core of its concept & prides itself on conscious living, something very close to my heart. This was another obvious choice for us, being beachfront, super laid back & with treehouse-like accomodations we were after!

The property has simple charming rooms, oceanfront common spaces to meet fellow creatives & a super trendy restaurant & bar to enjoy organic meals by the azure sea.

Papaya Playa Project is a destination for those looking to merge nature, relaxation, and spirituality.

A small note – the property holds big beach parties once a week, so if you are hoping to relax without thumping music, best to check your dates!

EAT

You will not go without nourishing superfoods, even for a day when in Tulum. It’s every foodies dream! Traditional Mexican is made with the freshest organic ingredients, smoothie bars line the Main Street & raw food is simply the norm.

So many more & ever changing, but heres some to get you started!

Raw – incredible raw & nourishing food in a garden setting

Del Cielo (breakfast)

Matcha mama – smoothie bowls

Charley’s vegan tacos – legitimately best tacos I have EVER had – serving out of a caravan & super cute

Posada Margaritas – homemade pasta

Rosa Negra

La eufemia

Hartwood- Book well in advance

Cocos – super cute white exterior with swimming chairs right on the beach

Azulik- sunset dinner & for the experience!

Nomade- sunset dinner either on the beach or in their moroccan themes restaurant inside

I scream bar – ahhhhh did someone say Vegan ice-cream?

As always, I strongly suggest you seek out your own magic in Tulum – hopefully this guide gets you off to a good start.

Lots of love!

Sez

XXXX

New York undid me.

I thought I wanted to live by the ocean forever. I thought there was nothing that could beat palm trees & turquoise bays – until now. It was the b u z z, an ability to be its unapologetically crazy, full on, all-day-all-night, breakfast at midnight gorgeous self. Its ability to take you in, but REALLY IN. When you leave you don’t want to. It feels like home.

From the unique neighbourhoods which are almost like totally new cities, to the experiences you just can’t have at home, NY has it all.

Amongst my favourite experiences were evenings spent at MoMA Museum of Modern Art, aerial views over the city from Top of the Rock, Yankees & beers (they go hand in hand), Bagels in SOHO (& at historic Barney Greengrass!), Chelsea Market in the Meat Packing District, walking The High Line, walking the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn’s bar scene (& its gardens) + Juliana’s (best pizza of your life, trust me on this one) & Central Park picnics (bike ride around like we did stopping to stroll & enjoy a coffee by the lake).

Finally, the two experiences which really blew me away:

Sleep No More: An incredible broadway production housed in a 3 level warehouse. The art installation, the quality of performance & the down right incredible time you’ll have will make the ticket hunting for this now hugely famous show well worth it. Follow along in your own time, quite literally; by following specific characters or simply moving through rooms or up & down floors. You’ll view the production, based on Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, in a very different way, not start to finish, but in whichever way you choose – you’ll be wearing a white mask the entire time too & asked not to speak at all through the experience. Take care, you may be drawn into a room to have a very personal experience with one of the performers – like me, you could be given a necklace & pushed backwards through an adjoining wall to enter a completely different room. The experience was bewildering, breathtaking & wild! Please do it.

I encourage you to book tickets well in advance & do as we did, start your ‘seating’ at 12am & go well into the hours of the morning, exiting around dawn to watch the sunrise – it will blow your mind!

Broadway: See anything, at any time, at any theatre. We watched Book of Mormon, a musical comedy about two young Mormon missionaries who travel to Uganda to preach the Mormon religion. Holy moly, so so funny – of course it is, since it’s by the creators of South Park. You’ll laugh til you cry, but learn some things too! Enjoy!

Accomodation:

We stayed at The Quin Hotel, an elegant property less than two blocks from Central Park. We could not have been happier with this gorgeous place, it has all the comforts of home, just with a much better view!

The property is super grand, housed in a beaux arts building with an ever changing art exhibit. It’s uber trendy, with a good vibe ~ expect amazing service, comfy beds & yummy food at their signature classic American restaurant, The Wayfarer NYC.

This accomodation is in a very sought after location, with incredible penthouse, so if you are wanting to splurge, this is definitely the time. Also, if you do, I’d love to join you at your kick ass garden party held on your absolutely enormous rooftop terrace. The views are beyond breathtaking, surrounded by city lights & the buzz of the city!

Penthouse or not, you may opt for one of their signature suites with a view (some also have small terraces themselves), so don’t worry, either way you will have your New York moment!

Don’t just believe me, The Quin Hotel won Condé Nast Traveler‘s Best Hotels in New York City: Readers’ Choice Award.

Foodies Unite –

*There are soooo many options & many places I cannot remember the names of – my best advice is to get lost – make some local friends & find your own hidden gems. The below will get you started!

These are the places we LOVED, tried & tested by us:

The Butchers Daughter – (hands down my FAV cafe in NYC – amazing vegan food with multiple locations *I loved the West Village spot)

Jajaja Mexican – I love Mexican, what can I say & it’s vegan, so even better!

Tacombi – such a cool little spot, down a quite street in the East Village, & yes they serve tacos out of a kombi!)

Two Hands – (for our Aussies missing some avo on toast & a good açai bowl + coffee feels from home!)

Jacks wife Freda – just dam good!

Bistro Nolita – also just dam good!

Lam Zhou Handmade Noodle – if you love dumplings! (Chinatown)

By Chloe – really good vegan & conscious food

Mogador – Classic Moroccan in bohemian neighbourhood of Williamsburg

Lilia – In Williamsburg in an auto-body shop, this Italian place offers wood-fired Italian fare & housemade pastas.

Van Leeuwens Ice cream – either in west village or east village!! They have my FAVORITE VEGAN ICE CREAM! I’m not going to lie I visited like 5 times!

Bars:

La Esquina – exclusive basement tequila bar, DO NOT MISS THIS. You’ll have to enter via a side door, be escorted by security through the kitchen before entering into the most incredible candlelit space!

Little Prince – super cute & in soho, incredible cocktails!

Jimmys Rooftop – watch the sunset, yeah baby!

The One Hotel Rooftop – epic views!

Novotel Times Square – I feel like this is our little secret, hands down best elevated open top views (with NO ONE THERE) looking right over TIME SQUARE — EVER!!) I mean, the drinks aren’t amazing, but the view!!