Two trips in July - one AI and one not with lots of side stops!

suzeq · 08-04-2004

At the beginning of July I took my husband, two older son and their two friends to the RIU Tequila for a week. This was our fifth trip to the area. We have also stayed in the RIU Palace, the IBP and the Tequila before. Arranged for three rooms, car at the resort and transportation via Cancun Valet.

Last night we returned home after my husband and I went back to Tankah for a non-AI experience by ourselves. We stayed at the Tankah Inn, rented a car from the airport and explored everywhere we could. Here is my account of both trips. I found that neither is preferable to the other - both have positives and negatives.

Riu T. - Cancun Valet was effecient and picked up at the airport on time. They also met us at the resort for the ride back and were wonderful. Check in smooth but no locks for the safes. Took my TSA approved locks and used them on my luggage to keep stuff safe. Arrived via Frontier air at 3;30 and were in the water by 5:30. Signed up for dinner on our way out of the lobby. Took the tram over and filled up the mugs on the way over. Great swimming but the water a little murkier than on previous trips. Many, many, many people.

Tankah Inn - rented the car from Executive at the airport. Desk at the airport called the shuttle to pick us up to take us to Executive. No problem with car - booked the Atos and that's what we got. Good little "speck". Off to the Tankah Inn about 1 1/2 hours. Torrential rain on the way. Having driven in MX before we were prepared for the different driving styles

Everyone uses their flashers when the rain is hard or there is an accident ahead. We saw a horrific accident last Sunday. Arrived at the Inn and went to the Blue Sky for dinner.

Riu T. - dinner the first night was the same as every other night. I was happy with the choices. I think the buffet food is better at the Tequila than at the Palace. One of the young men we brought with us started talking with the cooks and they whipped us a special for him the next night.

