Mother2012

We are planning a vacation in August. Looking for All-inclusive kids-friendly. Also planning to visit chichen Itza and other ruins.

Please suggest,
1 which is a better place, Tulum or Akumul?
2. Which resort?
3. Which ruins should we target for?
4. What kind of activities should we plan for?

Thanks for your help

RAC

Neither area has much for all-inclusives. Tulum has the better beach, Akumal has better snorkeling. Chichen Itza has the best ruins--Coba 2nd best, Tulum ruins not impressive but the setting on the ocean is stunning.

hopefulist

As to Maya sites, we loved Cobá and lovedloved Ek Balám, just north of Valladolid. Didn't love Chichén Itzá or Tulúm, though I agree Tulúm's setting is gorgeous. I wouldn't consider either CI or Tulúm unless you could get there 1st thing to beat the heat and the crowds.

With kids consider the Jungle Place if they still have room - check ages accepted and availability 1st. Here are 2 popular, well-reviewed tour ops with some unique combinations:
http://www.alltournative.com/
http://www.edventuretours.com.mx/

You can read about our 2 trips to the area in 2010 with the links with our photo collections below - loads of recommendations. Happy trails!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

hopefulist

Here's the Jungle Place website:
http://www.thejungleplace.com/

KVR

The Akumel Beach resort is a family friendly AI. Nice beach, excellent snorkeling. Many tour opertors bring groups there to swim with the turtles.

Does it have to be one of those areas? You'll find better AI's with more amenities along the Riveria Maya and it just a short drive to any of those other areas.

How old are your kids? That makes a difference when recommending things to see and do. August is going to very HOT. I mean extremely HOT and very humid. You aren't going to want to spend a bunch of time walking around the ruins especially if you have toddlers or little kids.

Chichen Itza is huge and spread out. When we were it was basically taken over by vendors trying to sell their wares. A little annoying. I enjoyed Tulum because it was small and located on the beach.

Xel-Ha and Xcaret are great eco water parks. There are several cenotes to swim in.

Check out these sites for things to see and do. Have used both with no problems:

http://www.playadelcarmentours.com/

http://www.playa.info/tours-anna-james-general.html

Also, August is the start of hurricane season. We stopped going in August/September for 2 reasons.

1.) It's too hot, it is basically unbearable out side of a air conditioned room or the hotel's pool. Many restaurants do not have AC and they want men to wear pants and closed toed shoes.

2.) We would be stalking the travel channel to see if our trip was going to be delayed or canceled due to tropical storms and huricanes. Our last August trip was in August, 2007 a week after Hurricane Dean creamed the area. Many things were closed and the ocean was all stirred up and not inviting to swim in.

Do get the hurricane/trip insurance that you cancel for any reason and not just if your flight is canceled or your hotel closes.

ShellD

You don't mention the ages of your kids, but we stayed at the Grand Palladium Riviera last August with out kids. They were 9 and 11 at the time. It was fantastic. It's in Akumel. It's a very large resort, but it's actually a combination of four separate properties that you have access to while staying at one of the Palladium resorts - in our case the Riviera property. If you click on my name you can read my trip report for more details. As far as ruins, again I would say it depends on the age of your kids. Tulum is nice because it's a short trip and it's got a nice ocean setting. It also can be seen in a morning, so you don't spend a lot of time travelling there. However, you can't get right up to the ruins anymore. They are roped off. Coba is a jungle setting and it's less excavated than Tulum or Chichen Itza. I really enjoyed the remote feeling and the natural beauty there. I'm not sure if you still are allowed to climb the tall pyramid, but when we were there you could. Chichen Itza is amazing as far as a ruin site. It's very large and very excavated. The large pyramid is what you think of when you think of the Mayan ruins. You can no longer climb it though. But it's a long trip there and back, so for kids it will make a very long day. The history there is fascinating and in our experience, we had the most detailed "story telling" as far as guides went when we visited there. But it's wide out in the open and it will be VERY hot in August! If you go, bring lots of water!

As KVR mentioned, Xel-Ha and Xcaret are great places, especially for families. My kids (and both my husband and I) enjoyed our time there. You can even combine Xel-Ha and Tulum into one day.

