Fun in the Sun

Quote: Don’t go to Cancun expecting a Mexican fishing village. Quaint it ain't!! Cancun is bold and brash, with something going on for all ages, at all times of the day or night.

The tourists here are usually of the charter package variety and often there for long weekends from Dallas or Houston. I have been here on three mini-vacations now and have a love/hate relationship with this manmade resort. I do not like how tacky Cancun is. I feel guilty for being in such an ethnic country that has a town purposely built for holiday makers such as myself. However, the endless white beaches and warm Caribbean air make me fall in love each time I go. Though the HOTEL ZONE is lacking in character, you will see a whole different side of Cancun if you dare to scratch the surface.

Did I mention the beaches? Well, the coastline runs for miles, so if you want peace and quiet and your beach is packed with tourists, I suggest you just keep walking on those powder-white sands until you find a quiet spot. These beaches are as pretty as you will find anywhere else in the Caribbean.

The clubs are great. Don’t expect class and sophistication. The clubs here are fun--think Jell-O shots, go-go dancers, glow sticks and promo girls.

Stay on the beach by day and go to the clubs by night for a purely hedonistic experience.

If you have the time and energy (and I highly recommend this, so drink lots of Red Bull), venture into the Cancun city, El Centro. This is the part of Cancun that, surprisingly, very few tourists visit. If you didn’t look for it, you could come here, as many do, and never even know it existed. Cancun is shaped in a big U, with the airport being one prong and the Centro being the other. The curve of the U is Cancun’s hotel zone, a very thin strip with the ocean one side and a lagoon the other.

There are trips you can take as a tour group, or if you want to save money, you can do it individually quite easily.

Some of the most amazing Mayan temples are very close by, and a ferry ride will take you to the laid-back islands of Cozumel or Isla de Mujeres for a different pace of life altogether.

Quick Tips:

* Depending on how rowdy you want the nightlife, be sure to check when the Americans take their spring break. This is usually through March and will mean CROWDS of partying teens.

* The clubs can be anywhere between - to get in, so send the girls off ahead to bargain the prices first! My friend and I would often stand separate from our men and get in free or heavily discounted.

* Grab a discount booklet from the airport taxi for some drink and dinner specials all over Cancun.

* Bargain for anything you buy; they expect you to in the markets and stores.

* Whenever I go into Mexico, I buy Retin A cream. They sell it in all the little pharmacies, and it’s about a fifth of the price you get in the U.S. I usually just get one or two. It's great face cream to get rid of all the wrinkles you will get from all that fun in the sun. I know of people who do this with other meds, like antibiotics, that are very expensive in America.

Best Way To Get Around:

The website worryfreevacations deals with the cheaper charter flights and packages from many U.S. cities to Cancun.

The shuttle bus runs along the Cancun hotel zone and into the Centro. It’s cheap and cheerful--just 60 cents anywhere you want to go. No air-conditioning, but it doesn’t matter, as no distance is too long. There are also local buses from the airport if you don’t have a hotel shuttle provided. You have to leave the airport and walk towards Cancun a few feet to find the stop. This is just , compared to the more expensive shuttle. Though U.S. dollars are widely accepted, don't try using them on the buses.

Ferries run to Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, and again, it's cheaper than doing an organized trip.

Depending on where your hotel is, it can be easy to walk, but beware the heat of the day, and if you've been in the ocean, those damp swimsuits can rub!

Quote: The last time we came to Cancun was with party friends, so we planned on staying as close to the action as possible. That’s what NH Krystal hotel is all about: location, location, location. It has its own disco called Christine’s and is on the northern corner as the road in Cancun turns up towards El Centro. It’s by the convention centre, just steps away from the Bulldog Club, Coco Bongo, The City, Daddy O’s, etc., and within easy staggering distance after a night on the town.

When booked separately, this hotel can be between $100 and $180 a night depending on the time of year, but it often comes up on the cheap flight/packages for a much better rate.

We chose not to go all-inclusive, but the NH Krystal can be purchased this way. It usually does work out cheaper, especially if you like to drink, but in doing so, you also miss some really great restaurants, so it’s a personal choice. The rooms were fine, clean, and big, with the usual hard beds that seem to be the Mexican standard.

It is right on the beach, which is part of the Cancun beach, but because the NH Krystal is on a corner, it has rocks separating it from the rest of the beach, thus you almost have your own little section of paradise that tends to only get hotel guests. We loved the swimming pool even though we didn’t use it too often. It had the "infinity" look going on, with a bar with stools in the water, tunnels, lots of lounge chairs, two tennis courts, and many hammocks. BLISS. The reps and hotel staff were friendly, flirtatious, and always made us feel very special.

