Playa Del Carmen money

[talisman]

I would also do the tour of Chichen Itza while you're there. Just use your hotel to book the tour. It's badass.

[BP]

I would also do the tour of Chichen Itza while you're there. Just use your hotel to book the tour. It's badass.

Or Uxmal, way fewer locals begging for money there.

[KBScobravert]

Or Uxmal, way fewer locals begging for money there.

The Tulum ruins were great too. We drove ourselves there (30km south from our hotel in Tulum) and paid for the guided tour. Jose our guide was a wealth of information. It was not just canned recited blurbs cause I hit him up with tons of questions and he never faltered. Good luck finding the same Jose though.

The Tulum ruins are the ones built on the cliff overlooking the ocean, for reference.

[Leah]

If you're doing tours, I have a few recommendations. I've been to that area (Playa) between 8-10 times so I've pretty much done all the ones that interest me. The 'musts' are:

Chichen Itza with cenote tour
Xel-Ha (over Xcaret)-get the all-inclusive drinks with it.
Delphinius (to swim with the dolphins-get the semi-private group)


Others I like, but not crucial to that location:
4x4 and speed boat tour (ride 4-wheelers through the jungle, then drive a small speedboat around in the ocean)

Snorkel and beach party

Have a blast-it's amazing down there.

[Tyrone Biggums]

The 'musts' are:

Xel-Ha (over Xcaret)-get the all-inclusive drinks with it.
Delphinius (to swim with the dolphins-get the semi-private group)

Agreed.

[Chili]

If you're doing tours, I have a few recommendations. I've been to that area (Playa) between 8-10 times so I've pretty much done all the ones that interest me. The 'musts' are:

Chichen Itza with cenote tour
Xel-Ha (over Xcaret)-get the all-inclusive drinks with it.
Delphinius (to swim with the dolphins-get the semi-private group)


Others I like, but not crucial to that location:
4x4 and speed boat tour (ride 4-wheelers through the jungle, then drive a small speedboat around in the ocean)

Snorkel and beach party

Have a blast-it's amazing down there.

It probably goes without saying, but I agree 100%.

The Delphinus thing was incredible btw.. The cost is nominal when you consider the experience you get. I think it was less than $50 per person. You're in the water in a group of 5 or 6 people total, and spend a good 30 minutes interacting with multiple dolphins. Including what they refer to as "push-push" where the dolphins push the participants from their feet so that they hydroplane on the water. It's hard to explain, but very cool.

A bunch of cool photo ops too, like the dolphins doing arial flips over you in the water.

[Chili]

Just to give you an idea on the Delphinus thing, here are a couple of pics of the kids:





Doing the "push-push":

[01-GATOR]

Those are some cool pics Chili.

I have never been to Playa but it sounds like a real good place to take the family.

[GeorgeG.]

thanks for all of the suggestions/tips. They'll definitely come in handy. While I'd like to go see the Mayan temples, I have this fear of leaving the resort and being kidnapped by gorillas...so with that being said, I'm not sure what we'll end up doing

Chili, Leah, were those recent trips or several years back before the Mexican cartel was chopping bodies up and stuffing them in barrels?

[46Tbird]

The only "real" source of income that Mexico has is the hospitality industry, so tourist areas and activities are very well-protected. Don't sit inside your hotel room, too scared to get out. Go see the place - it's beautiful and fun.

Is this turning into a "what to do there" thread? Because I also have some suggestions.

[Chili]

thanks for all of the suggestions/tips. They'll definitely come in handy. While I'd like to go see the Mayan temples, I have this fear of leaving the resort and being kidnapped by gorillas...so with that being said, I'm not sure what we'll end up doing

Chili, Leah, were those recent trips or several years back before the Mexican cartel was chopping bodies up and stuffing them in barrels?

Those pics are from May of 2012.

As Danny said, the resort areas are generally much safer than most places in Mexico, and I would not hesitate going back. The whole area has a large military / federal police presence, including checkpoints and such.

I mean, I probably wouldn't go walking the streets alone after dark, but taking an organized tour in a bus is completely different.

[talisman]

Those pics are from May of 2012.

As Danny said, the resort areas are generally much safer than most places in Mexico, and I would not hesitate going back. The whole area has a large military / federal police presence, including checkpoints and such.

I mean, I probably wouldn't go walking the streets alone after dark, but taking an organized tour in a bus is completely different.

I walked from Senor Frogs back to the Riu at midnight by myself in Cancun. The only person who hassled me was a cab driver wanting me to pay him ten bucks to drive me to the hotel, which I could see the front of, 2 blocks away. I offered him 5 and the dumbass refused to do it, despite it being a ghost town.

[BP]

As Danny said, the resort areas are generally much safer than most places in Mexico, and I would not hesitate going back. The whole area has a large military / federal police presence, including checkpoints and such.

Not just Mexican military either, there are loads of US Navy and Coast Guard in the area at any given time.

[aggie97]

US currency is widely used, but they will try to give you change in pesos. know the exchange rate and haggle like a Boss. It's amazing how much they will cut prices on stuff because there is always a vendor 30' away selling the same exact crap.

[GeorgeG.]

thanks for all the suggestions...we fly out first thing in the morning. We're pretty excited! Later!!