Recipe for the Flip Flop cocktail:

1 cup of pineapple juice

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup strawberry daiquiri

2 parts rum (optional)

blend with ice and serve

Recipe for the Demonio Rojo:

2 parts Rosso Vermouth

1 part gin

a dash of lime juice

0.5 oz sugar syrup

0.5 oz grenadine

served drink on the rocks

From May to October of every year, seven of the eight worldwide female turtle species make their way to the shores of Riviera Maya, Mexico to lay their eggs. These species include the Green Sea Turtle, Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Black Turtle, Olive Ridley, Kemp’s Ridley and the Leatherback turtles. During nesting season, it is possible for guests to experience the release of baby sea turtles off the shores of Riviera Maya.

The turtle-friendly certification supports the development and operation of turtle camps across the Riviera Maya. Turtle camps are vital in helping to monitor and record the different species of turtles arriving at the beaches each season. The turtle camps are operated by FFCM specialists, volunteers and our hotel staff.

How can you help support sea turtle conservation in Riviera Maya, Mexico? Upon your arrival to the destination, ask your concierge for information on the ‘adopt a sea turtle’ program. For a donation of $30 USD, you can help us work towards the greater good of protecting these endangered species.

This project is sponsored by the Travel Foundation in collaboration with Thomson and First Choice Holidays. To learn more about their green holiday initiatives, please visit their website.

As we work towards acquiring the turtle-friendly certification for each one of our resorts, please note that at this time, the participating hotels are El Dorado Royale, El Dorado Casitas Royale, Azul Beach Hotel and Azul Sensatori Hotel.

Lime Tortilla Soup for Two

You’ll need:

2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts

4 tortillas (best if they are a little dried out)

1 white onion, chopped

1 tomato sliced

1 green pepper

1 avocado

1/3 cup garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

Salt & Pepper

Optional ingredients: chopped cilantro, shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions for baked tortilla strips: Cut tortillas into thinly, sliced rectangular-shaped pieces. Set oven to 200 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Soup: Prior to baking tortilla strips, make sure you have prepared your other ingredients. While strips are baking, boil four cups of water and add freshly squeezed lime juice (four limes) to the boiled water along with the chopped onion, garlic and spices.

In soup bowls, serve your shredded cooked chicken, sliced avocados, tomato slices and green pepper and baked tortilla strips. Add the hot, lime water with spices when you are ready to serve! Buen provecho!

My husband and I spent five days at the beautiful El Dorado Seaside Suites, by Karisma in July.  Our GI Vacation Consultant, Jan Busse secured us a free double upgrade to one of the swim up suites, which was amazing!  We spent a lot of time just lounging outside of our room and taking in the beautiful scenery.

The property, service, food and spa exceeded all of our expectations!

The Food: All of the food was exceptional, but I would have to say the Italian restaurant topped our list.  I had the tomato soup and beef tenderloin which was absolutely amazing.

The Spa: I have been to a lot of luxury spas in my day and I would have to say the Naay Spa tops my list.  My husband and I enjoyed a 90 minute moonlight couples massage on the beach.  Before being escorted to the beach, we spent 45 minutes in the spa enjoying the eucalyptus steam room, sauna and tropical shower.  Everything about this experience was perfect…tranquility at its finest!

The Property: Perfectly maintained – there was not one coconut out of place.  The gardeners were on spot 24/7 – the beaches were groomed and the ash trays were always cleaned and stamped.  There were plenty of beach beds for everyone so there is no need to wake up at the crack of dawn to secure a spot.

The Service: Second to none!  The staff was on extremely accommodating.   We had a personal concierge outside of our suite to help with anything we needed.  Housekeeping was also great.  We always left her an extra tip each day for going above and beyond our expectations.  In return, she left us cute little towel animals and a hot Jacuzzi filled with bubbles and fresh flowers!  I must also mention that the bath products were wonderful!  The entire resort smelled of aromatherapy from the lobby to the rooms.

The Location:  The resort is about an hour and fifteen minutes away from the Cancun airport.  A small price to pay if you enjoy a slower pace.  From what I have seen during my times in the Mayan Rivera is the crowds seems to get lighter the further down the coast you go.  Cancun and Playa Del Carmen are a little too fast paced for us but we do enjoy taking a day trip to PDC for some lively shopping.

