Heading to Cancun in January.. [Archive] - Beyond.ca - Car Forums

Shlade

12-07-2011, 11:28 PM

Going on vacation finally. Cancun Mexico in January.. Staying at the oasis palm beach resort!

Reccomend to me where I should go! How much spare $ should I bring with me? Would love to do some water sports... rent some scooters or something too and have some fun also.

Tell me what you did when you went there!

03ozwhip

12-07-2011, 11:50 PM

thats a gay person resort dude. you may or may not have a lot of fun, depends what youre in to.

either way bring between 500-1000 bucks for spending depending what you do. theres some decent shopping there, clubbing isnt TOO expensive, water sports you gotta jew them on because its expensive, any tours are expensive, gotta jew them on that too.

also, dont drive anything down there, youll die.

03ozwhip

12-08-2011, 12:02 AM

just joking about the gay resort lol but the rest is true!

elite

12-08-2011, 12:23 AM

I took 600 when I went and was enough for me. I didnt go clubbing every night but I went about four of the seven I was there. I also did the zip lining/atving/sinkhole expedition and it was pretty fun. It cost me about 110 for that. If your into that kind of stuff its definitely worth checking out. There was also one that had a skywalk in it but I am shit scared of heights. I know they also have parasailing, jetskiing, and other activities. This is what I did: http://www.selvatica.com.mx/atv_jungle_expedition.html

I would recommend to stay away from the flea markets if you do go shopping unless you've wheeled and dealed like no tomorrow. As well take some ones with you, tipping room service, housecleaning, and bartenders at the resort does wonders. If your into clubs definitely check out daddy o's and coco bongos. I would stay away from bulldogs (I think that is what it was called). It was way over packed and was hard to breathe in there.

Make sure you take sunscreen. I got sunburnt pretty bad down there after I had forgot to put it on and boy did it hurt. Also take the bus as much as you can to get around. It only costs 1 dollar us or 12 pesos and is completely safe (from my perspective). I know at our hotel we could have bought club passes at the hotel itself but we found they were cheaper to buy them on the strip (you can always haggle those guys too if you have a group with you)

Shlade

12-08-2011, 12:29 AM

Originally posted by 03ozwhip
thats a gay person resort dude. you may or may not have a lot of fun, depends what youre in to.

I actually freaked out when you typed this not gonna lie.. Was about ready to not sleep all night and wait for flight centre to open up and tell them to put me in a different place LOL!

Also I heard quite a bit about that coco bongos place. Will for sure check that out!

Elite thanks for that link! That ATV Tour looks amazing!

Kardon

12-08-2011, 08:43 AM

don't bother with any of the atv tours that they sell right off the huts on the beach, the pictures lie. Definitely bring some $1 bills aswell

Affinityion

12-08-2011, 11:33 AM

Went to Cancun in May last year, had an awesome time. If you're interested as well, there's a cruise out to a little touristy island called Royal Garrafon (a natural reef). We also headed out to Xelha for some snorkeling, tubing, etc. Senor Frogs is also a pretty sweet club to hit up, we went through the hotel and got free bottle service ($50/person) the entire night.

supe

12-08-2011, 12:16 PM

I just got back two weeks ago! AMAZING TIME!

Coincidentally I stayed at the palm beach the first time I went to cancun about 4 years ago. Its just an ooook hotel, dont expect anything fancy. Cancun is shaped like the number 7, your hotel is at the top part of the 7 which doesnt get the natural waves as you would on the east part of the 7, which makes the beach not all that great. The good thing about this hotel is it is part of the oasis chain so you can go check out and eat at the other two (maybe three) oasis hotels which are nicer.

I went to a place called XPLOR. The park actually has four activities. Zip lines, amphibious vehicles, cave rafting and cave swimming. They have the longest zip lines in all of latin america so you're sure to have fun there. The cave rafting was actually the highlight of my trip. Being inside a cave on a raft is such cool feeling and the sites are indescribably beautiful.

For clubbing, go to Coco Bongo! Its half show half club and both parts are wild. I would go on a weekday because I heard the weekends are crazy busy (but still expect it to be busy). Then what you do is tip your server 5-10 bucks right off the bat which keeps him happy and coming back! Then tip him again half way through. Me and the gf couldnt even finish our drinks in time! So much fun....

I've heard great things about Senor frogs and Saveltica as well. The other trick is shop around for your excursions and trips, surprisingly the sleazy street vendors offer pretty good deals. And I'll mention it again, bring lots and lots of 1's and 5's.

Shlade

12-08-2011, 07:29 PM

1 and 5 $ american bills?

Should I bother getting pesos at all or should I just stick to american cash?

nj2Type-S

12-08-2011, 07:44 PM

Originally posted by Shlade
1 and 5 $ american bills?