Highlights of our trip at the RIU -
There is no Executive car rental at the RIU as in the past. Even though I was able to book online before I went there was no car so we went with the Budget agent instead. He got us a huge Suburban and took the checklist available on Laura's site to check the vehicle. It would have been easier to highlight what was ok rather than the problems. But it got us where we needed to go.
Food was substantial and available whenever we were hungry. With so many large young men with us AI was the only way to go. They had a great time in the disco every night. Met lots of other from all over the world. Had no troubles with chairs on the beach at all even though it was very crowded. Many topless women. I saw an interesting comment on another board about this. If the customs of the country are to keep your tops (and bottoms) on than you would respect the country you are in. The European population does bother me a bit about this and their pushiness. But it hasn't changed so I just ignore it.
Chichen Itza - drove ourselves via the Coba way. Great to see it, very hot but get there early and you'll be ok. Take water! The bathrooms and water/drinks are only at the entrance so many sure you're taken care of before you go in. Long line when we left at 1:00. Drive took 2 1/2 hours.
Restaurants in PDC - Yax-che - great Maya food - sit on the patio. Birthday celebration was outstanding.
Pancho's - awesome indoor roofless restaurant with large pool in the center. Great food and coffees. Service was outstanding.
Palapa Hemingways - food was ok. Sat upstairs.
Blue Lobster - Great food and service was outstanding. Birthday celebration here was wonderful.
Snorkeled at Yal-Ku - less fish this time. Many people, no turtles or rays.
Purchased a bathing suit at Zingara in town. Someone in our group got a henna tattoo and someone else got a real one at Scream Ink.
Positives/negatives of AI's in my opinion -
positives - don't have to worry about a/c, something to do nearby, food is always taken care of and drinks are plentiful. Beach is convenient, loungers are nice, PDC is only a taxi ride away and the taxi's are great.
negatives about AI's -
crowded, food is recycled from breakfast, lunch and dinner until it is used up, did I say it was crowded?, noisy.
I love PDC and Playacar. Now, on to Tankah
Tankah - took an 1 1/2 hours to drive there from the airport. We stayed at the Tankah Inn which has five rooms on the lower level, a dive shop, a kitchen and dining area/rec room on the upper level and a large veranda that overlooks the water. There are free kayaks available if you stay there and a large float has been anchored out by the reef to tie up to in order to snorkel if you want to.
At the Tankah Inn a continental breakfast is provided and there is an honor bar. It is a ten minute drive to Tulum. There were two other couples staying there with us. The Tankah Inn does not have t.v., telephone or a/c. It is about 10 degrees cooler there than in PDC. Constantly had a nice breeze. E-mail me if you want info on this inn. We ate at the Blue Sky the first night and had great ravioli. The service was terrible and it was pricey. On the beach without a view. We also ate at the Sunday bar-be-que at Casa Cenote which is owned by Gary from Texas. It was very good and is directly on the beach. Additionally, we ate at Gringo Dave's in Tulum, on the beach, terrible food, too expensive and awful service (did I mention the flies?). Saw Cabanas Copal, Azulik and other spots along that road. Nothing looked impressive.
Visited Coba and Muyil ruins. -
Coba - much less expensive than Chichen Itza and you can rent a bike to ride yourself, you can walk, or you can rent a double seater bike with the driver behind to pedal you to the ruins. We walked. Climbed the castillo - the largest in the Yucatan. Saw the largest grasshopper I've ever seen, a scorpion and many, many different kinds of lizards.
Muyil - smaller ruin in the extremely small (blink and you're through) pueblo of Muyil. Had to hunt down the caretaker to pay. Castillo is smaller but after climbing took the wooden walkway through the jungle to the beach. Ran across some folks who take you out to the biosphere by boat and you can snorkel in the canal (like a long lazy river) for over an hour. Wear a suit if you go. I didn't so made do with what I had. All freshwater and saw some fish and blue claw crabs.
Stopped at the grocery store in Tulum twice for supplies and the Stop and Go across the street for sandwiches/beer. Used the ATM in Tulum without difficulty. Also used the ATM in Playacar without a problem.
Kayaked out to the float at the Tankah Inn with our sandwiches and beer for the day. Snorkeled and saw so many fish, two rays and awesome fans. The ray made my trip. Totally relaxing day.
Drove to Puerto Aventuras one evening for strolling and dinner. Interesting place with dolphins (if you like that thing) small shops, internet cafe and cheap calls to the US, large area for docking boats and catamarans. People from all over. Restaurant had live music and steel drums.
Positives about non-AI - go at your own pace, quieter, meet and talk to many natives (our guide in the biosphere spoke great English, Mayan and Spanish). The people who live here and are native are very polite and helpful.
Negatives about non-AI - food is generally expensive as is the grocery stores if you buy items that are imported from the U.S., have to travel for food/drinks.

Other thoughts about the trips -
We went to many gas stations and never had a problem. The taxi system in PDC and Playacar is convenient. Saw many people waiting for the collectivo on the highway. Fifth avenue in PDC is almost finished and it looks great. The main street in Tulum is also undergoing renovation. Many of the restaurants that I had on my map in Tulum are gone. The mosquitos are non-existent in PDC but are available in Tulum and the ruins.
Driving in MX is an experience and one to be taken seriously. Be careful and read the road rules before you take off. Never had a problem with car rental issues except for the missing Executive at the Tequila.
I think just limiting yourself to the resort and never experiencing other places is a disservice. There is so much to see and do or not that I have a whole list ready for our next trip. I'm sure I missed things here and if there are typos my carpal tunnel is hurting so I may mistype. Hope some of you find this info useful. It's been a great month.

cuffedlinks · 08-04-2004

WOW...

Lots of good info and as always someone's opinion is always valued...Sometimes the info without the sentiment and experience is rather hollow...

You put in alot of effort on this and, as I'm sure we all will...you'll have to put this into the new REVIEWS section of the new forum look (When it is finally rolled out...pant,pant...)

Take some time and post some pictures of your adventures in the multimedia section...

Thanks so much again!

Beachwolverine · 08-04-2004

Thanks for the report.

You are kidding , right?

Quote:

food is recycled from breakfast, lunch and dinner until it is used up

suzeq · 08-04-2004

Nooooo. But it does remind me of a trip that I took many years ago to Austria for skiing. We checked into the hotel and had our first evening meal. At the end of the meal we were asked to put out names on the cloth napkins and we wondered why. The next day we found out. The same napkins came back to us over the course of the week; unwashed. It got to the point we began circling the stains and labeling them.

