Laura and Steve take it slow at the Banyan Tree
Dec 5th, 2023, 09:07 AM
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Laura and Steve take it slow at the Banyan Tree
This was an unusual trip for us. Usually we choose 3 or 4 places in the country we are visiting and try to get out and explore and learn as much as possible. But we're older, and we're tired, and we decided to see what it would feel like to go to a resort and just sink into relaxing. We had never visited Mexico although we lived near it for a while, and as it offered beautiful weather away from the cold, here we are. We chose the Yucatan Peninsula because we were intrigued by the Mayan ruins (uh oh, there goes resolve not to leave the beach).
So we have a lot less to report this time. Truth is this will mostly be a review of the Banyan Tree Mayakoba where we are staying. (located outside of Playa Del Carmen).
But I get ahead of myself. We stayed the night before the flight at the airport Marriott in Philadelphia. It has gotten a nice makeover since we were last there and the room was updated as was the restaurant. Only complaint was that their knowledge of gluten free needs was minimal and the menus aren't marked. On the other hand they did an excellent job of getting us breakfast quickly.
Flight on American Airlines to Cancun was on time and comfortable. The line at customs moved quickly. They chose our luggage to explore but I think were embarrassed by my undies and sent us on our way quickly. We left the quiet and cool air of the airport to the heat and cacophony of all the drivers trying to get your business. We had prearranged a ride with the hotel, found them and were quickly on the way. The ride was just short of an hour and then we reached paradise.
We were greeted by a concierge who offered us a welcome drink of chia, honey and ginger. Yummm. Although we are in one of the less expensive villas, it is huge by usual hotel standards, double sinked bathroom, outside bathtub which they will fill for one upon request (complete with lighted candles and incense). The villa has a plunge pool, and in contrast to other places we have stayed, this one is big enough to actuall swim in. We have our own little garden/courtyard with shaded couches.
private outdoor bathtub
The resort has a variety of restaurants: steakhouse, Thai, Italian, and beach club. We have eaten at all but the Italian. We were a bit shocked by the prices, but the food has been incredible. We particularly liked the Thai restaurant, Saffron. (I believe this is a Thai chain although I am told it is owned by a Spanish consortium, so not quite sure). One of the most impressive things about this resort is that all the restaurants had the information about my husband's food restrictions and are impeccable in their care, always making sure that he doesn't eat something he shouldn't, yet always serving him delicious alternatives .There are two other resorts on the property, and it is all connected by canals. We took an "eco tour" through canals. We never really saw the alleged crocodile, but did see Coatis , egrets, turtles and a few other birds. We've been having fun using our Merlin app identifying birds we aren't familiar with.
The beach is gorgeous and we have had no problem finding beach chairs. Pools are warm and also uncrowded, at least this time of year.
view from the beach
the spa here is amazing with so many options it has been hard to choose (also very expensive). I have gone twice - once choosing a Balinese massage with a cumin honey rub, and the second time an Ayurvedic treatment with hot sesame oil, chakra head massage and coriander, ginger and coconut rub - I was pretty sure my husband would think I was a curry. They have this crazy bar with spigots on it which gives you a moving horizontal shower to wash off the scrub. It felt a little weird, one is quite soaked by the end, but was fun and I did feel very relaxed and destressed. (ok I loved it).
from eco tour
The best part of the hotel is the staff which is amazing. They are impeccably trained, always greeting you, usually by name, if you say thank you they always reply, it is my pleasure. The only other hotel with comparable feeling of hospitality that we've stayed at was the Penninsula in Bangkok. I especially appreciate how they have indulged my desire to practice my rudimentary Spanish, gently correcting me when my grammar is off.
