Our time was running out. After we got married five years ago, Jamie, my husband, and I couldn't quite justify the expense of a honeymoon, so we simply shelved it as a "someday" thing. And then I got pregnant, and we realized it was now or never for that deferred dream trip. Only the economy was tanking and the Dow was cellar dwelling, and in some ways, we could justify the trip even less than we could have in 2005.

Which is where Tulum, Mexico, comes in. We could fly to Cancun using our JetBlue miles (two free round trips!), and we could stay on the beach at Zamas for $150 a night, and we knew we could eat cheaply (I wouldn't be drinking) because we were heart-set on devouring apertivos and tacos from the main drag in town. And when people talk about the exchange rate with Mexico--especially Tulum--they are wrong to be talking in terms of dollars to pesos. They should be talking about the pace and feel of a U.S. day to a Tulum day: The place is so low-key, so luxuriously rustic (there's an ocean breeze instead of A/C, and the peninsula runs on windpower and doesn't usually have electricity after 10 p.m.), that four days there feels like a full week's vacation.

We visited two ruins, swam in three cenotes, ate the most delicious tamales and carnitas and huaraches (sin vergules cruda, for me, in a nod to my pregnancy), and every day spent some time reading on the somewhat rocky beach at Zamas before heading up the road to the public beach, with its perfect blue water and excellent waves for body surfing. We no longer felt like our time was running out.

Kelly Alfieri, Web Director

My mom, children (Clementine and Nathaniel, 3) and I just returned from Punta De Mita, Mexico. It was a long journey from New York -- we flew four hours to Dallas, had a two-hour layover there followed by a three hour flight to Puerto Vallarta and then an hour long van ride. We were all exhausted and cranky by the time we arrived at our hotel, the St. Regis Punta Mia Resort, but the scene that greeted us  -- cascading infinity pools (leading to a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean) lifted our moods immediately.

Our suite was airy and beautiful, with an ocean view porch where we ate our dinner and then collapsed into bed for a deep sleep. In the morning, we had a yummy breakfast of fresh tropical fruits, omelets, and "green juice" (a combination of orange, pineapple, and cactus juice). After noshing and then playing in the pool for a while we headed to Sayulita, a beachfront village just 30 minutes away.

Sayulita is filled with ex-pats (California surfers, retirees, and assorted Americans who clearly have affection for the town's slow-pace) It feels at once left-behind and full of life. Cyber cafes spill over with latte drinkers checking their email; local women sell embroidered clothing and beaded jewelry at every corner, and tourists ride trikes through the town's narrow streets. As you  might imagine, though, three-year-olds aren't too keen on window shopping or people watching. So, we watched the surfers for a bit and headed back to the hotel when Nathaniel 'had an accident' (he's in the home stretch of potty training).

Continue reading just back from: punta de mita »

I would love to stay at any property from urbanorentals.com, whose apartments and villas are based in and around Merida, in the Yucatan in Mexico. The owners have done an impeccable job in restoring and furnishing them, and most of them have pools. Further, the owners have a blog which tells you what is going on each day in town, and where the best shopping is, so you have the best insider knowledge going in. The only reason i haven't made it there yet is because there are not any nonstop flights from New York into Merida. I know you can fly through Houston, and you can also drive the 2 1/2 hours from Cancun... I almost forgot the best part--they are not expensive. Can you believe that you can stay in a beautiful 2 bedroom with a pool for $275 a night?

Posted by: Yolanda Edwards

Yolanda Edwards | Travel & Lifestyle Editor

As exciting as Vienna sounds to me, I couldn't convince the family. Too cold, too much like what we already do here in New York.  We didn't want to fly all that way, and spend all that money, to be walking around a city in the cold.  So back to the warm destinations.

Thank you Amie from Ciao Bambino for suggesting Punta Mita as a destination.  She just recently stayed at the St. Regis Punta Mita, and loved it.  She is based in California, so it's a much easier flight for her-to get there, you fly into Puerto Vallarta. For us in New York, that means a connecting flight, and the best we have found so far aren't on our ideal dates, so we would have to miss a day of school, but they are on Delta (aircraft is Aeromexico) that leaves N.Y. at 2:20, has one stop, and arrives at 11:20 pm.  The return is at 7 am (brutal -- that means waking up around 3:30 am) and gets you home at 3:55 pm.  Tickets were $968 per person as of last night. We're still waiting on the hotel availability, but it sounds promising, because there is also a Four Seasons there, which is also supposed to be fantastic, with an amazing kids club.  It's also close to a town I have always wanted to check out, Sayulita.  One of the more chic women I have ever met, the manager of the Hacienda de San Antonio, from Guadelajara, told me that Sayulita is where she and her friends always rent houses. 

