Trip Report Sandos Playacar Mar 2008

[mandkalexander]

Just home from our trip to MX.....quick posting to say that the Sandos was amazing. We loved the resort and will be returning next year with the family. Regarding the erosion....it is an issue, however the beach to the south of the resort is AMAZING...and Sandos has purchased it and will be expanding soon. There will be numerous additional oceanfront rooms available next year, and more importantly, more beach. I have to buy something to get my pics on the forum (lost the one that came with my camera)....but I plan on doing a short and sweet review and attempting some pictures......
Hi Joe and Diane....AND Karly, Shannon, and Liam!!!!!

[130taKen120]

Originally Posted by mandkalexander

Just home from our trip to MX.....quick posting to say that the Sandos was amazing. We loved the resort and will be returning next year with the family. Regarding the erosion....it is an issue, however the beach to the south of the resort is AMAZING...and Sandos has purchased it and will be expanding soon. There will be numerous additional oceanfront rooms available next year, and more importantly, more beach. I have to buy something to get my pics on the forum (lost the one that came with my camera)....but I plan on doing a short and sweet review and attempting some pictures......
Hi Joe and Diane....AND Karly, Shannon, and Liam!!!!!

Hi mandk - Welcome back! Can't wait for your TR & glad to hear you had a great time! Visit photobucket.com to upload your pics then use the "[IMG]" tag in your TR to link the pics directly in. TeeZet has some great step-by-step links elsewhere on Playa.info that explain how to do it.

We are thinking maybe a hotel in town next year but that's 11 months off - wow! It's already been a MONTH since we left!

[130taKen120]

Here's a quick step by step:

1. Upload your photos from a file on your computer to an online storage site like Photobucket. At this point, you will have the option to resize your photos to "message board" size for easy posting.

2. Once your photos have been uploaded into an album, you will see 4 boxes with lines of code below each photo. These are 4 possible ways to share or post a photo.

3. The last line of code starts with [img]. Click on this and it will copy to your clipboard.

4. In the text box that your are posting the photo in, place your cursor where you would like the photo to appear.

5. Right click there and hit "paste".

6. Click "Submit reply".

(Thanks, Michelle )

[Frombe]

OMG!!! I still have 46 days. We just had some more snow last week and I can't get to Playa quick enough. I am like a little kid just days before Christmas

[130taKen120]

Originally Posted by Frombe

OMG!!! I still have 46 days. We just had some more snow last week and I can't get to Playa quick enough. I am like a little kid just days before Christmas

Ho, ho ho! You been naughty or nice? Your time will come (and go) before you know it!

[morphasia]

Ohhh, thank you for that gorgeous video of the beach. I can't wait to drool on myself and be a kid in a candy store in 27 days. ha ha ha Thanks also for the tip on uploading photos on here.
Did Mamasita call you Papsito?

[130taKen120]

Originally Posted by morphasia

Ohhh, thank you for that gorgeous video of the beach. I can't wait to drool on myself and be a kid in a candy store in 27 days. ha ha ha Thanks also for the tip on uploading photos on here.
Did Mamasita call you Papsito?

As the famous 19th century American newspaper editor Horace Greeley (or was it John Soule?) said: "Go South, young woman (to find some good beach!)

Mamasita has had some interesting monikers for me, to which we'll add Papasito ! Ha - LOL

[jslowrider]

seems like we might be at the Sandos at the same time...we will be there June29 through july 7th....would be fun to meet up for a drink!!!
Janice

[130taKen120]

Videos – 3-21-08

Video 2 - beach on the second day.

This video is from day 2 of the trip on the beach at Sandos Playacar. The main TR details what we did that day but I’ll add a few things here that may not have been in the earlier TR. Feel free to scroll up & read the other details!

After the errant wake up call by an unknown guest, I flip-flopped down to the beach and used my old pair of lops to reserve a couple of chairs under a palapa right in front immediately down the main pathway from the showers.

We’d explored the new part of the Sandos, called Sandos Rivera; with the buildings running way back from the beach then out along Xaman Ha Boulevard for a ways and eventually this gave way to condos and condo developments. Xaman Ha is a very nice well-manicured boulevard, with traffic divided and the center island neatly trimmed and well kept. There are turns for the major resorts and developments but every so often the boulevard was such that to get to a location on the opposite side of the road you had to drive past it to the nearest turning road through the island and come around backtracking to your stop.

Many condos were nice – on in particular had blue glass windows and almost all of them had a pair of concrete strips for a driveway and short front yards with Bermuda-type grass, palm trees, flowers and very unique architecture.

We ended our walk at the edge of the gold curse where we took the first picture by the palm tree - or rather had it taken for us by a foreign couple, very nice.

Upon arriving back at the Sandos, we signed out bikes and headed to Playa for a look around. Went through the shopping area and then timeshare encounter (that should be the name of a video game or tour, I think ☺ ) we had the WorlodsMostExpesiveRefreshment at Sr. Frogs. Once again the gif shopping at the shops near the ferry dock were price-competitive with anywhere else we went.

Biked back to the Sandos. All week we wanted to check out the Mayan ruins near the entrance to Playacar along Xaman Ha on the east side of the road but never did – they looked interesting and I recommend a stop as they’re free and had some informational plaques on posts.

Finally we were back to our room, changed and headed down to the beach. An Australian gal had tossed my flips under the chair and was firmly relaxed in the spot I was sure that I had awoken hours before she did to come down and claim it. No matter, several open chairs a bit back from the front row, which was where we parked for some quality beach time.