Quote: On a previous trip to Cancun, I stayed at this hotel, and it’s a great bang for your buck. I had booked a package trip for 3 nights with worryfreevacations from Dallas. For the flight, hotel, and the all-inclusive price, it was just $400 each. Bear in mind that this was 3 years ago, but whenever I look at the cheap packages to Cancun, this one tends to be in the cheapest bunch. However, if you look on the Flamingo website, the prices can be right up around $160 per night for the all-inclusive and about $120 for the European plan. We loved this hotel, but it was the price more than anything. I can assure you that if I had paid $160 per night, I would not be a happy camper. So shop around, and try and get it as a package. We don’t like all-inclusive deals, but we didn’t even eat here very often and it was still worth the money just to have the all-you-can-drink part.

The breakfast buffet was really good, with lots of choices of hot and cold foods, fresh fruit, and good coffee. Sometimes there would be some strange, mysterious items, like a fish mix or enchiladas. We assumed these were reheated leftovers from the buffet the night before and left them well alone. If you do all-inclusive, it’s a good idea to book into the hotel restaurants rather than do the buffet every night. The inclusive lunch is pretty lame, just hot dogs or enchiladas from the pool area. There are some really nice restaurants in the Hotel Zone and downtown Cancun, so even if you booked all-inclusive, you should try to still eat out at least once.

Location-wise, The Flamingo is right in the middle of the Hotel Zone. It’s a short walk to the main clubs of Coco Bongo, Daddy Os, and the City. Buses run up and down, stopping right opposite the Flamingo Plaza, a shopping arcade.

Our room here was just okay. The view was out over the rooftop of Tony Roma's restaurant. We had the lovely smell of onion rings day and night!! We spent very little time in the room, but I heard that other guests changed to beach views. The beach-facing rooms did look awesome, as they have balconies stretching right out towards the beach. The beach here is really long and pretty, so I cannot fault its location at all.

We never did see much in the way of non-motorized sports, though, which we were supposed to have. Just one lone canoe! The pool is great, though, and right in the middle courtyard. There were always lots reps on hand to help with questions, encourage the drinking and merrymaking, and help organize trips. Of course, they try and discourage you from doing it independently. However, if you are here on a budget, this is the better and cheaper way to do things, despite what they tell you.

Quote: La Habichuela restaurant is listed in the discount guide you find at the airport. However, it is often neglected by most tourists because of its position in the downtown (El Centro) area of Cancun, where few folks from the hotel zone venture.

We took a taxi here, but the local buses did run out this way, too. El Centro itself has a much more "Mexican" feel with a bullring, evening market stalls, and fast-food stands. Most people walking around tend to be locals or at least holidaying Mexicans, and the atmosphere is loud and festive, with children and families everywhere.

La Habichuela is like a little oasis in the middle of all the action. On entering, there’s a big fountain and fish tank. The walls are covered with Mayan artwork. I have been here twice now and prefer to sit in the outside garden, which has white ironwork tables and chairs, as well as fairy lights strung from the trees. VERY Romantic.

The staff is so friendly and will help you plan your whole vacation, as well as answer questions about the food. Prices are not as cheap as other restaurants in Cancun, but for the style of restaurant and service you get, I would say it’s worth every peso.

My favorite dish there is their signature cocobichuela. At 318 pesos ($31), it’s one of the more expensive items on the menu. It’s a fish and lobster curry served in a green coconut shell. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Regular fish and chicken entrées are between $12 and $16. Some of the fish dishes come complete with fins and eyeballs, so ask if you care about that.

This is a family-owned restaurant, so don’t be surprised if free drinks just show up on your table from time to time. They love tourists and do everything to give you a great experience

Quote: Carlos and Charlie’s restaurant is more of a night out than a regular restaurant. It’s also not for the faint-hearted or shy. During dinner, they will pull you out of your seat, whether you want to or not, and whisk you away to dance with the waiters. They do mock shows that sometimes get a little out of hand. The best one we saw was about a ‘fire’ started in the kitchen, and so the waiter started chasing the chef around the restaurant with a meat cleaver. They jumped over our table and smashed into the table next to us (I think this part was accidental, as they knocked it over, with all the drinks). Many times they ran into people, and once, knocked someone off their chair (again, this was an accident). They just get so into the comedy and running that they forget where they are. It was funny and a great time if you know what to expect.

The food is actually very good, with plenty of Mexican and Tex-Mex items. It’s not too expensive and the portions are huge, so you can easily make do with an appetizer as your main course. The drinks are great, with different cocktails and yards of beer or anything else you might want in that yard glass.