I would love to get to the Turks and Caicos, as our dear friends are staying at the Amanyara, with their 5-year-old son and they say it is really perfect.  I also have been dying to go to Grace Bay -- they have a kids club that is supposed to be really outstanding.  The problem is that for this week I am locked into, the flights are so expensive. There is one nonstop on American (it leaves NY at 6 am, though -- but apparently it's worth it because you are on the beach at 11 am)...and that flight is around $1,500.  So, unless we want to go through another city, it looks like this is a destination for another time.

My latest idea is Florida, so check back later to see what we come up with, and if you have any brilliant ideas for us, let me know.

Gabrielle Blair | Nesting contributor,  founder of kirtsy,  Design Mom blogger

I just went on a dream trip. With my siblings and their spouses. No kids. For eight days in Mexico. It was a group of 14, and it was epic. I didn't want to come home. It was quite possibly the most perfect couples retreat ever.

Where we stayed:
The first half of the trip was at the Dreams Tulum resort. We flew into Cancun and took vans about two hours south to Tulum. The resort is beautiful and opens onto the beach. It's everything you'd expect in an all-inclusive establishment. Generous rooms. Excellent service. Lots of restaurant choices. (We all agreed that the Mexican food was their best -- and it was really, really good.)

Continue reading Just Back From: Mexico »

Linda Meadow | Guru Mommy

To celebrate my father's birthday, both my sisters and I brought our broods (each of us has three kids!) to Cabo San Lucas. Cabo is the perfect escape for us Southern Californians, a 2-1/2 hour flight and you're in 'Mexico-lite' as I like to call it. (Cabo gives you a taste of Mexican culture without making you feel like you're more than a few hours away from home). We stayed at a private house on the grounds of Esperanza Hotel. The hotel itself doesn't allow children, but the villas and private residences do, so it's a perfect compromise. You get all the benefits of the luxury resort without having to shush your little ones the whole time.  Once you are staying in the villas or private residences children are allowed everywhere except for the adult swimming pool. 

Esperanza Resort is located within the development of Punta Ballena which also has private homes and villas so there are many ways to stay in the area.  Although if you want to use the facilities at the actual hotel you need to be staying in the Villas at the hotel itself or call ahead to make a reservation at the spa or restaurants.  The hotel itself keeps on growing to accommodate the popularity of real luxury hotels in Cabo. (Between Esperanza, Las Ventanas & Palmilla you have more luxury hotels in Cabo then practically any other part of Mexico.)

Continue reading Just back from Cabo San Lucas »

We might be in the midst of the dog days of summer, but it's time to start planning a tropical getaway for this fall (and cashing in on amazing deals). Head to the white sandy beaches of the Occidental Grand Aruba for an all-inclusive getaway that features free sailing, kayaking, and SCUBA clinics, plus beach soccer, horseback riding, and a kids' club for rates starting at $192 per person per night. Book by August 31, 2008 for travel between September 1 and October 31, 2008. Or, at the all-inclusive (yes, that includes frosty cocktails of the umbrella variety)  Allegro Nuevo Vallarta in Mexico, kids up to age 12 stay free and rates start at $71 per adult per night now through December 19. For more properties and deals, go to occidentalhotels.com.

Elisabeth Lepine | nanny to Charles, the four-year-old son of globe-trotting fashion photographers.

On a recent trip to the Mayan Riviera, Esencia, an elegant, discreet resort, became Charles and my private little Mexican paradise.


Due to consecutive fashion shoots, we ended up staying for almost three weeks, so there was ample time to try out all of the resort's kid-friendly activities.

Although most of Esencia's amenities are designed for adults, the resort and surrounding area had lots to offer its littlest guests, like yoga sessions, cooking classes, horseback riding, boat fishing, snorkeling - even a chocolate massage! Here are a few of our favorites:

Cooking Class:
Charles' face lit up every time we were off to another cooking class with the resident pastry chef, who was so patient with the eager four-year-old participant. The chef bestowed a white chef's hat on Charles' head and helped him prepare guacamole and cookies to share with our group.

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