Category: Personal Travels

Review of Kin Toh Restaurant, Tulum

The pictures do NOT do this place justice, yes, this restaurant looks like a damn fairy tale. 

My boyfriend and I made reservations to have dinner at Kin Toh inside the equally beautiful hotel we were staying at, Azulik. What lead us here? Instagram. But I mean, if Instagram lead us to meeting each other, obviously dinner reservations should be just as simple yes?

I will give you an honest opinion about this spot. Heck, I bet you’re here because you typed ‘Kin Toh Tulum Prices’ OR ‘Kin Toh Tulum Menu’ into Google, am I right? You deserve honesty.

I personally have no issue dishing out lots of money for good food. If I thought it was delicious and filled my belly, it was worth every cent. I don’t think Kin Toh’s food was worth the money. Yep, I said it. Even in that gorgeous ambiance and exceptional service, the food was just OK.

First of all – don’t EVEN think of wearing heels to come to this restaurant. I had flat sandals on and I was already having a hard time walking around. There is a set of steps to go into the dining area that are shakier than Donald Trump trying to find the USA on a world map. Real shaky. When you enter a really nice hostess will greet you and offer to take you to your reserved seats. As you walk through you will see hoards of women sprawled out in their nice cocktail dresses sitting on the netting trying to catch the perfect shot for IG. 

If you thought you might get a seat in those beautiful, circular areas with the white pillows I am sorry to tell you it is not happening. Unless you booked it for a group and are willing to spend a minimum $1000 USD, you won’t get in that seat.

We got to our nice table (with an equally nice view) and began perusing the menu. Prior to coming to this restaurant I had gotten some idea that it is pretty pricey because I couldn’t actually find prices anywhere. You damn well know, if you can’t find the price? It’s expensive. 

On the second page of the menu there was a tasting menu option and we thought it was a good idea for the two of us to be able to try a variety of items. The cost? $110.00 USD 

I figured that was a good price for two apps, an entree and a dessert for us to split. The aperitif to start off the dinner was good and so was their awesome homemade butter. The first app was a ceviche and the second one (if I remember correctly) was sea bass. I mean, yeah, it was good but was it something I was going to call my mom about? No. 

Then the entree came and we each got this little strip of piglet with a side of vegetables. Again, it was good but nothing too crazy. Finally the dessert came and that was a chocolate mousse. This was probably the most impressive display of desserting (word? not a word?) I’d seen in a minute. They had a gentleman roll the ice cream on the table, while freezing it and then there was this incredible chocolate mousse cake to eat with it. To add, in the top cup there was weird, cold, chocolate milk I think? I didn’t understand that part, but the display was very good. 

The food was finished and we were ready to head back to our room so I asked for the bill, this is where the night got shitty. I am accustomed to a tasting menu price being for TWO people. Also, as you can see in the pictures, the portions were very small so I really believed this was accurate. The bill comes.

$233.00 USD

Two-hundred-and-thirty-three-fucking-American-dollars. That is without tip and did I mention, IN AMERICAN MONEY? OK. Meaning this meal, without liquor, and with its tiny portions was over $300.00 Canadian. Don’t get me wrong, this is my fault and my fault alone. I should have asked questions and been more diligent with my menu choices instead of being so enamored by my surroundings. But come on, THAT was not worth no damn $300. Not even close. 

Further to this bill, when the woman came with the machine for me to pay, do you know what the tip options were? 

10%

48%

56%

I swear to you, on my passport, that those were the automated tip options. Madness. I always tip, but 48% on that lackluster meal was not happening. 

Should you still check out this restaurant? Absolutely. Go visit the bar near sunset so you can get all the views without needing to spend all your money. I would not suggest going there for the food because it really just doesn’t taste good enough and is not filling enough to justify the price for it. You will get your fill of great customer service and pics for your Pinterest, but you will not get full in your tummy, where it matters.

If you plan on making it a day trip to come to Kin Toh from Playa de Carmen or Cancun, I wrote a piece about getting to Tulum for cheap – here.

– Mirna 

How To Get From Cancun to Tulum

Hello all!

I just came back from an awesome long-weekend trip to Cancun that included a short 24hr detour to Tulum. I spent A LOT of time trying to read the ‘how tos‘ of transit to get from the Cancun Hotel Zone (Zona Hotelera) to Tulum central without paying the really high prices of private transfers or taxis. I’m not a fan of having to go through 14 different Tripadvisor message boards to find a definitive answer, so I figured I would just explain it VERY simply in this blog post and include pictures. We took two different paths to get there and to get back, so I am including both options in this step-by-step guide.

Step 1) Getting from Cancun Hotel Zone to the ADO Bus Station in central Cancun

If you come out of your hotel in the Hotel Zone (wherever that may be, since that strip is like 30km long) you have a 99% chance of the R1 bus stopping in front of it. Make sure the white letters on the front say R1 not R2! The cost of it was $1.00 USD per person. If you hop on that bus it will take you to right in front of the ADO Bus Station in central Cancun. 