As the night goes on, the tables are slowly cleared out of the way and this becomes a full-blown club with party music and everyone dancing on the tables, bars, and chairs. They arrange games and dancing contests, honing in on singles. Its open until 2am, but they don’t hurry to throw you out.

The shot girls constantly make the rounds trying to sell you a shot of tequila for 25 pesos. They will pour it in your mouth and then shake your head around whilst blowing on a whistle. All in all, it’s a fun place and a great restaurant/bar to start your night of debauchery, as it’s situated right on the hotel drag, close to all the major clubs.

Quote: The City only opened in 2004, so it is the newest club in Cancun. You can’t miss it, as it’s on Cancun’s main road and looks like a city skyline from the outside with its facade of skyscrapers.

I love this club, as they play a little more serious tunes than the others. The flyers we spotted advertised upcoming DJs such as Sasha, Pete Tong, and Oakenfold, as well as events like MTV Spring Break and foam parties.

Check out their website for all the upcoming events and see some pics for yourself HERE

By day, the club has a beachclub with music, live entertainment, a huge wave pool, and surf-rider slide. By night, the club holds 15,000 clubbers for some of the best music sounds and light sensations in Cancun. There are three floors, and the main dance area tends to be hardcore techno and trance. Upstairs, the lounge mixes hip-hop and electronic with a more laid-back feel amongst the couches and curtains. The main dance floor was huge and spacious, with stadium seats for rests between the tunes.

The bouncers were very laid-back, and dancing on tables, bar tops, and chairs was encouraged. The only think I didn’t like here was the shot girls who were really aggressive. They don’t make it clear that they charge; in fact, this one girl said over and over free drink, free drink and then turned around and asked for $1 once she had literally forced the drink into my husband’s mouth after we kept saying, "No thanks."

This club, like all the clubs in Cancun, is expensive to get in (anywhere between $15 and $25). However, try bargaining, especially if it’s early or later in the evening. One quieter night, we got in for free because it was already 1am.

Also, I hate to say this and offend any feminists, but send the girls ahead of the group. If the doormen think there is a group of cute girls with no men, they will often let you in free anyway. Meet up with your fellas, husbands, etc., once you are inside and have already gotten in at half-price. Drinks are a couple of dollars each, and you can purchase the all-you-can-drink wristband upon entry if you want to really tie one on!!

Quote: Xel-Ha is an eco park with a Disney edge!! Is about 60 miles south of Cancun and open every day from 8:30am to 6pm. You can easily drive here and pay the $19 cover charge or, as most do, take a tour that will pick you up close to your hotel and bring you here for a day of snorkeling and fun.

Most of the bigger hotels in Cancun have reps that can organize this. Doing it this way, it’s $45 but includes transport, entry to the park, and lunch, and usually combines the park with a visit to the Tulum ruins, too.

The park is really beautiful, but most of the coral is dead, so that was disappointing for me. Xel-Ha is quite spread out, but some of the areas farther a field can be reached by a small tractor or bicycles. We took some bikes to get to the start point of the lazy river, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The river was really cold, and that was quite refreshing seeing how it was close to 100°F the day we went.

The plan was to cycle to the start of the river, leave the bikes, enter the river, and let the current take you back into the main lagoon. The river was quite slow, though, so most of this time we had be swimming and it’s quite a long way, so unless the river is quicker on a different day, be prepared for this. Equipped with our snorkel gear, we spent a long time here, and some of the areas were quite spooky, with mangrove roots touching your legs and very bold fish that would pull on my belly ring. UGH!

Once back in the main lagoon, you can feed the fish for a dollar. This is also a little creepy, as those fish are very aggressive and swarm around you jumping and, again, pulling on loose jewelry. I did wonder after I’d lost both an ankle chain and toe ring if they had been so trained and some guy was selling my bling by the roadside someplace!?

There are restaurants along the lagoon where the food is included if you do it as a package. There are trails and beaches that you can take very small hikes to, and en route, you will run into the biggest iguanas I have ever seen.

If you look beyond the commercialization of the park, you will learn that it really does do a lot to protect the local environment and encourages environmental awareness .Speaking of which, be sure to bring some kind of chemical-free sunscreen, as you are not allowed to wear the regular kind here, and with the heat of summer, you can’t go without it. They do sell small bottles there, but at $14, you might want to bring your own. Look HERE to check out their website and look at all the different activities.

