Resorts, Travel, and Remote Location Vacations with Food Allergy

My husband and I prefer travel over tourism; that is to say, we like to experience the city we’re in in as authentic a way as possible, as opposed to seeing the popular attractions or just the resort and then leaving. There seems to be a common misconception within the food allergy community that travel is too much of a risk, or that one must only stay on a resort or go to Disney World because those are safe places. But there is so much out there to see and learn, and the more you allow yourself to practice travel, the more comfortable you will get. Everything just has to be done in your own way, like all other aspects of living with food allergy. Travel is a calculated risk, and requires some detailed planning and considerations. Because I received so many questions specific to resort travel on Instagram, I’ll go into detail about that in this post.

PREPARATION FOR RESORT TRAVEL

When planning a resort vacation, the food preparation starts at home. I strategically plan out what I will eat for each meal every day, and what I can pack into my carry on and suitcase. When travelling to Mexico (Mayan Riviera) I tend to bring a lot, as there is little access to allergy-friendly brands. I generally fill an entire carry-on sized suitcase, plus a few things in my checked bag.

I pack:

• Staples such as rice, olive oil, salt and spices, flour, oatmeal, bread, tuna, tea, coffee, and tons of snacks

• Several plastic baggies, cutlery, empty plastic containers, a thermos mug (this is crucial!), a plastic takeaway bowl, and a lunch thermos

• Travel kettle

• 2 small sponges and a little bottle of dish soap

When we landed in Cancun, we rented a car and drove to Costco, which is nearly exactly the same as at home except that it was way tidier and cleaner than any Canadian or American Costco I have been to. It’s a bit of a luxury in Mexico compared to the local stores and chains. We were buying enough meat for myself and my niece and nephew who also have food allergy. We planned out how much we would need per day, then bought to fulfill that requirement. We also picked up a big bag of baby carrots, bell peppers, blueberries, lettuce, and other fruits and vegetables we would need for the week. We even bought a case of GT’s kombucha! We always strive to buy as close to the “right amount” as possible so that I neither starve nor waste anything. We made a final stop at a grocery market in Playa del Carmen to pick up some smaller quantities of produce and eggs, as we don’t always need a Costco sized amount. At these markets I stick to produce that has a skin (ex. pineapples, avocados) because they tend to have bins of loose nuts and I worry about cross contact. I then wash everything when I get to the condo.

We stay at my in-law’s condo, where we do my meal prep before the resort. Brandon bought a grill there a few years ago, and that serves as our main cooking device. Cooking is a little more challenging than at home, as food has to be washed and cooked in bottled water. Erosion has killed the wiring on the dishwasher and stove, so we use a hot plate for cooking and we wash all of the dishes by hand. I highly recommend renting a condo for a night or two before going to your resort, as it’s the best way to prepare your food and get situated.

The hot plate, rice cooker, cooler, and cooler bags stay in Mexico year-round and were purchased there.

Ahead of the resort, we grill up the meat (see a photo below of my 5 year old nephew prepping the charcoal grill), cook a big pot of rice, and chop up a whole bunch of veggies. Then I portion and bag everything, and pack it into the cooler. I store it all in the fridge at the resort, or if the fridge is not cold enough (not unusual) I just keep it in the cooler and replace the ice often.

The hot plate, along with a small pan, a spatula, cutlery, and a roll of paper towels come with us to the resort. I heat up my lunches and dinners to order, and either eat them in the room or bring them down to the restaurant so I can eat with everyone else.

I tend to keep breakfast easy, with either safe bread and a piece of fruit, or oatmeal with seeds, or something else that is nourishing and can be made quickly. I prepare instant coffee using my travel kettle, and make it in my thermos mug. I can be kind of weird about hotel cups and mugs because you never know how clean they are.

I bring my own sponges, dish detergent, and paper towels so that I can clean up easily between meals. At resorts I generally avoid allowing the maid to do turn down in the room because I have my whole food situation set up just so and I don’t like it to be disrupted.

REMOTE LOCATIONS

As food allergy folk, we often assume that remote locations are off limits for us. But I think otherwise. If there’s a remote location you desire to visit, you can make it happen. I wouldn’t say that I’m always inclined to venture off the grid; certainly, it would have to be worth the risk, and be somewhere that I really want to go. But it is possible. I suggest speaking with your allergist if you want to map out a plan for yourself.

