Playa del Carmen Trip Report
March 2001: Includes Yal Ku/Akumal, Tulum, and taxi information.
|March 23-30|
I don't go all-inclusive--personal preference--so, this trip report might be of more interest to any first-timers, and especially those on a budget! I have traveled to Mazatlan twice, and loved it. Although, there are things about Mazatlan that I can see people might not love. I went to Cancun last year, and liked the beach, and that was about it. It was expensive, full of high school spring breakers throwing up all over, and I didn't even feel like I was in Mexico. My friend I went with has been to Cozumel, and didn't like it, and Ixtapa, which she loved. We both thought Playa was the best of all! We absolutely loved this place!!! We booked our tickets through MLT Vacations for a fligtht on Omni International departing on March 23.
When we got to the charter terminal, I noticed the only Omni plane out on the ramp had the number two engine being worked on. I told my friend--we are going to be delayed...Well, we got inside, and they told us to go over to the main terminal, as they had chartered a NW 747 to take us, otherwise we would have not been able to leave until the 24! I used to be a flight attendant for charter airlines, so I know the risks you take with delays on smaller airlines--they don't have a lot of planes, usually. Thankfully, we departed on time! We only paid 297.00 for our tickets, but the next week they were down to about 214.00!
We got through customs and immigration in Cancun rather quickly. Off to try to find some other people to hook up with to try to share a van to Playa del Carmen. We walked outside and inquired at the stand, but nobody else was going to Playa. They said wait about 10 minutes. We waited and soon I spotted a younger couple with backpacks. I told my friend--they don't look like they are going to Cancun. She went over and talked to them, and pretty soon we had them and a family of four (two small children) to share a van with.
The mother of the family said she had been there before, and was going to talk them down. I had never done this van thing before, but figured she knew what she was doing. She came back and said she found a driver who would take us to Playa del Carmen for 75.00 dollars total. As we were walking over somebody else stopped her, and as we were walking to the van--she said to me--that guy told me these guys are "pirates" and we are going to get in trouble with the police--. She didn't believe that and hopped in the van. I turned to my friend, and told her--I just read about this on a message board---. I looked in the van, and something just didn't seem right about it. Then the police came over and made everybody get out. (Thank you--since nobody else seemed to believe this).
Fortunately, they got us into another van and asked us what price the pirate van drivers quoted, and they said it is normally 105.00 for the ride, but they let us have it for the 75.00. This isn't to scare anybody, but I had read several times on the boards to only buy your tickets from the stands at the airport. It seems the taxi's are carefully controlled by the taxi union, and I don't think the other guys were going to do anything but give us an illegal ride, but it's best not to fool around with that to save a few bucks!
The van ride to Playa del Carmen was only about 40 minutes or so. They dropped us off, and we started walking down the street to head to a hotel we had recommended to us by a friend of mine who goes to Playa quite a bit. We stayed at the Hotel Cohiba the first night. A double room was 60.00 a night. It was pretty nice. We had a nice little balcony. We liked the location--right by the Blue Parrot, and a very short walk to the beach. The single rooms we saw were really cute, with canopy beds. They go for 45 a night in high season, but we needed a double. They also have a suite or two on the top floor that I think goes for about 80 or 90 a night. We didn't see it, but you get your own rooftop area with hammocks. I'm sure they are really cute.
The double room has a double and a single bed, though. Not two doubles. I wasn't real impressed by the young gentleman working the front desk, he was on the phone, and laughing (obviously not a business call) and proceeded to continue his conversation for a good 5 minutes before giving us any attention. We said we would like to see the room before we checked in, and he showed us. We told him we would like to put it on two separate credit cards. He told us he could not put it on two cards. We went back down to the desk, and there was a lady there, then, and she said, yes, she could put it on two cards.
We decided to just pay for one night, though, as we wanted to check out some other places. We went back up to the room and changed into summer clothes and went out to explore the beach, Blue Parrot, and 5th Avenue.
We walked over to the beach, and loved it. The Blue Parrot was fun with a band playing on the beach and the barstools are swings. Very Kool. We walked up and down 5th. It's very lovely at night with the cobblestone streets, flowers, palm trees, christmas tree lights, candles, thatched roofs. We went into tons of shops. There were so many more than I had expected.
We ended up at a bar in the middle called Pez Vela. They had a fun band that played rock. They play AC/DC, Pink Floyd, even did "Wonderwall" by Oasis. We ended up hanging out with a couple of guys who had been on our flight. Watch out for the waiters at Pez Vela. They add a tip on the bill, and say they don't, even though it clearly says "tip" and they write it in. They also keep bringing you beers even if you say you don't want one, and, yes, you have to pay for them. Pushy. They also didn't like for you to look over your own bill. This was the only place we experienced this, but it was still a fun place. They also have some good tequila poppers that have a cherry flavor to them.
Next we went over to Pancho's, where we ended up going just about every night for some excellent margarita's and daiquiri's. They are only 2 dollars. They have very good pineapple, coconut, mango, banana, and peach flavors, and several others. We never did eat at their restaurant, but it is beautiful.
