July 2022 marks our first HIAH retreat and it was more than I ever imagined it would be...
I've always loved group travel despite how stressful it cam be because I feel like it creates lifelong bonds and experiences.
That probably goes back to my travel ball days and catching flights and carpools with my teammates. In the past year as I've worked to bring HIAH Wrld to life, I wondered how I'd be able to incorporate travel into the mix.
The opportunity arose when my partner and I began planning travel for the summer that captured our anniversary and birthdays. She wanted a villa so I researched and floated the idea to a couple people who were interested in going as well. From there I thought about alignment and I knew with the group we had going I'd be able to make this at least a beta trip traveling to the amazing Puerto Vallarta.
A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE
The villa was amazing and exceeded all expectations. Each suite had its own view of the property and jungle. They also had a full bathroom with a large bathtub and A/C units. The staff, Miguel and Grisela were awesome and prepared amazing food and drinks. We even celebrated Grisela's birthday one of the days during our trip.
Having the royal treatment had us feeling like royalty and open to all that Puerto Vallarta had for us. Our place was secluded and all encompassing or our need, which included an amazing infinity pool and open spaces. We were able to book massages at the villa, plus Miguel and Grisela assisted us with rides and dinner reservations out. My favorite thing about the villa was that it was very conducive to relaxation, recharging and bonding.
We drank, we ate and we laughed a lot. There were also moments where we shared our experiences and things we do to hustle for our happiness. In short it was amazing and I'm looking forward to the 2023 retreat already!
ACTIVITIES & RECOMMENDATIONS
This retreat was quite go with the flow and I think we all appreciated that. Future retreats will have very minimal structure and optional activities to promote a self-care, relax, and recharge space for us all. That being said, below are some places we went that I would 10/10 recommend and some will probably be on our list to visit again in 2023.
There are a couple of Blondies locations in PV, but we stopped twice at the one in Zona Romantica (which is the LGBTQ+ friendly neighborhood) and had a blast. Their selection of slush drinks range in amazing flavors and feature vodka, rum, gin and whiskey based items. With a split level storefront steps from the beach it's a perfect spot to grab a drink & hit the sand, or hang in the loft with friends.
BEST PARTS: the strawberry slush is top tier, each drink is $3-$5 usd sooooo yes
La Palapa Restaurant was one of my top 10 meals of all time! Located as a beachfront restaurant, the view is just the icing on the cake (this place could be in a cave and I would go). We basically ordered everything on the menu and there were no misses.
BEST PARTS: the coconut shrimp and mango martini are must haves, the lobster dinner and lychee martinis are pretty solid too, clase azul shots are $8 there...yeah
I just cannot say enough great things about our villa. The booking process was smooth, arrival and departure smooth as well. Perfect location, amazing service and one of the best places ever. If you want to book via airbnb, click the title link above.
I'll be announcing the info for the 2023 HIAH Retreat this fall, so check back here for more information.
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