08-04-2004	#1 (permalink)
suzeq life=playa Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: colorado Posts: 823	Two trips in July - one AI and one not with lots of side stops! At the beginning of July I took my husband, two older son and their two friends to the RIU Tequila for a week. This was our fifth trip to the area. We have also stayed in the RIU Palace, the IBP and the Tequila before. Arranged for three rooms, car at the resort and transportation via Cancun Valet. Last night we returned home after my husband and I went back to Tankah for a non-AI experience by ourselves. We stayed at the Tankah Inn, rented a car from the airport and explored everywhere we could. Here is my account of both trips. I found that neither is preferable to the other - both have positives and negatives. Riu T. - Cancun Valet was effecient and picked up at the airport on time. They also met us at the resort for the ride back and were wonderful. Check in smooth but no locks for the safes. Took my TSA approved locks and used them on my luggage to keep stuff safe. Arrived via Frontier air at 3;30 and were in the water by 5:30. Signed up for dinner on our way out of the lobby. Took the tram over and filled up the mugs on the way over. Great swimming but the water a little murkier than on previous trips. Many, many, many people. Tankah Inn - rented the car from Executive at the airport. Desk at the airport called the shuttle to pick us up to take us to Executive. No problem with car - booked the Atos and that's what we got. Good little "speck". Off to the Tankah Inn about 1 1/2 hours. Torrential rain on the way. Having driven in MX before we were prepared for the different driving styles Everyone uses their flashers when the rain is hard or there is an accident ahead. We saw a horrific accident last Sunday. Arrived at the Inn and went to the Blue Sky for dinner. Riu T. - dinner the first night was the same as every other night. I was happy with the choices. I think the buffet food is better at the Tequila than at the Palace. One of the young men we brought with us started talking with the cooks and they whipped us a special for him the next night. Highlights of our trip at the RIU - There is no Executive car rental at the RIU as in the past. Even though I was able to book online before I went there was no car so we went with the Budget agent instead. He got us a huge Suburban and took the checklist available on Laura's site to check the vehicle. It would have been easier to highlight what was ok rather than the problems. But it got us where we needed to go. Food was substantial and available whenever we were hungry. With so many large young men with us AI was the only way to go. They had a great time in the disco every night. Met lots of other from all over the world. Had no troubles with chairs on the beach at all even though it was very crowded. Many topless women. I saw an interesting comment on another board about this. If the customs of the country are to keep your tops (and bottoms) on than you would respect the country you are in. The European population does bother me a bit about this and their pushiness. But it hasn't changed so I just ignore it. Chichen Itza - drove ourselves via the Coba way. Great to see it, very hot but get there early and you'll be ok. Take water! The bathrooms and water/drinks are only at the entrance so many sure you're taken care of before you go in. Long line when we left at 1:00. Drive took 2 1/2 hours. Restaurants in PDC - Yax-che - great Maya food - sit on the patio. Birthday celebration was outstanding. Pancho's - awesome indoor roofless restaurant with large pool in the center. Great food and coffees. Service was outstanding. Palapa Hemingways - food was ok. Sat upstairs. Blue Lobster - Great food and service was outstanding. Birthday celebration here was wonderful. Snorkeled at Yal-Ku - less fish this time. Many people, no turtles or rays. Purchased a bathing suit at Zingara in town. Someone in our group got a henna tattoo and someone else got a real one at Scream Ink. Positives/negatives of AI's in my opinion - positives - don't have to worry about a/c, something to do nearby, food is always taken care of and drinks are plentiful. Beach is convenient, loungers are nice, PDC is only a taxi ride away and the taxi's are great. negatives about AI's - crowded, food is recycled from breakfast, lunch and dinner until it is used up, did I say it was crowded?, noisy. I love PDC and Playacar. Now, on to Tankah Tankah - took an 1 1/2 hours to drive there from the airport. We stayed at the Tankah Inn which has five rooms on the lower level, a dive shop, a kitchen and dining area/rec room on the upper level and a large veranda that overlooks the water. There are free kayaks available if you stay there and a large float has been anchored out by the reef to tie up to in order to snorkel if you want to. At the Tankah