I Went on UNREALISTIC Pinterest Vacations
Summary
TLDRIn this travelogue, the narrator recounts their journey through Mexico, visiting picturesque locations they've seen on Pinterest. From the pink salt flats to the bioluminescent beaches, they explore whether these spots live up to their online allure. They encounter unexpected challenges, like sneaking past security for drone shots and dealing with locked car keys in the jungle. Despite the hiccups, they find beauty and authenticity in their experiences, from the hidden cenotes to the luxurious treehouse stays. The narrative is a testament to the joy of discovery and the reality of travel beyond the curated online images.
Takeaways
- πΈ The Pink Beach exceeded expectations, with its pink hue attributed to salt harvesting operations attracting plankton and brine shrimp.
- π Despite the picturesque Pink Beach, drone flying was restricted, leading to a sneaky attempt to capture aerial footage.
- π The journey to the Pink Beach involved a long drive through the jungle and a costly entrance fee.
- π The bioluminescent beach at Hbox Island did not live up to the Pinterest advertisements, resulting in an unrealistic experience.
- π³οΈ A visit to a cenote was missed due to being two minutes late, leaving the experience's realism unconfirmed.
- π‘ The glass dome Airbnb provided a unique glamping experience, despite initial concerns about its appearance.
- π An embarrassing incident with a locked car led to a humorous 'Walk of Shame' for assistance.
- π³ Discovering a hidden cenote provided a magical, less touristy experience compared to the more famous ones.
- πΏ The Tulum sculpture was a realistic experience, but the process of taking a photo involved waiting in a long line.
- π¨ The $2,000 a night treehouse at Azulik resort was a Pinterest-worthy experience, with eco-friendly features and a unique setting.
- π½ The cave restaurant in downtown Padel Carmen was a surprising and enjoyable dining experience, contrary to initial doubts.
Q & A
What is the Pink Beach and why is the water pink?
-The Pink Beach is a location where the water appears pink due to a large operation that scrapes salt from the area. The salty seawater attracts plankton and brine shrimp, which are responsible for the pink coloration.
How much does it cost to see the pink water at the Pink Beach?
-The entrance fee to see the pink water at the Pink Beach is 350 pesos.
Why were the travelers unable to use a drone at the Pink Beach?
-They were not allowed to fly a drone while walking across the Sand Bar due to the presence of security at every entrance of the Pink Beach.
What was the travelers' experience with the bioluminescent water at Hbox Island?
-The travelers found the bioluminescent water at Hbox Island to be unrealistic compared to the advertisements. The cameras did not pick up the bioluminescence as expected, but they could see it slightly in real life.
Why were the travelers unable to visit the cenote they had seen on their Pinterest board?
-They arrived 2 minutes late, and the cenote did not allow entry after 4:00 PM, so they were not able to experience it and determine if it was realistic or not.
What was the travelers' experience with the glass dome Airbnb?
-The glass dome Airbnb was a positive experience. They found it magical, with solar power, an outdoor shower, and a comfortable bed. They had a minor issue with locking their keys in the car, but the hosts helped them resolve it.
What was the travelers' impression of the Tulum sculpture?
-The Tulum sculpture was realistic as seen on social media. However, they had to wait in a line of 54 people to take a photo with it, and the experience felt rushed due to the one-minute time limit.
What were the rumors about the $2,000 a night treehouse at Azulik resort?
-The rumors included that the treehouse did not have air conditioning, had no lights or power, and had communal restrooms. However, the travelers found that the treehouse did have air conditioning, power outlets, and private restrooms.
What was the travelers' experience with the cave restaurant in downtown Padel Carmen?
-The cave restaurant exceeded their expectations. It was a literal cave with cool vibes, and the food was impressive both in presentation and taste. However, it was hot and humid, and they had to deal with bats flying by during the meal.
What was the cost to reserve a table at the 'Nests' in the Azulik resort?
-The cost to reserve a table at the 'Nests' for breakfast was $300, not including the cost of food and drinks.
What was the travelers' experience with the 4D 360 dining experience in Cancun?
-The 4D 360 dining experience was a nine-course meal themed around Mayan culture, with changing backdrops and live performances. It cost $150 per person and lasted over two hours. The travelers were entertained but still a bit hungry afterward.