 

Step 2) Getting from Central Cancun – Playa de Carmen – Tulum Central via shuttle

When the R1 dropped us off across the street from the ADO Central Bus Station, we were approached by a man who was trying to get folks onto the shared shuttles. These were about 9-10 seater vans with ‘Cancun-Playa de Carmen‘ painted on them, followed by the next stops which would have ‘Playa de Carmen – Tulum‘ written on them. The cost was $5.00 USD per person to get to Playa de Carmen, at which point we would have to switch over to another shared shuttle that would take us from Playa de Carmen to Tulum for another $5.00 USD per person. This is useful information to have because maybe you wanted to hang out in Playa de Carmen for a bit, with these shuttles you definitely could do all of that. They are also referred to as ‘colectivos‘. 

The vans are well air-conditioned, but if you are tall it isn’t exactly the best seating arrangement. We are about 5’9-5’10 and our legs were definitely feeling the burn after this ride. The positive with choosing this option instead of the bus – these drivers FLY down the highways. It felt like the 1hr to Playa de Carmen went really quickly, and as soon as we stepped off that shuttle the shuttle for Tulum was caught within 15 seconds to continue on for the next hour. 

After taking the R1 + two shuttle ‘colectivos‘ you arrive in Tulum central within about 2.5hrs at a cost of $11.00 USD per person from the Hotel Zone in Cancun.

Step 3) Getting back from Tulum to Cancun, via ADO Bus

Now, here is the alternative we took on the way BACK from Tulum to Cancun. We went to the ADO Central Bus Station in Tulum and pre-purchased a ticket for a 1pm departure from Tulum to Cancun. This ride would be on the big, clean and spacey ADO bus that also happens to give you assigned seats. If I had to re-do this again, I definitely would have just taken this option to get to Tulum as well. It does also stop in Playa de Carmen, but there is no need for switching buses, it just continues on to Cancun.

FYI – this bus does NOT drive as quick and fast as the shuttle buses did, however it is well air conditioned, they played Fast and the Furious on the TV and there is a bathroom on board as well.  The cost for both of us was $19.00 USD so there was barely any difference in prices. 

Once you arrive back in Cancun, just exit the ADO Bus Station and you will see the R1 buses passing by that you can catch right back to your spot in the hotel zone. 

After taking the ADO Bus + R1 bus you arrive back at your hotel in about 3hrs at a cost of $10.50 USD per person. 

I assume that the price probably was cheaper than I listed above for those who use Mexican Pesos, but the way my laziness was set up? Yeah, we stuck to using USD. The option to use either the R1 + shuttles or R1 + ADO bus combinations both ways is awesome. It is all about HOW you like to travel and get to places, for the least amount of money. Some of the private transfer companies we spoke to were saying $120.00 USD for one-way from Cancun to Tulum and a taxi driver told us he would drive us from Tulum to Cancun for $90.00 USD one-way. As you can see, the price difference is pretty astronomical if you chose the latter options over the bus/shuttle combos.

Hope this helped some of you and was straightforward. 

Happy travels!

– Mirna 

Carry-On Chronicles: Cancun Packing

I have written before about vanity being a detriment to smart packing and that it is more relevant that you stand in front of the Eiffel Tower in whatever clothes vs stand in front of the CN tower in a great outfit. 

This trip, I mean, I might need to be a little vain? 

From August 31st-September 3rd I will be going to Cancun with my boyfriend and this trip was supposed to be just beach and activities, very simple. Some zip-lining, sightseeing and a catamaran ride. We didn’t pay the extra fare for checked in luggage, because a carry-on totally suffices for some hot weather activities during a long weekend. 

Well, things changed and now for one of the nights on this trip we will be staying in this cool high-end looking tree house hotel. Obviously, I need some hottaz outfits for the pictures I want to take there. 

We have our own private outdoor hot tub. Then there is the beach. Okay but there’s also this really nice dinner spot. Suddenly all that vanity I talked about TOTALLY became my reality for this trip. Something about staying in very nice places makes me want to dress better for pictures. 

This is how I broke down my packing (clothing) list for this trip:

Friday – outfit for flying, bathing suit for beach, outfit for dinner reservations 

Saturday – outfit for bus ride to Tulum, bathing suit for beach, outfit for dinner reservations (but make it three different outfits because I want to make sure it’s really nice)

Sunday – outfit for bus ride back to Cancun, bathing suit for beach, outfit for party

Monday – outfit for flying

The final packing list looked like this….

