Does anyone that has just returned from the Yucatan have any current travel tips about the area? ie: things to see and not bother with etc.? We will be staying in Playa del Carmen for 2 weeks but will be exploring the area extensively. Feel free to e-mail your reponses...thanks in advance.

Great things to see: Coba, Uxmal (requires overnight stay in Merida, which is also a great place to visit - hotel rooms are cheap, so keep the one in Playa and take what you need), Chichen Itza, Tulum, Xel-Ha or Xcaret (a fun day of snorkeling and other activities), Coco Beach in Playa is very nice (unless you are bothered by topless sunbathers), Cozumel (don't try to see the whole island in a day on a motorscooter - it is a big island - since you are staying in Playa, go once for parts of the island and once for a day of snorkeling), Isla Mujeres (Playa Norte and the town are nice, and you can easily use a scooter to see the whole island and spend time on the beaches in one day). There are other good places that I have not visited: Sian-Kan Nature Reserve (I think you have to join a tour for this), other towns in the interior (such as Valladolid). <BR> <BR>The only thing I didn't particularly like was the Hotel Zone in Cancun, but with two weeks you have plenty of time to spend a day at Cancun if you haven't been. It is just too Americanized for my tastes. There are good authentic restaurants in downtown Cancun (check out Lonely Planet). Cancun does have nice beaches, but not that much better than Playa's. And an evening at one of the large malls can be fun for a change of pace. Of course, if you like nightlife, Cancun has a lot to offer. <BR> <BR>I have no idea when you are going, but we went the first week of June. It was incredibly hot. Isla Mujeres and Cozumel were like ovens, but the scooter ride will cool you. Merida and Chichen Itza are also quite hot, but you can get out of the sun and get refreshments pretty easily in both places. Buy or take a hat of some kind. Merida has the best shopping on the peninsula, and you can get high quality panama hats and crafts there at a good price.

Another tip. My wife and I spent lots of time on buses. If you take buses, the second class ones are a little less expensive and can be more scenic (eg., the one to Chichen Itza goes through many towns and cities), but they are slower since they stop often just to pick people or drop them off along the road. Mostly locals use these, so it can be fun to take one or two to get more of a local flavor. First class buses have air conditioning and tend to take the larger highways more, so if time is an issue, take these. You may also consider renting a car, but you may not want to drive inland at night, where the roads are not always in great condition - and watch for the speed bumps wherever there is a small village or town - they are large bumps.