Outlines
ποΈ Visiting the Pink Beach
The narrator describes their visit to a Pink Beach, a place they've seen on Pinterest for years. They drove through the jungle and paid an entrance fee to see the pink water, which is a result of a salt operation attracting plankton and brine shrimp. Despite not being able to fly a drone due to restrictions, they managed to take cool photos. The experience exceeded their expectations, and they also encountered hundreds of Pink Flamingos.
π΄ Glamping in a Treehouse
The narrator shares their experience of staying in a treehouse, which they found on Airbnb. They were initially worried due to the lack of interior photos but were pleasantly surprised by the amenities and the solar power. They had a minor issue with their car locking the keys inside, but the Airbnb hosts helped them resolve it. The narrator describes the treehouse as magical and gives it a 10 out of 10 rating.
πΏ Exploring Tulum Sculpture and Luxury Treehouse
The narrator visits the Tulum sculpture, which they've seen on social media, and finds it as serene as it appears in photos. They then check into a luxury treehouse, which they had doubts about due to rumors of lack of amenities. However, they find the treehouse to be well-equipped with AC, power, and even Wi-Fi. The narrator enjoys the unique experience of staying in a treehouse with a view of the ocean and describes it as Pinterest in real life.
π½ Dining in a Cave Restaurant
The narrator describes their visit to a cave restaurant in downtown Playa del Carmen, which exceeded their expectations. They enjoyed a unique dining experience with a 35 oz gold-covered steak and other dishes, despite the hot and humid conditions. The narrator also mentions the Azulik resort's restaurant, where they had breakfast in a unique setting called 'the nests' for a high price, questioning its worth.
π¨ Artistic and Cultural Experiences
The narrator reflects on their various experiences, from visiting the Tulum sculpture and luxury treehouses to dining in a cave restaurant. They conclude that the true enjoyment comes from living in the moment and experiencing the culture, rather than just capturing the perfect picture for social media. They also mention a 4D 360 dining experience at the Fiesta Americana Hotel, which was entertaining but left them slightly hungry, questioning its value for the price.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Pink Beach
π‘Bioluminescent Water
π‘Cenote
π‘Glamping
π‘Tulum Sculpture
π‘Cave Restaurant
π‘360 Dining Experience
π‘Reality vs. Expectations
π‘Nature and Culture
π‘Tourist Traps
Highlights
The narrator visits a pink beach, which turns out to be a salt operation that attracts pink plankton and brine shrimp.
Despite not being able to fly a drone, the narrator manages to take cool photos at the pink beach.
The narrator explores a bioluminescent beach, which does not live up to the Pinterest advertisements.
A cenote visit is missed due to being two minutes late, leaving the experience's reality unknown.
The narrator stays in a glass dome Airbnb, which is a solar-powered, magical experience.
The narrator gets locked out of their car and has to ring an emergency bell for assistance.
The narrator discovers a hidden cenote, which provides a more authentic experience than the touristy ones.
The Tulum sculpture, a popular Pinterest spot, is visited and found to be realistic.
The narrator stays in a $2,000 a night treehouse, which is a unique and luxurious experience.
The narrator visits a cave restaurant, which is a literal cave with an impressive dining experience.
The narrator experiences a 4D 360 dining experience at the Fiesta Americana Hotel in Cancun.
The narrator reflects on the value of social media pictures versus the actual experience of living in the moment.
The narrator encounters a unique restaurant with tables called 'the nests' that cost $300 to reserve.
The narrator visits the Azulik Museum to find the perfect Pinterest spots, which are not at the resort but in the museum next door.
The narrator pays $10,000 to run across a sandbar for a photo opportunity, which is ultimately not taken.
The narrator's feet get covered in mud while trying to cross a canal to get a cool shot.
The narrator's car locks the keys inside, leading to an embarrassing walk of shame to ring the emergency bell.
The narrator finds the glass dome Airbnb to be a 10 out of 10 experience, despite the initial hiccups.
