Mexico (Riviera Maya)

chimponarope · 26 Mar 2008 at 09:41

Anyone got any experience they feel like sharing about Mexico specifically the Cancun/Mayan Riviera area?

We're going on honeymoon in July and i'm trying to find somethings to do, rather than just lazing around a pool for two weeks. Been in touch with a company that offers tours around the area as I wanted to book swimming with Dolphins for my GF's birthday which falls while we're there. They recommended combining it with a trip to Xel Ha, anyone thats been does that seem like a good idea?

Fancy going to see Chichen Itza and maybe Tulum aswell, are they worth the outlay? Theres a trip doing Tulum and Xel Ha in a day would that be a better option to combine with the dolphin swim?

Thanks in advance!

booyaka · 26 Mar 2008 at 09:56

http://www.riu.com/en/hotel-riu-palace-mexico-playa-del-carmen-mexico.html

I stayed here about 3 years ago and it was amazing - superb staff, spotlessly clean, great food, all inclusive drink etc (even minibar in your room was stocked with beer and spirits was free).

Loads to do and tours to go on. Did the swimming with dolphins as a treat for the wife and it was very good fun. Also did some trips to local Myan (spelling) camps, with trips underground in caves etc and a tour in the jungle (eaten alive by mosquitos!!). Also went squba diving in the large reef that was about - pretty amazing stuff.

Great place and was about 1 hours south of cancun but nice and quiet. Golf, jetskis, boats, paragliding, swimming, kyaking, etc etc

Great holiday and would go back tommorrow if i could!

chimponarope · 26 Mar 2008 at 10:01

Forgot to say the hotel is booked, staying at the El Dorado Royale http://www.eldoradosparesorts.com/doradoroyal/ in an ocean view suite. Looking forward to all inclusive drinks a couple of nights

I'll have to take some decent repellant, I react badly to insect bites.

Could you already scuba dive before you went?

booyaka · 26 Mar 2008 at 10:07

chimponarope said:
Forgot to say the hotel is booked, staying at the El Dorado Royale http://www.eldoradosparesorts.com/doradoroyal/ in an ocean view suite. Looking forward to all inclusive drinks a couple of nights

I'll have to take some decent repellant, I react badly to insect bites.

Could you already scuba dive before you went?

nope - tried it in the pool at the hotel and then decided to go for it on a beginners trip. Was very well done, always felt professional and safe, not a hassle. Was amazing experience if a little scary at first!!

A quick tip is a lot of places of interest might not allow you to use sun tan cream/insect repelant for fear of polluting the water/nature habitat etc you might be swimming in. Grab a few limes and rub them on as that keeps the mosquitos away just as well!!

chimponarope · 26 Mar 2008 at 10:17

Awesome, will have to be trying that then hopefully!

Thanks for the tip too. Got to see about getting my jabs soon I guess.

do_ron_ron · 26 Mar 2008 at 10:26

Lovely place. You have got to see the old temple complex at Chechen Itza. Thats the one they show on all the travel progs when they show Mexico. Amazing. Try to go out as much as posible as the real Mexico is beyond the resort.

chimponarope · 26 Mar 2008 at 10:37

Yeah i've been looking at it in the tour brochure and i'm definitely going there if we can.

Bear · 26 Mar 2008 at 10:44

Went there in Feb and had an amazing time. Tulum and Xel Ha combined trip was fantastic. The Chichen Itza trip was great but be aware that there is a 3 or so hour journey each way so you spend a lot of time travelling back and forth but it really has to be seen.

I also went to the Coba trip and also the snorkelling in a cenote and then went on to snorkelling in the sea with some turtles which was incredible well worth doing.

chimponarope · 26 Mar 2008 at 10:58

Who did you use for the trips Bear if you don't mind me asking?

http://www.lomas-travel.com/ Thats the company the hotel recommends.

Would it be advisable to mix the combined trip with swimming with dolphins or would it be too much in one day in your opinion?

Bear · 26 Mar 2008 at 13:22

I went to Mexico through First Choice and then took all the trips through them when I was there.

If you are talking about the Tulum and Xel Ha combined trip it would be fine to do that in a day. You go straight to Xel Ha in the morning 10.00am and stay there till 2.00pm and then get on the coach to Tulum which is virtually 20mins down the road and leave around 4.00pm IIRC. If you feel that you would rather spend the whole day at Xel Ha then dont bother getting the coach at 2pm and meet the coach at 4.30pm after it has come back from Tulum.

The fish at Xel Ha are massive and its strange snorkelling with them swimming around you. The missus and I did the sea trek (big space mans helmet with air pumped into it) and you walk on the sea bed and got to stroke a sting ray etc.

Im sure you'll have a fantastic time.

chimponarope · 26 Mar 2008 at 13:32

That's who we're travelling with too. They recommended booking things like Dolphin swimming in advance.

I like the sound of the sea trek.

Makunouchi · 26 Mar 2008 at 13:44

What i remember from my 3 week trip around Mexico:

-hot and dusty
-generally unfriendly/unhelpfull people
-great scenery and landscapes (Copper Canyon is amazing, and its actually larger than the Grand canyon, and theres less Yanks.)

Bear · 26 Mar 2008 at 15:46

chimponarope said:
That's who we're travelling with too. They recommended booking things like Dolphin swimming in advance.

I like the sound of the sea trek.

Nah you dont need to at all. Just go on the welcome meeting the day after you arrive and you can sort it all out then, well thats what it was like for us and I guess its the same for everyone regardless of hotel/resort.

chimponarope · 26 Mar 2008 at 15:53

Cheers. Might book the dolphin swim in advance, purely because I'd like it to be on the wife to be's birthday if possible (its her 30th).

The guy from that site recommended seperating the Tulum/Xel Ha trip and the dolphin swimming so I might see about doing the dolphin swim at Xcaret. You think that would work?

Did you do your sea trek at Xel Ha?

Thanks for all the help, not been on holiday for years so organising all this on the other side of the world nearly is proving an experience!

Bear · 26 Mar 2008 at 17:27

chimponarope said:
Cheers. Might book the dolphin swim in advance, purely because I'd like it to be on the wife to be's birthday if possible (its her 30th).

The guy from that site recommended seperating the Tulum/Xel Ha trip and the dolphin swimming so I might see about doing the dolphin swim at Xcaret. You think that would work?

Did you do your sea trek at Xel Ha?

Thanks for all the help, not been on holiday for years so organising all this on the other side of the world nearly is proving an experience!

I didnt bother with Xcaret as we had already did Xel Ha and the cenote/turtle snorkelling trip and didnt want more of the same so we did a couple mayan ruins trips. Aye the sea trek was at Xel Ha.

If you havent been on holiday for a while you will really enjoy yourself, its a fantastic place.

chimponarope · 27 Mar 2008 at 08:42

Had a word with the Mrs to be last night and we're thinking about doing Xcaret with dolphins and maybe the sea trek on her birthday, and then the Tulum/Xel Ha trip and the chichen itcha trips spread out over the two weeks.

Thanks for your help it's been very useful!