“Bienvenido A Cancun” (Welcome to Cancun)!! Yes, everyone greets you here with “HOLA” . 😀 .Mexican culture (also the Mayan culture) ,the limitless bargaining while shopping, the relaxed way of life, the patriotism of locals, the frenzy traffic on roads, all take you to an al-together different world. The whole trip is packed with excitement, activities, street food and ‘amigos‘(friends) which we make. 😉

                 When we had begun the planning of this trip, the only wish in my mind was to see those pristine beaches and visit Chichen Itza (one of the seven wonders of the world). I never knew a place could be a great life-time mentor in itself. Yes this place has so much to offer that FOUR days would be less to absorb in all. Inspired by Sheetal Devidasani, my dear friend, I planned this trip for the first week of February. She visited in December though.

Here is my whole itinerary : Cancun Itinerary

DAY 1:

                                 We took an overnight flight on Thursday evening at 11 pm from SFO and reached Cancun on Friday Morning around 8:15 am. Although we booked drop off and pick up from Super shuttle from the airport, there are other better options too like renting a car or taking public transportation or Collectivo or Shared cabs for commuting anywhere around 100 miles in Cancun. Our Hotel “Wyndham Gardens” was in Playa Del Carmen – a small town around 30 miles from airport.

                              Playa Del Carmen is a small unsophisticated local town with driveable roads and traffic. Similar to Cancun with respect to the beaches and activities it offers , but the hotels are quite less expensive than those in Cancun. Also we(being teetotallers) didn’t wanted an all-inclusive hotel , so that we could have more time in hand for sight-seeing, travelling and visiting our target places. This town has developed over the last 5 -6 years and beaches, Xcaret, Chichen Itza were all accessible from there. But Cancun with its Grandeur Restaurants , Beach-accessible hotels, Nightlife partying with its 7-shape island like location is worth visiting and staying too.

                                We checked in our hotel at 9:30 am , got ready and had breakfast at 10:00 am  (Yes ,:D the breakfast was served till 10:30 there starting from 6:30 a.m.) and walked towards the downtown which was just 0.5 miles away from our hotel. Also Playacar beach was less than a mile from our hotel, but we didn’t get time to visit it ;it was surrounded by Hotel Zone in Playa Del Carmen. The Plaza La Fiesta (Downtown) was hustling and bustling with people, the 5th Avenue (Quinta Avenida) was just some steps aways from the place we rented our car (Budget). After a lot of paper work and verification, we got the car at 1 p.m. So our day one started with a visit to Tulum Mayan Ruins and Tulum Beach.

                                     We reached Tulum Mayan ruins at around 2 p.m. and felt the heat for the first time in Mexico there. Of course, we were prepared with sunscreens , hats, goggles,snacks and water beforehand. There was a free shuttle service which took us to the ticket booth of Ruins. While waiting for the shuttle, we heard the melodious songs of black bird ; saw parakeets, parrots amongst the thick red leafy trees and the unavoidable lurking iguanas. The short-shuttle ride was pretty much like the tractor ride in India ( 😀 , if you have ever been to the rural areas in India, you would experience that). Not only the people but the coyotes too greeted us there with a warm smile. You would be surprised to see a Coyote family which lives ‘domestically’ in the outskirts of jungle nearby humans and relax right in front of you. You might see some turtles hiding and sleeping in the shady grounds. Iguanas will cross your ways more than once; don’t jump off, just walk straight. These are the only ruins which have the beach access. The archaeological sites (or ruins) which are preserved by INAH ( ‘Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia’ ), have their own stories . A temple of Wind god, A temple of Sun God, A temple of Kulkulan , a place of meeting, a place of sacrifice, etc. are basic elements of Mayan culture. After wandering through the ruins we finally descended down the steep steps to the beach. The water was glistening green in the sun, the winds were whispering in our ears and the my daughter – she fearlessly jumped in the water leaving our hands for the first time.

