A decent place and worth the money. No frills but all-inclusive with decent food and friendly, warm staff. Great getaway spot on a budget.
The gardens are full of aquatic plants, orchids, bromeliads, ferns, endemic plants, palm trees, a Japanese garden and so much more. A true tropical paradise if you can stand the heat to be away from a beach for a few hours.
Alux restaurant is one of the nicer restaurants in Playa and really cool because you eat inside a cave so the setting is pretty spectacular and unique. Excellent and interesting dishes, the Mayan Sacrifice (a very good chicken dish) is a favorite.
The sinkhole was a limestone cave during the glacial period, when the level of the sea was much lower. As the ocean rose, the cave filled up with water and eventually collapsed, creating this sinkhole into the ocean floor. It's a super popular diving spot, chock-full of tropical fish and beautiful coral formations.
Bahia de las Aguilas - literally translated to 'Bay of the Eagles' is a virgin beach with crystal clear water. A true paradise on Earth that you'll never want to leave! It's just a 10-minute boat ride and the journey itself is really pretty. Tip: bring everything you might need: cooler, drinks, food, etc. so you can enjoy a whole day at the beach. There's also a restaurant though if you're so inclined.
These caves were formed over 30 million years ago and I haven't been but heard they're absolutely spectacular! Definitely a must.
Waitomo Caves are generally a detour but they aren't actually that far from Auckland (200 km) or a 2.5 hour drive from Waitomo. Hamilton is only an hour away.
There are apparently some back country roads leading to the Caves but the easiest way is to approach them on SH 3, whether from the south or north, and then turn onto SH 37 at Hangatiki (SH 37), between Te Kuiti and Otorohanga. Waitomo is well sign-posted. There are also loads of bus tours if that makes it easier.
This place looks freaking amazing! You can kayak through sea glaciers and ice caves!
People rave about Tacocracy and while their tacos are definitely creative, unique and interesting, I also wasn't blown away. It's a cool space, kind of a dirty, eclectic decoration, hole-in-the-wall type place that you'd go a lot in college. The music was really good. The tacos weren't that great though, they meat was dry and the tortillas were undercooked (disclaimer: I lived in Mexico City for 8 years so when it comes to tacos I'm a harsh critic). I had the duck taco and the Korean BBQ taco, so maybe some of the other choices would be tastier. I'd definitely go back and give it another go.
This is such a cool place! I went to an event here and it was such a cool venue. If you're looking for something a little offbeat and different, I'd definitely go check out the sign museum for a couple of hours. It's super warm and cozy inside, can imagine it being a good spot to visit on a blustery winter day. There's a shop in the front with some cool t-shirts and other gift stuff too.
Central Park is one of the most worthwhile things to explore when you're in NYC. It's absolutely beautiful, the perfect place to go on a picnic with friends, relax with a book, go on a run, whatever you want. I'd definitely avoid the zoo and all the touristy stuff as you'll be charged an arm and a leg for stuff that's not that great. Definitely a must-see.