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Experiences You Should Have Show Notes
Many of the listeners (and readers) of Experiences You Should Have seek out adventure, love nature, and play hard. It’s very important to take time to relax, detox, and when you do, it’s better to give your dollars to an eco-resort that supports a local community. I interviewed David Leventhal, owner of Playa Viva Resort and Regenerative Travel on why you should stay at Playa Viva treehouse and eco-resort in Mexico and what it means to be a regenerative boutique hotel. Listen above to the interview or read on.
What Makes Playa Viva Resort So Special
Playa Viva is immersed in nature. The ocean sits at the edge of the resort, where you may catch glimpses of dolphins jumping and whales breaching. Baby sea turtles nest on its beaches and if you come at the right time you can see them make their way into the ocean. Playa Viva is affecting change in rural areas of Mexico, as they are creating change at a person-to-person level in smaller communities. When you stay at Playa Viva, you become integrated into the community. You get to know the people who are growing the food, preparing the meals and you get to learn about the community on a personal level.
Plus this is a place where you can get back in tune with nature. Feel the sand beneath your toes, meditate as you hear the waves crash, and each healthy food that was sustainably grown. It is more than a hotel as they are committed to social and environmental impact. They grow their own organic food, use bamboo grown there for construction at the hotel, are 100% off the grid solar, and offer farm-to-table food working with the many locals. Plus, they have treehouses! It’s no wonder they were featured on the cover of Travel + Leisure
Day in the Life at Playa Viva Treehouse Resort
Losing time is exactly what Playa Viva is about. Meals are served family-style; you begin to just sit and talk and make new connections with like-minded people. People are encouraged to not make formal plans; get acclimated and schedule once you’ve had the opportunity to detox.
How to Get There?
Recommended to fly into Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa International Airport (ZIH) in Mexico, then it’s a 35-minute drive to the resort. Ground transportation to Playa Viva is included in your stay.
Best Time to go to Playa Viva?
That all depends on what you value. October is 50 shades of green and from October to November, there are thousands of sea turtles released into the ocean, and is quite a spectacle to see. November is a fantastic time to see butterflies. December through March is when you can see whales breaching. The weather is a little cooler in February and March while April and May are warmer. The rainy season is August through September and is generally not the most favorable time to go.
Book a Room (or Treehouse) at Playa Viva Eco Resort
Go online and book a reservation to Play Viva. It is an all-inclusive resort, but note that does not include bar drinks, massages, excursions or COVID test to come back to the U.S. Average cost per person is $150-$330 and is well worth the price.
Welcoming to All
Playa Viva is kid-friendly, pet-friendly, LGBTQ+ friendly, and will happily work with your dietary needs (as 3 meals and snacks are included in your stay daily). As far as accessibility, it is not 100% handicap accessible but is striving to be better. If you need an ADA room, it’s best if you contact the resort ahead of time. They do have handrails on all stairs.
Digital Nomad? No Problem
While Playa Viva does encourage you to unplug, there is wifi with plenty of bandwidth. If you need to check your e-mail or hop on that zoom call you can… but remember to turn off the computer.
Relax, Recharge, Get in Touch with Nature & Have a Drink
The ocean at Playa Viva is a perfect 70 degrees all year. Find great star gazing, bioluminescence, local diving, snorkeling, and enjoy farm-to-table food while you meet the people behind the food. Take a deep breath and if margaritas are your thing, try their Organic Basil Margarita.
Organic Basil Margarita
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place basil leaves in a blender
- Add juice of a lime and tequila to blender
- Blend basil, lime and tequila (without ice)
- Pour blended mixture and ice into a shaker and shake
- Rim a glass with leftover lime and dip rim of glass into salt (Sal Viva)
- Pour shaken mixture into a glass for the perfect Playa Viva Organic Basil Margarita
Travel Sustainably and Plan Your Trip to Playa Viva
Regenerative travel is a paradigm shift; if you think it might be right for you, go visit. You’ll start to think about taking your holidays in different ways, and hopefully encourage other people to do the same.