Exploration Tip: Another great day trip is to Akumal – Half Moon Bay for the best snorkeling around!  It’s a must on our list every time when we visit the area.  There is a restaurant right on the beach called La Buena Vida.  They have the best pina colada’s and freshest ceviche in Mexico!

We recently enjoyed a wonderful vacation at Azul Fives Hotel with our three year old daughter, Grace. The minute we stepped into the lobby for check in, the Fisher-Price toy selection on display was a home run with Grace! As we checked in, she enjoyed a chocolate milk while playing at the Fisher-Price activity table.

The fun continued as we ordered her selection of Fisher-Price toys off the lending menu which were delivered to our suite! To top it off, the resort offers the Azulitos Playhouse, which is a state of the art kids club for all ages, boasting every fisher price toy option one could think of. In my opinion, the variety of toys and activities offered by Azul Fives Hotel outshine any other kid-friendly resort we have ever traveled to.

I was thoroughly impressed with the quality and availability of Fisher-Price toys offered at Azulitos Playhouse. Not only were their plenty of toys to go around, the toys were in pristine condition! They offered everything from puzzles, activity tables, play vacuums, bikes to little people games, and much more. The variety is truly hard to comprehend! We were even surprised by the “Little People” characters, Eddie and Sonia Lee, who surprised all the kiddos at breakfast one day; a really nice addition to the resort!

We often utilized the kids club when our daughter needed a little time out of the sun, or after dinner to burn off that bit of extra energy. We have now been to Azul Fives Hotel twice and each time we have been overwhelmed with the quality of toys provided by Fisher-Price. They keep the variety of toys interesting and I am so impressed with what great condition the toys are in!

Just as all the Karisma Hotels & Resorts have such high expectations for their properties, it is great to see that they continue to uphold these expectations in the quality of their kids programs. Thank you to the Karisma and Fisher-Price Family for allowing us to make the amazing family vacation memories that will last a lifetime!

The jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula line the Caribbean Sea with crystal clear water and white, powdery sand, providing for a beautiful and scenic experience with both wildlife and nature. While visiting our hotels, guests can experience everything from sea turtle hatchlings on the beach to bird watching -without ever leaving the resort.

Our dear guests, Paul and Cathy Eagles from Ontario, Canada recently visited El Dorado Royale and were able to capture some incredible photos of their experiences with wildlife and nature while on property at our resort. Paul was able to capture a photo of a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl while he was bird watching at El Dorado Royale. Thank you to Paul and Cathy for allowing us to share your photos and experiences at the El Dorado Royale, a Spa Resort & Hotel, by Karisma.

As requested, here is the recipe to your favorite Gourmet Inclusive drink, the melon sour. We hope you’ll come back soon and visit us. Perhaps for your first anniversary celebration? Wishing you all the best in life and love.

Melón Sour Recipe

.5 oz Lemon juice

1 oz Orange juice

.5 oz sugar syrup

3 oz Melon liqueur

6 oz ice

Mix ingredients into blender to make frozen.

For one week of our honeymoon, my husband and I stayed at the charming resort, El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico. One of the most memorable experiences we took with us from Mexico was the night we dined at the Chef’s Table at D’Italia Restaurant.

The Chef’s Table is an exclusive dining experience for guests who wish to purchase $180 USD of any wine, spirits or liquor. This experience is available at El Dorado Royale & El Dorado Casitas Royale. After acquiring a few bottles of liquor, my husband and I were invited to a private dinner arranged for us at the hotel’s award winning restaurant, D’Italia.

Once we arrived to the restaurant, we were whisked away to an elegant, glass room directly in front of the kitchen, where the hotel’s expert Sommelier, Paul greeted us. We asked Paul for his favorite bottle of wine and he recommended the Sileni Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, a 2009 harvest, which was just lovely.  The wine had a light and tangy taste to it with pear and grapefruit flavors, which we thought was a perfect way to start off the evening. The view was extraordinary; we watched the chefs prepare our fine dishes for the rest of the evening.

At the start of dinner, the chef came out and greeted our table. He asked us for any of our likes and dislikes and told us that our seven course meal would be based on this, but that each dish would be a surprise.