Quote: Coco Bongo is one of the most infamous clubs in Cancun. It’s a cross between a nightclub and a Vegas show. The tunes can be anything from dance and hip-hop early in the evening to full-blown trance music after 1am. In between the tunes, the DJ will stop, lights go off, smoke appears, and these little mini shows take place. On one occasion, it was Spiderman and other super heroes fighting with the enemy. Another time, there was a Beetlejuice show, trapeze acts. Later, the very top stage (near the ceiling) was filled with dancers, with glitter falling from the ceiling and balloons being thrown to the crowd. Anything and everything to ensure a party!!

Now, this club is not cheap and gets really crowded, so expect get pushed around a lot. The bouncers are aggressive, too, and if you stand in the wrong area, they will just shove you out of the way. The entry and drink-all-you-want price was $40, but just the entrance fee was $15, so if you are girls, I would just get the entry fee, because guys will get you drinks all night long, especially as they will have free ones if they bought the all-inclusive. It’s so busy and crowded in there that no one will notice.

We were there during the really busy season in October, and the club was totally packed. You couldn’t even move, never mind dance, which spoilt it in the beginning. If you are dressed cute or can dance well, they will pull you up on the bar - and that’s much better. The bartenders will give you free drinks, and you can dance to your heart’s content without the crowds. I suggest trying this… just go strut your stuff near the bar and hope they invite you up.

What happened to my friend and I made the night, which would have otherwise been spoilt by the heaving crowds. First, we got to dance on the bar. Once we had been here awhile, someone grabbed us and led us up some back stairs. We didn’t know what was going on, but we ended up joining the professional dancers on the very top stage. It was so cool. We had no idea what to do or why we had been brought up there. They all had this dance routine, and so we just did our own thing. We were up there all night, and it was awesome. Right at the end of the evening, we were handed balloons and glow sticks to throw down to the crowd. We felt just like celebrities.

Coco Bongo is a huge club, but its highly advertised and the most famous in Cancun, so I doubt they have many quiet nights. It was not my favorite place, and unless you can get away from the crowds like we did, they can spoil the evening.

Quote: We did Tulum as part of a day trip, so the bus took us right to the park gates. There is a local bus that runs from downtown Cancun, too, and although we didn’t use this, it’s cheap and I heard it also drops you close to the entrance.

The park is open from 8am to 5 pm and costs 35 pesos, so if you are arriving independently, try and get there early before the hoards of tour buses descend. If you are on a tour, you will already have the entrance fee covered.

Because we did it as a tour, we had a guide who walked us through the park and past all the temples, telling us all the history and pointing out things that we wouldn’t normally have noticed. This particular site dates back to 1200 AD.

Tulum is smaller than Chichen Itza, but I like this one mainly because I’m not a big history buff, but I do love to at least learn something of the culture. Admittedly, my reason for loving this one so much is its position on the coast, so you can get the most stunning photos graphs of the ancient temple El Castillo with a backdrop of white sand and ocean.
Also, if the tour gets a bit much, you can nip off and lie out on the beach. Not that I would ever do that of course, but you could !!

For extra history on the Mayan ruins, check out this site

Quote: The Isla Mujeres translates to the Island of Women, and not surprisingly, it is just across the Bahai de Mujeres (Bay of Women) from Cancun. Some people arrive on a day trip from Cancun, like a booze-cruise party boat, but it’s very easy to take the ferry across. Firstly, take a taxi or bus toward the downtown area of Cancun, El Centro, but get off at the end of the line. The buses will be clearly labeled with the port name, Puerto Juarez.

From here, the ferry will take you across the bay to the island. It can take anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes, depending on the boat you choose. Obviously, the faster boats are more expensive than the slow ones. We took the slow boat for just $3 (I think the fast one was about $5).

The boat docks in the main small town on La Isla de Mujeres, and you can walk around town, sip coffee in the small cafés, hang out on the stunning beaches, or rent the little golf carts you see all over and zip around a little. It's not a big island and is becoming more popular every year.

Most people arrive just for a day, as we did, but next time, I am going to plan on staying overnight so I can get a better experience of the island once the hoards leave at the end of each day.

To be honest, it didn’t ever feel too crowded, and though it’s fallen victim already to commercialism, it's still a totally different feel than Cancun. It's a place where the pace slows down and the shady streets can have more stray dogs than tourists, depending on the time of day. The beaches here are beautiful, and being a bit of a sun trap, the temperatures feel much hotter, and the ocean looks much flatter.

Unlike Cancun, the town beach here is flanked with palm trees and fishing boats pulled up onto the sand, and the hotels and restaurants are further back across the street, giving the place a feel more like a fishing village than a tourist trap. The local children run loose on this beach and love to dive for coins as you are leaving from the ferries. All along the beach wall are vendors selling locally made pastries and sweets, which we loved. They are not priced, and when asked, they will expect you to bargain.