The night before last we signed up for somethng called the Haab dinner which was billed as authentic Mayan cuisine with Mayan dancers. I have learned that most of the people living in this part of Mexico are Mayan. When I first saw it on the brochure it looked hoakie to me, but it was really fun and extremely well done. The dancers are dressed as Mayan Gods and are incredibly talented. The costumes are quite complicated, think Mardi Gras or mummers parade. We sat at a round table with about 15 other people. Other than a woman who was pregnant, we were the only ones who didn't also do the drinks pairings including Mezcal and Tequila. It looked fun, but neither of us was up for quite that much liquor. The food was fun, the short ribs cooked for hours in an open pit. It was pretty dark so we couldn't see too well what we were eating, but here as well, they were incredibly careful to make sure Steve got gluten free food. At one point they even realized that there was a problem with the special dessert they had for him and ran back to the kitchen for another. The young man who was the master of ceremonies was very entertaining, funny, with an operatic voice, and very informative. We learned a great deal about Mexican and Mayan history and culture. And other interesting facts. Check out the month of October 1582 on a calendar. Look carefully. Really. Here are a few photos from the Haab. I'll post later about our two adventures outside of the hotel.
Haab dancer
Haab table
Haab kitchen pit
So we have a lot less to report this time. Truth is this will mostly be a review of the Banyan Tree Mayakoba where we are staying. (located outside of Playa Del Carmen).
But I get ahead of myself. We stayed the night before the flight at the airport Marriott in Philadelphia. It has gotten a nice makeover since we were last there and the room was updated as was the restaurant. Only complaint was that their knowledge of gluten free needs was minimal and the menus aren't marked. On the other hand they did an excellent job of getting us breakfast quickly.
Flight on American Airlines to Cancun was on time and comfortable. The line at customs moved quickly. They chose our luggage to explore but I think were embarrassed by my undies and sent us on our way quickly. We left the quiet and cool air of the airport to the heat and cacophony of all the drivers trying to get your business. We had prearranged a ride with the hotel, found them and were quickly on the way. The ride was just short of an hour and then we reached paradise.
We were greeted by a concierge who offered us a welcome drink of chia, honey and ginger. Yummm. Although we are in one of the less expensive villas, it is huge by usual hotel standards, double sinked bathroom, outside bathtub which they will fill for one upon request (complete with lighted candles and incense). The villa has a plunge pool, and in contrast to other places we have stayed, this one is big enough to actuall swim in. We have our own little garden/courtyard with shaded couches.
private outdoor bathtub
The resort has a variety of restaurants: steakhouse, Thai, Italian, and beach club. We have eaten at all but the Italian. We were a bit shocked by the prices, but the food has been incredible. We particularly liked the Thai restaurant, Saffron. (I believe this is a Thai chain although I am told it is owned by a Spanish consortium, so not quite sure). One of the most impressive things about this resort is that all the restaurants had the information about my husband's food restrictions and are impeccable in their care, always making sure that he doesn't eat something he shouldn't, yet always serving him delicious alternatives .There are two other resorts on the property, and it is all connected by canals. We took an "eco tour" through canals. We never really saw the alleged crocodile, but did see Coatis , egrets, turtles and a few other birds. We've been having fun using our Merlin app identifying birds we aren't familiar with.
The beach is gorgeous and we have had no problem finding beach chairs. Pools are warm and also uncrowded, at least this time of year.
view from the beach
the spa here is amazing with so many options it has been hard to choose (also very expensive). I have gone twice - once choosing a Balinese massage with a cumin honey rub, and the second time an Ayurvedic treatment with hot sesame oil, chakra head massage and coriander, ginger and coconut rub - I was pretty sure my husband would think I was a curry. They have this crazy bar with spigots on it which gives you a moving horizontal shower to wash off the scrub. It felt a little weird, one is quite soaked by the end, but was fun and I did feel very relaxed and destressed. (ok I loved it).
from eco tour
The best part of the hotel is the staff which is amazing. They are impeccably trained, always greeting you, usually by name, if you say thank you they always reply, it is my pleasure. The only other hotel with comparable feeling of hospitality that we've stayed at was the Penninsula in Bangkok. I especially appreciate how they have indulged my desire to practice my rudimentary Spanish, gently correcting me when my grammar is off.