Should I bother getting pesos at all or should I just stick to american cash?

sorry to piggyback on your thread but i'm heading out to the riviera maya next week and i'm also curious as to what currency to bring.

also, i didn't take any shots or medication...should i expect to get sick there?? lol! i know enough not to drink the water there, hehe.

flipstah

12-08-2011, 07:50 PM

USD is awesome and will get you farther than the Peso.

Barter, barter, barter! Don't be afraid to barter.

03ozwhip

12-08-2011, 07:56 PM

Originally posted by Shlade

I actually freaked out when you typed this not gonna lie.. Was about ready to not sleep all night and wait for flight centre to open up and tell them to put me in a different place LOL!

Also I heard quite a bit about that coco bongos place. Will for sure check that out!

Elite thanks for that link! That ATV Tour looks amazing!

LOL that was the point haha but ya, like these guys are saying, bring 1s and 5s and dont EVER take their price. offer half of what they tell you and go from there.

est1989

12-08-2011, 08:45 PM

Originally posted by nj2Type-S

sorry to piggyback on your thread but i'm heading out to the riviera maya next week and i'm also curious as to what currency to bring.

also, i didn't take any shots or medication...should i expect to get sick there?? lol! i know enough not to drink the water there, hehe.

+1 also wondering about the shots. Heading to mexico for the first time ever and not sure if they're necessary?

Cos

12-08-2011, 08:48 PM

Kind of started as a money thread but grew from there:

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/313577/what-money-to-take-to-cancun/

Have fun man! Get laid. Nice ladies are around :D

gatorade

12-09-2011, 04:11 AM

Originally posted by Affinityion
Went to Cancun in May last year, had an awesome time. If you're interested as well, there's a cruise out to a little touristy island called Royal Garrafon (a natural reef). We also headed out to Xelha for some snorkeling, tubing, etc. Senor Frogs is also a pretty sweet club to hit up, we went through the hotel and got free bottle service ($50/person) the entire night.

sounds expensive, last time I went to senor frogs, for bottle service it was 30/per female and 35 per male, although this was in pv and perhaps there is a price difference with cancun?

Disoblige

12-09-2011, 10:22 AM

I would say bring some pesos. Some places will rip you off on the conversion if you only have USD.

For example, some places would be 13.5-13.6 (which is correct), while others can be 10-11 pesos for $1 USD (rip-off).

Maybe 80% USD, 20% pesos (convert it here, maybe you know someone who works at a bank that doesn't get charged fees). Otherwise if you convert to pesos there, it's like 12-12.5 pesos per $1 USD.

Spoken from someone who just got back last night :thumbsup:

Affinityion

12-09-2011, 12:11 PM

Agreed with the Pesos...for the most part if you buy with USD you always get pesos back...so its usually in their favor.

Shlade and est1989:

I would recommend at least the Hep B (?, or maybe A? can't remember). I had the combination done at the Market Mall medical clinic: Hep B, (H1N1 booster :/, bad idea) and Dukoral. Can't remember exactly how much (~$150) but I think it goes a long way to preventing you from cutting your trip short.

pf0sh0

12-09-2011, 12:34 PM

1)bring lots of small bills for tips

2)do the excursions that interest you, you're only there once in a while

3)careful with some water and food you eat lol

4)GO TO COCO BONGO!!!! it is a must!!

nj2Type-S

12-09-2011, 04:32 PM

Originally posted by Disoblige
I would say bring some pesos. Some places will rip you off on the conversion if you only have USD.

For example, some places would be 13.5-13.6 (which is correct), while others can be 10-11 pesos for $1 USD (rip-off).

Maybe 80% USD, 20% pesos (convert it here, maybe you know someone who works at a bank that doesn't get charged fees). Otherwise if you convert to pesos there, it's like 12-12.5 pesos per $1 USD.

Spoken from someone who just got back last night :thumbsup:

sweet. i'll get my pesos converted here.

Sdeibert

12-09-2011, 08:37 PM

Yeah get your pesos converted in Canada. I took out some money from the ATM and it charged me $5 Canadian... Not huge but another bank fee I could have avoided by doing it at home.

Our resort I haven't seen one person tip or do anything with Pesos all USD and any upgrades or tours are all in USD too. They do convert it properly here though, I got 13.5 on my room upgrade. Make sure you haggle a bit too they won't give you a lot off a room upgrade but at least something if you ask.

Any tips on places to go? Were going to Xcarat and Xel Ha (sp?) and Chichen Itza but would like to know any other places for swimming with dolphins that aren't $100 per person....

Kobe

12-10-2011, 05:33 AM

If you are going to Xcarat and Xel Ha, you should go swing by Tulum as well!

nj2Type-S

12-10-2011, 08:08 AM

what is the average price that i should expect for jet skiing and/or atv'ing? just so i know i've haggled enough lol

Sdeibert

12-10-2011, 10:39 AM

Originally posted by Kobe
If you are going to Xcarat and Xel Ha, you should go swing by Tulum as well!

