Written by dallee on 12 Aug, 2004
The morning before day we took the Isla Contoy trip, we signed up for this trip with the fisherman's co-op. They are located just down the dock from the ferry on Isla Mujeres. Tickets are $40/person. Lunch, drinks, beer (until they run…Read More
The morning before day we took the Isla Contoy trip, we signed up for this trip with the fisherman's co-op. They are located just down the dock from the ferry on Isla Mujeres. Tickets are $40/person. Lunch, drinks, beer (until they run out), lunch, and snorkel gear are included. We were told to show up at 8:30am and we left around 9:30. They fill fit you for the snorkel gear before you leave. You should probably bring some water and have your breakfast before you leave.
Our tour had about 15 people including the captain and crew. The boat is not big, but was covered. About 40 minutes into the ride, we stopped at a reef and snorkeled. There were tons of beautiful fish and brain coral. Life jackets are offered for those who aren't comfortable swimming in the ocean or just want to snorkel comfortably. While we were out of the boat, the fisherman caught our lunch, a 15 lb red snapper.
The ride to Contoy took a little over an hour. It's a beautiful trip. The water is just incredible. Once we got the island, there were only five other people there from another fisherman's co-op tour. There is a little museum and tower to visit (clean bathrooms too). A little hike inland, there is a huge water area with tons of birds. We were there for about two hours with the island basically to ourselves, then this huge tour boat shows up. I bet 100 people got off. Luckily, they stayed on the other side of the beach and we never heard them.
The fisherman grilled our lunch under some trees and benches were provided for their tour groups. All the fisherman's co-op tour groups share the food. It's a nice time to meet some other people. They grilled the fish, made guacamole, rice, ceviche, cabbage salad, and served it with corn and flour tortillas. It was the best meal I ate on our entire trip. Around 3pm, the big tour boat left and we had the island all to ourselves again.
There is a friendly local manta ray that comes to the shore trying to get handouts. There was also some kind of tall fish that was swimming around with the ray. It looked funny because his fins were too high for him to be swimming in such shallow water, but he knew that he'd get some food! There are harmless hermit crabs and iguanas everywhere, so watch where you step. Bring your mosquito repellent. In the shade they are really bad.
On the way home, the fishermen caught their own dinners. It was a wonderful day. I think this is a must-do trip. Definitely do the trip with the fisherman's co-op and not one of those huge tour boats. Make sure to tip the fisherman when the trip is over!
For more photos... http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=gal898x.8smrm32x&x=0&y=cgq8b1 and http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=gal898x.94bj6l2x&x=0&y=-vc09ee
Written by rosehoch on 30 Jul, 2003
If you've never been to Cancun before you should know what to expect before you get there. Mexico's second highest source of income (after oil exportation) is tourism. The government is not foolish. They recognize the power of the dollar and have carved Cancun out…Read More
If you've never been to Cancun before you should know what to expect before you get there. Mexico's second highest source of income (after oil exportation) is tourism. The government is not foolish. They recognize the power of the dollar and have carved Cancun out of the jungle. It was created solely as a resort and vacation destination in the last half of the 20th century. Do not expect endless deserted beaches. Do not expect a huge city. The beaches are not overly crowded (at least in January) and the small city is there is of necessity to support the natives who work at the hotels, resorts, and restaurants that you will visit. The water in Cancun hotels and resorts is safe as is food in the hotels, resorts, and restaurants.
The Gulf of Mexico is the most amazing shade of azure you're ever seen. With a good camera, you could get postcard quality shots. The beach is not as large as it once was. Hurricanes in the past decade have taken a lot of the white sand out to sea but there is still plenty of beach for those who seek it.
The nightlife is there if you want it from dark to dawn. Activities abound for young and old, but handicap accessibility and OSHA regulations are concepts very foreign to this culture. Curbs are steep, sidewalks are rough, and sometimes cobblestone. There are few museums in Cancun but archaeological sites abound in the vicinity. Hire a private guide, take a tour, or strike out on your own if you're the more adventurous type.
