just back from tulum/ merida/ isla mujeres

Hi, gr3664. Would you mind being more specific about the pros and cons of each place? Why was Tulum the best? What made Isla last? Also, could you comment more on the likes/dislikes of your lodging. Thanks so much! Trying to plan a trip to those areas myself. Appreciate the help!

I'd also like to know how to avoid getting a "bug" on our trip. We leave in 2 weeks and would rather not get sick while there!!!

gr - It's so strange that you got a bug at Zamas. We eat there frequently with our kids while in Tulum - never gotten sick.

Millie - The best thing to do is wash your hands before eating. We always take antibacterial wipes.
Another prevention thing is to take a probiotic (good bacteria) to battle to bugs in your gut. My favorite is Primal Defense since it does not require refrigeration.
Some say squeezing lime juice on everything helps neutralize the bugs. Others say a shot of tequilla helps too (or a margarita)
But certainly staying out in the sun all day coupled with lack of water and then drinking alcohol can also cause stomach distress.

And we never eat off buffets. Many eat buffets w/o issues, we prefer not to.

Millie, I have done medical mission work in the interior of Mexico and other places, and I strongly second the wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands advice.

gr3664, many times it is not the most recent meal you ate that gives you the bug . . . so unless you observed something odd about the food--taste, smell, etc.--then you really can't accurately say where you picked it up.

Still awaiting more specifics on your trip! Thanks!

sorry to take so long to respond since i had to go back to work for one day... the way i know it was zamas is that it was the only place my wife and i shared food, one of them a slaw with raw cabbage and carrots, and we both became very sick some day and a half later - don't let this scare you though, i would just avoid raw veggies and anything uncooked, drink bottled water, should be okay, as to washing hands, guess that would help, but only if you're the contamination source - as to what made things better, etc, tulum is very, very beautiful, the hotels right on the beach, the people very relaxed and nice, the food (with zamas the exception) very good, just a great relaxing place; merida was great because of the cooking class mostly but also because of the history and buildings, the church on independence square the oldest in the americas, etc, but the streets in downtown are very narrow filled with a lot of traffic during the week, big buses belching diesel, small scooters with 3 kids and dad, tricycle carts, everything and everybody - since we were driving, it was hectic getting into and out of the city, but we ditched the car while we were there and walked everywhere, ask your hotel if there is any outdoor music anywhere, we came across a filled square with dancers and live music, complete with an m.c. and special guest (i think) of a tenor who sang beautifully - merida just is more crowded and more tiring, so 3 days was plenty for us, although if you decide to stay put at your hotel for a day or two, particularly if the hotel has a nice pool (they're usually not heated, so ours was too chilly to actually use for long, but in the summer this would be a blessing) you could stay longer for sure - restaurant los almondros was interesting, authentic yucatan food interesting, waiter very friendly and helpful - isla mujeres kind of on the funky side, the 'north' beach area perfect for families with kids, the beach shallow for a long, long way, waves very gentle, water temp here maybe a little cooler than tulum, the sunsets stunning, check your watch and go to the sunset grill, get their two for one beer deal, sit on the beach with your camera and companion, ... and wait - nicest memory of i.m. - the boat to isla contoy was mixed, seas were 'up' a bit, not captain tony's fault, but the boat was on the small side and half of the people were soaked from the spray - didn't snorkel at the reef because of the surf, and snorkeling at the island was poor because of it, again no one's fault, assume it would be good otherwise - tour guide on isla contoy was very funny and informed, tour was excellent - not sure the whole experience was worth $50 each however... - i.m. is small and we saw everything in one day easy, beach swimming was limited, so after two days felt kinda bored - disclaimer - we definitely are in the minority, everyone we met loves the place, everyone, so go figure... i think if i had to do it again, i'd actually stay in one of the downtown hotels away from the main strip (i think street was hildago?) which is very loud until late at night, but elsewhere, the hotels seem clean, quiet and would be half the cost of cabanas marias del mar, nothing negative about them tho, just maybe would have been just as okay with cheaper place since we spent only little time in the room - oh, one very fun thing we did was rent a scooter for an hour and a half, went all the way around the island, both of us trading off who drove, lot of fun, saw that garrafon place on the way, looked oddly rundown, but farther on saw it from a bluff and could see it's more slick than the front, nice beach etc, i think it's something like $44 usd though, again, not sure it would be worth the expense - east side beach is rocky but we stopped and walked along it, looking in tidepools, a little chilly though - weather in general was cooler than usual we were told, rained a little one day and a LOT another day -, other than that fairly clear, the blue skies a deep caribbean blue, you can burn a lot quicker than you think - i'll add more later hope this helps

The Maya swear by lime juice.

gr3664 - if you read this, was the construction near the Cabanas Maria del Mar problematic? I know they're putting up a couple of highrises (for IM) next door. Just don't know if it's too noisy. Which wing did you stay in? Thanks.