                              After returning the car, back to the hotel, we freshen up for our visit to the downtown of Playa Del Carmen. The Plaza La Fiesta ( no cars allowed on 5th Avenue ) is a lot more happening in evening than in the morning. After 5 p.m. nearly all restaurants and shops are up and running. To our sheer luck, we found an Indian Restaurant – The Curry Omm in the beginning of the downtown. Strolling through the downtown we saw the amazing feat of Flying Dancers, their play and dance on ashes , fire pits and rocks. The shops are decorated with ancient artifacts, large sized shells, conches, mexican hats, maracas (Rattles made with gourds),sand shoes, umbrellas and so much to see,feel and touch.

                               We finished off the day with the dinner in Curry Omm ,followed by famous gelato sticks in Chocolate-Oreo and Mango-pineapple flavors. We were happy with their flexibility in timings, they both served us 5-10 minutes later than their scheduled closing times.

 DAY 2:

                                           Xcaret is not the only park in Cancun. The same enterprise owns different parks serving different purposes like Xenote (for adventurous swimmers), Xel-Ha (for sea-lovers), Xplore (for ATVs,Zip-lining explorers), Xochimilco (City of canals and houseboats), Xenses ( twisting senses in twisting environment) etc. are some other parks to visit , if you have time in hand.

  DAY 3:

                                         This day was my most cherishable day ,since I ticked off my “bucket-list wish” that day. After getting ready , we head out with an all-day taxi booked from our hotel to Cancun and back. Our driver was helpful, friendly and patient. Although he didn’t speak English , we conversed with him using Translation app and he helped us plan our day better. We went to Playa Delphinus (the Dolphin’s beach in Cancun) where we took pics with the “CANCUN” letters. He then took us to La Isla Shopping village which has sea access and some scenic walkaways amongst the top brand outlets. Cancun’s Interactive Aquarium was in the heart of this Plaza. Then we went to the Torre Escenica (Scenic Tower of Cancun) which took us as high as 285 feet above sea level, and we saw some amazing views of the 7-shape Cancun from there.

                                   All the beaches of Cancun Playa Ballenos, Playa Tortugas, Playa Delphinus etc are in the Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone).{For more info about their access, follow this link : Beaches and their access.} But the excitement was just about to begin. I then decided to go for Para-sailing (my first time experience ) at Playa Tortugas. After a good deal of bargaining, we got a good tour in which my hubby and daughter accompanied me to the middle of the ocean through a small boat in a short swirling ride. This ride was enjoyable too, since on these high waves our boat seemed too small. With baited breath , we waited for our turn to hop on from our small boat to the para-sailing boat while in motion. Finally I sat in the swing all buckled up to go high up in the air as high as 512 feet (or as high the winds could take me) . From high up there, everything seemed so small and insignificant. All that mattered was the silence of the gushing winds, the power of water and the beautiful earth which we call home. No I didn’t boozed while going up. 😛 . But yes, seeing the awesome scenery you might turn philosophical or have a new perespective towards life. For the first time, I realized the love of my loved ones from that height. 😀 Having said that, one should go for such experiences ,since they not only swing you from outside but also shake your inner core.

                          After swinging for a good time of 15 mins in air, I was finally brought down to the boat and we reached the terminal again through the boat. I felt dizzy, nauseous after getting down, may be because I went up with empty stomach. So it took sometime to get back to normal, and the lemonade helped me a lot.

                          Now we set out for our last part in Cancun – Isla Mujeres ferry ride. Ultramar is the only company which takes care of ferrying people to and from any island. The rates are fixed and so are the timings of ferry. It took half an hour to reach from Playa Tortugas to Isla Mujeres terminal. There are in all 3 terminals that take us to Isla Mujeres. The island was sure a small town to explore on foot or in a Golf-cart. We rented a golf-cart for an hour to drive in the narrow lanes of the island. We pretty much covered 75% of the island through it. This place has many underwater activities like swim with dolphins , swim with sharks, scuba diving etc. Believe it or not , it has a big dockyard port for unloading cargos, Cruises, Big ships etc and an airport too to accomodate on this small island.