The presentation and taste of every dish were outstanding. It would be difficult to choose a favorite course because each dish was authentically prepared and rich with flavor. Our spectacular dining experience started with ahi tuna, which was served with avocado slices and cherry tomatoes; this certainly set the standard for the rest of the evening.

Following the first course, we were given a gourmet black bean soup; this may be one of the most appetizing soups I have ever tasted. Every bite was flavorful and had an essence of cheese in every bite.

I think the black bean risotto with squid on a bed of mushy peas may have been one of my favorite courses. If we weren’t already expecting any more plates, I may have asked for another!

For the fourth course, we enjoyed salmon topped with a creamy, delicious marinade, mushy peas and fresh vegetables. After this, we were given sorbet to help us clear our palates and prepare us for the main entree. Each course was prepared with the perfect amount of portions to satisfy without making you feel stuffed. Further, we could not fault the service we received throughout dinner, it was perfect. The chef came out prior to each course to explain what every dish consisted of and to make sure this was something we would enjoy.

The main course was very impressive; filet mignon with shrimp and every, single bite was tasty and satisfying! For the last course, we enjoyed a collection of sweet desserts with espresso, which was just a perfect way to end the evening.

Although we shared many wonderful memories on our honeymoon, the Chef’s Table dining experience was one of our most favorite evenings in Riviera Maya, Mexico. We’d like to express our most sincerest compliments and gratitude to the D’Italia staff, chef and the resort’s expert sommelier, Paul for an unforgettable evening. We look forward to returning and enjoying it all over again very soon!

Jennifer highlights adults-only resort, El Dorado Royale for our on-site Green House and the My Destinaton Wellness program, which was recently featured in O, The Oprah Magazine. See what she has to say about El Dorado Royale by watching the video below. As always, thank you to Jenn for your ongoing support!

We stayed at El Dorado Seaside Suites four years ago. It’s a resort we truly enjoyed and will always recommend. It was our first adults-only resort and our first time experiencing gourmet inclusive – in other words, all meals are a la carte, no waiting in line at buffets. This is something you must experience once in your life if you are a fan of all-inclusive resorts. But if you are tired of the hustle and bustle of cookie cutter all-inclusive resorts, this place is for you.

One of the unique qualities of this resort are the beach beds. They are lined up across the beach and throughout the resort (by the swim up pool and in the gardens). The beds on the top level give you a lovely panoramic view of the ocean and a refreshing cool breeze. This was a perfect spot for an afternoon nap. We especially appreciated the quietness and laid back atmosphere for the entire resort.

The unique quality that makes this resort stand out from the rest is the gourmet inclusive dining. You will be treated to many a la carte restaurants with a variety of menu options from gourmet snacks to authentic Mexican cuisine to modern inspired Asian dishes but there is also much more…The Vida Garden Grill is a favorite for breakfast and lunch. I’ll never forget the French Toast and Scrambled Eggs with fresh chorizo sausage. It’s great that you can view all the restaurant’s menu online . We do have to mention the great sangria they serve at Los Cotorros.  It was absolutely amazing!

The snorkeling at the resort is great. To the left of the stone wall on the main beach, just a few meters away, you can see small colorful fish feeding in the small reef.  As you swim towards the rocks in the distance, the water gets deeper and bigger fish start to appear. I saw a few amazing ones near the rocks but the water does get choppy depending on what time of the day you go, so swim out there with some caution. We would suggest heading out first thing in the morning when the tide is much calmer. To the right of the stone wall, the ocean floor is covered in sea grass. You can find some  marine life but it is definitely harder to spot them since they are hidden in the vegetation. One day while we were lying on the beach, we saw a stingray playing around in the water. It was one of the best moments of the trip. We would suggest bringing your own snorkel gear. You can get it from the dive shop at the resort but it does have a one hour time limit.  Bringing your own gear lets you enjoy the marine life for hours without having to worry about returning the gear back in time. The resort also did snorkeling tours in the morning if venturing off by yourself isn’t your kind of thing.  Make sure you bring water shoes if you’re not that comfortable in the water so you can stand when you want. Just be wary on where you step at all times and try not to damage the reef.

Our entire experience at El Dorado Seaside Suites is one that we will always look back to because of the tranquility of an adults-only resort, the added touch of gourmet inclusive dining and the entire staff that made our stay memorable. We needed a relaxing and pampering vacation, and it’s what we got.