Whether at a hotel or resort, Cancun can be an ideal place to shop a little and then drop a little. Shop in the morning while it's cool and then laze by the pool all afternoon. In the winter months, it does get cool in the evening so don't plan to swim all night long.
Written by madaunt on 28 Apr, 2004
Tour operators offer packages including charter flights, ground transfers, and accommodation. Package vacations are more economical than buying flights, transfers, and accommodation separately. But packages, while offering excellent value, are sometimes less convenient. For example, we have waited 90 minutes to leave the airport because…Read More
Tour operators offer packages including charter flights, ground transfers, and accommodation. Package vacations are more economical than buying flights, transfers, and accommodation separately. But packages, while offering excellent value, are sometimes less convenient. For example, we have waited 90 minutes to leave the airport because the "ground transfer" is nearly always a nice, clean, air-conditioned bus but it doesn’t go anywhere until the last passenger and all his/her bags are on board. If you only take carry-on bags and you want to get going as soon as you arrive, making your own travel arrangements can be more convenient.
On the other hand, the tour operators often have more clout with the hotels and this can be a great advantage if anything goes wrong. We have travelled with all the major tour operators in Canada. This includes Air Transat, World of Vacations, Sunquest Vacations, Conquest Vacations, and Signature Vacations. We can recommend all of them for service and value. However, when things go wrong—and this happens very rarely—some tour operators are better than others. On a recent trip, we were travelling with Signature Vacations. We had had a long flight and we arrived at night. When we got to the front desk, we were desperate for a shower and hot food and sleep. And then we discovered that the hotel clerk could not find our reservation in his computer system. Nearby was another couple with the same problem. They had arrived an hour earlier and, like us, they had a voucher but their arrival had come as a surprise to the hotel, which had no record of their reservation. They had called their tour operator’s local representative and were waiting for her to help them out. We, however, showed our tickets and voucher package to the clerk who said, "Ah, Signature Vacations. No problema. I will give you a nice room for tonight and contact your representative for you. Tomorrow you can talk to her about your reservation then come and see me about your room." The clerk, with no record of us in his system and simply going on faith because we had Signature Vacations documents, also gave us all-inclusive bracelets.
Within minutes, we were in a spacious oceanfront room. After a quick shower, we were revived enough to have a late dinner in a fine restaurant then we caught the tail end of a live show in the resort’s theatre. Next morning we slept late and when we got up we found a note from our rep saying that she had fixed everything and, if we were satisfied with our room, we could keep it for the rest of our vacation. How delightful! Compare our cheery experience with the other couple: they waited nearly two hours for their rep to arrange a room for the night, they did not get bracelets so they had to explain their situation to waiters in the buffet restaurant, and they had to change rooms the next day.
Many hotels and resorts in Mexico offer accommodation with or without the all-inclusive (AI) plan. The AI plan always includes meals, drinks, sports, recreation, and entertainment. Sometimes it includes tips, taxes, room service, the mini-bar, golf and tennis, and excursions. The AI plan can be…Read More
Many hotels and resorts in Mexico offer accommodation with or without the all-inclusive (AI) plan. The AI plan always includes meals, drinks, sports, recreation, and entertainment. Sometimes it includes tips, taxes, room service, the mini-bar, golf and tennis, and excursions. The AI plan can be purchased in advance (from your travel agent or tour operator) or at the hotel on arrival. Some hotels have several plans on offer. Most often, the front desk clerk will attach a plastic bracelet to your wrist and the colour of this bracelet will let resort staff know which plan you are on. We have found the AI plans to be extremely convenient—you don’t need to carry money or wait for a bill—and excellent value.
