Thursday, February 26, 2015
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| Our Oceanfront Room at Westin Lagunamar |
We just got back from our Cancun, Mexico trip and it was epic!!! We stayed at the Westin Lagunamar Resort and flew American Airlines from Miami. Our total expenses for this trip rounded up to $450 for 5 days, 4 nights for everything!
Here's a summary of how we did it, additional reviews in separate posts later. And let me just say: Once you do luxury for this cheap, you never go back to your old backpacking ways
Total Expenses & Points/Miles Used: *all totals are for 1 person, assuming you are sharing with a second person - this will be more expensive if you are traveling alone*
Flights:
- Miami-Cancun Roundtrip = 9,000 British Airways Points per person.
- $40 taxes and fees per person (managed to reimburse $69 from Arrival+, but not for the other ticket
Flight Total: $40
Accommodation:
- $319 for 5 days 4 nights - it was from a timeshare promo and at this price we'd jump to get it, even if it involves a presentation (we got 12,000 SPG points too - loyal points & milers would jump at hoops to get that much seeing as how valuable they are)
The Westin Lagunamar is a Four Star resort!!!
Accommodation Total: $160
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| A day at Chichen Itza - El Castillo |
Excursions:
- $51 each for Chichen Itza tour (booked with Entertainment Plus, the parent company of USA Transfers). Tour covers entrance fees to the cenote, Chichen Itza, transporation to and from the resort, and a buffet lunch - currently waiting to reimburse using Arrival+
- $5 each as a tip to our guide & driver
Excursion Total: $56
Transportation:
- $55 for roundtrip airport transfers from USA Transfers (They are very good)
- $10 tip for both our drivers to the hotel & back
- $2 tip for the bellboys who helped us load our bags in
- $2 tip to the greeter of USA Transfers
- $50 for gas from Jacksonville to Miami & vice versa
Transportation Total: $59.50
Souvenirs: *sue me, I love my souvenirs*
- $5 - hat from Chichen Itza (did halfsie with Peter)
- $4.50 - skull with a Mexican hat (did halfsies with Peter for our house)
- $6 - fabric/shawl (my own $$$)
- $7 - 3 magnets from Chichen Itza (souvenir for Peter's mum, my mum, and our house)
- $2.50 - Chichen Itza mini statues (souvenirs for my mum & Peter's brother)
- $22 - Milka Chocolates (Peter is European and I love the European chocolate. They're yummy and the price in Mexico's Duty Free is much cheaper than in America!)
Souvenir Total: $26.50
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| Swimming in a cenote |
Food: *Since our room in the Lagunamar had a kitchen, we opted to cook most of the time to save money. *
- $1.50 - sundae from McDonalds
- $11 - Bottled Water & other drinks
- $17 - Lunch from Miami Airport (02/21)
- $8 - Dinner (02/21: Bread & Chorizo)
- $30 - Lunch from Viento (02/22)
- $45 - Dinner from La Madonna (02/22 and 02/23)
- $3 - Drink from Lunch Buffet (02/23)
- $30 - Lunch at Viento (02/24)
- $12 - Dinner (02/24: pasta with jamon serrano) - cooked at the hotel
- $15 - Breakfast for the whole stay (02/22-02/25)
- $23 - Lunch at the airport
Food Total: $97.50
Total Expenses: approximately $440 for 5 days and 4 nights in Mexico, averaging $88 a day
This just proves that anyone can travel on a budget - and the fact that we traveled in style and luxury on this trip has been AMAZING!!!!
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