Viva Maya resort

We are planning a vacation to Playa del Carmen in March. Just about ready to book with Apple Vacations at the Viva Maya. We will be a party of six, two middle age, two 18 year olds and two 15 year olds. Any information or comments would be appreciated. We have never been to Mexico before and will be celebrating 25th anniversary, two 16 year old birthdays and high school graduation.

[JJG]

We stayed at Viva Azteca over spring break in April 2003 with a teenager and a 9 year old, and it was nice. We walked over to Viva Maya a few times - the two resorts are close to each other and fairly similar. The food was fine. The drinks were good; the service was good; the rooms and grounds and pool were clean and pretty. The two queen size beds in the room are very nice to have. There are two other resorts in between Azteca and Maya - the teenagers might enjoy walking over to the other Viva at lunch, to eat at whichever Viva the parents are NOT eating at :-) Not that my teenager ever did that - lol -

Your 18 year olds will enjoy the bar. The evening shows are goofy but free, a fun thing to do at night after dinner if you are not exhausted. Have fun. Go to Xel-ha. Ride the bikes into PDC. Take a collectivo van to Tulum and look around. You will love Playacar, and the teenagers will really love the freedom they have - they will feel safe on the grounds of the resort - there is lots of security. There is an internet cafe in the plaza across the street, if email is a must. If you have teenage boys, they will enjoy the topless Italian sunbathers. Most of the people there over spring break did not speak English - it is mostly an Italian resort, with a fair number of Germans, too. My family gave Viva Azteca two thumbs up, and Viva Maya was quite similar - Maya has a nicer restaurant, and is a little bit bigger. (If it is raining or windy, you might like coming over to the show at Azteca - the two resorts show different shows each night and the Azteca theater is more well enclosed. I wish I were headed down to PDC right now.

Thanks for the info on the Maya. Yes, the 18 year olds are boys, my son and his friend, the soon to be 16 year olds are my twin daughters. I like the fact that the Maya has queen beds and I didn't want a resort so large that we had to walk miles or the kids could disappear for too long. The boys may be 18, but they are still under my supervision. Thanks for your input. I'm ready to pay and go!

I keep reading that the beds are hard at the Viva and some like the food, others don't. What's the story? We don't expect elegance, just clean, comfortable, with lots of fun activities. Does anyone know of the best snorkeling tour to take that won't break the bank paying for six people? Also don't want a tour with 40 people in the water scaring all the fish off. What is the least expensive way to see either Xel Ha or Xcaret? Which is the better excursion? Thanks.

I wouldn't worry about the food. Most AI food has to be pretty "average" as it has to please a wide variety of tastes. The Viva chains are known to have good food by AI standards.

As for hard beds, this is a just a regular fact of AI life in Mexico, doesn't matter where you go you'll likely end up with a hard bed.

IMO, most complaints of resorts have to do with lack of research before hand by people. Most negativity comes from people who leaf thru a brochure for a few minutes, see a nice picture, and book a trip while expecting everything to be ultra-first class and perfect. There are some resorts like this out there but most of the AI's tend to fit "middle-class" budgets and lifestyles so when there is a descrepancy between expectations and reality there are negative complaints.

So after all that, have fun at the Maya. You'll have a great time.

We are booked and ready to go. Just like to know what to expect and what to be prepared for so things go smoothly. I'm sure it will be a blast. Our teenagers can't wait.

[Deb Williams]

The beds were comfortable for my family... they didn't seem to be hard...just firm. The teenagers might like riding the bikes through out Playa while they are there. Oh...and a word to the wise...in Mexico there doesn't seem to be a drinking age limit...so if you don't want your kids to indulge you might want to talk this over ahead of time. I know that here in NJ the age is 21.

I've already talked to the 18 year old boys. My son's friend is going and as soon as he said he could go he told my son he doesn't drink and I told my son he wasn't drinking either. Here in Colorado the age is 21 also and just because we are in a foreign country doesn't change the requirements as far as I'm concerned. I'm really pushing to get rooms next to each other or ajoining too so we can keep an eye on them.