Playa Del Carmen - Travel Blogs & Travel Guides: 2024

REVIEW: Oh Lala Restaurant, Playa Del Carmen

Planning a trip to Oh Lala Restaurant in Playa Del Carmen? Find out all about my experience in my review of a dinner there.

This fine dining restaurant is currently number 6 on Trip Advisor out of 1200+ restaurants in Playa Del Carmen, so just before I left the area, I just had to find out what all the hype was about.

Firstly, it’s not the kind of restaurant you can just walk into. It’s a small place with only 8 tables, so they operate a reservations only system. However, you don’t need to book months in advance – I booked a table 48 hours in advance, albeit I had to go for the late sitting at 9.30pm.

Oh Lala Restaurant – The Decor

The restaurant decor is sleek and modern, but with some old touches – a vintage telephone sits on a side table, while the chairs and tables are a mix of glass, Perspex, and bright coloured fabrics. A canvas of Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ is displayed on one of the main walls, while a print of Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’ adorns the wall in the toilet.

Oh Lala Restaurant – The Service

Service was exceptional. On arrival we were greeted by a friendly lady who recalled our email exchange and seated us straight away. A knowledgable waiter/chef appeared who discussed the menu in detail and highlighted the specials. He also helped us with the wine list. The menu is full of delicious ingredients – tuna steak, New Zealand lamb, steak, shrimps, scallops and lobster. I found it very hard to choose.

Hotel Live Aqua LAT20 in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico is stylish, contemporary and luxurious.

*Please note, when I visited this hotel was named Hotel Cacao. For ease of reading I have changed the hotel name throughout this post to its new name.*

Hotel Live Aqua LAT20 is the new kid on the block. Stylish, contemporary and luxurious. The majority of the high end hotels in this area are all-inclusive beach resorts, but what if you want the freedom to eat out at a different restaurant every night and be in the centre of the action? This is the perfect place to stay.

Wanderlust Chloe Hotel Cacao Tommy Hilfiger Art

Grand Velas Hotel in the Riviera Maya is one of the most stunning, luxurious places to stay in the region.

I’ve lost track of how many people have recommended Grand Velas to me. I’m often weary of things with a lot of hype… Harry Potter – never liked it, Disneyland – not really my thing. Often expectations are not met!

When I visited Grand Velas it was straight after my stay at Grand Residences – currently the number one place to stay in the area. So how would Grand Velas shape up?

Puerto Morelos, near Cancun in Mexico, is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. Find out all about where to go, how to get there and more!

A few days ago we took the Collectivo (Mexican type of public mini bus) from Playa Del Carmen to Puerto Morelos. 30 minutes and $20 MXN (equivalent of £1) later we arrived at the end of a 3km road leading to the beach. Rather than risking melting in the midday heat, we opted to take a taxi to the seafront.

Wanderlust Chloe Puerto Morelos Lighthouse 2

This is the kind of place you would expect to see on a postcard! It’s so picturesque and has a local charm with fisherman coming and going from the piers all day. On a sunny day, the bright, turquoise sea sparkles and contrasts beautifully against the crisp white buildings. One of the landmarks is the slanted lighthouse which was damaged by Hurricane Beulah in the 1960s. It’s strange but beautiful.

How does it really feel to set off on a solo travel adventure?

“Speak to you soon – I’ll only be 5000 miles away.”

What a strange feeling.

A few weeks ago I left the UK to set off on a three month adventure. I left behind a job in the music industry which I’d found creative and exciting, but often very stressful. I spent one year managing pop artists and the year before working with stars from The X Factor. The day I boarded my flight to Mexico, I felt a million miles away from it all. It was very liberating!

I tucked into scones with jam and cream on my British Airways flight and enjoyed working my way through several films. After almost ten hours flying I was tired but excited, anxiously practising the Spanish I would need to use to buy my bus ticket. So… you can imagine my surprise when I go to collect my luggage in Cancun and bump into The X Factor crew, complete with host Dermot O’Leary and guest judge (and colleague from my days as a radio producer) Emma Bunton! The world I thought I was leaving behind appeared to be following me! Flight cases full of instruments and camera equipment marked ‘X Factor’ and ‘Judges Houses’ circled around the luggage belt. I couldn’t quite believe it! What are the chances?