Inn a continental breakfast is provided and there is an honor bar. It is a ten minute drive to Tulum. There were two other couples staying there with us. The Tankah Inn does not have t.v., telephone or a/c. It is about 10 degrees cooler there than in PDC. Constantly had a nice breeze. E-mail me if you want info on this inn. We ate at the Blue Sky the first night and had great ravioli. The service was terrible and it was pricey. On the beach without a view. We also ate at the Sunday bar-be-que at Casa Cenote which is owned by Gary from Texas. It was very good and is directly on the beach. Additionally, we ate at Gringo Dave's in Tulum, on the beach, terrible food, too expensive and awful service (did I mention the flies?). Saw Cabanas Copal, Azulik and other spots along that road. Nothing looked impressive. Visited Coba and Muyil ruins. - Coba - much less expensive than Chichen Itza and you can rent a bike to ride yourself, you can walk, or you can rent a double seater bike with the driver behind to pedal you to the ruins. We walked. Climbed the castillo - the largest in the Yucatan. Saw the largest grasshopper I've ever seen, a scorpion and many, many different kinds of lizards. Muyil - smaller ruin in the extremely small (blink and you're through) pueblo of Muyil. Had to hunt down the caretaker to pay. Castillo is smaller but after climbing took the wooden walkway through the jungle to the beach. Ran across some folks who take you out to the biosphere by boat and you can snorkel in the canal (like a long lazy river) for over an hour. Wear a suit if you go. I didn't so made do with what I had. All freshwater and saw some fish and blue claw crabs. Stopped at the grocery store in Tulum twice for supplies and the Stop and Go across the street for sandwiches/beer. Used the ATM in Tulum without difficulty. Also used the ATM in Playacar without a problem. Kayaked out to the float at the Tankah Inn with our sandwiches and beer for the day. Snorkeled and saw so many fish, two rays and awesome fans. The ray made my trip. Totally relaxing day. Drove to Puerto Aventuras one evening for strolling and dinner. Interesting place with dolphins (if you like that thing) small shops, internet cafe and cheap calls to the US, large area for docking boats and catamarans. People from all over. Restaurant had live music and steel drums. Positives about non-AI - go at your own pace, quieter, meet and talk to many natives (our guide in the biosphere spoke great English, Mayan and Spanish). The people who live here and are native are very polite and helpful. Negatives about non-AI - food is generally expensive as is the grocery stores if you buy items that are imported from the U.S., have to travel for food/drinks. Other thoughts about the trips - We went to many gas stations and never had a problem. The taxi system in PDC and Playacar is convenient. Saw many people waiting for the collectivo on the highway. Fifth avenue in PDC is almost finished and it looks great. The main street in Tulum is also undergoing renovation. Many of the restaurants that I had on my map in Tulum are gone. The mosquitos are non-existent in PDC but are available in Tulum and the ruins. Driving in MX is an experience and one to be taken seriously. Be careful and read the road rules before you take off. Never had a problem with car rental issues except for the missing Executive at the Tequila. I think just limiting yourself to the resort and never experiencing other places is a disservice. There is so much to see and do or not that I have a whole list ready for our next trip. I'm sure I missed things here and if there are typos my carpal tunnel is hurting so I may mistype. Hope some of you find this info useful. It's been a great month.

08-04-2004	#2 (permalink)
cuffedlinks añejo Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The City of Presidents Posts: 16,003	WOW... Lots of good info and as always someone's opinion is always valued...Sometimes the info without the sentiment and experience is rather hollow... You put in alot of effort on this and, as I'm sure we all will...you'll have to put this into the new REVIEWS section of the new forum look (When it is finally rolled out...pant,pant...) Take some time and post some pictures of your adventures in the multimedia section... Thanks so much again!

08-04-2004	#4 (permalink)
suzeq life=playa Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: colorado Posts: 823	Nooooo. But it does remind me of a trip that I took many years ago to Austria for skiing. We checked into the hotel and had our first evening meal. At the end of the meal we were asked to put out names on the cloth napkins and we wondered why. The next day we found out. The same napkins came back to us over the course of the week; unwashed. It got to the point we began circling the stains and labeling them.

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