3 x bikini, small purse, underwear, tripod + bluetooth control, day bag, 2 x waterproof pouches, charger + portable charger, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, aloe, cream, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrush + toothpaste, romper, a dress, linen pants, 3 x earrings, sunglasses, bandaids, hand sanitizer, PJ’s, water shoes, 3 x tanks, 2 x sandals, 2 x shorts, extra beach towel and leggings for flight home.

All the things going into the carry-on
All the things going into the carry-on

As with my previous travels, I just broke it down into what I think I would need per day and packed like that. The weight limit for a carry-on with Interjet is 10kgs – my carry on with all that aforementioned stuff is 7.10kgs. Not bad. 

Made it under the weight limit! 
Made it under the weight limit! 

I managed to fit all those items into my carry-on and stay under the weight limit. Even with some inklings of vanity, I made it work. I believe that is the perk of going to hot places, bikinis and shorts don’t weigh very much. I don’t think this will go as easily for me when I travel to a cold place, but for now I have succeeded once again.

Happy packing everyone!

– Mirna 

Michigan Trip Recap: Liverpool vs. Manchester United

I’m going to preface this with – I AM A BAYERN MUNICH FAN.

Okay now that we got that out of the way, this past weekend I traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan to go watch Liverpool take on Manchester United at ‘The Big House’. Boy, is that house BIG. People have been telling me how huge it is for years, and I have watched countless NCAA football games on TV take place there but NOTHING prepared me for this behemoth. Truly.

I bought the tickets for this game many months ago, as soon as the schedule for the International Champions Cup was released. My boyfriend Mark is a big Manchester United fan so it seemed like a great reason to do a short getaway for a weekend. Luckily, I also have family in Michigan – so my cousin and her husband were going to come along too!

The drive to Detroit went as usual for myself, my mom and dad. Now with Mark accompanying me suddenly the back seat of my mom’s car could be put down so we could nap stretched out? I was not afforded this comfort before that day, thanks mom. We had our usual stop at the EnRoute by London to get some food and stretch our legs. A big trend we did notice was the influx of Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) jerseys that were also getting food around us at the stop. Mark made sure to high-five all the Manchester United fans instead. 

As we got to the border we made our stop at the most important part of crossing into America – the duty free shop. I would like to mention at this time that Mark purchased some bars of chocolate and that it came to $53.00 CAD while I bought two bottles of Appleton Rum (so, 2L) and that came to only $29.98 CAD. Let that sit in your mind for a minute.

We expected a crazy lineup at the border but we actually got through the tunnel and to the border patrol guard pretty fast. The gentleman at the border told us they were expecting 40,000 people to cross into Michigan JUST from Canada that day to watch the Liverpool vs. Man U match. 

Now about getting to this damn game once we were in the country….

First of all, get there EARLY. This town doesn’t seem particularly big and it is lined with so many houses that come along with an insane amount of parking rules that could get you towed with ease. We left Detroit around 3:30pm and we were fortunate enough that my cousin drives like she trying to get those 5 stars in Grand Theft Auto. We got to the Michigan Stadium area really quickly, avoiding most of the traffic heading there. Once arriving there I got to see my first frat party out on a lawn, I was able to purchase a muffin from a four-year-old on the street and we miraculously found parking. This wonderful woman had ONE spot left for $20 USD and she was only a 10 min walk from the stadium. Success.

The walk to the stadium was fine, we just followed the crowd but wow, once we got closer the sheer size of attendance for this game became surreal. It was also really funny seeing all the trash cans with purses in them. Apparently, some people did NOT read any of the five e-mails Michigan Athletics sent to remind people attending about the no purses above the size of a clutch policy. 

Like I mentioned at the beginning, nothing quite prepares you for seeing 100,000 people in a stadium. It was such a beautiful sight to see. As an avid sports fan, this is a memory I will hold forever, just like the moment I went to the NFL Draft. You are just taken aback at what is currently happening around you/in front of you and how many other people are getting to enjoy this one specific thing with you. Great feeling. Since both teams wear red and white, the entire stadium was covered in those colours. We had chosen tickets in the Manchster United section but to be frank, you really couldn’t even tell the difference.

Well, until Liverpool was scoring and won 4-1…. then yes, you could tell who was cheering for who.

I truly loved the experience but, if I may make a suggestion – DO NOT get up to do a goddamn thing during the game. Mark made the mistake of leaving 10 minutes before half to go grab us some waters and he didn’t return until 40 minutes later. He basically missed half of the second half just being in line to get those for us. Pretty big waste of time and game to me, they need to do better with that process.

After the game we spent the rest of the evening + next day with my family enjoying life and food. Please see picture of me floating and being cute below.

Hope the rest of you had just as great of a weekend!

– Mirna 

How To Go on a Trip To Eight Countries for Under $2000

The title of this blog post probably sounds super wild. 