                            On the way back to Playa Tortugas, we sat on the deck of this ferry now. The dusk has just begun and the sunshine parting through the clouds gave an elegant look. To top that off, we were entertained with a Mexican singer singing out some soothing and  rocking songs all along. We reached in time before sunset and I got the opportunity to capture the dipping sun on the other side of the road. As promised we had to let our cabby go before 8 pm, so we started to head back to the hotel. But if you are staying in Cancun or Riviera Maya, you should take a chance to dine at “The Elefanta” an Indian restaurant with a grand interior. Or if you are into trying out cuisines, book your dinner at The Alux restaurant in Playa Del Carmen downtown which has a cavern-type interiors. We instead ate dinner at our hotel {after a long day , no more experiments 😉  } and slept nicely.

                          Also there are top-class nightclubs – Coco Bongo being the most famous. So if you are a party animal, you would enjoy in Cancun a lot !!

    DAY 4:

This was our last and the most important day of our trip. We had booked our Chichen Itza tour on the 2nd day of our trip through internet . It is better to book your Chichen Itza tour on a weekday rather than a weekend to beat the crowds , hence we booked it for Monday,5th Feb.  Little did we know that 5th Feb, is the Constitution day in Mexico – a national Holiday  😀 . We got a pick up from Plaza La Fiesta – our downtown at 8:45 am. While walking to our bus-stop, I enjoyed catching up with the rising sun straight ahead.   🙂   Chichen Itza is in Yucatan another state of Mexico. So it is 1 hr lagging behind the Quintana Roo time, where Playa Del Carmen and Cancun are located.

                            The tour guide gave us some important facts about the town of Valladolid -the oldest of Mexico. We got a short stop of 20 mins at the City center, the Central park of this town. It has the oldest Church of Mexico and some shops selling ancient artifacts. A special black-greenish-golden colored stone called Obsidian is said to possess healing powers and is very sacred according to the Mayans. It was also used to see the sun directly during eclipses since it blocks most of the rays. You will find many mininature pyramids built out of it in the shops. The Mayan calendar which is a confluence of three calendars – The Tzolkin calendar (which conists of 260 days), the Haab(the solar calendar of 365 days ,which consisted of 18 months each of 20 days ,one month having the extra 5 days) and the Long Calendar (which calculated billion years) is a popular gift item here.

                             It was time to enter Chichen Itza site now.  Our guide handed us over our tickets and we waited anxiously in lines.  But be prepared for the hottest place of Mexico. This place is usually 10 degree hotter than Cancun and Cancun is 20 degree warmer than Bay Area in February. We saw a group of people clapping hands in front of Chichen Itza(El Castillo) in a musical way(sound of quetzal). When asked we learnt about the acoustics of Chichen Itza. (For more : check this video). This Pyramidal temple, Temple of Kulkulan was the place ,where the Mayan ruler sat and addressed as many as 10,00,000 people from the top.

Mayans believe that (the serpent God) God of Kulkulan descends down on earth 2 times a year – on Vernal Equinox(21st March) and Autumnal Equinox(21st September) and gave them blessings and tell them to harvest their crops. On these days, the sun’s rays cast a shadow of each block in such a way that it forms a serpent. Many people from all over the world gather to see this unusual phenomenon which lasts only for four minutes only on Spring equinox and Fall equinoxes . (For more : Check this fast-forward video ). You can also see the ancient Cenote Sagrado (the Sacred Cenote) in the east , the temple of warriors in the south , The El Caracol (the observatory temple) in the west, The Osario pyramid in the south east and the Ball court in the northeast of “EL CASTILLO”(the great pyramid). This pyramid, has exactly 91 steps in 4 directions making upto 364 and one step extra on the top of the north direction which depicts the 365 days of our calendar. The ridges of 9 squares on either sides of the steps depicts the number of full moons and new moons in a year – 26 (13 full moons and 13 new moons).