Transcripts
this is a pink Beach I have been seeing
pictures of this beach all over my
Pinterest feed for years and it's right
around the corner supposedly we drove
hours through the jungle to get to this
place so at this point I am really
hoping that we didn't get duped by these
photos we made it to the parking lot and
I see pink
350 pesos to go see the pink water
before we walk up to the water there's
this big tower that overlooks all of the
Lakes guys it's actually pink we're
going to go down there and try to
recreate the iconic picture okay so far
this is exceeding expectations and
there's even hundreds of Pink Flamingos
they're kind of far away why is this
water pink you may ask this entire area
is actually just a big operation to
scrape salt and then sell it so they
fill up these lakes with the Salty Sea
water which attracts Plankton and brine
shrimp and they are what turned the
water pink okay we got some pretty cool
photos at this spot but unfortunately we
haven't been able to to get these shot
because you're not allowed to fly a
drone while walking across the Sand Bar
but our guide says he knows a spot we
have one point where you can f you can
take aot feature so we got into our car
and followed our guide down the road
there is actually security posted at
every entrance of this place but he said
that if we're super sneaky and fast and
take our drone off from the other side
of the road we should be able to get
some cool shots without getting in
trouble
and look at this video this doesn't even
look real So the plan was to have me
like run across the road and hurry and
run out there to get the shot uh to do
that you need pay a l okay how much do
you have to pay to do that
$10,000 us doar yeah $10,000 yes also
you have access to ENT into the water he
had another plan though he drove us over
to another section and he said you have
10 minutes if some people comes you need
say h sorry I don't speak Spanish and
then he just left so there we went under
the fence sprinting to the beach and we
get to this little Canal which for some
reason I thought would be easy to
cross I uh well it's literally like
quick sand there's no way across this
thing I should be over there so we
debated did running all the way down to
the end to try to get across but we're
running out of time so we still got some
pretty cool shots though at this spot
with my poor feet covered in mud caption
for this pin coolest shot I could get
without spending $10,000 so is the pink
Beach realistic or unrealistic
surprisingly very realistic we have 10
more Pinterest vacation locations that
we're going to be visiting will these
experiences be Pinterest Paradise or are
they just a tourist trap next we are
headed to a place called hbox Island
if you watch my videos you know that it
has been a dream of mine to see
bioluminescent water one time I tried to
order an orb of it online and it didn't
go very well but I think today the day
and we literally took plane car boat ATV
to get here so we're at the fairy ticket
booth and I'm seeing advertisements
everywhere for this bioluminescent water
and look at this particular
advertisement that is literally the
Pinterest picture so it's looking good
this little Island is so cool the roads
are all dirt most of them are covered in
these giant mud puddles so the way that
everybody gets around are ATVs and side
by sides kind of side we didn't try
walking
guys this feels like a Disneyland ride
but real
life here we are okay we made it to a
parking lot and like eight other ATVs
full of people rolled up which honestly
I'm taking that as a good sign all right
we're headed to the
beach guys you're never going to believe
me cuz the cameras are not picking it up
but you can actually see it a little bit
in real life is it like the pin not
really you're even just walking like you
can see it my okay caption for this pin
maybe the bioluminesence is the friends
we made along the
way so bioluminescent Beach unrealistic
or realistic I'm going to go
unrealistic it's not exactly what the
advertisements uh promised so it's time
to get back on the ATV back onto the
ferry back into the car and had a few
hour Through the Jungle to our next
location I have been seeing this Cenote
on my Pinterest board for years this one
in particular is huge and there's this
cool like cement walkway that takes you
out to the middle of it and you can take
the coolest pictures soyon I think is
how you pronounce it we roll up at 4:02
and the guy says sorry we don't let
anybody in after 4: we are 2 minutes
late realistic or unrealistic we'll
never know so I guess we're heading to
our next vacation I have always seen
these like glass Dome airbnbs all over
my Pinterest and they're usually
advertised as this like fancy luxury
glamping experience where you can really
immerse yourself in nature we found this
one on Airbnb I am worried because
there's not really pictures of the
inside other than this one uh so far
there's a couple of weird things about
it I was scared this treehouse is in the
middle of the Jungle so the Airbnb host
told us to meet at the end of a road