The video pans around the Sandos Playacar beach, showing some of the things people could do there. Vendors selling massages, henna tattoos (I got one that was supposed to last 2 weeks but it made it maybe 2 hours – my fault for wasting the money), jet-skiing, sailing, para-sailing, fishing, and any number of vendors plying their wares. The parasailing is interesting in that the boats don’t come to shore to pick you up – you ride out to the boat on a jet ski as it is in the process of sail-flying someone else. Then when your turn is done, that’s how you disembark and get back to shore.

We mostly lounged here before a siesta that eventually lasted quite a while before we headed downtown to watch the fire dancers – a fun show that’s worth taking in. Enjoy!

[130taKen120]

This video is from day 2 of the trip on the beach at Sandos Playacar. The main TR details what we did that day but I’ll add a few things here that may not have been in the earlier TR. Feel free to scroll up & read the other details!

After the errant wake up call by an unknown guest, I flip-flopped down to the beach and used my old pair of lops to reserve a couple of chairs under a palapa right in front immediately down the main pathway from the showers.

We’d explored the new part of the Sandos, called Sandos Rivera; with the buildings running way back from the beach then out along Xaman Ha Boulevard for a ways and eventually this gave way to condos and condo developments. Xaman Ha is a very nice well-manicured boulevard, with traffic divided and the center island neatly trimmed and well kept. There are turns for the major resorts and developments but every so often the boulevard was such that to get to a location on the opposite side of the road you had to drive past it to the nearest turning road through the island and come around backtracking to your stop.

Many condos were nice – on in particular had blue glass windows and almost all of them had a pair of concrete strips for a driveway and short front yards with Bermuda-type grass, palm trees, flowers and very unique architecture.

We ended our walk at the edge of the gold curse where we took the first picture by the palm tree - or rather had it taken for us by a foreign couple, very nice.

Upon arriving back at the Sandos, we signed out bikes and headed to Playa for a look around. Went through the shopping area and then timeshare encounter (that should be the name of a video game or tour, I think ☺ ) we had the WorlodsMostExpesiveRefreshment at Sr. Frogs. Once again the gif shopping at the shops near the ferry dock were price-competitive with anywhere else we went.

Biked back to the Sandos. All week we wanted to check out the Mayan ruins near the entrance to Playacar along Xaman Ha on the east side of the road but never did – they looked interesting and I recommend a stop as they’re free and had some informational plaques on posts.

Finally we were back to our room, changed and headed down to the beach. An Australian gal had tossed my flips under the chair and was firmly relaxed in the spot I was sure that I had awoken hours before she did to come down and claim it. No matter, several open chairs a bit back from the front row, which was where we parked for some quality beach time.

The video pans around the Sandos Playacar beach, showing some of the things people could do there. Vendors selling massages, henna tattoos (I got one that was supposed to last 2 weeks but it made it maybe 2 hours – my fault for wasting the money), jet-skiing, sailing, para-sailing, fishing, and any number of vendors plying their wares. The parasailing is interesting in that the boats don’t come to shore to pick you up – you ride out to the boat on a jet ski as it is in the process of sail-flying someone else. Then when your turn is done, that’s how you disembark and get back to shore.

We mostly lounged here before a siesta that eventually lasted quite a while before we headed downtown to watch the fire dancers – a fun show that’s worth taking in. Enjoy!

[deblis]

Great trip report We went to Iberostar tucan for our honeymoon, right next door.

[130taKen120]

Originally Posted by deblis

Great trip report We went to Iberostar tucan for our honeymoon, right next door.

Thanks and I bet you really enjoyed your time there. When did you go?

[130taKen120]

Hi all – remember more specific details about our trip are found earlier in this trip report. These sections have additional information about the days from the video perspective.

This day we slept in and made it down to the beach after our excursion to town, the beach at Coco Maya and a bit of window-shopping. We took the cab to and from town and it was a warm, sunny day and many people were lounging and enjoying the sand.

As you lounge on the beach, there are different vendors that walk up & down offering jewelry, massages, henna tattoos, jet ski rentals, parasailing rentals, and on two occasions, a couple came by with a python and an iguana with which you could get your picture taken and, for a fee, buy a copy of later at the Sandos photo store, right by the lobby next to the tour operator’s desk.

I had a negative experience with the henna tattoo – it was supposed to last 2 weeks and lasted maybe 2 hours – long enough for the group of 2 men and 1 woman hawking them to disappear from the beach. Mamasita got one at the Sandos by the pool, and hers lasted about a week, but you can have them re-touch it for free before you head back home.

While on the beach, the parasailers in the video came quite close to landing on the whales. I think the tow boat had slowed down and led the sailers right in front of the beach for A) Advertising and B) They were exchanging customers via jet-ski and had to decelerate. In any case we got a good look at some very wide-eyed customers on the sail.

As you can see, there are a wide variety of people at the Sandos and walking along the beach. Lots of kids and this really wasn’t a problem. The people watching was great, and we met some terrific people from Germany, New York state, Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc… It was fun to strike up conversations when the opportunity and interest was there.

This day started as a yellow flag day and later turned red, the way most did. We did some whale walking, swam and generally hung out at the beach. When we were hungry we went to the snack bar and loaded up our plastic plates with some great food & headed back to our palapa to eat. Same for when we got thirsty. Don’t forget the insulated mug to bring with to your palapa!

Enjoy!

[playadreaming]

Great report! Thanks for all the hard work.

[jaxonsmyboy]

I will be there in one week with my boyfriend and our 5 year old son. We usually stay in a condo, but thought an ai would be fun for our son. Where is the best room? This is a short trip, but want the best room at sandos playacar, if possible. Thought maybe you would have a suggestion.