Come to Jamaica with us! The Ducklings are going to Jamaica the last week in January 2023! Sue & Will will be teaching a non-monogamy class every morning for 40 minutes before we hit the beach, do naked yoga, snorkel, head out on booze cruises, drink pina coladas, dance on the beach & so many more fun activities on one of the top 10 best beaches in the world.
You get the best instruction, a group that has your back, beach picnics, hot tub parties (in the safest way & at your speed) at the top lifestyle resort in the world.
Singles & couples welcome with so many extras you will have literally the best week of your life.
If you are new in the lifestyle or are just dipping a toe then get the class from North America’s leading Sex Therapist at a class in paradise. Hedonism Jamaica Negril.
What great news – we can travel again!!! Lookout Mexico… Here we come!!! But before we hop on that six-hour flight to fun in the sun, there’s a few things we should consider and health and safety is number one, so lets talk about…
WHY YOU SOULD WEAR COMPRESSION SOCKS ON YOUR NEXT FLIGHT.
We all know how being cramped up on a long flight can cause ankles to swell and legs to ache. This is due to poor circulation from sitting in one position for long periods of time, preventing blood from flowing the way it should. Fortunately, compression socks offer a safe, simple, and inexpensive way to keep blood from stagnating.
These are specially made, snug-fitting socks that gently squeeze your legs, and help your veins and leg muscles move blood more efficiently. Graduated compression socks apply more pressure at the ankles and less pressure further up the leg which helps to fight swelling and discomfort.
Compression socks aren’t just for travelling though. Marathon runners, athletes, hikers, and anyone who spends a lot of time on their feet can benefit from increased circulation. Better blood flow increases the oxygen being delivered to muscles, helping them to recover quickly which reduces soreness and cramping.
In addition to the health and wellness benefits, companies such as Sockwell are now producing compression socks in a variety of colours and patterns adding flair and style while putting the spring back in your step. Check out the full line of Sockwell socks at Adventure Clothing, where Ducklings get a 20% discount by entering the discount code DUCK20 when going through the website checkout.
I stayed at Temptation Cancun for a few nights on a media tour back in 2012. At that time it had a “spring break” feel with loads of young 20 somethings headed into the big nightclubs like Coco Bongo’s or drinking at the swim up bar until they had to be helped out of the pool.
It was loud, and everyone was there to drink as much as they could guzzle. I was only one of three topless women out on the beach. I remember rolling my eyes when someone asked to take my half naked, post-pregnancy picture. Compared to the service, grace and elegance of their sister resort Desire Riviera, Maya Temptations seemed very shabby in comparison.
Not anymore.
In the last decade Temptations has grown up. Temptation Resort Cancun now rivals the 60 year old Hedonism Jamaica as the top party resort in the Caribbean. Fully renovated since I was there in 2012, Temptations has undergone a transformation. Located right in downtown Cancun, a short 10 minute beach walk from the high speed ferry stop to Isla Morales and beside the marina that runs the all-day boobs cruises.
Temptations Resort feels bright, fun, colorful, sexy, vibrant. And big. Boasting 430 rooms at double occupancy along with a 3 to 1 ratio of staff to guests means that there are over 1000 people at any given time. During their Saturday afternoon foam pool party, I ballparked that there were close to 650 people dancing in the pool.
If you want a non-stop party, then Temptations is the resort for you. The week they were there the resort ran a party from dusk to dawn with huge crowds that managed to stay up all night. Giant Mexican puppets danced with revelers, along with fire dancers & acrobatic shows every night.
We often met a number of partiers heading to bed as we sipped our coffee on the beach at 8 am. In truth the only time the main Temptations sexy pool is quiet is between 6 and 10 am. The activity staff are fun, and good humored (great at engaging sunburnt tourists in sexy drinking games), and they offered lively and fun afternoon and evening games.
There is a quiet pool near the beach for downtime. Juan the fantastic bartender made what I called a “fruit smoothie” (banana daiquiri with petito rum). The best I’ve ever had, each served with a smile. Besides the unlimited drinks, the food was an absolute highlight. There was variety, amazing service and we didn’t have a bad meal. We tried all the restaurants – each with their own flavor & style. I felt a bit like a stuffed goose in that there was so much great offerings that you wanted to try it all.
You can escape the party atmosphere for a while if you need to. The resort was comfortable, elegant and spotless. One of the Canadian’s I was travelling with said “that she had never been to a cleaner resort”. Staff were working constantly keeping the resort pristine.
My big complaint was the quiet pool wasn’t heated (unlike the main pool) to the point where it was too cold for a Canadian to even dip a toe.
Original resorts – the ownership group of Temptations and Desire are trying hard to keep their market share in the adult only resort destination. The entire resort is topless. Unlike 10 years ago the majority of the women there were topless.
