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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Playa Del Carmen
Morning, ladies! I'll be heading to the Paradisus resort in Playa Del Carmen with my husband later this month for our "babymoon." I will be 6 months pregnant, so not really up for anything too strenuous, but I'm wondering if there are any "low-key" day trips in the area that are not to be missed? My husband is definitely not the "sit by the pool and relax" type, so he'll play golf a few mornings, but I would be up for a short trip or two for some snorkeling or something else fairly easy nearby. Any suggestions?
Also- has anyone been to the Paradisus resort? Thoughts??
TIA!
August 2012's May Siggy challenge: Favorite TV mom:
Re: Playa Del Carmen
Are you going by yourself while your husband plays golf? The ruins at Tulum are pretty close. The ruins at Coba are a bit further, but not too far. Chichen Itza is a day trip, it's several hours away.
You could also take the ferry to Cozumel and walk around the downtown area or snorkel over there.
My husband will tee off very early (around 6am) and be home by the time I am waking up. Yes, he's fully crazy. So, no, I won't be alone for any excursions.
I thought about the ruins, but I'm concerned that they may be a bit strenuous at 6 months pregnant. Cozumel is a good idea for snorkeling- that seems pretty low key.
The Ruins at Tulum are not strenuous at all--if you can walk you can do the ruins. There are a couple of hills, but there is also a train/bus/trolly like thing you can take so you do minimal walking. There is a beach there that is to die for.
Cozumel is also fantastic--if you go, take a cab to Chankanaab. It is a park that has FANTASTIC snorkeling. Cozumel is fantastic!
Have fun!
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Ditto pp on the ruins at Tulum, you won't have a problem there with walking around, it's not strenuous at all. You MUST go down to the beach there, it's one of the most gorgeous beaches I've ever seen!
Also ditto Chankanaab Park in Cozumel, we really liked it there, nice beaches to relax on, snorkeling, some little ruins, wildlife, dolphins. It's a great place to hang out at while in Cozumel.
Before hitting up Cozumel though, I highly recommend going to Xel-Ha (www.xelha.com) and/or Xcaret (www.xcaret.com) parks. We spent a full day at each, and had a total blast. Xel-Ha was our fave, loved snorkeling in the shallow lagoons, and tubing down the river (very slow, I actually fell asleep, that's how relaxing it was...lol). Plus Xel-Ha includes all your meals and drinks for the day.
We are getting married later this year in Playa del Carmen and have the following sightseeing information listed on our wedding website for our guests:
Playa del Carmen:
This lovely town is located just a five minute cab ride from our hotel. It's main pedestrian and commercial street is Quinta Avenida(5th Avenue) which stretches more than 20 blocks and contains restaurants, bars, and lots of shopping.
Cozumel:
The largest island in Mexico. You can take a ferry from 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen to reach the island, which is known for its scuba diving and snorkeling.
Chichen Itza:
One of the most widely recognized and heavily visited archaeological sites in the world, the Mayan ruins of this World Heritage site are remarkable for both their size and scope. If you only participate in one excursion off of the resort, this is the one we recommend. We will likely be taking a tour through a company called Mayans' Explorers, which in addition to Chichen Itza, will take us to another archaeological site called Ek Balam (where we can actually climb one of the temples), a stop in the colonial town of Valladolid, lunch, and a visit to a cenote for a swim. This is an all-day tour with transportation included from our hotel.
Tulum:
Ancient Mayan ruins that are perched dramatically on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean. There are multiple tour companies that can take you to Tulum including Mayans' Explorers and Yuca Treks. Both companies are very highly rated on Trip Advisor.
Coba:
A large ruined city of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization that contains ancient Mayan pyramids, one of which, you are still allowed to climb. As with Tulum, there are multiple tour companys that can take you to Coba including Mayans' Explorers and Yuca Treks.
Horseback riding with Rancho Baaxal:
This ranch is located 15 minutes north of Playa del Carmen and offers horseback riding to small groups in the jungle along famed Maroma Beach. Jennifer participated in this tour in 2010 and had an amazing time riding a horse along the beach. Most importantly, the horses are humanely treated which isn't always the case in this part of the world.
Rio Secreto:
This combined walking and swimming tour takes you deep inside an underground river cave that is filled with thousands of dramatic stalactites and stalagmites. Jennifer also participated in this tour back in 2010 and found it one of the most impressive natural formations she has ever seen. Rio Secreto is only located about 3 miles SW of Playa del Carmen.
Xcaret:
Located just three miles south of Playa del Carmen, this mega eco-park offers water activities like snorkeling in underground rivers and swimming with dolphins. There is also up-close animal viewing of jaguars and pumas, a butterfly museum, an aquarium, a folk art museum, and shows featuring regional dances and music performances. Most visitors spend the entire day at the park as admission is good from 8:30-21:30. They offer a 10% discount if you purchase your tickets in advance on their website.
Xel-Ha: Similar in concept to Xcaret, Xel-Ha is located about 30 minutes south of Playa del Carmen and is the biggest natural aquarium in the world where one can enjoy activities such as snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, scuba diving, zip lining, and floating down a lazy river. The major difference between Xel-Ha and Xcaret is that the entrance to Xel-Ha is all inclusive, meaning that it includes all of your food and beverage. Xel-Ha also offers a 10% discount if you book in advance.
The Jungle Place:
Jennifer visited this amazing sanctuary for the endangered spider monkey in 2010. Visitors get an hour to play, feed, and snuggle with the monkeys. Interacting with the monkeys was one of the highlights of her trip. The sanctuary isn't the easiest place to reach (you'll likely have to take a combo of a bus ride and taxi ride OR rent a car) but I can assure you that the effort will be worth all of the hard work.
Zip Lining:
There are multiple companies throughout the Riviera Maya that offer zip lining. Two of the most highly recommended are Selvatica and Xplor. In addition to zip lining, both of these companies also offer ATV rides.
Speed boat tour:
This boat will race up to speeds of 70 MPH and take you up to the beach of Akumal, where you will be able to snorkel in three different areas. Lunch, non-alcoholic beverages, and snorkeling equipment are included in this four hour tour.
Cooking Classes:
There are numerous cooking classes offered throughout the Riviera Maya. Some of the more popular ones include The Little Mexican Cooking School, Cocina Cosmopolita Culinary School, Hacienda Maya,Food Motion Cooking Workshop. Jennifer will likely end up selecting one of these classes to participate in, so if anyone else is interested please let her know!
Parasailing:
There are several companies that offer parasailing up and down the beach of Playa del Carmen. The price range is usually $60-$65 but we have read that you can barter with the pricing and can usually pay around $50 if business is slow.
L'isle Sur la Sorgue, Provence
Even with Dramamine I threw up multiple times on that ferry. It is the worst.
Blog
Yep. Agree with this. I took Dramamine and barely made it.
I did stay at the Paradisus. A couple of weeks after it opened. We loved it - and honestly, didn't leave much (we were very, very lazy). We headed in to PDC twice and to Cozumel once. Meant to go to Xcaret but didn't (I've been before - many years ago - it's fun). As for the Paradisus - food was great, location is too far to walk to town, not a lot of activity in the water right there but the beach is nice. Pool was very cold - but it had just been filled when were there. We adored the breakfast buffet - especially the green juice and the chocolate croissants - heaven! I think most of the reviews on tripadvisor are pretty right on (the staff at the front desk was a little lacking when we were there - but they had JUST opened. Staff at the restaurants was wonderful).
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