Private Guide in Merida

Old Mar 11th, 2005, 04:31 AM
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Private Guide in Merida

Does ayone have recommendations for a private guide for touring ruins reachable from Merida? For touring Merida itself?
Thanks in advance.
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Old Mar 11th, 2005, 04:24 PM
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All of the ruins have guides you can hire at the ruins. We have had good luck at both Uxmal and Chitzenean (spelling?) The guides are well versed in the particular ruins, and each ruin has guides who can speak various languages. As for guides at Merida, I have never hired one so I can't help. Hopefully someone else can provide some info.
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Old Mar 11th, 2005, 07:11 PM
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I am sure you can find one through your hotel.

Insofar as the guides at the ruins are concerned, their quality is spotty.

Better to get a respected gudebook and do it yourself - unless you like fanciful and often amusing interpretations.
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Old Mar 12th, 2005, 06:33 PM
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Merida is very easy to navigate and finding a guide should be easy too but quality is always a question. I think your hotel personnel would be the best choice and if it is not satisfactory the tip would be appropriate. There are some great restaurants downtown in Merida even though they look like storefronts
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Old Mar 17th, 2005, 01:46 PM
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Hi mlz...
I have a guide for you. He is Antonio Bustillos Castillo. He lives in Merida. Cell # is (044)9997 486985. email is [email protected]

He has a website also. www.geocities.com/abc_sightseeings

We used him for a tour of Chichen Itza. Our hotel got him for us. We thought he was excellent. He LOVES his job and is well educated.
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Old Mar 19th, 2005, 05:43 AM
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Before we left for our trip, we booked with Mayatour (mayatour.com) and they provided us with a great private one-day tour of the Pucc sites (Uxmal, Labna, Sayil, etc.) plus Loltun caves. They can make it customized to whatever you want. We were picked up in a minivan and driven from place to place with a knowledgeable tour guide, and it really was the way to go. They can do Merida as well as other tours. They specialize in the ruins.
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Old Apr 26th, 2005, 07:52 AM
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We just returned from our wonderful trip BUT FOR our experience with Antonio Bustillos Castillo(who responds at email address: Andres Romero [[email protected]])
About a month before we left, based upon the recommendation found here, I contacted Mr. Castillo. We corresponded both by email and telephone and we set dates on which he would meet and guide us. On the eve of our departure I emailed him again to make certain that everything was set. When we arrived at our hotel (Hacienda San Jose) a telephone message was waiting for us from Castillo saying he would not be able to guide us the next day as previously arranged. I called him and when we spoke his only excuse was that he had another commitment. He acknowledged that we had a long standing agreement but basically took the position that he did not care and was not willing to honor it. Luckily the hotel was kind enought to arrange, at the last moment, an alternative guide who turned out to be excellent. DO NOT USE CASTILLO.
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Old Apr 26th, 2005, 08:47 AM
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We are thinking of traveling to Merida from Cancun, in August. Two adults, two children, 10 and 11. For those who have been to Merida: is it worth the trip? Is it a pretty/Colonial city? And, how far are the ruins from the town?

In addition, has anyone done the drive from Cancun? Safe and quick or long and arduous? (Is a private van an option? Although I would need a roundtrip since my flights are in and out of Cancun.) And, is a couple of days in Merida sufficient? Thanks.
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Old Apr 26th, 2005, 02:56 PM
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Tengohambre, if you have the time, I personally think Merida is worth it. It is a very pretty colonial town, but what's really great is that something always seems to be going on in Merida. Sunday is a huge festival, each night there's live music on every street corner, and it will definitely feel different than somewhere like Cancun! I think it's a worthy experience.

We flew into Cancun and had a private transfer to Merida (a private van, about 3 hrs. drive, I think). It's pretty much this one straight road out there. We also had a private van take us to the ruins (that way we had transportation and a guide built in). Some ruins are closer than others, but Uxmal I think was about 45 mins away (not sure). Uxmal and those other sites around there were great.

I topped my 2004 trip report for you, in case you want more info on Merida.

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Old May 3rd, 2005, 09:06 AM
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Tengohambre, As my above post indicates, I just returned from a trip to Merida and other Yucatan sites. Merida is worth a trip if you are interested in markets (food) and seeing a Mexican town that is not yet devoted to tourism. It is not a "pretty" town, but it is a real town where you will see Mexicans who are not devoted to catering to tourists. Having said that, on Sunday there is a market with tourist touches. I was traveling with my 2 teenage daughters and they enjoyed the day of strolling around the town. We stayed at a hacienda (San Jose) outside of the town and found it very convenient for a trip to Uxmal, Izamal and Chichen. We also stayed in the Campeche area and visited Ednza. We landed in Merida but we did drive back to Cancun for our departure and the "toll road" is well maintained and an easy, if boring, ride. If you wish further info just post and I will respond.
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Old May 9th, 2005, 08:03 AM
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Hi mlz
I am the one who used Antonio and really liked him. I am soooo sorry you had a bad experience with him but am grateful your hotel was able to provide you with someone you were pleased with. Isn't it amazing and strange how one of us had a good experience and the other had great stress from the same person? I guess I would not use him again based on your experience. Just seems best to let the hotel make arrangements. Anyway, I just wanted to say "sorry."
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Old May 10th, 2005, 11:07 AM
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I remember one day in Merida being enough. It was pretty, colonial...I remember riding down the streets in canopy bikes, dancing in the street, and eating at Subway.
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Old May 13th, 2005, 04:29 AM
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Hi mimipam
Thanks for the note. I still do appreciate your attempt to help. The person who loses out because of our awful experience is the guide, who probably would have gotten alot more business if he had conducted himself responsibly. Instead I hope no one on this forum will look to him for help.
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