Riviera Maya – Cancun!!!

We recently went on a week long vacation to Riviera Maya- Cancun!!!

Perfect Holiday destination with awesome tropical blue beaches, white sand, warm to hot weather and an activity for each age group be it kids or adults.

We took a flight from SF to Cancun International Airport. Direct flight was about five and a half hour long.Cancun is two hours ahead of Pacific Time Zone.

Two most common tourist towns are Playa De Carmel  which is about 31 miles away from Cancun Airport and another is Cancun about 25 miles away from the Airport.Playa De Carmel is a beautiful Golf Town with a very suburban feeling while Hotel Zone at Cancun is lively with amazing nightlife. We stayed at both the towns.

Most common mode of transportation is Buses that run all over Cancun 24 X 7. There are buses from Airport to Hotel Zone. One really does not need to rent a car. But we did rent a car as it was convenient with two kids. When renting a car it is good to carry your carseat from here as Carseats are not mandatory in Cancun. Most forums advised not to use carseats rented by the Car Rental company as their safety could be a concern.

First half of our tour we stayed at Solymar Beach Resort in Cancun. It is Condominium Community on the Hotel Zone. Condos at least in this community were not as well equipped as Condo Resorts are in US. But location was perfect, overlooking the sea. Also our Condo owner was very nice, friendly and accommodating. It was surprising that we did not find any Safeway type equivalent grocery stores in the Hotel Zones. All we could get was Milk and Water from 7 Elevens and Oxxos that are all over the place. Nearest Grocery store was Walmart about 30 mins away from Hotel Zone.

For last 3 days we stayed in Riu Clubhotels- an all Inclusive Resort in Playa De Carmel. Resort was very nice with access to all Riu Resorts in Playa De Carmel. So we had access to three other resorts and could choose to dine from any of their restaurants, attend shows at any of the resorts and use all other facilities. Resort itself was better than the cruise. It had a Kids Club with some planned activities, Kids Play Area, multiple swimming pools, planned activities for adults like yoga or a water aerobic class, tropical beach party, entertainment shows (much better than what we had seen at Carnival cruise), Water Sports and Activities on their private beach and much more. There was always food served round the clock and for those who consume alcohol it is a Heaven!!! All-Inclusive Resorts are one of the biggest attractions of Cacnun. You could spend all 5 days within the resort. Food could be a big problem for vegetarians depending on how restrictive you are. Our chef was very friendly and he actually made Jeera Rice and a veggie from one of the Rasoi Magic packets that I gave him. Otherwise we  ended eating pastas, pizzas, fruits and ice creams for rest of the meals.

However there are couple Indian restaurants in Cancun. We tried Elefanta in Plaza La Isla Mall. Ambience 5 out of 5. Perfect place for a romantic candle light dinner overlooking the sea. Dinner for two could cost around $50 without drinks. Food can’t complain but I would rate it 2.5 out of 5. Then there is Taste of India in Downtown.

What to do in Cancun?

As I said you could spend all five days in an all inclusive resort just relaxing and enjoying food, drinks and various activities within the resort. Though there is ton of activities to be enjoyed by everyone in Cancun.

Chichen Itza is a World Heritage Site located in the Yucatan Peninsula, about 117 miles west of Cancun.In 2007, it was named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. This is of little surprise as its size, symmetry and astrological importance are a testament to the Mayan civilization. There are many tours available. We had booked our tour online through Viator.Com.

http://www.viator.com/tours/Cancun/Chichen-Itza-Day-Trip-from-Cancun/d631-3206CHI_01

Most tours stop at the beautiful colonial city of Valladolid where you will also get to see some of the cenotes for which this area is famous.Standard tour includes transportation from Hotel, visit to one of the Cenotes, lunch and guided tour at Chichen Itza. Also every Wednesday there is a light and music show at Chichen Itza. It was a 12 hour tour and was very hot. But a visit to this grandiose Mayan city is a must for anyone traveling to Cancun.

One day we went to Isla Mujeres a small island across Cancun. We took a Ferry from Cancun. Round trip for adults is about $17.  We rented a Golf Cart and went round the island. Gold Cart rentals is about $35-40. There is a Turtle Farm which we missed. We spent our entire day at Garrafon Reef Park. This park has an entrance fee about $50 for adults. It has a zipline, snorkeling facilities, pool, restaurant, lunch is included in the entrance fee, unlimited drinks,lockers and hammocks to relax. Actually I honestly feel we could have easily skipped Isla Mujeres.

One of the main attractions of Isla Mujeres is the underwater Museum built in the middle of the Ocean between Cancun and Isla Mujeres. There are snorkeling and glass bottom boat tours available either from Cancun or Isla Mujeres.Cancun Underwater Museum is a series of  400 sculptures by  Jason deCaires Taylor  placed underwater. Its a unique thing to visit. We had booked our Glass Bottom Tour with Sea View Tours.

In Playa De Carmel there is a CrocoZoo with over 400 spices of local animals. One can touch and feel and interact with crocodiles and snakes. We had no time for the zoo.

Cancun has one of the most amazing nightlife. CongoBongo is a very famous nightclub with a superb show. Not to mention with two toddlers we obviously had to skip this one.

Then along the Mayan Riviera you will find Eco Theme Parks in Playa De Carmel.  These parks are excellent places to take a break from a day of exploring or driving in this warmer climate.

• Xcaret-Set in a beautiful bayside location, this eco-archaeological park focuses on Mayan culture, with a restored Mayan archaeological site, traditional dance shows and a recreation of a Mayan village. The park has a host of other attractions as well, including a jaguar exhibit, a deer refuge, a regional wildlife farm, butterfly breeding facilities, a coral aquarium, a marine turtle conservation program, a wide range of flora, and opportunities for swimming and snorkeling.

• Xel-Ha- is an ecological theme park or natural aquarium. Here you can swim with dolphins, see sea turtles, bicycle, snorkel, cliff-dive, and scuba. If you choose to scuba you will get to pet stingrays and see larger fish. This park is quite large, so bring good shoes to walk up river, you bag your dry belongings and they will be driven back to the main area. There is a buffet restaurant and free drinks as part of the park entry-fee, as well as snorkel equipment and rafts.

• Xplor- This nature park has a number of limestone caves, grottos and underground rivers for exploring on foot, on rafts, in amphibious vehicles, or by swimming. There are also some above-ground adventures to be had, including a 1.8-mile-long adventure whizzing you through the trees on 11 zip lines. Not recommended for kids below 5.

We spent one whole day at XCaret. It was a very nice experience. Everything within the park is 3 times more expensive than theme parks in USA. So make sure to carry your essentials. There are restaurants within the the park and depending on the package you buy one meal could be included. We could have missed Isla Mujeres and instead done Xel-Ha.

There are many local tour operators who offer different excursions and activities. Bargain is the way in Mexico. Pesos is the Mexican Currency. Current conversion rate was $1= 13 Pesos. But  dollars are accepted everywhere.

Last but not the least don’t forget to enjoy the beautiful beaches. Mark beach time in your itinerary. Take some sand toy  and beach toys along. Some resorts offer beach toys to their guests. Enjoy the dolphins and the spas and make it one memorable vacation for your family.

Except for the food it was an awesome vacation. Full of activities but still relaxing. Had it not being for Deepa-Bhavesh’s visit probably I would have missed such a beautiful vacation spot.

Pictures yet to be uploaded!!!