This year the Coles family decided to celebrate Christmas a bit early! We spent a week in the Mayan Riviera, drinking Planters Punch and sunning ourselves silly. What the trip lacked in ‘Christmas cheer’ (not sure if Mexican Jingle Bells playing in the taxi counts for much), it made up for in quality family time.

On Saturday before we departed mum and I quickly took off for the spa. We spent the entire day getting pampered. We rounded the treatments off with an Au Courant spray tan. Please, never try this. Mum looked great. I, on the other hand, looked like Beyonce.

We left from YVR early on Sunday and arrived in Cancun without a hitch. We hopped in our coach and were promptly shuttled on to the Iberostar Tucan Resort, just South of Playa del Carmen, in a gated community called Playacar. Everyone was tired, but Jake and I had energy left in us for a quick drink. We took off for the disco, Mascara. We left ten minutes later.

The resort was gorgeous - and quite big. They had left a big tract of natural jungle in the middle of the hotel, so it was fun to see all the strange animals (rat pigs? flamingos? peacocks?) that roamed around the joint. The beach was amazing as well, and if we walked an extra few minutes south we were on a very secluded beach, with no developments nearby.

Dad was full of energy and had already scuba dived, snorkeled, sailed, and swam before we had even found a beach chair. There was no shortage of things to do, but Jake and I preferred to sample the fine assortment of tropical drinks and watch 90210 reruns in bed.

We’re already planning on making a tropical Christmas the new Coles family tradition. Christmas was always a very elaborate holiday for our family, so it will be nice to see it evolve and change. I can’t wait to open presents in another hotel lobby bar - now that is rojo caliente.