Personally, if I know I’m going somewhere remote, I will eat a familiar meal that I prepared myself before leaving for the day trip. I bring several Epi Pens in a temperature controlled Frio bag, as well as my antihistamines. I also bring water, wipes, and safe snacks. I ensure my phone battery is fully charged. I don’t eat anything when I’ve reached the destination. And of course I never travel alone.

This past trip, Brandon and I visited Tulum. While it is a very popular travel destination and located only an hour and a half from where we were staying, the design makes it a difficult-to-access and somewhat remote location, due to a few factors. To set the tone, think of Tulum as one long strip of development along the beach, planted in the middle of the Mayan jungle.

• Over-development and traffic: Years ago, I remember Tulum being a quiet eco resort town full of hippies and nudists. You could easily drive in, park anywhere, and grab a beer on the beach. Fast forward to today and there’s a Dior store, $1000 a night rooms, and raves that attract international tourists. The town exploded so quickly and became over developed. Traffic is bumper to bumper. And did I mention that there’s one road and it has a dead end, so you have to turn around and sit in traffic for another hour to get out? The street is long and narrow, claustrophobic, and crowded by boutiques, restaurants, and hotels on either side that sit right up against the edge of the road. In the midst of this, construction workers were trying to pave, ravers were trying to rave, and cyclists and pedestrians wove themselves between the cars and trucks like water between pebbles. It’s a stressful environment.

• Erosion of the beach: But what if you call an ambulance in the event of an emergency? Can’t they drive down the beach and avoid the road altogether? NOPE. Because the beach has eroded to the point that where they would be able to drive up is now just a cliff leading to the ocean, disconnecting the main beach area from the central town. Thanks, global warming.

• Lack of services: Tulum is not serviced with potable water, proper sanitation, WiFi, healthcare/emergency center, electricity, or basically any services whatsoever. Water comes in by truck every day. Hotels are powered by generators. And sanitation - let’s use our imaginations. This is not the place where restaurants will impress you with their cross-contact prevention practices. This is the place of restaurants with small kitchens, dishes and pans washed by hand, etc.

So anyways, we do a day trip here nearly every year. We don’t eat in any of the famous restaurants, or stay in any of the acclaimed hotels, but we do spend the day on the beach amongst the iguanas and the crabs and the ravers and the nudists and that suits us just fine. I always feel very satisfied, with a rejuvenated sense of confidence, when we are out of Tulum, knowing that I went there and enjoyed myself and was totally fine. We often have more control over situations than we give ourselves credit for. The beach is so beautiful and we always have a great time, so for me it’s worth the calculated risk.

SEE HOW OTHERS LIVE

Whether we’re staying in a Disney World resort, or one on the Mayan Riviera, we always take a lengthy drive through the real town or city we’re in. I like to see where people live, what their houses look like, their restaurants, their grocery stores, where they shop for basic stuff, what they do for fun, where they worship, how people in the neighborhood function. I have an unending sense of curiosity about other people; sometimes our drives lead me to learn new things about others, sometimes it reminds me to appreciate all that I have. You might stumble upon something commonplace, that you’d never find at home. Like the time Brandon and I found a little strip in the Bible Belt in Florida, lined with 8 Christian churches within less than a kilometer, flanked by wood-sided houses raised off the ground for floods. Or the cinder block row houses on the outskirts of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, punctuated by vibrant paint colours, intricate graffiti, and open air restaurants with patrons spilling out onto the sidewalk. It’s worth it to rent a car, trust me, even if it’s just for a few hours. You never know what you will find, and there’s so much in the world to see.

THE DUALITY OF RESORT VACATIONS - CHALLENGE AND REWARD

Resorts can be challenging with food allergy, but they can also be a ton of fun and are worth it. I have made many happy memories on these types of vacations. Over the years I’ve been to a few different all-inclusive resorts with my husband and his family. This was totally new for me, as the furthest south we ever went on my family vacations was to Orlando, Florida.