While we have always been lucky with all-inclusive plans, it is a good idea to check carefully for what is included. For example, we bought a deluxe AI plan at one resort and had access to every bar, restaurant, and entertainment and sports venue. Our friends used a different travel agent and she advised them buy a cheaper AI package that was $98 per person less than ours. When they arrived at the hotel, they found that they were unable to go into the a la carte restaurants and, although their drinks were included at the beach, pool, and sports bars, they had to pay for their drinks in the lobby bar, the disco, and the nightclub. To upgrade to the deluxe AI plan at the hotel cost $185 per person. Obviously, the tour operators can offer economies of scale.
Written by telisha on 10 May, 2004
Our second week in Cancun, we decided to try out one of the mega resorts in the Hotel Zone. We exchanged for a week at the Golden Shores Crown Paradise Club. We got a two-bedroom two-bathroom unit. It was on the end overlooking the ocean.…Read More
Our second week in Cancun, we decided to try out one of the mega resorts in the Hotel Zone. We exchanged for a week at the Golden Shores Crown Paradise Club. We got a two-bedroom two-bathroom unit. It was on the end overlooking the ocean. You could open your patio doors and let the sea breeze in if you so desired.
We also overlooked two pools. The resort has five of them. They have steam and sauna rooms, an adult pool, a kiddie pool, and several other pools available. The check-in desk is all open-air. The beach is clean, and chairs and umbrellas are provided. I would recommend this resort for anyone.
Every other night, they let some local vendors come in to the main lobby and set up tables to sell their stuff. One man really impressed us -- he used paint in spray cans and made some of the prettiest pictures. It is amazing how he could paint with spray paint. There are shows every night from 8 to 9pm. There are babysitters available for those with kids and a really good kids’ program.
There are five specialty restaurants. We dined in a different one every night. During the day, you can eat at the large main restaurant or the Japanese restaurant -- both are good.
Written by lutz_r on 01 Jul, 2004
If you have not been to Cancun maybe this information will help you plan your vacations better depending on what your looking for. A lot of people don't like all inclusive resorts at all, they simply reject them when they are offered to them. Most of…Read More
If you have not been to Cancun maybe this information will help you plan your vacations better depending on what your looking for.
A lot of people don't like all inclusive resorts at all, they simply reject them when they are offered to them. Most of the excuses from the people are that they don't want to be stuck in the resort all the time and that they don't drink so much so it's not worth to pay the all inclusive fee.
First let me tell you that the all inclusive resorts have different ameneties and activities included, also the price depends on every resort but the price range is between $50 and $130 per day per person. Also the season can change the price quite a bit, if you go in low season you will save some money and the resort will not be that crowded. I like to go in October because the resorts are empty, the beaches are empty and the all inclusive drops like 20%.
The quality of the all inclusive resorts in Cancun is very good, almost all of them have excellent service, great rooms, and good food. If you are just looking for a place to stay in a nice location and have decent food and the normal activities like beach, water sports and buffet all day long you can get a very good all inclusive rate per day.
If you are looking for a more fancy place with transportation included, gourmet food, 24 hr room service, ocean front rooms, tours included, a lot of activities and much more, well you can also get a great rate for all these things during your stay.
I always go all inclusive and the choices I have made so far have been excellent places, I would never go to Cancun to a non all inclusive resort because you really can't relax and you constantly think about how much money your spending when your buying or doing something, with the all inclusive ou don't have to worry about money, everything is already prepaid so you feel great because you can eat and do as much as you like.
If you have never been to an all inclusive resort I recommend you to try it if you want to relax and not worry about anything at all.
Written by a1vacation on 15 Dec, 2003
What a great time we had! No husbands, no taxiing teenagers around, no cooking, no cleaning. A girlfriend and I were there for a week and had a ball. I love the Palace Resorts, and this one is great for either relaxing…Read More
What a great time we had! No husbands, no taxiing teenagers around, no cooking, no cleaning. A girlfriend and I were there for a week and had a ball. I love the Palace Resorts, and this one is great for either relaxing or, if you're up to doing activities, they had organized ones every day. The servers were so pleasant and made us feel like very special princesses.
