A pool swirls around outside my balcony. The waves of the Pacific rock me to sleep at night. Unlimited food, towels and sun seem to be the motto at all inclusive resorts. Not that I’m complaining about these perks, but I keep having this sensation I am somewhat trapped here.
I look around the pool at my all-inclusive resort in Ixtapa, Mexico. The crowd is mostly English speaking, but a few Mexican tourists seem to have come here for a winter break. I can hardly believe it’s winter here as I load up on my SPF 70 sunscreen. Older couples and families make up this crowd. Toss in a few honeymooners and you have the all-inclusive resort picture. They would never have to leave the resort. Everything is here.
While I would normally be quick to criticize all-inclusive resorts, I cannot make judgments. It is not uncommon in the travel world to hear travelers groan about these places, saying that the package tours are not traveling. They may not be the travel experiences most of us look for, but for some people it is all the traveling they are comfortable with in life.
I am all about stepping outside your comfort zone when you travel. Try new foods. Go where you haven’t been. Talk to a stranger. However, some people can’t. Most in America get two weeks of vacation and would just like to relax and not step outside comfort zones. The all-inclusive resort is perfect for them.
When you work all day and possibly night, you just want to relax on your free time. If that means lying by the pool with book in hand for a week, so be it. I am in no position to judge these people. While I may find the all-inclusive resort a bit suffocating, somewhat bland and boring, I recognize my travel style is just different.
Even though I am at this resort, I think you can make the most of the experience. I just swam for an hour. Was it relaxing and refreshing? Sure. A simple walk down the beach is in itself an experience. With parasailing and waves knocking down grown men, it is a time to clear one’s head and appreciate the coolness of water after walking across hot sand.
You watch as people order fruity drinks and just soak it all in. It is an experience for them, one of reward and luxury. As the sun stings my skin, I am grateful to be near a pool complete with underwater tunnels. I may not be having a rich cultural experience on the resort’s grounds, but for moments, I am fine with that. Travel doesn’t have to be crammed with stepping outside your comfort zone and going off to a jungle somewhere with just your backpack. Sometimes it is just the act of getting away, of placing your mind in a new setting, that can lend you the perspective you were looking for on the trip. Travel how you will and leave the all-inclusive resort goers alone. Perhaps one day they will want to do something different, but in the mean time, cocktails and buffets are calling.
What do you think of all-inclusive resorts and the people that stay at them? Is it traveling?
Kind of sounds like a cruise, which I’ve been on once and just loved. It’s good to mix up your travel experiences – solo travel, travel with friends, remote locations and all-inclusive resorts. We can learn from and have a good time with all the experiences.
You’re absolutely right–there is not ‘right’ way to travel. I think an all-inclusive resort would be fun for a couple of days, but then the novelty of everything in one place would wear off and I would want to get out and get an authentic taste of the culture.
I am of the strong belief that it is absolutely 100% okay to stay at an all-inclusive resort. There is no question in my mind that that is traveling. It’s not everyone’s idea of the ideal travel situation, but it is traveling nonetheless.
I debated the pros and cons of all-inclusives last year in this piece: http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/10-02/pros-cons-of-all-inclusive-trips-for-independent-travelers.html
I’ve been there and done that (and it was all paid for by in-laws, which was super nice)… it was nice, but can’t help but feeling that we could’ve done something very similar closer to home and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
Well, it does require some effort to go to that all-inclusive resort (especially if it’s in another country–as we all know, not all Americans have passports) instead of just staying at home on your vacation, so yeah, I’d say that’s traveling. It may not be for everyone, but it’s travel. Baby steps.
I think it’s fine to pamper yourself occasionally but it makes me sad when vacations are ONLY pools, cocktails and beaches that could be anywhere. If you can’t or don’t want to back pack at least do something interesting- go for a hike, go parasailing, something you can’t do near home. Traveling should be both fun and new, with a bit of relaxation mixed in.
I’ve never been to an all inclusive resort but I have to say I’ve always wanted to! I went on a couple cruises when I was younger and I got used to those mighty fast. In my mind, I imagine it is similar.
We just finished two weeks of exhausting low budget travel through Bolivia and the whole time kept saying how nice it would be to be at an all-inclusive resort. I’ve been to 4 all-inclusives and would go back again in a heartbeat. It really just depends on what you’re looking for in your travels. Obviously you aren’t going to find an authentic cultural experience or pristine nature at a resort, but I think they have their place. It’s like a dream not worrying about money, or where you’re going to eat, or how you’re getting home for a week. Travelers might be limiting themselves by ONLY going on trips like this, but if your goal is to take a break after a stressful time or relax and enjoy the company of your partner or family, and have a worry-free trip, I think all-inclusives (and similarly, cruises) are perfect!
While it’s not my type of travel, as you say I can see the benefits for specific types of vacationers. When most Americans get such little time off each year, it’s hard for many to rationalize a trip filled with unknown and potential stress.
True, travel styles are completely different for everyone. I know many of my friends and family are possibly horrified by some facets of my travels. I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with all-inclusives. What I have a problem with is when people come back from them claiming to know all about that country, or saying how scary it was right outside the resort, that they got the real flavor of that location, and so on and so on. These types of resorts are meant to shield the guest from any possible unsavory aspect of the country in which it is located, and so let’s just claim the trip for what it is. A cushy trip in which lots of pampering and relaxation was within arms reach at any time! If that’s what the traveler was after, then bingo! If that is not what you want though, then don’t go there. I do agree with Laura above though-they can be nice at the end of a low budget extravaganza!