Their new properties in the Dominican Republic opening in 2022 are going to be fully nude. They are also going to be even more sex positive with lifestyle playrooms on site. The new Temptations cruise that sails Valentine’s week 2022 will also have fully nude areas and designed fantasy playrooms.
Temptations while staying on this side of the line is known to have lots of swingers in attendance. Temptations Resort calls itself “Lifestyle friendly”. It means that you can be very sexy up to the line of overt sexuality. Hook ups are happening all around you but are taken out of the public domain.
Let me emphasize, it’s a sexy atmosphere. Club theme nights included lingerie, schoolgirl, naughty nurse/emergency etc. Little was left to the imagination. You needed an extra suitcase for all the dinner and club outfits. Even if you are in a monogamous relationship the sensuous environment is palatable.
If the resort has some challenges it’s in it’s ineffective reservation booking system for dinner and the very much two classes of guests between regular guests and Premier (or timeshare) members. Different access, the haves and the have nots were very evidently differentiated in seating, lounge chairs, extra perks (including the exclusive Sky Lounge). If you weren’t a Premier member count on the sales pitch every time you hit the lobby. We had a number of our group buy Premier memberships and we also had two members complain to the managers about how pushy the time share salespeople were.
We visited in November 2021. The feel was very much that the pandemic was a thing of the past. It was interesting to hear from the staff that they were feeling back to normal after almost two years of few travelers due to Covid. Mexico doesn’t require a negative test to enter nor does it require guests to be vaccinated. Nobody checked our Covid ap when we arrived and proof of vaccinations wasn’t required by the resort.
We chose to manage the Covid risk ourselves. We stayed with fellow Canadians for the week (unlike the Americans we all had to show proof of vaccination to fly) and the entire staff wore masks and had been fully vaccinated. If you are immunocompromised or concerned about catching Covid then the huge foam parties are not for you.
We found outside spaces to eat, quiet areas where you can watch the party from a safe distance that were easy to find. The resort was wiped down continuously. We arranged for a PCR test to come to the resort 72 hours before we flew at a negotiated cost of $90 USD per person. We had the results in 12 hours. There is also an antigen testing building a short walk from the resort. It felt safe being outside and our comfort level had us passing on the nighttime entertainment the few nights when rain moved everyone inside.
It will be interesting to watch how Temptations walks the line between flirty and sex and appeals to that huge middle group of people looking for a sensuous – but safe- adventure that spices up their relationship without leaving a bad taste in your mouth.
Unlike many of the other ‘lifestyle” resorts, Temptations allows singles. If you were looking for a clothing optional paradise with like-minded people for an escape and consider yourself a party person then Temptations Cancun is a great resort to try.
There is much to be said about vacations that don’t have unsupervised children splashing and spoiling an afternoon at the poolside. Maybe Temptations will be the half way point and a stronger choice in adult only vacation than a Sandals or Breezes resort because it offers a gateway to an open-minded culture of sensuality without crossing a line.
List of safe dates you can try during the pandemic.
As it gets colder it is definitely harder. There are a few drive-in (check out Wesley Clover) or you can make your own with friends by projecting movies to the side of buildings. The great zoo (Saunder’s Little Critters) is closing for the season but Parc Omega in Montebello is open. I strongly recommend the Bistro in Montebello for a safe (and excellent) lunch ahead of time.
Walks in the amazing Perth park off mainstreet with cute restaurants and my favourite the new chocolate and coffee store.
Bundle up and go to Blakeney on the Mississippi a few minutes west of Almonte. It was my High School make out spot and a sheltered, nature spot and small Provincial park.
Walks along the Fletcher Wildlife Centre on Prince of Wales. I would get mugs of coffee and walk the less travelled side of the arboretum. It’s easy and free to park there.
More expensive dates on Elgin Street includes the back patio of the Whalebone, or Al’s Steak House which has plasticized, outside areas with heaters.
Mountain Orchards in Kemptville can let you apple pick on a nice day and offers food, donuts, and lots of fun mazes to try.
Le Nordik is still open. Smaller crowds and it changes based on what’s going on in Quebec but a fun way to spend a day.
Speaking of mazes, Saunders Farm in Munster is still open to buy pumpkins and walk the mazes before the snow flies.
And if you are feeling Christmasy, go for a fun day at the Christmas season at the Log Cabin Orchard. They will have fresh cut trees for you to take home, churros, Apple butter, Apple pies, Christmas decorations, a bon fire…and more.
Then there was the trip to Brockville to walk the train tunnel and get (arguably) some of best fish and chips anywhere at Don’s Fish & Chips right near the waterfront.
And then there are the Try a recipe together. Or make complementary dishes and do porch drop offs.
Or if you have another couple in your bubble it is time to go back to our parent’s house parties where they played games like scrabble, Probe or maybe Cards Against Humanity?
Soon the Christmas lights will be on downtown and you can walk and warm up in different stores with your fetching masks.
Send her a note if you want details about upcoming trips. catlover613@gmail.com