Then we headed over to the Blue Parrot, where we also ended up every night. You will meet people from all over the world, and have some fun times there, and interesting conversations. After a few nights, you get to know people, and it is very fun to go there and see all of your new friends and meet some more new ones every night! They have fun reggae and rock bands.
It ended up that these guys from MN we were hanging out with were staying at a hotel right behind us called the La Gata Flora. And a double room was going for only 25.00 a night. We went and looked at it, and ended up staying there the rest of the time. The downside was that there is construction going on there, so every morning at 8 AM, you will hear the guys start their work. Since we had no alarm clocks, it worked out fine for us.
We'd head out to the Italian Coffee shops for Cappucino's. We picked up fresh doughnuts that we got on 5th, they cost only 2 peso's. We also had good breakfasts at the restaurant at the Hotel Cohiba and at DaGabi (Mango crepes).
We liked our room at La Gata Flora. It has benches out on the balcony. Sliding glass doors. The room is nice-sized. They did a good job cleaning every day. The only thing we saw were some ants. The restaurant is run by some nice folks that moved to Playa from Argentina. They have good food! We had a great steak sandwich that comes with a beer, and it only cost 4 dollars. They were all real friendly. A couple of the guys who run the restaurant stay at the hotel, and they don't speak much English, but are very helpful. We tipped the maid every day. On the last day, we weren't leaving until 245 PM, and they just let us keep the room until then.
The single rooms were only 20 dollars a night. I'm sure that will change when the construction is over, but for now, we found it to be a steal! If you go there, don't stay in room 4. It did have a real musty smell, that our room did not have. We noticed everybody in that room would only stay for one night.
As I stated, we spent most of our days on the beach. I got pretty burnt on the second day. My eyes were swollen! I went to the pharmacy and got some Silvadine for 4 dollars, and was fine by the next day. We saw the millions of baby jellyfish that were mentioned on the board that day. Most were gone the next day, except for a few strays. They don't have many people trying to sell stuff to you on the beach, as they are not allowed. But, we did buy some necklaces and bracelets from a cutie with dreads named Rulo on the beach. He hand-paints them, and has his name on the back. If you see him, check out his stuff. I love it!
I don't swim. I don't know how. My friend brought snorkeling gear with her and I did end up going out snorkeling with another cutie named Martin whom you will surely see on the beach or at the Parrot. He charges 20 dollars, and takes you out on his boat in groups of six. It was so fun! I even gave up my lifevest after about 15 minutes, which is quite a feat for me! The trip takes about 2 hours. I really enjoyed it!
Another day we hired a taxi for the day. We had a very nice driver named Pepe. He, and most taxis, charge about 70 dollars for the entire day. They will take you wherever you want to go, and they just wait for you. We really liked Pepe. have his phone number--if anybody wants it. We also ended up calling him the night before we left, and asked him to pick us up the next day at our hotel at 245 to take us to the CUN airport. When we called his cell phone, he was out having a few cerveza's, so we weren't sure if he'd remember, but he was there right on time the next day. We paid him 25.00 for the ride back to Cancun.
The day we hired him for the whole day, he first took us out to tour the ruins at Tulum. It was about 3.50 to get in. Very nice. We enjoyed it, and it was hot out, so it was nice to have that little beach area there. There is an area where they sell all of the tourist things that are everywhere. We stopped at a smaller one, across the street from the big area. My friend had been looking for a hammock chair. They were going for about 40 dollars on 5th. We went off of 5th a little ways, and she haggled one down to 23.00. She ended up finding one in that little place in Tulum for 20 each--for two.
After Tulum, Pepe took us out to Yal Ku--a beautiful lagoon in Akumal. We snorkeled there. It was 5 dollars. I loved that place. Great for a beginner like me. Calm water, shallow, and lots of beautiful fish!
Then we stopped by a cenote. We didn't go in it, since it was already 430, and they close at 5. They didn't even charge us.
As far as food, we never got sick. I did have some Pepto with, and took it on a few occasions, but that was mostly for some "female" discomfort. And we ate everything. We ventured off of 5th to eat at the small Mexican places. They are wonderful, and dirt cheap!! I ate a tamale from the street vendor. We ate the fruit, the ice. No problems for us. We drank bottled water, but brushed our teeth with the tap water. I think it just depends on the person.
My favorite restaurant was DaGabi. So beautiful. We had a big pizza with large shrimps and squid that they make out in a brick oven. It was only 7 dollars. Bananas Flambe for dessert! Go there! You can find every kind of restaurant there.
There are payphones on almost every street, and several internet cafes. We spent 7 nights there, and didn't see half of what we wanted to see. When Pepe picked us up to take us to the airport, I almost cried when we hugged our new friends from La Gata Flora good bye. I didn't want to leave. In fact, I plan to go back this month!
|Update| A lot of this information is now outdated. My first report wasn't very good writing. We did see Martin the snorkel guy the next year-but I didn't see him at all last year. I never saw Pepe on any of our other trips. I never went back that month, because the person I was supposed to go hang out with fell into a construction pit and broke both his feet. True, I know, because I visited him at a hospital here in the States.