Yes, August is hot, but we have never found it to be too unbearable. We try to find resorts that do have a/c in the dinner restaurants and buffets (the Palladium complex does). And we do always travel with trip insurance, regardless of hurricane season or not.

We found with our kids, they preferred to spend a day doing an excursion and then a day back at the resort. Alternating days worked well with them. The AI resorts offered them plenty to do, and that was without them participating in the kid camps. Just the beaches and pools alone. The Palladium has really great snorkeling right off their beach so we never needed to consider a snorkeling excursion which was great!

jamie99

Well, there are no AIs in Tulum - despite the name, Dreams Tulum is actually 5 miles north of Tulum.

The only AI in Akumal proper is the Akumal Beach Resort, stayed there once and it was very nice, they have apparently improved the food a lot and renovated a lot of the rooms in the superior buildings.

Grand Palladium gets very good reviews but it is not in Akumal proper, rather a ten minute cab ride away.

suze

If you look at the area around Playa del Carmen, you'll have a LOT more choices for AI resorts and still be a convenient location for what you want to see and do in Akumal and Tulum.

Mother2012

Thank u very much for all the helpful suggestions. We are traveling in a group of two families with kids in the range of 8-13 years old. Hope that helps to suggest the activities.

Unfortunately end of August is the only time that works for us. Comments made by KVR is getting us worried about the hurricane. Do other fellow travelers have the same opinion? What is the best time travel to that area?

hopefulist

I travel to N. Central America and (in 2010) Yucatán summer after summer and we've never had a vacation ruined by a hurricane or tropical storm. Though a time or 2 we've had heavy rain for a few days in a row - unusual - we've overall found it to be a great time to visit. Heading back in July/August for 3 weeks in Guatemala and 3 in Belize - yay!

ShellD

Like hopefulist, my family has traveled to Central America, mainly Mexico in the summer - ranging from July through August for many years. With kids in school, and also the better prices, it just has made sense for us. We've never had an issue with hurricanes - not that it can't happen, but we've been lucky. I've actually been more concerned when travelling in the winter - that we'd have flights cancelled due to snow storms!

I'd say go for it, get trip insurance and enjoy!

zootsi

In general, Akumal is more 'kid friendly' - the water is calm, and there is a family atmosphere. Tulum has a rough surf although the beach is very beautiful. If you are open to a non AI hotel, the Akumal Carribe is right on a gorgeous beach, and is about 500' from a great beachfront restaurant. As others have said the only AI in Akumal is the Akumal Beach Resort, just next door to the Akumal Carribe. Neither of these places are over the top posh resorts with manicured lawns and huge pools. They are just very relaxing and comfortable hotels on a fabulous beach.

Mother2012

We are looking to stay in Grand Palladium and Dreams Tulum. But I am a bit confused about its location. I understand that Dreams is in Tulum but not sure about location for GP. On the map it is not in Akumal. We are looking for Akumal area based on the suggestions and the options for snorkeling and turtles. Is GP a best option for that?

Are there areas open for snorkeling and turtles just off the beach near GP?

RAC

Dreams Tulum is not in Tulum itself, but is north of Tulum.

You will not find a big all-inclusive resort near turtle beaches. Big all-inclusive resorts scare turtles away--they only go where there is less development.

You can stay virtually anywhere on the Riviera Maya and visit the beaches of Tulum and Akumal.

jamie99

Grand Palladium is not on Akumal Beach proper but about a 10 minute cab ride away. It gets good reviews and looks like a nice place (I like the no reservations and unlimited a la carte restaurant thing they have but have never stayed there myself).

Also Dreams Tulum is not in Tulum proper, about 5 miles north.

zootsi

Go to locogringo.com to get lots of helpful info on this area including aerial photos of the whole coast, tagging all the resorts. Akumal Bay is the place for snorkeling from the beach. The only AI on Akumal bay is Akumal Beach Resort. The big AI's in the area bring busloads of their guests over to Akumal Bay to snorkel.

Katie2Travel

If you are looking for a learning vacation, Instituto Chac-Mool Spanish School has a school in the town of Tulum now. http://www.tulumspanishschool.com They have programs for kids too in the summer.