The first one I went to was The Dreams Mayan Riviera, about 7 years ago, for a full week, for a wedding. I contacted the hotel ahead of time to discuss food allergy, and they surprised me by saying they had a food allergy policy and that I could be accommodated. Anticipating that I would be able to eat there, I only brought a few boxes of Enjoy Life bars and a big bag of homemade cookies as backup. Well, the meals were hit and miss. Some waiters understood while others were totally thrown off. Not a single chef came out to speak to me. And at one point after I had eaten one course of dinner, the waiter brought out the second course which was salmon in a cream sauce, wrapped in puff pastry. I questioned why he brought me something with butter in it, and he was adamant that it was fine. Well, you can bet I didn’t eat it and that I sat there worrying about what I had eaten in the first course. Fortunately I was fine, but this is an example of the stresses of dealing with food allergy at a resort. Many days I went hungry, and then I got real homesick real fast.

The same type of scenario repeated itself at my next couple resort stays, though I did come prepared with more food each time. Resorts often have food allergy policies, but that doesn’t always extend to actual service in real life. I think a lot of them just exist on paper. For example, last year we were at a different resort and my husband ordered a salad from room service and specified that there was a peanut allergy. The salad showed up and there was a single peanut right on top! They had given me allergy cards and everything, and still were not able to accommodate. That’s why resorts have largely lost my trust, and I would much rather just bring my own food.

The big challenge with resorts is the feeling of exclusion from the experience. People go to resorts to eat and drink freely and constantly; trying different restaurants, getting coffees and pastries and ice cream, and drinks by the pool. When you have food allergy, this is not your reality, and so you spend a lot of time watching other people enjoy themselves. There’s no museum or gallery or high street to escape to. The idea that a resort is easy because everything has been taken care of does not apply to you, because you are not participating. If you add hunger on top of that, it is a recipe for homesickness. When the resort is really comfortable or has activities other than eating and drinking and sitting by the pool, that makes it easier because there are things you can participate in.

Packing and preparing an abundant amount of food and bringing my own meals helps to quell the feeling of exclusion, and prevents hunger from setting in. The thermos mug is essential. At resorts they often use a rinse for their glasses and mugs at the bar, which may clean them superficially, but it is not “allergy clean”. I discovered this last year when we stayed at a poor quality all-inclusive with a big group of friends, and I saw them rinsing all of the glasses in one big bucket that had a cleaning solution in it. There was no way I could drink from a glass like that, when the person who drank from it previously had likely just eaten mole sauce or queso from the buffet. I didn’t have a thermos mug, but I did have a few paper cups, and I ended up rationing and reusing them for 5 days. It was a strain, and by the end of the stay I felt like I was just waiting it out.

It was difficult because on the one hand I wanted to enjoy my vacation with friends, while on the other hand I was watching them all indulge while I was sitting there worried about food security and the rumbling in my belly.

This time I had my thermos mug with me and was able to pop into my room to make a tea when everyone was gathering for an afternoon treat. It’s those little details that make the trip simpler and more relaxed, and that allow me to participate and fit in.

I think now we have it down to a science, and I don’t think the issues I just described will happen again now that we have experience. This past vacation was the first time we went to a resort and I didn’t lose weight! That’s a big win for me.

The reward of all-inclusive vacations is that they are like vacationing in a comfortable bubble. You get to lounge a lot - in your room, by the pool, at the spa, at the cafe. You get a lot of time to hang out and chat with your family and friends. It’s fun to dress up in the evening and go to dinner, or to spend a leisurely morning in your robe drinking coffee on the balcony. The properties are usually sprawling and pedestrian friendly, and tend to be very pretty with a lot of landscaping and design. We stayed at The Grand at Moon Palace, and all of the amenities, facilities, and rooms were very lush and luxurious. It was a fun and comfortable place to stay, and I got a great manicure at their spa. As long as I’m satiated, I can relax and enjoy myself without feeling like I’m outside of the experience. Go nuts with packing food - that’s the main takeaway here. Pack enough that you can indulge just like everyone else, and so that you can always have snacks in your beach bag.

If you have been hesitant to travel because of your own or your family member’s food allergy, I hope this post inspires you to get out and travel. It’s not impossible - it just needs a food allergy re-work to make it happen.