Michael and I have done some crazy things together but this hands down has to be one of my FAVS.
When we were in Cabo for a little vacation a few weeks ago we went off-roading in a UTV (also known as a side-by-side).
Michael is kind of an off-roading fanatic — but with Jeeps, not ATVs, UTVs, or dune buggies. Going off-roading was one of the first activities he took me on when he was trying to romance me — but it was with his lifted Grand Cherokee in the muddy hills of Ohio, not Mexico.
For this vacation in Mexico we knew we wanted to do an excursion. Off-roading seemed like the obvious choice because 1) it’s so adventurous and BADASS (my favorite word) and 2) we love this stuff.
We booked an excursion through our concierge with Cactus ATV tours. We chose them because from the reviews it seemed like their tours were the most legit/extreme/dangerous (but in a good way, plz don’t sue me Cactus ATV tours).
They’re facility is superrrr professional, organized, and clean. I mean when you’re paying a good little chunk of money for something, you want to make sure it’s a legit operation! It def was. Highly recommend.
Our tour was a couple hours long. It was INSANE.
We were strapped in with a 4 point harness and all I can say is THANK GOD. We went so fast and it was so bumpy I literally could not keep my feet on the floor.
We were right off the coast of the water and spent a good amount of time zipping up and down the shoreline. But we also went inland a bit and went up and down some hills, really sandy areas, and rougher terrain (not pictured).
Once our tour guide assessed that none of us would be total idiots, he let us have a bit of freedom and have fun. Not all tours are like this (!!!!). Some treat you like your 12 years old and make you follow the leader at 5MPH. No thank you.
I loved that I could just relax (kinda?) on this tour and not worry about the capability of the UTV. It was BUILT for this stuff. Like when we take our hella stock jeep on off-roading trails I am a psycho. I’m constantly worried it’s going to get damaged. Because capability wise, it’s completely stock — meaning not really built for anything too intense.
a few tips for a vacation off-roading excursion
Okay so we (read:I) was a little nervous to book this because I didn’t want it to be a total waste of money. I didn’t want it to be too tame and boring — and therefore a total waste. I HIGHLY recommend you read reviews of whatever place you book with. This will give you an idea of the adventure level. V important.
Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Wear a sports bra (thank me later).
If possible, bring your own bandana. It got SO DUSTY. You’ll most likely have to wear one if you’re in a similar climate. They provide them, but if you wanna look coordinated for your IG feed, bring your own that’s on brand.
I’m sure most places say “no cameras” or “no phones”. Of course, they don’t want you losing these things or possibly injuring someone if they fly out. However I’m sure the main reason is that they want you to pay for photos they take of you. If possible, sneak your cell phone with you and make sure it’s SECURE. Most of us did that. We also paid for the profesh photos tho hahaha. Love them!!!! All my fast and furious dreams have been realized.
It’s customary to tip your tour guide at the end (if deserved).
There will probably be annoying people in your group. UTVs/ATVs/anything motorized has a way of making guys feel desperate to show off. Explore the possibility of a private tour! That’s what Michael and I are going to do next time.
Anddddd that’s all of the tips I can think of for now. TTYL y’all! Xx
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