Mexico: Get In The Zone

[trip style = all-inclusive]

One of the benefits of piloting Trip Styler is I get to be the first to hear about---and sometimes experience first-hand---new developments in the travel industry. Last month's five-hour jaunt to Puerto Vallarta was one such opportunity which I've been dying to dish out.

I went down with Nolitours, a Canada-based online packaged vacation company (part of the Air Transat group), to experience the first-ever noliZONE, a travel philosophy-come-product encouraging people to go beyond the gates and guises of the easy-breezy all-inclusive and inject a destination's soul into their week-long, cocktail-soaked beach-fest. To book a noliZONE-designated property {and optional program} is to use the all-inclusive as a base camp for local endeavours.

WAY beyond the butler service and buffets common in packaged trips, using the all-inclusive as a base camp is a concept I am behind 110%, especially having been bored to tears on day four of multiple all-inclusive getaways---no joke, once I tried to convince my husband to fly home early {being the wise man he is, he convinced me otherwise}---wondering what life lurked outside my coastal castle's drawbridge and fortified walls.

In Puerto Vallarta's noliZONE properties you get quickly acquainted with the outside world because they aren't a far-flung three-hour transfer from the airport, nor are they in the middle of nowhere flanked between banana palms and farmers' fields. Rather in Puerto Vallarta and neighbouring Nuevo Vallarta {interchangeable with Riviera Nayarit}, the all-inclusives are within 5-30 minutes of local restaurants, vibrant and historic towns and culture galore.

Not about cheesy excursions like a two-hour bus tour to feed stingrays a bucket of fish {been there, done that}, noliZONE takes you from a trip style = beach vacation to travel on your own terms, meaning you can go 'off-base' as much or as little as you want on your own, or via the noliZONE suggestions.

STAY TUNED: On Monday I'm going to show and tell some of my favorite restaurants and experiences in Puerto Vallarta. In the meantime, here's a PV taster I published while I was in Mexico.

The Details

• Six noliZONE properties can be booked in Puerto and Nuevo Vallarta.
• noliZONE offers a weekly, locally-organized fiesta to all noliZONE guests, as well as a bevvy of prix fixe restaurant options, the opportunity to visit or bring a list of needed supplies to local orphanage, cooking classes and spa discounts.
• From Vancouver there are twice-weekly Air Transat flights to Puerto Vallarta from November 3rd until April 26th.
• The newly-minted noliZONE vacation concept is currently in select areas of Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

{Per my editorial policy, I'm not getting paid to write this, it's just a travel concept I believe in and want to share with my flock of culture-vulture, aspiring jetsetters.}

[photo via riviera nayarit]

All-Inclusive Month :: Introductions

[trip style = all-inclusive]

To some people, all-inclusive vacations conjure up ideas of men in bright yellow bathing trunks playing volleyball; women in high-cut neon tankinis; crowded beaches with a billion loungers; watered-down bevs; bikini contest entertainment; cheesy white columns everywhere; and logos plastered on beach chairs, at the bottom of every pool, on napkins and probably your bedspread. I may or may not be speaking from experience...ok, I am! Yes, these types of all-inclusives exist, but no, it isn't what all packaged vacations are like.

Each friday this month we'll feature a range of all-inclusive topics to help you get to know this trip style a little better, and once you do, decide if it's right for you. A list of all our upcoming topics can be found below.

Getting Over Stereotypes The biggest point I want to get across over the next month is there is a multitude of luxury categories, exclusivity levels and destinations associated with all-inclusives, and although this trip style may not be for everyone, at least consider it. During my quest to continue to discover great getaways, I've stayed at more than a few all-inclusives---some worth forgetting, some worth writing home about. A few of my stays perpetuated the above-mentioned stereotypes, while others were a true vacation treat. From these experiences I've learned to be highly selective while I search for an all-inclusive and choose a resort/brand that I know will match my preferences {more on that next week}.

The Good and the Bad On the positive side, my all-inclusive honeymoon in Negril, Jamaica was an incredible experience complete with sunset cruises on Princess Grace's honeymoon yacht, nightly champagne bottle room service, included manis and dining at the only 5-diamond restaurant in the Caribbean {at the time, 6.5 years ago}. The resort continually exceeded my expectations. On the flip-side, there was the resort we visited in the Bahamas, which had high highs and low lows. Despite experiencing the most fun New Years EVER, because of the intense service fluctuations, I couldn't recommend it to others until management sorts a few things out. Either way, I won't be going back unless they foot the bill...  At  this resort we witnessed events like: 'Jim', who after one too many 'Miami Vices' consumed in the main pool's hot tub, yelled "bombs away" and took a runningjump into the dirty towel receptacle {on wheels}, which by way of knocking over a few pool chairs, almost flew into the pool. Stay classy 'Jim.'

Benefits Aside from the 'Jims' of the world {who you may or may not want to encounter at your next all-inclusive}, one of my favourite activities at an all-inclusive is leaving my passport and wallet in the safe and turning my brain off. Staying at these types of resorts involves tough decisions: wakeboard or suntan, margarita or pina colada, squash or racquetball, sushi or local fare...Here are some of the other benefits: Pay up-front, don't pay again {aside from tipping depending on your resort} Leave your wallet in the room's safe and enjoy Eat at different restaurants every night {depending on your resort} Be as active or inactive as you want Be as invovled or uninvolved as you want Be as social or anti-social as you want

All-Inclusive Month :: Coming Up Friday, Feb 11th - All-Inclusive Matchmaking! Finding the right fit Friday, Feb 18th - All-Inclusive vs Non-Packaged Vacation Monday, Feb 21st - From the Archives :: All-Inclusive Tricks of the Trade Friday, Feb 25th - Fashion Friday :: Rockin' the All-Inclusive

[photo by @tripstyler, taken at Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica]