TRAVELOGUE: Riviera Maya, wonderful last week of 2010
Jan 8th, 2011, 10:03 PM
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TRAVELOGUE: Riviera Maya, wonderful last week of 2010
Hi, all -
I'm feeling ornery so I'm posting this again with Riviera Maya instead of Quintana Roo in the title to see if more people will notice.
____________________________________
My husband Mike and I joined our daughter Mariah and her husband Greg for a quick visit to Quintana Roo, Mexico from December 26, 2010 to January 2nd, 2011; they have major timeshare points and the resort was on them. I'm comfortable in Mexico but staying in a mega resort - Mayan Palace Riviera Maya http://mayanpalace.com/mayan-palace/riviera-maya/ - was a new experience for us and a bit of a culture shock. I prefer homestays and small boutique or locals places, but the price was right (free) and the company couldn't have been better. I'm also used to having a month or more instead of a week but it seemed surprisingly full and restful - good to know!
We rented a car at the airport from Hertz (deal through Hotwire before the trip, ~$20/day) and divided our time between the resort (which was really beautiful in a could-be-anyplace-in-the-world way) and adventures afield.
At the resort you either pay your dues walking (preferred) along nice jungly sidewalks or wait for the circulating shuttles to take you to other parts of the resort. It includes a nice (though a bit rocky) stretch of beach, one of the largest pool complexes anywhere, a crocodile place, a flamingo place, lots of restaurants, a bit of shopping, and an 18 hole golf course - Mangler - designed by Jack Nicholas.
We had considered hiring a guide outfit (had researched Alltournative http://www.alltournative.com and Edventures http://www.edventuretours.com.mx) for a ruins/adventure day trip but chose to just head out on our own in our little rental car - perfect! A highlight was our visit to the Jungle Place Spider Monkey Sanctuary http://www.thejungleplace.com/ in Chemuyil (just north of Tulum, $50/pp, book in advance). We snorkeled in Turtle Bay in Akumal with lots of sea turtles and out to the reef (interesting fish but not very diverse in terms of coral and gorgonians), visited the ruins of Tulum and Cobá (51 pesos or about $5/pp each), ate and drank at some great local spots (see blog), and shopped at produce stands and stores in Tulum and Playa del Carmen since we prepared most of our own meals in our suite. We also snorkeled in the reserve at Puerto Morelos, cute little town. You can just walk up to the dock and hire guys from the local fisherman's coop to take you to the reef. I'd read it was $25/pp + $2 reef reserve fee but our guys offered $18/pp including the reef fee for 1.5 hours with stops in 2 places, nice little boat with a cover. The snorkeling was very good - lots of coral and gorgonian variety, the usual cast of fish characters in smallish schools, lots of juveniles, and some nice big fish - ocean triggerfish, midnight parrotfish, huge snapper, and nassau grouper.
As with our June visit, the Cando Maps/Guides http://cancunmap.com/ were incredibly valuable for everything from lodging and tours to the best ice cream to directions to and around the ruins. We had no health or safety issues and the weather was wonderful: low 70's early in the week to mid 80's by week's end. I got a few bites on my ankles as we waited for our departure shuttle to the airport, otherwise no bugs. Our only mild frustration was waiting in line to check in at the US Airways counter for more than an hour and a half; gratefully the security lines were speedy and we had no trouble making our flight.
You can find the photo collection here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections . You can take a peek at the blog which is linked on the main page of that collection or just start at the beginning and then scroll to the bottom and hit "Newer Post" each time: http://2010latinamericaadventures.bl...i-and-our.html
I think you'll see from the photos that we had a wonderful, memorable, varied time. We packed in quite a lot but managed plenty of down time for leisurely meals, sleeping in, and enjoying each other and the sun. Let me know if I can answer questions. Happy trails!
I'm feeling ornery so I'm posting this again with Riviera Maya instead of Quintana Roo in the title to see if more people will notice.
____________________________________
My husband Mike and I joined our daughter Mariah and her husband Greg for a quick visit to Quintana Roo, Mexico from December 26, 2010 to January 2nd, 2011; they have major timeshare points and the resort was on them. I'm comfortable in Mexico but staying in a mega resort - Mayan Palace Riviera Maya http://mayanpalace.com/mayan-palace/riviera-maya/ - was a new experience for us and a bit of a culture shock. I prefer homestays and small boutique or locals places, but the price was right (free) and the company couldn't have been better. I'm also used to having a month or more instead of a week but it seemed surprisingly full and restful - good to know!
We rented a car at the airport from Hertz (deal through Hotwire before the trip, ~$20/day) and divided our time between the resort (which was really beautiful in a could-be-anyplace-in-the-world way) and adventures afield.
At the resort you either pay your dues walking (preferred) along nice jungly sidewalks or wait for the circulating shuttles to take you to other parts of the resort. It includes a nice (though a bit rocky) stretch of beach, one of the largest pool complexes anywhere, a crocodile place, a flamingo place, lots of restaurants, a bit of shopping, and an 18 hole golf course - Mangler - designed by Jack Nicholas.
We had considered hiring a guide outfit (had researched Alltournative http://www.alltournative.com and Edventures http://www.edventuretours.com.mx) for a ruins/adventure day trip but chose to just head out on our own in our little rental car - perfect! A highlight was our visit to the Jungle Place Spider Monkey Sanctuary http://www.thejungleplace.com/ in Chemuyil (just north of Tulum, $50/pp, book in advance). We snorkeled in Turtle Bay in Akumal with lots of sea turtles and out to the reef (interesting fish but not very diverse in terms of coral and gorgonians), visited the ruins of Tulum and Cobá (51 pesos or about $5/pp each), ate and drank at some great local spots (see blog), and shopped at produce stands and stores in Tulum and Playa del Carmen since we prepared most of our own meals in our suite. We also snorkeled in the reserve at Puerto Morelos, cute little town. You can just walk up to the dock and hire guys from the local fisherman's coop to take you to the reef. I'd read it was $25/pp + $2 reef reserve fee but our guys offered $18/pp including the reef fee for 1.5 hours with stops in 2 places, nice little boat with a cover. The snorkeling was very good - lots of coral and gorgonian variety, the usual cast of fish characters in smallish schools, lots of juveniles, and some nice big fish - ocean triggerfish, midnight parrotfish, huge snapper, and nassau grouper.
As with our June visit, the Cando Maps/Guides http://cancunmap.com/ were incredibly valuable for everything from lodging and tours to the best ice cream to directions to and around the ruins. We had no health or safety issues and the weather was wonderful: low 70's early in the week to mid 80's by week's end. I got a few bites on my ankles as we waited for our departure shuttle to the airport, otherwise no bugs. Our only mild frustration was waiting in line to check in at the US Airways counter for more than an hour and a half; gratefully the security lines were speedy and we had no trouble making our flight.
You can find the photo collection here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections . You can take a peek at the blog which is linked on the main page of that collection or just start at the beginning and then scroll to the bottom and hit "Newer Post" each time: http://2010latinamericaadventures.bl...i-and-our.html
I think you'll see from the photos that we had a wonderful, memorable, varied time. We packed in quite a lot but managed plenty of down time for leisurely meals, sleeping in, and enjoying each other and the sun. Let me know if I can answer questions. Happy trails!
Jan 10th, 2011, 02:04 PM
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Have you checked out the blog? You'll find photos and additional information about all of the above. The Jungle Place is a spider monkey sanctuary. You get to sit in the cage with the monkeys and they sort through the food you have (provided for you) to pick their favorites, poke around in your pockets, cuddle on your lap - pretty amazing. The owners take photos with your camera the whole time; we had 2 cameras and they took more than 400 photos! They have 18 monkeys there, mostly ones that were abused or didn't work out as pets and can't be returned to the wild.
Let me know if there's anything more I can do - happy trails!
Let me know if there's anything more I can do - happy trails!
Jan 11th, 2011, 07:09 AM
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I did read your blog and looked at your amazing photos.Thanks for posting them. We will be going to Coba on our own. Did you hire a guide and/or rent bicycles? How long did you stay?You got some beautiful snorkeling photos. We weren't planning on visiting Puerto Morelos, but are interested after your trip report.
Jan 11th, 2011, 08:18 AM
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rpowell,
I've also been to The Jungle Place, and it was a big highlight for us! It was a very personal sort of experience that you just don't come across very often and the owners truly care for their animals.
I can also chime in about Coba - definitely hire a guide/tricycle. You will be pedaled around the ruins, with time to stop and explore, and the guys are very friendly and informative.
Some pics here, if you'e interested (you don't have to be on FB): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...&id=1014725928
Hope this helps! Have fun planning.
I've also been to The Jungle Place, and it was a big highlight for us! It was a very personal sort of experience that you just don't come across very often and the owners truly care for their animals.
I can also chime in about Coba - definitely hire a guide/tricycle. You will be pedaled around the ruins, with time to stop and explore, and the guys are very friendly and informative.
Some pics here, if you'e interested (you don't have to be on FB): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...&id=1014725928
Hope this helps! Have fun planning.
Jan 11th, 2011, 02:12 PM
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At Cobá we decided to walk for the exercise (back home all 4 of us work out most days) but I'd rent bikes another time just for the joy of it. We were a little concerned about leaving them when we were climbing pyramids and exploring off the path but there are guys posted at the bike-leaving places so that wouldn't have been a problem.