We took advantage and enjoyed the excursions that were included: Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Xpu Ha. Being two females we never felt unsafe, and we even took the city bus from a bar back to the hotel at 1am and felt very safe. It's a very reasonable way to travel, six pesos each.
There were three restaurants to choose from and we found we enjoyed the Las Redes the most, even though it was a buffet. I didn't have to cook or clean up and for dinner they always had a grill going with steaks, chicken, sausages, beef tenderloin, etc.
I really want to bring my family now and for teenagers, they had a great mini-putt course, pool tables, ping pong tables, aside from the beach and the pool activities. I'm sure my son would be in heaven because he could eat nonstop.
A year and a half ago, my husband and I stayed at the Aventura Spa Resort (adults only), which I think is a great place for a couple who want to get away to a romantic resort. It's about an hour south of Cancun. For our next trip, I would like him to come to Cancun Palace to enjoy walks on the beach, take the city bus into downtown, plus we'd be able to bring the kids to a wonderful resort to enjoy. If you want you can go to any of the other Palace Resorts and eat and drink at them with your Palace wrist band.
I have nothing negative to say about this resort and am dying to go back ASAP.
Written by serandal on 24 Dec, 2002
If you don't want to pay the prices for Xel-Ha, but what to see the same fish, visit the Lagoon of Yal Ku in Playa Akumal. This lagoon is a protected habitat for regional marine life. The waters are a combination of salt water…Read More
If you don't want to pay the prices for Xel-Ha, but what to see the same fish, visit the Lagoon of Yal Ku in Playa Akumal. This lagoon is a protected habitat for regional marine life. The waters are a combination of salt water from the Carribean and fresh water from underground rivers. You can snorkel here and hang out on the small beaches and docks. The lagoon is a short 10 minute walk from Half Moon Bay, at the end of the road in Akumal. Take a taxi if you are coming from the arched entrance for it is about a 5 kilometer walk from there. There is a parking lot and you can rent snorkeling equipment.
The lagoon is an easy walk to nearby restaurants. A stay for the day will cost you 5 dollars or 50 pesos. To save the fish, they ask that you do not wear sunscreen in the water. This can be a problem because the sun is intense and you will burn. Try to go early in the morning to avoid the heat and crowds- although there were never very many people there when we went in July. Tour busses do pull in around noon.
We saw lots of tropical fish all around the lagoon as well as underwater caves. If you swim toward the ocean, you will see the turtles and manta rays as well as incredible brightly colored coral.
If you are coming from the Mayan Palace, take a taxi (expensive) or take the Mayab bus to Playa del Carmen and then switch buses going further south towards Tulum. Get off at Playa Akumal and then walk 5 kilometers or so or take a taxi for a few dollars from the arch to the Lagoon. You will pass Half Moon Bay, which is very nice also, and where you will see baby turtles hatching if you are lucky.
Although the ruins of Tulum are not spectacular, the setting is. The majestic cliff top ruins overlook vast stretches of beach and turquoise water. You can swim here and that is the best part. As you swim below you look up at the splendid…Read More
Although the ruins of Tulum are not spectacular, the setting is. The majestic cliff top ruins overlook vast stretches of beach and turquoise water. You can swim here and that is the best part. As you swim below you look up at the splendid Mayan Ruins and the sight is impressive. There are many little coves and beaches and private spots. To best enjoy the ruins go early in the morning or in late afternoon when the tour buses aren't there. It is free on Sunday and that is when the Mexican locals go.
Tulum was occupied from 1200 - 1521 and was a walled city. Its strategic function was that of a fortress. The city was abandoned about 75 years after the Spanish conquest. Tulum's tallest building is a watchtower fortress overlooking the Caribbean named "El Castillo". When you take the bus to Tulum, make sure you tell the driver to let you off at Las Ruinas, the town is another couple kilometers away. Then you must walk about half a mile to the ruins, or you can take a train-like shuttle but you have to pay and the walk really isn't long. The heat is oppressive though in the middle of the day. Thunderstorms come up quickly and there is not much shelter when you are viewing the ruins. Last time we took protection down by the water under some cave-like formations.
