Paging the holiday wonks

Mexico, in September (tail end of hurricane season - hurrah!)

Any recommendations? Budget for flights & a fortnight's accommodation is
only about 1200 quid per head because V's a pauper but she wants
somewhere nice.

 

Which part? It's quite a big place.

I've done "Riviera Maya" twice and thoroughly enjoyed it. Plenty to do
if you aren't a beach bum and plenty of beach if you are.

First time was with Riu hotels, second time was with Sandos - would go
back to either.

 

Funny tail end, given that hurricane season lasts until November 1st
and they've been spotted after that date, too.

 

Yucatan peninsula.

Noted, ta.

 

Stay away from Cancun itself, unless you like the American's idea of Ibiza.

Things to do:

Coba - Mayan ruins, closer and less crowded than a stinking bus journey
to Chichenitza.
Xel-Ha, Xcaret - Mayan water parks, check the websites.
Tulum - Smaller ruins, next to a fantastic white sand beach.

Quad biking in the brush/jungle.
Zip lining.
Cenote swimming

There's a company called Alltournative that are worth checking out.
Faultless service when we did a trip with them.

 

Cuidad Juarez.

 

Oh, that much I already know.


Was that the "Sandos Caracol Eco Resort and Spa" ?

I should be able to tick all of those off in a fortnight while she sits
on her arse on a beach.

I'll point her that way. Ta.

 

Sounds about right.

And the other was the Lupita, which is a bit out of the way, but there
are other Riu's in the area.

Both of them had the added benefit of not being populated by lots of
yanks or brits.

Ahh. In which case, it's not a bad place for a 'split' holiday.

 

heh.

 

One way ticket sufficient.

 

Is that fixed? There are plenty of other good places, but most will
have some Gringo influence. San Miguel de Allende in the mountains is
nice, and Todos Santos in southern Baja is much quieter than rowdy
Cabo and has great beaches.

 

There's a far choice of hotels in Cancun though. Just hire a motor and you'll
never need to stay in the place.

Apparently Chichen-Itza is the best of them all though. Couldn't confirm this
as I didn't have time to do the rest. Would have loved to have seen Tulum
though.

Driving over there is fine, unless you hit the roads that go through towns,
where you have speed bumps every five bloody seconds.

Done both of these. It's okay, I suppose. Check out www.selvatica.com.mx

Oh, I'd like to find a Cenote that isn't run by Mexicans for tourists.
Saying that, I found Mexicans really hospitable and friendly (outside of
the main tourist areas). The ones in the tourist areas bug you to buy stuff
(although not as much as Egyptians) and the ones in tourist restaurants are
just arse-lickers.

 

I hesitated a bit to answer, because although I spent a lot of time there
it was nearly twenty years ago. But I'll just say, to add to the other
comments:

- do see Cichen Itza, Coba, and Uxmal, if you're into Mayan stuff
- and Tulum too. Don't walk on the beach in bare feet, esp. near the
rocks. Vicious seeds with needles sticking out in all directions
- Merida is a really nice town.

I did scuba for the first time ever at Playa del Carmen, which was a
lovely little village with dirt streets in 1990, but I understand it's a
resort now.

 

If you can, scuba dive or snorkel in the Cenote. The water is so clear
it's spooky. But don't get a wet suit that has been pre-pissed in. You
only find out after they get wet and you get out of the water.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25701154@N04/4291487232/

 

I had a couple of days in Merida a few years back when I was waiting
to go offshore after a big hurricane had knocked **** out of the
region and I really liked it.

After Merida I flew down to Carmen del Sud to pick up the supply boat
out to the platform and the bastard flight was almost 5 hours because
it went around a load of small airfields dotted about the area like
some kind of a glorified taxi. Standing next to a small aircraft
smoking a tab as they re-fuel it is a truly Mexican experience that
everyone should go through at least once in their life.

Carmen was great because I was sitting in a half decent hotel drinking
beer by the pool every day until they gave us the go ahead to go out
to the platform so I was gutted the next time I went out there and we
crew changed from Venice LA rather than through Mexico because we were
put up in a truly shite motel where they wouldn't give receipts for
beer.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,

Cheap whores, eh?