Well the title pretty much says it all, I’ve been working for two years now and I’m going back to school next year. I figure its now or never for going on a trip, so I’m off to Cancun. I have never been to a resort before or anywhere tropical for that matter, so I figured I should consult my fellow dopers for some much needed do’s and don’ts!
First off, get the all inclusive package. Free food, free drinks anytime you want.
I’m not much of a partyer, so when I went, I didn’t hit the bars very much (except at the hotel. I liked the one in the pool the best)
If you like sightseeing, I recommend Chitzen Itza. The ruins are incredible. The climb up the pyramid is worth the trip.
Xcaret is popular, but I didn’t like it much.
Make sure you spend some time diving or at least snorkling.
Mike, Cancun is an artificial town, built by developers. You’re not really in Mexico, you’re in Taco Bell Mexico. It’s actually quite a nice locale, but do not expect to encounter any culture at all while you sun and consume alchohol.
If want to see some local history, please do check out the local Aztec ruins at Tulum and especially Chichin Itza. For the latter, I’d recommend an air tour, the ride through the jungle can be intense.
know that you are in mexico
Oh, man, you said it. The city of Cancun is just hideous. If I were dead set on going to that area of the world, I’d get a hotel in Playa del Carmen or Cozumel, both of which are much nicer and extremely nearby.
Don’t miss Chichen Itza. Also, it’s entirely possible that the beach at Tulum is the best beach on the planet.
Don’t drink the water?
Some good information posted over in this thread
Have a great time!
I go down to that area about 5-6 times a year and was just there this past weekend. If you want all-inclusive, resort style stuf then enjoy and I can’t help you a bit.
I agree w/ everyone that says Cancun is overdeveopled. You might as well be in Miami. Squeegee is right about Tulum. Fan F’ing tastic. I stayed at Maya Tulum this past weekend where they were having a Victoria’s Secret shoot. Tulum actually feels like Mexico. If you are into the not so commercialized, then I’d disgaree with Kyla Playa and Cozumel (and Isla Mujeres too) are a bit less commercialized than Cancun, but not by much. Puerto Aventuras is very cool if you want something in the middle. Beautiful with very wealthy folks and some more modest places. Casa Del Agua is great–it has only five rooms one of which has a stream running through it.
Try not to miss Sian Ka’an south of Tulum. It’s an international biosphere. The road is pretty damned bad right now though. Look at I think cesiak.org (it may bet net or com). You can get a tour through Sian’ Ka’an.
Don’t drink the water. Even at a resort. Drink only from bottles.
Never drink anything with an ice cube in it.
If you go to a restaurant, avoid lettuce and tomato (in tacos, salads, etc.)
Take a resort scuba diver course (takes about 3 hours) and go for a dive.
Swim with the dolphins at Isla Mujeres.
Note that you cannot, in fact, cun.
I first went to Cancun in university while hitchhiking across the Yucatan. I had very little money, and left Cancun quickly, deciding to go to Playa del Carmen and Merida (as well as Campeche and Belize). Cancun is very touristy, and most of the Mexicans who live there depend on the tourist trade.
Cancun has many nice hotels. If your idea of a good vacation is to lounge by the pool, enjoying nice views and a lot of booze, you will be very pleased with Cancun. It’s a good place to relax. It is a fun place to go with a group of people or for a romantic getaway. An all inclusive package certainly saves you money, but ties you more to the hotel.
Most of the hotels, in the Zona Hoteleria, are on a 20 kilometre spit of land southeast of the town of Cancun. The spit of land runs between a pleasant bay and the ocean. Save your taxi money, the bus comes every few minutes and costs six pesos. The bus goes downtown and past all the hotels. The distance between hotels is big, and many touristy restaurant chains and shopping malls reside between them.
Cancun has a pretty good nightlife, with some fun clubs like Daddy Boom, etc. If you shop, you will save money by buying things downtown. If you want something other than handicrafts, you might save money (on food, alcohol, medicines, basics) going to the Chetumai, Wal-Mart or Comercial Mexicana; but they probably don’t have the nice handicrafts you probably want. Mexico is a good place to buy nice sandals and leathergoods, medicine (you do NOT need a prescription or to see a doctor to buy medicine in Mexico), blankets, hammocks and very pretty crafts – but expect to pay much more in Cancun unless you are a very sharp bargainer; bargaining is expected in the flea markets. You are often told “a good bargaining tactic is to offer 50% of the original price”, but in fact this will still get you a bad deal at many places, who expect you to do this. Mexico is a good place to buy alcohol, but not a good place to buy (non-Mexican) cigars. If money is tight, shop around before buying any craft or clothing items.
Although I much prefer Merida (despite being robbed there), Cancun is a very pretty place with gorgeous beaches, very friendly locals, international food of mediocre quality and a fun place to crash for a week. Most people have a good time and come back again. It is very safe and clean by Mexican standards, but stick to bottled water (unless your hotel has agua purificando).
You should definitely go to Chichen Itza, and if you enjoy that you might also enjoy Coba. Isla de Mujeres and Cozumel are nice places to snorkel or scuba-dive.
There is a ton of stuff on the web on Cancun. I would be happy to try and answer specific questions, but there is a ton of stuff on the web. I last went to Cancun six weeks ago. I also highly recommend the Lonely Planet Guide to Mexico to give you a lot of insight into things to do, places to go, and Mexican customs and culture.
I just finished reading “The Long Goodbye”, by Raymond Chandler. He says something like, “No one is tougher than a tough Mexican, no one is more friendly than a friendly Mexican, and no one more honest than an honest Mexican.” He might be right.
fountain pop/soda counts as water…good lord, did I find that out the hard way!