The night before last we signed up for somethng called the Haab dinner which was billed as authentic Mayan cuisine with Mayan dancers. I have learned that most of the people living in this part of Mexico are Mayan. When I first saw it on the brochure it looked hoakie to me, but it was really fun and extremely well done. The dancers are dressed as Mayan Gods and are incredibly talented. The costumes are quite complicated, think Mardi Gras or mummers parade. We sat at a round table with about 15 other people. Other than a woman who was pregnant, we were the only ones who didn't also do the drinks pairings including Mezcal and Tequila. It looked fun, but neither of us was up for quite that much liquor. The food was fun, the short ribs cooked for hours in an open pit. It was pretty dark so we couldn't see too well what we were eating, but here as well, they were incredibly careful to make sure Steve got gluten free food. At one point they even realized that there was a problem with the special dessert they had for him and ran back to the kitchen for another. The young man who was the master of ceremonies was very entertaining, funny, with an operatic voice, and very informative. We learned a great deal about Mexican and Mayan history and culture. And other interesting facts. Check out the month of October 1582 on a calendar. Look carefully. Really. Here are a few photos from the Haab. I'll post later about our two adventures outside of the hotel.
Haab dancer
Haab table
Haab kitchen pit
Dec 5th, 2023, 12:17 PM
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Nice report, thanks.
'But we're older, and we're tired, and we decided to see what it would feel like to go to a resort and just sink into relaxing. '
We're not quite there yet, but certainly headed that direction, lol.
'But we're older, and we're tired, and we decided to see what it would feel like to go to a resort and just sink into relaxing. '
We're not quite there yet, but certainly headed that direction, lol.
Dec 7th, 2023, 05:21 PM
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we venture off campus
Thanks Baldone - I'll say it was certainly a wonderful way to vacation. And after soliciting everyone's good advice on tips and reading them carefully, all the good advice totally fled from my mind the moment it was needed. I think that being in a setting where we weren't using actual cash but signing for things, I never really integrated the value of the paper money so figuring out tips on the spot was confusing . I suspect I badly undertipped a few times. At the end having many leftover pesos I just gave as much as I could in tips to various hotel workers. they certainly deserved it.
So to our adventures. Before we left we made a dinner reservation in Playa Del Carmen - the nearest town - at a highly regarded restaurant, Porfirios (part of a chain). According to mapquest it was a 15 minute drive. Hah! At rush hour more like 45. I had pictured Playa Del Carmen as a cute little beach town but learned it was actually a city of 300,000 plus people. The part that we saw wasn't very appealing although there might be some lovely beach and residential areas. Fifth avenue was supposed to be a good place to shop and I wanted to look for presents for people back home. It was indeed a pedestrian area, but so crowded and loud and seemed to be a mixture of tourist trap type places and chains such as Victoria's Secret - not the cute little local stores I'd pictured. My husband did find a hat and sunglasses he needed so not a total loss. We then went to the restaurant. Again, instead of being the pleasant environment pictured on the webpage it was very loud, speakers screaming music, very crowded and dark. Although the waiters tried to help us, basically there was nothing on the menu for someone gluten free (we did note that in the reservation). they suggested he eat a salad. At that point it was one of those moments when you just decide to cut your losses. We found a very expensive taxi back to the hotel and had a fantastic dinner at Saffron, their flagship Thai restaurant. Felt a bit wimpy, but Steve did get the hat he needed so it wasn't a wasted venture. Personally, I wouldn't go back to Playa Del Carmen - but maybe others know of better parts of town to visit. I'll finish with the story of our second outing tomorrow.
So to our adventures. Before we left we made a dinner reservation in Playa Del Carmen - the nearest town - at a highly regarded restaurant, Porfirios (part of a chain). According to mapquest it was a 15 minute drive. Hah! At rush hour more like 45. I had pictured Playa Del Carmen as a cute little beach town but learned it was actually a city of 300,000 plus people. The part that we saw wasn't very appealing although there might be some lovely beach and residential areas. Fifth avenue was supposed to be a good place to shop and I wanted to look for presents for people back home. It was indeed a pedestrian area, but so crowded and loud and seemed to be a mixture of tourist trap type places and chains such as Victoria's Secret - not the cute little local stores I'd pictured. My husband did find a hat and sunglasses he needed so not a total loss. We then went to the restaurant. Again, instead of being the pleasant environment pictured on the webpage it was very loud, speakers screaming music, very crowded and dark. Although the waiters tried to help us, basically there was nothing on the menu for someone gluten free (we did note that in the reservation). they suggested he eat a salad. At that point it was one of those moments when you just decide to cut your losses. We found a very expensive taxi back to the hotel and had a fantastic dinner at Saffron, their flagship Thai restaurant. Felt a bit wimpy, but Steve did get the hat he needed so it wasn't a wasted venture. Personally, I wouldn't go back to Playa Del Carmen - but maybe others know of better parts of town to visit. I'll finish with the story of our second outing tomorrow.