Earlier this year I promised my mom I would be home for Christmas finally, instead of taking off somewhere hot like I usually do. For normal people that might mean, ‘you know what? maybe this year I will take it easy and spend my winter holidays at home.’ Me? I am not one of these aforementioned normal people. At my place of work, I am fortunate enough to have two weeks off during the Christmas break every year. While most people have this as a BLACKOUT period and can’t usually take work off, I will automatically have it off every year. This is great for me because I plan everything super far ahead.

So, yes, I will be home this year for Christmas – but I will be flying at 6pm on Christmas day! I figure by that time I would have already opened presents and be somewhat sober, right? 

This year I am not going to a hot place during my winter break, I have decided to go to Europe instead. I realize I am going from cold to more cold, but I looked at the benefits of Europe in winter; less tourists + cheaper airfare! My goal was to hit up as many countries as possible between December 25th and January 6th. (I start work on the 7th)

The magic number is EIGHT. I wanted to hit eight countries in a matter of 12 days and I also wanted to do it under $2000. I am traveling solo, so I knew the ‘private room’ option for the AirBnB’s would be necessary because in places like Zurich, even that would break my pocket. Also, I refuse to stay in them bunk bed shared hostel rooms, regardless of how cheap they are. I had to find a nice middle area that would keep me under my budget.

Guess what? I FRIGGING DID IT! 

I managed to stay under the budget I gave myself, without having to sleep in places where I may wake up to strangers breathing heavily over me in the middle of the night. Like the posts I did for Cropover, Carnival in Jamaica and the Maldives – I wanted to post this because I want people to see/know how cheaply they can accomplish their travel goals. I get asked a lot during or after my trip about how much such a trip costs so sending people a link to a blog post makes it must more straightforward. 

The countries I will be going to are: Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France, Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republic, England and Iceland. 

All of these countries are first-time trips for me and by the time I reach Iceland, I will be at country #40 in my country count. I’m very proud of this trip and the budget for it so I hope the price breakdown is informative and gets some of your imaginations going too! 

Flight to Iceland with Iceland Air: December 25 – January 6 = $494.10 CAD (roundtrip, direct)

*this flight is the reason I will be only traveling with 10kg in my bag this whole trip, to keep everything nice and cheap*

Flight to Zurich, Switzerland with Iceland Air: December 26 = $194.50 CAD (one-way, direct)

*I fly to Zurich about two hours after I land in Iceland*

AirBnB in Zurich: December 26 – December 30 = $299.00

*yes, this frigging costs too much, yes it does. I wanted to be central though*

Day Trip to Vaduz, Liechtenstein: December 29 =  $40.00 CAD (roundtrip, bus)

*because, why the hell not?*

Flight to Paris, France with Air France: December 30 = $91.00 (one-way, direct)

AirBnB in Paris: December 30 – January 1 = $161.49 CAD 

*I got lucky and found a great place walking distance from the Eiffel Tower so for NYE I can avoid any taxis and transit because I am paranoid*

Flight to Copenhagen, Denmark with Air France: January 1 = $78.33 CAD (one-way, direct)

Hotel in Copenhagen: January 1 – January 3 = $187.00

*honestly, I had FOUR AirBnB’s cancel on me and I gave up and got a hotel*

Day Trip to Malmo, Sweden: January 2 = $17.00 (roundtrip, bus)

*I’m only going here to try and find Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the MLS off-season to be honest*

Flight to Prague, Czech Republic with Norwegian: January 3 = $89.06 CAD (one-way, direct) 

AirBnB in Prague: January 3 – January 5 = $125.49 CAD

Flight to London, England with British Airways: January 5 = $69.00 CAD (one-way, direct)

Hotel in London (near Luton): January 5 – January 6 = $63.19 CAD 

*I realize one day in London for everyone else seems crazy, but I genuinely have no interest in going to England, I was just capitalizing on flight prices. Maybe I will see Big Ben?*

Flight to Iceland with EasyJet: January 6 = $88.24 CAD (one-way, direct)

*I have a 6-hour layover in Iceland before I head back to so I will maximize this by wandering around aimlessly and making my way over to the Blue Lagoon*

Cost for flights = $1104.23 CAD

Cost for stays = $836.17 CAD

Cost for transit/taxi/bus = $57.00 CAD

Total Cost of flight + stays + buses = $1997.40

I am very very excited to embark on this trip in December. It may not be the fanciest accommodations and I will be roaming around with only a backpack of winter clothes – but I am super delighted. I didn’t include cost of food and tours in this breakdown because I’m really not sure what that will come to yet. It is possible people don’t go at this pace when they travel and would rather take time and take in cities for longer but I prefer moving quickly because I get bored really fast. Spending two days somewhere is perfectly fine with me because I seen it, I did it, I ate what I wanted – I’M OUT! 

Also, each one of the stops has its own recap, so if you are interested in going to any of the eight countries I visited, go check those posts out as well.

Happy travels 🙂 

– Mirna