We spent just over an hour and a half in Cobá - just enough time to walk up and down and around the structures at all 3 main areas including the massive temple. As you know from reading the blog we had started that morning at Tulum as it opened, then had a nice breakfast at a locals spot in Tulum Pueblo before driving to Cobá; it was pushing noon when we got there and we were surprised by how many people were there. Last summer we hit Tulum and Chichen Itza as they opened and Ek Balam mid day and practically had all 3 to ourselves. Tikal early morning and evening, the sites we've visited in Belize - hardly anyone else around. In other words, we're spoiled and it was a little startling to have so many people in our photos. ;-)
In addition to the Jungle Place photos in the Riviera Maya collection, here's a link to a set of more than 200 photos (weeded down from more than 400!) that were taken there. There were 5 other people there when we were; Heidi and Joel took photos of everyone with everyone's cameras and we exchanged email addresses. This is how I chose to share the images from our 2 cameras; I haven't heard from the others yet.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyh...7625750972710/
I'd highly recommend Puerto Morelos for snorkeling and just hanging out; we'll consider staying there when we head that way again. We usually just make one trip per year and I go to Guatemala every year (usually combined with Honduras or Belize for blue water time) so I'm not sure when I'll get back that way. Happy trails!
We spent just over an hour and a half in Cobá - just enough time to walk up and down and around the structures at all 3 main areas including the massive temple. As you know from reading the blog we had started that morning at Tulum as it opened, then had a nice breakfast at a locals spot in Tulum Pueblo before driving to Cobá; it was pushing noon when we got there and we were surprised by how many people were there. Last summer we hit Tulum and Chichen Itza as they opened and Ek Balam mid day and practically had all 3 to ourselves. Tikal early morning and evening, the sites we've visited in Belize - hardly anyone else around. In other words, we're spoiled and it was a little startling to have so many people in our photos. ;-)
In addition to the Jungle Place photos in the Riviera Maya collection, here's a link to a set of more than 200 photos (weeded down from more than 400!) that were taken there. There were 5 other people there when we were; Heidi and Joel took photos of everyone with everyone's cameras and we exchanged email addresses. This is how I chose to share the images from our 2 cameras; I haven't heard from the others yet.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyh...7625750972710/
I'd highly recommend Puerto Morelos for snorkeling and just hanging out; we'll consider staying there when we head that way again. We usually just make one trip per year and I go to Guatemala every year (usually combined with Honduras or Belize for blue water time) so I'm not sure when I'll get back that way. Happy trails!
Jan 14th, 2011, 04:29 PM
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It's warmed up a bit today but we've had ice and snow since we got home and it was in the teens while we were gone. The day we flew home we went from 85 degrees to 25 degrees with no coats - that's denial for you!
Jan 26th, 2011, 12:20 PM
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We just got back from the Barcelo in Riviera Maya. We found so much to do at the resort that we didn't get out as much as we thought. (5 day trip) We did go to Coba. We took the local bus, hired a guide, and did the ruins on foot. Luckily we had some cloud cover, so the heat wasn't bad. The hike up the temple was quite easy. We were going to rent bikes, but the guide more or less talked us out of it. I would highly recommend the bikes to others because there were many trails we wished we could have explored. We took a taxi back to Tulum and a collectivo "home".
We also explored the El Eden cenote which was an easy walk from our resort. It was a beautiful spot, but not much for snorkeling. The weather was in the low 80s and partly cloudy. Very pleasant. Now, we're back to the snow with warm memories.
We also explored the El Eden cenote which was an easy walk from our resort. It was a beautiful spot, but not much for snorkeling. The weather was in the low 80s and partly cloudy. Very pleasant. Now, we're back to the snow with warm memories.
Feb 11th, 2011, 04:23 AM
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Hi Hopeful! I was so excited to find your report and pics!! Have not been on Fodors in quite some time. But we are headed to Playa and I was getting a bit antsy about things to do other than, eat, drink and beach! This AM I decided to check for trip reports on Fodors, and was so excited to find one from a remembered trusted resource!!We have not been to Mexico in 10 years! Nor on a vaca in 4 yrs, life just kept getting in the way. My hubby came in a few weeks ago and said "let's go somewhere we can get away for about a week", which gave me about a week to get it planned!!! First I checked airfare to our favs in Central America, quickly decided that Mexico was going to be our best option for a short week trip. So we have settled on a small place in town called Hotel Aventura Mexicana just a block off 5th and maybe a couple blocks to the beach. But then I began to worry that hubby was going to be bored - not a beach person. Your pics have given me perfect ideas! Thank you so much!
Feb 11th, 2011, 04:47 AM
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In addition to this one we spent 2 weeks in the Yucatán last summer. Have you seen that travelogue? Use my flickr link in the post above and click on the Yucatán collection for photos, blog, and travelogue. Have a wonderful trip!