Dec 19th, 2023, 02:36 PM
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We venture forth to Muyil
Apologies for not finishing this in a timely manner. We did go on one serious outing from the Banyan tree. We arranged a tour through Tours by Locals (much less expensive than those offered by the hotel) with Alejandro to see the Mayan ruins at Muyil and the ecopark Sian Ka'an. He was able to work with our schedule and picked us up at noon rather than the usual 7 am start. We had arranged ahead of time to stop for lunch in Tulum but he was trying to work with the boat captains at Sian Ka'an so we didn't actually end up having lunch until after the tour which was a bit of a problem for me (blood sugar issues). the other communication glitch was that the tour involved "floating down" the lazy river in Sian Ka'an. Silly me, I thought that meant in a boat, but we were supposed to have brought bathing suits as the practice is just float and let the river carry you. We decided not to try the floating without a bathing suit, so settled on a boat ride around the lake. It was beautiful although I was disappointed not to see more birds/wildlife. What was super cool was seeing a totally intact customs house from Mayan times (at least 500 years old). Muyil was wonderful and totally not crowded. Alejandro was super knowledgeable about Mayan culture/history as well as a font of insight into Mexican history and culture. In some ways the best part of the tour was simply talking to him about current events, politics, economics of the area as well as Mayan history. Steve and I both noted that when we learned about Mayan peoples in history classes growing up it was always presented to us as though they were a lost culture, so we were both surprised to learn that the Mayan people, culture and language are all alive and present on the Yucatan Peninsula. We ended the day with a late lunch at Cetli which Alejandro said was one of the best authentic Mayan restaurants in Tulum and one of his favorites. The owners were very hospitable and the food delicious and different from the "Mexican" food we are used to at home. My only caveat is that the "facilities" at Muyil were a bit smelly, and nonexistent at Sian Ka'an.
So that is really all I have to report. The worst part of the trip was waiting for the flight home in the Cancun airport. I found the noise and crowds overwhelming and couldn't wait to get on the plane. I don't like the airports where they won't tell you which is your gate until 15 minutes before boarding - adds a level of anxiety to my rigid little heart that I could do without. But that is small potatoes. It was a wonderful trip - I can't say enough good things about the Banyan tree. It was exactly the warmth and rest and beauty we needed. Here are a few other pics.
dinner at Cetli
(hubby tried the crickets - I missed that one)
Customs house on Lazy River at Sian ka'an
lazy river
Muyil
So that is really all I have to report. The worst part of the trip was waiting for the flight home in the Cancun airport. I found the noise and crowds overwhelming and couldn't wait to get on the plane. I don't like the airports where they won't tell you which is your gate until 15 minutes before boarding - adds a level of anxiety to my rigid little heart that I could do without. But that is small potatoes. It was a wonderful trip - I can't say enough good things about the Banyan tree. It was exactly the warmth and rest and beauty we needed. Here are a few other pics.
dinner at Cetli
(hubby tried the crickets - I missed that one)
Customs house on Lazy River at Sian ka'an
lazy river
Muyil
Dec 30th, 2023, 01:57 AM
#6
Thanks for an honest report. I always appreciate when someone tries a new place and doesn't sugarcoat everything.
About the cash vs card situation, it was something several of us attempted to convey on your planning thread.
I agree with your assessment of popular Mexican resort towns in general. It's just too much for me also.
Glad you found successful escapes.
PS airports seem to be the worst part of my current trip, too.
About the cash vs card situation, it was something several of us attempted to convey on your planning thread.
I agree with your assessment of popular Mexican resort towns in general. It's just too much for me also.
Glad you found successful escapes.
PS airports seem to be the worst part of my current trip, too.
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