there's no service or anything and then
she would guide us up in our car to the
Treehouse so the photo that she sent us
to meet at was of this cute little white
Hut and there's like a road sign this is
what we found when we pulled up it's
literally burned down the graffiti on
the sign now I wasn't sure what type of
tree house we were rolling up
to Welcome to my tree house come in for
the tour this place is adorable here's
our little bathroom area with a a sink
and fresh water and everything we need
honestly we have a little toilet behind
the curtain here and then I love this
little area over here by the glass part
we have a hammock and then here's the
bed this bed is actually huge I think it
might be a king-size bed this place is
solar powered so there are like lights
and stuff in here there's an outdoor
shower right now it's clearly night time
so in the morning I'll give you guys a
tour of the outside cuz that's really
cool too we're going to go
glamping I have never been so ready for
bed in my entire life so after I gave
you that nice little tour of our Dome we
went down to get our luggage out of the
car and we realized we locked the keys
in the car actually the car locked the
keys in itself the car locked itself
dumb feature yeah so I think I think the
best way is to like break a window open
we really thought we were going to have
to break the car window to get the keys
out it's not easy to break a window no
it's not Mark robber tell you all about
it so since we're in the middle of the
Jungle with no phone service our Airbnb
host told us that there is an emergency
Bell that we can ring if anything goes
wrong so we had to do the Walk of Shame
up the Treehouse like this is like the
bell of
Shame the most embarrassing thing I've
ever done in my life but the Airbnb
hosts were so nice and they gave us the
tools necessary for Tyler to get the
door unlocked keep going that's all I'm
going to say oh ho yeah you did this is
not a tutorial now I'm going to read my
book and go to bed and in the morning
I'm going to show you the outside of the
Treehouse cuz it's really cool and
hopefully some monkeys good morning I
honestly slept amazing in that thing as
promised a tour of the outside of our
little Treehouse here so you walk up the
stairs and in through this little gate
and here is our Dome okay and then if
you come around here there's this big
balcony that wraps all the way around it
we've got a nice little hammock and
there's a little sitting area with some
lights and then over on this side is the
outdoor shower I pulled up our little
breakfast basket this morning it was
amazing we paid
$115 to stay the night in this Dome and
so far that's feeling like a pretty
decent deal especially considering later
in the video we are staying in a $2,000
night treeh house caption for this pin
Dome glamping in the jungle it's as
magical as it looks glamping Treehouse
Dome honestly a 10 out of 10 experience
for me I also found this little binder
of nearby attractions and what do you
know there are beautiful so Cotes one
might even say Pinterest worthy cenotes
okay so we were just walking through the
jungle not even very far and we stumbled
upon and there's nobody here it's like
kind of freaky cuz most of these places
are so touristy it's like too quiet look
how blue the water
is no
way what how are we just here right now
by ourselves this is called the Chen H
note and it is open to to the public but
we just happened to get there early
enough in the morning that no other
tourists were there and it made for the
most magical experience and this spot in
the back where the natural light is
coming down is so cool this is so cool
there are also spots in the Cote that
goes so deep that you can't see the
bottom which is kind of spooky I'm kind
of glad that the other Cenote the more
touristy one didn't work out because
honestly I think this one is way
[Music]
cooler caption for this pin find the
hidden cenotes the super touristy ones
are overrated so realistic or
unrealistic honestly way realistic and
next we are headed to tou Mexico for
years I've been seeing this statue all
over my social media feeds I think
everybody just calls it the Tulum
sculpture it's by artist Daniel popper
so we're going to go see if it looks
like this in real life this statue looks
like it's just in the middle of the
Jungle but I don't think that's true cuz
right now we're in downtown Tulum like
everything here in the touristy sections
of Mexico you do have to pay to see the
statue $4 each I had a a quick outfit
change I thought this would be more
appropriate for our statue picture and
here is the line to get a picture with
this statue it looks so Serene in the
pictures you also have a one minute
limit to take pictures so they can move
this line along faster all right it's
our turn after waiting in line for 27
minutes which isn't actually bad for how
many people it was here we go the other
week weird thing about this experience
is while you're taking your photos the
other 50 people in line are just glaring
at you the whole time one minute
honestly felt like an eternity but I
