Which ruins??

Lily06 · 03-22-2008

I booked a trip to Coba through playa.info, but I want to visit another ruin. I'm not sure which one would be better for my future husband and me to visit. Ek Balam looks interesting, but playa.info only offers a private tour, and I'm not sure how expensive that would be. There are some other tours that go to Rio Lagartos and then Ek Balam, but I'd rather get some feedback from someone who's been on this tour before I book it.

And then...there's Chichen Itza. I heard it is magnificent, but I think the crowds would really detract from the experience, so I'm leaning against doing a playa.info tour there.

Anyway, I just wanted to see if anyone wanted to give me their two cents on tours to Ek Balam and if Chichen Itza is worth it or not. Thanks!

Lil G · 03-22-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lily06

I booked a trip to Coba through playa.info, but I want to visit another ruin. I'm not sure which one would be better for my future husband and me to visit. Ek Balam looks interesting, but playa.info only offers a private tour, and I'm not sure how expensive that would be. There are some other tours that go to Rio Lagartos and then Ek Balam, but I'd rather get some feedback from someone who's been on this tour before I book it.

And then...there's Chichen Itza. I heard it is magnificent, but I think the crowds would really detract from the experience, so I'm leaning against doing a playa.info tour there.

Anyway, I just wanted to see if anyone wanted to give me their two cents on tours to Ek Balam and if Chichen Itza is worth it or not. Thanks!

My two cents? Don't book any tour. Rent a car for the day and go on your own. P.S., don't know if it is still but Coba used to be free on Sundays. (Other than paying for the bathroom.

)

**Bumper** · 03-22-2008

Haven't been to Chichen Itza. Coba is very interesting, though nowhere as developed as Chichen Itza. Tulum is small bit still worth the trip. Ek Balam is fabulous. We took the tour of Ek Balam and Vallodolid offered through this site and had a fantastic day.

jayjay · 03-22-2008

I've been to Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Tulum. My very favorite is Uxmal. We are lucky with going on any tours, as we have good friends that live in Cancun and both husband & wife are tour guides. They always plan a "family" trip for us while we are down there. We've gone on day trips, and one time we did a 3-day trip touring the Yucatan peninsula. I would certainly book a trip through this site, though, if we didn't have the "in" with our friends! I would like to see Coba next time we come down. In February when we were down there, we did go to the Muyil ruins, as part of our day at Sian Kaan.

Babaloo · 03-22-2008

What kind of tour is going to Rio Lagartos?
If you are into wildlife (pink flamingos, crocs, rare albino pelicans...it's great

Oh...and a mud treatment

Here's our trip report to Rio Lagartos...but it wasn't a tour

jeffandbecky · 03-22-2008

Each Mayan ruin is unique and has a different character to it. Personally, I prefer Ek Balam because of the details on the buildings. CI is very nice, but it will start to get crowded around noon. If this will be your only trip to the Yucatan, go to CI. It is kinda like going to Rome and skipping the Vatican in order to see something else. That being said, Ek Balam is the only ruin that I would spend the time to see again. Tough choice to make if you haven't been to either site.

ranchhand1024 · 03-23-2008

Overnight in Valladolid so you can get to CI first thing in the morning. Tours don't start to fill the place until about 11:00. If you're up to a long day you could catch Ek Balam by returning to Valladolid and taking a taxi. They line up about two blocks from the square and will negotiate a round trip to the ruins with an hour or so on site. Cost me 150 pesos 2 years ago.

FrankRN · 03-23-2008

We went to Chichen Itza throughthis forum. While the place was a bit crowded, it was nicer for us that the size of our group was so small and we had our own tour guide. I didn't feel as though we were being "herded" and we could explore a bit on our own too.

Daddy B · 03-23-2008

The best ruins to be seen are in Playa at this very moment (being Semana Santa and all): those rich matrons from Mexico City who've invested very unwisely on shoddy plastic surgery, their colagen lips migrating around their faces just like a mutating flounder's.

Coba's amazing, Chichen-Itza too, Tulum's great (but on the ruin-light side): Fifi Dolores del Rio de Clemenceau Von Ribentropp Smith and her friends are right down scary.

Dijo · 03-23-2008

Yucatreks. We started off very slowly: Tulum on our own and Coba the following year. This year we went with Mitch to Chichen Itza and it was the ultimate of the preceeding sites. Next we would like to go to Ek Balam with Mitch, but I know it's very difficult to get enough people interested in going there.

We enjoyed every minute of our trip to Chichen Itza and it was so relaxing, as someone else was in charge. We did Tulum and Coba on our own and it was no big deal. We had booked Coba through Playainfo, but it was cancelled at the last minute because a family got sick; so we did that trip on our own taking the ADO bus. Never, would we try to do Chichen Itza on our own or Ek Balam, just because of the driving time and the fact, it so much nicer having someone really knowledgeable to talk with and listen to coming and going. Couldn't have ever imagined enjoying ourselves that much on a "tour". We are not tour people, but this was exactly what we wanted!

Skiptown · 03-23-2008

I have to agree that each ruin is its own type of place. We went to Uxmal and Tulum last trip. Both great in there own right (Tulum a military fort, Uxmal a city of 40,000 at one time). Uxmal was not crowded at all and lots to see. We are going to Chiche Itza this trip and Edzna which is near Campeche. Looking forward to both and maybe Coba also.

Lily06 · 03-23-2008

Thanks, everyone, for the very helpful info. I think we will try to see Chichen Itza over Ek Balam.

That Rio Lagartos trip looked awesome...would love to do that.