                              The ball court which we supposedly think is a playground, was not a game. The ball game was played in honor of a ruler to appease Gods with a beheaded player. For more info, write to me in comments. I would be happy to help. 🙂

                               After visiting the sacred Cenote, everyone wanted to actually dive in a Cenote and relax for few hours.  So our tour took us to Xcajum Cenote, where we had our lunch buffet coupled with a boat ride. ( I was afraid to dive in the 50-feet  deep water from the ground level) .  After descending 150 feet down the stairs,  we felt the Cenote’s fresh water filled with small fishes of all types.  Apart from Xcajum, “Ik-kil” , ” lik”, “X-keken”, “Zaci”, “Suyutun”, “Azul”, “De los Patos” and “Lu’um” are some of the other exciting ,adventurous Cenotes in the  Yucatan peninsula. We reached back  our hotel at 8 pm from the tour, ate our pre-ordered dinner and slept. Apart from the places mentioned above , if you have time, you can visit Las Coloradas – the pink lakes about 5 hours drive from Cancun.

The last day, Feb 6th, we woke up at 4 a.m. to catch the flight on Tuesday morning for coming back to our Sweet Home in the afternoon !! Yeah this flight was not right in terms of timings, but we got to see the amazing beauty of San Francisco, San Jose, Fremont, Oakland nearly all of them(yes, the Apple’s new office too!) from the top.

See More Pics here : Cancun Album

Months to visit Cancun:       
I would recommend visiting Cancun in winter, since it is hot and humid all the year round. The peak visitor season begins from November to 1st week of March. Prices are high from mid-December to mid-January.The cheapest months to visit is from May to November – Spetember and October being the rainiest months. But many people plan their visit around 21st March or 21st September to see the feather Serpent phenomena of Chichen Itza.

                                   Mexican people are warm ,welcoming and helpful. But have you heard of “when in Rome, do as the romans do”? So these are some of the hints that will make your journey pleasant and memorable :
1. Don’t drink tap water anywhere, rather carry your bottled water without ice. Drink without ice here, since we never know the sources of ice used.
2. When you first landed in Mexico, you must have got a Customs form, so save it and keep it secure with your passports. You will need this while leaving Mexico.
3. Don’t throw the toilet paper in the pots, rather than in the dustbins kept next to them.
4. Don’t try to pet stray dogs, since they might bite you.
5. Learn a few spanish words like Hola(Hi), Gracias (thank you) , Por Favor (Please), De Nada (You are Welcome), Propina (Tip), Adios (Bye), Leches (Milk), Agua (water), Banos (restrooms), Ninos (children), Salida (exit), Estacionamiento (parking : Hence the Symbol is E ) etc.
6. The Mexican food in Mexico is not like the Mexican food found in U.S. or Europe. So try out new things when you know your favorites are already on the menu.
7. In restaurants mostly the tips are already included in the bill, so ask for Propina(tip) and give tips in the hotel to the cleaners, bartenders etc. Since many people have low wages or they live off the tip.
8. While hiring a taxi, buying some stuff or booking any tour, bargain or negotiate the price before the payment.The first price is not the last price.
9. Don’t drive in Mexico especially at nights ,if you don’t need to. Since some people here don’t follow speed regulations.
10. Don’t think that Cancun represents the entire Mexico, because every state is culturally, regionally and topographically different.
11. Keep your hotel’s wristband safely with you , since losing them would enforce you to pay for the new ones.
12. Don’t get pressed to buy tours , tickets or anything from the Cancun airport. Since they flock the tourists and try to sell you their stuff.

                                  In all , this trip is worth every penny ! The whole experience is entertaining, relaxing, knowledgeable and cherishable !!!! If you have some questions or information to share on any spots mentioned above, feel free to comment. I will get back to you asap.
Till then , Adios !!!
🙂