think we got the shot caption for this
pin had to wait in a line of 54 people
to take this photo so statue realistic
or unrealistic realistic is okay now
it's time to head down the street to the
azulik resort aka the
$2,000 a night Treehouse it actually
ranges from $11,000 a night to $10,000 a
night tonight but I'm not trying to
spend that much so this has been a
bucket list location for Tyler and I for
years I first found it on Pinterest I
saw these pictures and I honestly didn't
think it was a real location there's
also some like interesting rumors and
reviews floating around in this place
like that it doesn't have AC that
there's no lights no power and that the
restrooms are communal which is all fine
for $2,000 a night we're about to find
out if those rumors are true Welcome to
our $2,000 a night treeh house as you
can see we do have a cute little
bathroom it's giving me like Shrek's out
house Vibes for some reason so there's
the first myth about this place to cross
off of our list second one as you can
probably hear we do have AC and it is
blasting look at our bed this is so cool
here's our little sink area oh my gosh I
love all of the handles for everything
or these little shells and then I was
hoping for one bathtub but we have two
so this is our first bathtub with a
swing in it okay turns out this is not a
tub it's just a shower but this is so
cool and then outside is probably the
best part of this room we got two giant
doors that open up two swings we can
both swing at the same time and then
right below me we have tub number two we
need to fill this thing up this is
honestly more like a small pool than it
is a tub and then of course this amazing
view I have never stayed somewhere like
this in my entire life I've stayed at
hotels where you have like a view of the
ocean but this is like on the water
literally floating over the water if you
are a girly that doesn't love being in
the ocean but you love to experience the
ocean this place is for you when I got
in here I got a mouthful of this water
and I realized it's ocean water so
they're literally just pumping water in
from the ocean and then back out when
you're done with it which is really
eco-friendly actually I also realized
while showering and brushing my teeth
all of the water in the room is salt
water and from what I've read most of
the tap water into Loom is that way the
other thing that we heard about this
place is that there's no power but then
our concierge brought us into the room
and we actually have two outlets by the
bed and then a switch that turns on the
main light in the room it doesn't give
off a ton of light but there's
definitely power in the room there's
also Wi-Fi in the room I will say the
fact that all of these windows behind
the bed and on the door here don't close
I already have anxiety when like
housekeeping comes knocking at the door
now they can just seeing we've got
that caption for this pin it is
literally Pinterest in real life so
realistic or unrealistic I'm going to
say realistic but you pay the price like
was it 20 times better than the jungle
treehouse you let me know in the
comments next we are heading to our
first food experience so at this point
as you might expect my Pinterest feed is
just down a deep Rabbit Hole of unique
Mexico vacation experiences and this pin
caught my eye it's a restaurant in a
cave there's only a few pictures but it
looks like a real cave so we made a
reservation we plugged the address into
Google Maps and headed to we're here the
middle of downtown padel Carmen it is
this place right there what this a fake
cave okay here we are at the cave
restaurant this is not what I was
expecting I thought it was going to be
like in the jungle somewhere as you can
hear and see it is not in the
jungle car alarm going off okay here we
go so at this point I'm fully thinking
we got duped but as we walked in oh
okay thank you way
please oh all right I'm pleasantly
surprised already and we're going down
actually oh my go no way it's a literal
cave oh my gosh I can't believe somebody
just like stumbled upon this and they
were like hey let's put a restaurant in
here we're not even in the actual
restaurant yet and I'm losing my mind
cool Vibes really cool Vibes I mean
already I feel like the Pinterest
pictures don't do this place Justice for
how cool it is so the actual restaurant
part of the cave spans about two blocks
underneath the city this place just
keeps
going but the rest of the cave is 10 km
[Music]
deep dang all right I had my doubts but
we're here and it's pretty realistic we
have no prices on the menu so it's that
kind of restaurant oh my gosh the golden
steak 35 oz steak covered in 24 karat
gold we're getting it the presentation
of this thing was impressive like this
is a literal work of
art really tast the gold no I also got
the most beautiful beet salad for dinner
we ordered some bread that came with
butter and crickets he my first ever bug
the crickets were surprisingly good but
the dessert we ordered this Banana's
Foster and a pavlova that they made
right next to our table and it was one