OK, so my g/f and I have this trip planned with a handful of our friends to hit up Cancun in late Aug to Sept 6th. I've never been there before and am researching hotels, hurricane season, location, reviews, etc. Questions I have for anyone that has been, what is your favorite hotel (all inclusive), and why? Also, is there anything that a newbie to this place should know before hand, besides the obvious (insert Mexico food/water jokes). Of course my g/f wants to stay at Le Blanc Spa resort [sic], which is like 4G's for the week, lol..... Anyway, I am just curious about anyone's experience....gracias.
if you plan on smoking weed or doing blow, pack it along with you Dont ever buy that kinda shit in Mexico
I like the Excellence Playa Mujeres Resort. I don't know why. It is adults only though, so there won't be any kids running around. Make dinner reservations when you get there My better advice would be to travel a bit further south and go to the Riviera Maya.
If I were you, I look into Playa Del Carmen. It's about an hour south of Cancun but you can rent a driver to get you there from the airport. It's much smaller, cleaner, and nicer IMO. Last time I went we stayed at Riu Grand, i believe, but there are about 5 riu hotels there on the main street within walking distance from each other. They are all inclusive and you can go to the other hotels' restraunts, shows, and beaches. I think it's also cheaper. When I went, about 3 years ago, I think my wife and I payed about 2500 total for a week including airfare and we stayed in a suite that had our own private hot tub on the roof. There's also a lot cooler stuff do do once you south a little bit. If you want to go see some of the ruins, go to Tulum. It's beautiful, right on the beach and not a 3 hour drive like Chitzen Itza (sp?) although that one's cool too. I'd also recommend a park called Aktun Chen if you're into nature type stuff. They've got a buch of neat caves you can walk through and lots of animals (a spider monkey unzipped my backpack and stole my gatorade). My biggest problem with Cancun is that it's really a shithole once you leave the main resort area. At Playa Del Carmen, there is a really cool little downtown, shopping area that's really clean with great, outdoor restraunts
yeah, this is kind of a dumb thing to do...... I'd gamble with the shit they have there rather than try to smuggle drugs through their aeroportes. (going back is worse, although in mexico there aren't too many drug sniffing dogs and the inspections of luggage is kind of rudimentary at best to be honest).
Stay at Akumal. Its south of Cancun. There is a nice all inclusive hotel there. http://www.locogringo.com/akumal/akumalbeachresort.html?name=Akumal Beach Resort This one is nice too. http://www.hotelakumalcaribe.com/scenes/stories/allincjungle.asp Rent a car. Go to the Mayan ruins. They are nearby. The beaches at Akumal and the snorkeling at the beach and nearby is as good as it gets anywhere in Mexico. Plus you'll be a long ways from the idiots in Cancun. Definately go here. You will be glad you did.
Agreed. I stayed for a week in Cancun and a week in Playa (about a decade ago) and the Playa part was better (although, if I had been single, maybe I coulda been a playa' in Cancun and it would have been better)... we went to ruins/sites every other day, with beach time the other days. It was fun. Ed O.
This is exactly what I was going to say. Playa Del Carmen is the bomb! Stay there if you can. Also, if you are going to be there for a little while go to Cuba for a day and night. Cheap flight from Cancun. Very fun, very different from Mexico. No, they won't stamp your passport, lol. Bring lots of dollar bills, you wouldn't believe what a US dollar can buy in Cuba. Also if you really want to see and do up that area of Mexico go and buy a copy of Archeology Magazine. You'll see ads in there for college archeology tours. My buddy and I contacted one company and for a week we got to tour the sites (they take you into the ruins where they don't let the regular tourists go, very cool) and we spent 3 days at a dig. At night we'd drive back to our nice hotel while the college age students spent the night near the site in a cheap hotel. I spent 6 days in Cancun, 1 night in Cuba and then 6 days in Playa Del Carmen.
If you like Playa del Carmen, you'll LOVE Akumal. Smaller, beach is nicer, snorkeling right at the beach in front of your hotel is top notch.
The ruins - a must see if you go there. The poverty (shithole) once you get outside the resort area is in stark contrast to the resort with it's marble and gold fixtures. If you go to chichen itza, be prepared for a long drive on a road through the jungle (it's paved). Along the side of the road, you'll see people living like on Gilligan's Island - huts with bamboo pole walls and palm frond roof. It's poverty at a depressing level. The people who serve you at the resorts live in a shithole town a short bus ride from the resorts. The highest paid (locals) workers make something like $300/month. A $10 tip will make someone's day. The water is a teal/aqua color and very warm. There are lots of resort activities on the beach, like parasailing. Realize they don't regulate those things down there, so it's two poor mexicans and a rickety boat doing the pulling. Use your judgment. I was there in January a few years back, and it poured rain. It was like the heavens burst open with garden hoses - you couldn't see the actual drops, it looked like a stream of water from lots of hoses. It was windy enough that the rain went sideways. As for Cancun proper, it has the usual resort type restaurants and trinket shops. A boat ride to Isle du Majares is well worth it. Rent scooters and see the island. It's bright and colorful and what you expect in the Carribean.
There is a toll freeway that the tour buses take there, but if you rent a car or hirer a drive have them take you down the road you are talking about. Yes, lots of poverty but lots of real culture. Very fun. The silversmiths are true artists, the local food is great.
Mrs. HCP and I spent our honeymoon in Puerto Adventuras which is about 5 minutes south of Playa del Carmen. Had an amazing time, hit up Cozumel and rent some scooters. If you go to the very south tip of the island there is this reggae straw hut cantina with hammocks. Just a chill bar right on the water with goats and donkeys runnin around. Also hit up Chichen Itza and Tulum! Amazing ruins. Hope you have fun man!
