need help finding travel hopefully allinclusive

[lajazz]

I need to find an all inclusive travel for celiac's thanks

[aklap]

Hi LA,

How 'bout this?

http://www.clubmaevatulum.com/

(Please forgive me...I'm using this post I put on "another board" as they say )

I recently came back from a week at Club Maeva - Riviera Maya Mexico. It was a fantastic place!! THE best beach on that stretch of land. It takes awhile for the page to load...so be patient.

The travel agent told me to tell the front desk about my dietary requirements when I check in. On a side note - Club Maeva responded back to our travel agent acknowledging the fact they got her (our) dietary requests. This is something that almost never happens. As we checked in I told the person at the front desk. I showed him the GF dining card. He read it and didn't really know what to do with it. "Oh boy, here we go" I thought. I asked to speak to the head or manager of the food service. Within a few minutes a man by the name of Arturo appeared (according to the female members of our party...he was drop dead handsome!). His english is pretty good, but did not really understand my verbal explaination. I whipped out my GF dining card and he began to read it. I asked if it was making sense to him. He nodded and said yes, it helped a lot. He asked some questions, I answered them. What we needed to do is find him in the dining room and he would show us what would be acceptable to eat and what we needed to stay away from. If we wanted, he would make whatever we wanted - a part from the buffet meals. He made that very clear!!

Our 1st dining experience with him had me nervous. He had recognized me/us immediately (being 6'5" probably made me "stand out" a bit) and began to show us around the main dining room. The 1st thing he showed us was pasta! I said - NO PASTA - it is made from wheat!! He said "Yes, right, I am sorry". I suspect he had forgotten what our requirments were. I still was a bit leary. He had asked if there was something else he could make us and how to prepare it. We decided on plain chicken, fish & beef...but it would take about 20 mins for it to be prepared. One great thing about the dining room is that certain stations had grills right there. I could see them preparing the food. After watching 1 full cycle (breakfast, lunch & dinner). I saw that nothing was grilled on them that "visibly" had gluten. I still was a bit leary of hidden gluten. Arturo brought out our specially prepared meal. It was good - I had no after affects from it - even better!! We did not have any offical "dessert", but with fresh pineapple, mango, cantalope, star fruit, banana, watermelon, oranges - no dessert was neccesary for me (besides I was usually stuffed!)

The snack bar down by the beach...well...that was a different story. I figured out that this place made me sick. Yes - for about 36-48 hrs I didn't not feel very well. It started out with the all too familiar heartburn and burping. I had a minor case of "D". I blame this on myself and no one else. I stepped outside the lines and paid the price. I did not ask what was safe, I just assumed (and we all know that that does )I was too lazy to drag my behind away from the ocean to go to the main dining room. I was not alone in gastro distress - Peg didn't feel too well have eating a hamburger (which I had several over the course of 2 days) - as did another member of our party. I had a hard time determining what was actually going on. My left side was hurting again, which usualy means a diverticulitis flare for me. I was feeling some what chilled and generally crappy. I'm thinking infection...in another country...I don't speak the language...*ack. I'm thinking a piece of red cabbage or lettuce may have set it off. Or maybe diving during the volleyball game I almost did not go on a tour to the Chichen Itza Ruins because I felt so bad. I did perk up during the 2.5 hr bus ride there. Once I learned my lesson...and always hunted down Arturo (which made Peg happy for many reasons)...I was fine for the rest of the trip.

One night he made Jim and I some fish soup. It was amazing! He came out with 2 huge bowls...sitting in the middle of them were boiled crabs 4-5" across! Also in the soup were shrimp & scallops (which the buffet hardly ever saw), 4-5 clams, a variety of veggies. I was very stuffed after that. I felt sorry my friend - his food tastes are more...limited...than mine. He hardly touched it. It didn't help matters that we had eaten some other things already and we were some what full at that point (at least I was). I was NOT going to let that go to waste!!!

At night the bar on the beach is converted to a "fancy" restaurant. We used that as our "dress up" night. Arturo was there and made sure we got the proper food. The 1st course had a deep fried corn torilla with a scallop filling...ours came on a bed of bean sprouts. Ahhhh, Arturo was getting it!!

Overall, I have to say that they did a great job! By my stomach anyway. I did not go away hungry. I can't speak for someone who is more sensitive than myself (for possible cross contamination issues). Jim is a Silent Celiac - so he felt nothing different (he was eating most of the things I was). I do worry about him tho.

There - that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!!! Now that I've practiced my writing skills, I can write my letter to the manager of Club Maeva. I would go back there again. After today's weather...I'm ready to leave right now!!!

I hope this helps...

and if that isn't enough to convice ya...how 'bout some pictures...


As I said - this is the best beach in the area.
This resort has been there 25 years.
I think longer than anyone else - so they got the pick of the litter.
Now, if I only woulda had a GF beer...it'd be just like the Corona comercials



Sunrise on the last full day on the resort


Me and some of the "wildlife".
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[lajazz]

thanks al