We go back to the ruins of Tulum time and time again because of the beauty.
The Mayan Palace arranges tours but you can easily go on your own. You can take the Mayab bus to Playa del Carmen and then transfer to another that will take you to Tulum, or you can take two colectivos (white vans that you flag down). Tulum is a little down the road from Xel-Ha but spend a day at each as you will want the entire day at Xel-Ha. After you finish at the ruins, take a taxi to town( fares are posted everywhere and are regulated) and eat lunch or dinner.
Written by aliagugliaro on 20 Aug, 2002
My husband and I were looking for a nice place to relax on the beach and find an active nighlife and night during our honeymoon to Cancun. Being that my husband has never been out of the US, I thought Cancun would offer something…Read More
My husband and I were looking for a nice place to relax on the beach and find an active nighlife and night during our honeymoon to Cancun. Being that my husband has never been out of the US, I thought Cancun would offer something different, but still Americanized enough for him to be happy.
The day of our arrival it was damp and rainy. As we pulled up to our resort, I immediately knew that it wasn't the majestic palace that it was made out to me by my travel agent/friend. Once inside, my fears subsided, but I wasn't 100 percent impressed. The room was spacious with a very inviting jacuzzi and complimentary beverages, but the bed was hard as wood.
Our first full day consisted of exactly what I had envisioned -- R&R. We sat on the beach while drinking tasty alcoholic beverages -- this way my idea of paradise. Later that night we explored the club scene which paled in comparison to the NY nighlife we were accustomed to. After one full night of all we could stand Culture Club and Michael Jackson, we decided that the clubs were not worth our while.
Day two we headed out to Isla Mujeres on the "booze cruise" -- all we could drink Presidente Beer. After a sip or two of the watered-down Presidente, I opted for Diet Coke. My stomach was getting a bit queasy before our first stop: a snorkelling adventure. With limited visibility and choppy waters, my snorkelling adventure turned into pure hell as the entire time I tried to control the vomit that was not staying down. The smell of boat gas, combined with the choppy waters and my history of motion sickness proved to be a dangerous combination. My queasiness didn't subside until we hit dry land about 1 agonizing hour later.
Once on land, we were fed another buffet lunch and all we can drink alcohol. At this point all I could eat were dry nachos and soda. After lunch, I began to feel a little better as we headed to our next stop -- downtown Isla Mujeres. My husband and I rented a golf cart to get around the island and witness firsthand the impovereshed living conditions on the island.
Later that night we headed back to the resort for dinner. The night's theme was Caribbean BBQ -- where we had our choice of July 4-type food. I felt compelled to have a small salad with my chicken, never thinking how the salad may or may not have been washed.
As fate would have it, later that night my uncontrollable vomiting that led me to the hospital would not subside. I was dehydrated and quickly brought to the local hospital where my husband sat in a small cell while I had all i could do to keep my eyes open and Gatorade down. 12-14 hours later, I find the strength to slowly get up and out. I couldn't stand another minute in the hospital. As we returned to the resort, we were greeted by 105 degree breezed coming from our room. Turns out the air conditiner that had been broken and supposedly fixed the last three days was once again on the fritz.
After sitting in the heat for over an hour, I found a small bit of energy to call the front desk and beg for a room change -- this is what it had to come down to. We finally got our change and found a small sense of relief in a cooler room with a bed that was more firm than concrete.
Days following my bout with Mr. Montezuma, I was very tired and our activities were limited. As soon as I was back to 100 percent, I had nothing but rainy days, lighting and thunder left to greet me every morning, noon and night.
Our honeymoon turned into a countdown to our last day --- home had never been sweeter.