Cool, were going to try Tulum today, don't think I can get the rest of the group to go to Xel Ha or Xcarat. They've gone before and are being downers on those places.

nj2Type-S - When I got my rental car the guy at the office also worked at a Zip-line/ATV place and he said he could give us a good price at $70 P.P. So i'm not sure if that's a good or great price but it looks to be $30 off the regular price.

nj2Type-S

12-12-2011, 11:48 PM

should i even bother using my visa when shopping at the malls?

edit: have any of you guys tried this or something similar?

http://en.xcaretexperiencias.com/xplor.php#tab3

i've never done any of these things and i'm pretty stoked to try it out! :D

Sdeibert

12-15-2011, 02:16 PM

I just got back last night and we didn't get to go to Xcaract but we did Chichen Itza (do the day and night show) plus we got our hotel entertainment staff to take us to Coco bongo in Cancun. That was a wild experience and a absolute must even if you don't like clubs as it's more Cirque de Solei type performance.

From what my parents and sister said Xcaract is good to go to once and it will take a full day 7-7 if you use a tour. If you rent a car you could leave whenever. I spent 300 for the week for a base model Jetta.

The visa is good to have if you plan on buying anything big but from what I seen the prices at the shops/malls aren't that great.. So if you buy trinkets you could just use cash, most hotels/resorts will have a machine but their conversion rates are brutal (at least mine was) so I would plan on getting some American at your bank at home. I took out $400 and came home with $20.. But I used quite a bit for Gas, toll roads, and excursions. Visa was good for anything booked at your resort/hotel they won't barter much when you book through them so we used our Entertainment staff and they would book for us and we payed them cash instead. Make friends with them and tip them if they take you out as they are always looking to get off the resort. Our guy worked 6 on 1 off and he was so happy to take us to Coco Bongo he gave us a deal for half what the resort offered.

Have fun with your trip, I'm ready to go back tomorrow!

Disoblige

12-15-2011, 02:58 PM

If anyone's going to the Chichen Itza, make sure you ask the driver about the big pool thing just 5 minute's drive away. You can dive into this 47 m deep hole that's crystal clear water and it just looks amazing. It's like jumping into a mountain hole.

Must try experience.

flipstah

12-15-2011, 03:17 PM

Originally posted by Disoblige
If anyone's going to the Chichen Itza, make sure you ask the driver about the big pool thing just 5 minute's drive away. You can dive into this 47 m deep hole that's crystal clear water and it just looks amazing. It's like jumping into a mountain hole.

Must try experience.

+1. It's hella deep and you swim with catfishes! Quite an experience. :thumbsup:

Kinda regret not going to Tulum, but next time. :)

Affinityion

12-15-2011, 04:54 PM

Originally posted by flipstah

+1. It's hella deep and you swim with catfishes! Quite an experience. :thumbsup:

Kinda regret not going to Tulum, but next time. :)

Ended up checking out that well too. Pretty awesome, didn't see any catfish tho :/

nj2Type-S

12-16-2011, 12:22 AM

we're staying at the gran bahia principe coba. it's sorta far from PDC but we'll check it out, for sure.

hmmm...i hope i can haggle as well as you did with the entertainment staff, Sdeibert. did you end up shopping at the bigger malls?

2 more sleeps til i'm there!!! ehehe

scboss

12-19-2011, 11:01 PM

Been here for 4 days so far awesome place. We are staying at beach palace resort and it is pretty damn pimp.
Last couple days we have been going to random places though and it's been way better.
Places that are a must
Chichen itza
Tulum
La isla
Las americas (indoor)

Not so great
28 market
Luxury ave
The flea markets were sketchy as shit a lot of people trying to get there hustle on.
Must check out the VIP movie theater in the las americas mall. Lazyboy seating, waiters and did I mention full recliners. (8$)
Cabs are hella cheap to going downtown cost 150 pesos and is about a 10-15 min drive. There are no meters so haggling is important

Disoblige

12-20-2011, 12:21 AM

Originally posted by warcaster

Not so great

Luxury ave

Pretty much like a Holt.
But if you're looking for some Montblanc stuff, pretty decent selection of belts, wallets, pens, etc.

I would totally buy a belt from there.

Everything else, nothing special.

R!zz0

12-20-2011, 11:12 AM

Take some pesos with you.

nj2Type-S

12-20-2011, 05:18 PM

i'm sitting at a starbucks in PDC right at this moment. We're staying at the grand bahia principe coba. The collectivos are easy to use. PDC is pretty annoying with merchants trying to get your attention every 2 mins.

We're hitting up xplor tomorrow and chichen itza on thursday. I don't think we got an awesome deal but, whatever. Haha! $90 per person at xplor and $40 per person to chichen itza. Both prices include pick up and drop off. I guess we're pretty far, hence the price.

We were at cancun yesterday. Cabs from the ADO bus terminal to la islas is 130 pesos per person and it will cost around 150 pesos per person to get back. The cabbies don't budge much on the price.

Day 3 today and i guess it's alright. Good weather (minus the sudden rain that lasts 15 mins then goes away hehe)