I have to remember that we will be on our honeymoon...should try and relax...yeah, good luck, heh.

03-22-2008	#1 (permalink)
Lily06 lost on fifth Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 15	Which ruins?? I booked a trip to Coba through playa.info, but I want to visit another ruin. I'm not sure which one would be better for my future husband and me to visit. Ek Balam looks interesting, but playa.info only offers a private tour, and I'm not sure how expensive that would be. There are some other tours that go to Rio Lagartos and then Ek Balam, but I'd rather get some feedback from someone who's been on this tour before I book it. And then...there's Chichen Itza. I heard it is magnificent, but I think the crowds would really detract from the experience, so I'm leaning against doing a playa.info tour there. Anyway, I just wanted to see if anyone wanted to give me their two cents on tours to Ek Balam and if Chichen Itza is worth it or not. Thanks!

03-23-2008	#10 (permalink)
Dijo life=playa Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 929	OK, so you've already booked Coba with Yucatreks. We started off very slowly: Tulum on our own and Coba the following year. This year we went with Mitch to Chichen Itza and it was the ultimate of the preceeding sites. Next we would like to go to Ek Balam with Mitch, but I know it's very difficult to get enough people interested in going there. We enjoyed every minute of our trip to Chichen Itza and it was so relaxing, as someone else was in charge. We did Tulum and Coba on our own and it was no big deal. We had booked Coba through Playainfo, but it was cancelled at the last minute because a family got sick; so we did that trip on our own taking the ADO bus. Never, would we try to do Chichen Itza on our own or Ek Balam, just because of the driving time and the fact, it so much nicer having someone really knowledgeable to talk with and listen to coming and going. Couldn't have ever imagined enjoying ourselves that much on a "tour". We are not tour people, but this was exactly what we wanted!

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03-22-2008	#3 (permalink)
Bumper Class Clown Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Winnipeg, Canada Posts: 9,506	Haven't been to Chichen Itza. Coba is very interesting, though nowhere as developed as Chichen Itza. Tulum is small bit still worth the trip. Ek Balam is fabulous. We took the tour of Ek Balam and Vallodolid offered through this site and had a fantastic day.

03-22-2008	#4 (permalink)
jayjay ruined Join Date: May 2003 Location: wisconsin Posts: 89	I've been to Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Tulum. My very favorite is Uxmal. We are lucky with going on any tours, as we have good friends that live in Cancun and both husband & wife are tour guides. They always plan a "family" trip for us while we are down there. We've gone on day trips, and one time we did a 3-day trip touring the Yucatan peninsula. I would certainly book a trip through this site, though, if we didn't have the "in" with our friends! I would like to see Coba next time we come down. In February when we were down there, we did go to the Muyil ruins, as part of our day at Sian Kaan.

03-22-2008	#5 (permalink)
Babaloo añejo Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Paamul, Q Roo Mexico Posts: 10,365	What kind of tour is going to Rio Lagartos? If you are into wildlife (pink flamingos, crocs, rare albino pelicans...it's great Oh...and a mud treatment Here's our trip report to Rio Lagartos...but it wasn't a tour

03-22-2008	#6 (permalink)
jeffandbecky life=playa Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Driftwood Posts: 724	Each Mayan ruin is unique and has a different character to it. Personally, I prefer Ek Balam because of the details on the buildings. CI is very nice, but it will start to get crowded around noon. If this will be your only trip to the Yucatan, go to CI. It is kinda like going to Rome and skipping the Vatican in order to see something else. That being said, Ek Balam is the only ruin that I would spend the time to see again. Tough choice to make if you haven't been to either site.

03-23-2008	#7 (permalink)
ranchhand1024 beachaholic Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 342	Overnight in Valladolid so you can get to CI first thing in the morning. Tours don't start to fill the place until about 11:00. If you're up to a long day you could catch Ek Balam by returning to Valladolid and taking a taxi. They line up about two blocks from the square and will negotiate a round trip to the ruins with an hour or so on site. Cost me 150 pesos 2 years ago.

03-23-2008	#8 (permalink)
FrankRN añejo Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boston, MA USA Posts: 1,910	We went to Chichen Itza throughthis forum. While the place was a bit crowded, it was nicer for us that the size of our group was so small and we had our own tour guide. I didn't feel as though we were being "herded" and we could explore a bit on our own too.

03-23-2008	#9 (permalink)
Daddy B añejo Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: 10 minutes walk from the Caribbean Posts: 8,995	The best ruins to be seen are in Playa at this very moment (being Semana Santa and all): those rich matrons from Mexico City who've invested very unwisely on shoddy plastic surgery, their colagen lips migrating around their faces just like a mutating flounder's. Coba's amazing, Chichen-Itza too, Tulum's great (but on the ruin-light side): Fifi Dolores del Rio de Clemenceau Von Ribentropp Smith and her friends are right down scary.

03-23-2008	#11 (permalink)
Skiptown reposado Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Where the Columbia and Snake Meet Posts: 1,438	I have to agree that each ruin is its own type of place. We went to Uxmal and Tulum last trip. Both great in there own right (Tulum a military fort, Uxmal a city of 40,000 at one time). Uxmal was not crowded at all and lots to see. We are going to Chiche Itza this trip and Edzna which is near Campeche. Looking forward to both and maybe Coba also.

03-23-2008	#12 (permalink)
Lily06 lost on fifth Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 15	Thanks, everyone, for the very helpful info. I think we will try to see Chichen Itza over Ek Balam. That Rio Lagartos trip looked awesome...would love to do that. I have to remember that we will be on our honeymoon...should try and relax...yeah, good luck, heh.

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