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Riviera Maya / ruins help needed ....
In honor of DH?s birthday in 2013, I have us booked on the Carnival Dream in May 2013 with the stops in Belize, Honduras, Costa Maya and Cozumel. This is all great and we are looking forward to it BUT the ruins DH will get to explore (the whole purpose of this trip) are just a portion of what he wants to see. DH has wanted to explore the Mayan Ruins for years. So ?.. I am looking to book a trip to Riviera Maya for September 2013 for 6 nights. Couple of questions:
1. Ruins I expect we will visit: Tulum, Chitchen Itza, Coba and Ek Balm. Is this over kill? I am making a strong assumption here that the Riviera Maya ruins are going to be different than the ones he will get to see in Costa Maya and Honduras?
2. I seriously need help with a hotel. I am on over-load with looking at hotels. Definitely want adult only, all inclusive. Would like something with good food and drinks but do not want to break the bank either. We already did a good bank hit with our 2 week Mediterranean trip this year.
3. Budget for trip is about $4,000 to include airfare from LAS, hotel and all excursions (estimating about $200/excursion total).
Thanks for any and all help! Overload central going on here ?.
Re: Riviera Maya / ruins help needed ....
1. I think it's doable in 6 days. Have been to all except Ek Balam, so not sure how long it takes to see them or to get there. You should be able to do Coba and Tulum in the same day, but CI is an all day trip. Don't know how these ruins compare to CM and Honduras. I would recommend hiring the guide, especially at CI, to get the most out of the experience. There's also some ruins on Cozumel, they were closed by the time we got there but I don't think they are too big. There's so many other things to do in RM as well, cenotes, snorkeling, diving, fishing, the eco parks (I'm drawing a blank on their names), and just relaxing on the beach.
2. I haven't stayed there, but the Royal Playa del Carmen gets great reviews. Some of the AIs are in the middle of nowhere, but this one is right smack downtown PDC, on the beach. There's also one in Cancun. We have stayed at a small boutique hotel in PDC called La Tortuga, it's not AI (breakfast was included), it is adults only and a block off 5th Ave so there's tons of shops, restaurants, bars just a block away. The onsite restaurant was great as well. Tulum is a little further south, a lot quieter than PDC. Ali will know more about these resorts and places to stay.
3. I think the budget is realistic. We usually spend quite a bit less than that for a week, but we stay at small non AI boutique hotels.
also with a budget of 4k you should probably assume that up to 1400 airfare is reasonable as it's really really up this year. we usually pay about 400-450 (fr the last 6 years or so. this year is 675. same dates, same non-stop jfk to cun). i'd put aside another 600 (that's 3 ruin sites at 100/each-dont forget to tip your guide-they're excellent!! )for excursions if you really want to see THAT much. you're left with 2k. depending on when you go you might be able to spend a week. i know that the one we stayed at a few years ago was over $400 a night.
Thanks for the insight. I am looking at the week of Labor Day in hopes that all the kids have gone home and it is fairly quiet. The best airfare I have been able to find right now is on Spirit which I am not sure I want to fly.
Decisions and choices ....
meh-hurricane season and holiday week, hot and humid. one of the cheapter times to go but i'm not sure i'd want to head into the jungle (which is FAR more humid and hot) than at the beach then. when i was there in december it was 110 at chichen itza and really really sticky at 9am. 80 by the pool.
i'd also avoid spirit. if you can get jetblue or american is having the best fares now i'd fly them over sprit because of their carry on and luggage fees. jmho.
i'm not sure about the royal PDC. i haven't stayed there. have you checked tripadvisor for room comparisons?
Great point Ali about the humidity! DH and I both lived through hurricanes in Florida all our lives so that was not a big concern to us, but the humidity is!!! Go figure. Maybe I will defer trip to week after Thanksgiving instead. Hmm ....
I have been on tripadvisor and nothing regarding the real differences at Royal PDC. Still digging though.
Spirit is definitely NOT my first choice of carrier. As US Air has the best flights from Vegas, that would be my preference as I do not want to go east coast to come back half way west coast. It is time that I put in a flight watch and see what happens.
LOL the humidity is the worst
dh and i are in cancun and RM every year the first and 2nd week of december (we have a timeshare one week and either stay there or another resort for the other week). it's a far better choice weather wise imo. (we were there memorial week this year and i was really ready to get home. 100 and 95% humidity every day. just not my favorite. at all.) also since it's after thanksgiving and before the holidays there are no school vacays so it's not crowded and the weather is great (generally). we've had some rainy days but usually just one or two here and there. otherwise it's about 85 and not very humid.
RPDC always gets great reviews. i think you'll be fine no matter which room grade you choose you'll be fine. i haven't had the opportunity to stay there but i've never heard a bad word about it.
Thanks ali!!! I spent hours last night digging around and am calling Classic Vacations this morning as here is my current thought:
1. Fly LAS to Merida to spend 3 nights and do CI and Uxmal.
2. Transport to PDC for 3 nights and do Tulum and Ek Balm with beach days.
3. Fly back to LAS from CUN.
I did find that Starwood has some great hotels in the Merida area so that is an option. Flight costs were only about $50 more (that is last night) for the difference in flights between RT to CUN and the flight LAS-MER-CUN-LAS. Yes, I know, this is obviously subject to change
Thanks for all the help .... definitely considering the week after Thanksgiving now.
CI is more easily reached from PDC-just so you know. Uxmal has been on my radar for a LONG time. you have to come back and post about it. ek balam was a fave of mine. it's a recent discovery, only partially excavated and is super fun and pretty far off of the regular tourist ruin map (so far). i LOVED LOVED LOVED it!!
merida is a lovely city. my mother and grandmother have gone and really really enjoyed it.
i recently booked our new years week (see siggy) through allinclusiveoutlet.com and they had a spectacular rate for the resort i wanted. it also includes airport transfers (shared but better than nothing as the resort is far). they've been super to work with so if you're looking for an alternate they might be a good one.
sounds like you have the start of an AWESOME trip planned-glad i could help
So now my thoughts are really going. In looking at a map, I would have thought it would be easier to get to Chichen Itza from Merida versus PDC. My only concern, as I do not want to necessarily rent a car one way due to the additional fees, is how we would get from Merida to PDC. Any thoughts?
I think if we are going to make the trip to the Yucatan, we need to explore Uxmal as well as CI and Tulum/EB.
Decisions .... and thank you for being such a great help. If you do not mind, where are you staying in December?
sure:) i wouldn't rent a car and drive either. i'd contact the hotel in merida or the one in RM when you decide and ask them if they can provide you with a reputable transportation company. they will be able to-be it a cab or a van or whatever.
in december for christmas week we're staying at our timeshare, the royal islander in cancun adn then for new years week we're going down towards tulum to the royal suites yucatan which is the adults only, very small exclusive part of the palladium resorts (there are 4 huge ones attached to ours) complex. we have full run of all 4, but our part is private for only the royal suites guests. private pool, beach, restaurant etc...