Go to Iberostar Tucan/Quetzal!

[citsmama]

We just returned from a 7 night stay. The resort was great! My husband and I are in our mid 30's. We took my MIL and our 7 year old daughter with us. It was their first time to Mexico and our 2nd to this resort. The food selections was good, everyone found something they liked. Great drinks with top shelf liquor if requested. The staff was so friendly and the "Star Friends" were fun and so hard-working. Beautiful outdoor lobby. Nice comfortable rooms with a great shower. The grounds are made up of jungle with lots of wildlife wandering around. The beach and pool were nice. I visited the on-site spa for a great body scrub and massage one afternoon. Close to PDC. I highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a fun, relaxing, family or couples vacation. We want to go back in the next few years!

[John]

Do you have any photos of the resort that you can share here?

My relatives stayed at the Quetzal last year and were quite happy with it. The only complaint, which wasn't really much of a complaint, was the whales the resort used to prevent beach erosion. The kids still have plenty of room to play on the beach and in the water, so it was OK in their eyes.

Thanks.

[Libby]

The thing I loved best about the Quetzal was the lush grounds full of trees, foliage and wildlife!
How was the beach, citsmama? When John's relatives were there over a year ago, the beach was eroded and there was a huge dropoff. I haven't been back there since, but I've heard it's been much better. Here's a couple of pictures from January of 2008.

[citsmama]

Sorry, I don't really have many pics from the resort, mostly up close shots of my family.

I didn't see any dropoffs like that while I was there. There were a few whales in the water that made nice swimming areas for my 7 year old daughter. Of course the beach wasn't the same as it was for our trip 5 years ago, but it was alot better than we expected. We stayed mostly on the Tucan side of the beach. It looked like there was maybe a dropoff over in front of the Quetzal oceanfront rooms but plenty of beach for everyone. Loved it!

[John]

Rodman, here's a thread about how to post photos here.

[rodman]

Here goes something:
















So, there are some pics, hope you enjoy them!

[rodman]

Notice the big bunch of bananas, just out of reach of our room




Iquana make your day!


Stained glass in one of the lobbies


Hotel buildings are 3 floors tall, I loved being on top, with the palapa roof over the balcony.....we looked south at the Sandos Playacar resort..


Peacocks all over the place, along with agouti, the tailless rats...!


View entering one of the restaurants...


Another restaurant entry view....


One of the two lobbies....


Well, this is not at the Tucan Quetzal, but some of the more seasoned travellers will know where this one is!

[marissab]

I saw the beach last weekend and it is back to being long and wide and white...no drop offs...still the big 'whales' in the ocean to reclaim the sand.

[rodman]

I miss Playa!

[Critina987]

Most of us have made the mistake of traveling to a foreign country with too much luggage. Toting our 200 pounds of excess wait, we struggle to move from place to place

If you can travel with one bag or suitcase you're doing a good job. For trips less then 2 weeks we recommend using one 20 pound carry-on-size bag. This way you don't have to pay to check luggage or worry about the airline losing your stuff (one of the most common issues we face with our guided adventure tours).

So how do you fit all your luggage for your entire trip in a carry one? Its pretty simple, lay out all the things you think you might need on your bedroom floor. Go through them all and really make sure you need each item. (Do you really need to bring a hair dryer and 10 pound make up kit to the Amazon? )

Do get travel toiletries, packing your bulky home products is just going to waste space. Just bring enough to get started, you can always buy more at your destination.

The bulk of our luggage is usually clothes. Minimize by bringing less, and washing more often. It's still going to be cheaper and less of a hassle then carrying your 10 different styles of jeans.