Planning the trip

CANCUN MEXICO, it’s got a ring to it!

When I started planning this trip, the only thing I had in my head about Cancun was a naive, PARTYING, DRINKING AND BIKINI BABES from Brazil. Boy, was I right and yet soooo wrong. Coming from South Africa, Cancun is not the tourist or should I say holiday destination of choice. It’s a long trip and there’s so many island holidays closer to South Africa to keep you busy. Luck has it though, that I have a passion for South America, so when I found out I was going to a conference in Las Vegas, Cancun was number 1 on my priority list.

Cancun is the jewel of Mexico, and I bet one of the main sources of income for that country too. There’s a history and a magic that thrives in this city – a little trip to Chichen Itza will show you just what I mean. It’s a place for the single traveller (That’s me), for the newly wed, for mates to party up a storm or for a family to enjoy and incredible experience that you will not easily forget. Service and hospitality that I’m sure most will find hard to beat (Vegas, watch-out, Cancun’s hot on you heals).

So, I think a good place to start this article is to give you some tips. The where to go’s, what to do’s, what not to do’s etc…

The one thing about planning a trip through a travel agent is that you tend to be sucked into the sales hype. They have a couple of contacts, hotels etc that they’re friendly with and they get great deals which is awesome, but what ends up happening is that you end up spending your holiday in the “tourist” venues. Great for family’s, not so great for travellers, and this a travel diary… I got suckered but was lucky enough to roam around Mexico enough to see where I’ll be settling next time I hit Cancun.

The East Coast or Mexico, or the Peninsula as I will refer to it, is basically split up into 2 sectors. Cancun north, which extends out to the North Eastern point of Mexico, is a Las Vegas on the ocean. It is rows and rows and miles of hotels. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredible, the shopping is great, there are some amazing shopping centres with designer brands, labels, and some restaurants (that I will mention later in this post) to die for, but, if you’re going to Cancun to dive, to explore and to feel the real MEXICO, you want to go further South. You want to go to Playa Del Carmen. That’s right;

PLAYA DEL CARMEN

It’s the adventurous side of the Cancun Peninsula. The hotels are spread out, the beaches are amazing ( and private ).  The snorkeling is incredible and unsupervised. This is the real Mexico. You can ride out to some beautiful little villages and pick up artifacts and authentic Mexican curios. 

That’s my little summary of Cancun, below I have links and  posts about what I did, where I stayed, my likes and dislikes. Please feel free to comment and argue, it’s a free for all and a knowledge base from an unbiased perspective. Happy Cancunning!!!

Where to stay in Cancun:

Gran Carib Royal Hotel

Where to eat in Cancun:

Dining In Cancun

Where to party in Cancun (nightlife):

Senor Frogs

What to do in Cancun:

Cave / Cavern Diving