dianaschnuth

This week’s review, posted to TripAdvisor, details the fun we had going on a Mayan Encounter with our tour guide, Rodolfo:

My husband and I went on the Mayan Encounter in April 2010, and had a fabulous time! Our guide, Rodolfo, had a great sense of humor. He also made sure to keep the youngest member of our tour (about age 9) safe and engaged.

The day started with a trip to the ruins at Coba. We were the only two people in our group who opted not to rent a bicycle or take a “Mayan Limousine” (bicycle taxi) out to Nohoch Muul. If I had it to do over, I would have gone ahead and spent the extra money for the taxi. While the walk wasn’t difficult, it took up valuable time — we had just enough time to walk out, climb the stairs, take a few pictures, and come back, and we were the last ones back to the van.

After the ruins, we headed to the Mayan village, where we stowed our gear and went for a walk in the jungle….

I also brought a waterproof camera with me, and was discreet about photographing, as there are Mayan photographers with Alltournative that take photos during the activities. Rodolfo asked us, in his own dry and amusing way, not to interfere with the photographers on-site. He also made it clear that he wouldn’t be climbing down into any ravines to fetch lost cameras. I believe his quotable on the subject was, “Too bad, so sad.” Cameras ARE allowed, but you bring them at your own risk.

The activities aren’t necessarily done in the order they’re listed on the Alltournative website: we rappelled into the cenote first (after being purified, of course), then went down the zipline, then went canoeing. The rappelling was the most nerve-wracking for myself and my husband, but also very high on the fun factor (for me, anyway). The most dangerous, though, could well have been just walking in the jungle! It had just rained, so the ground was slick, and there were rocks and roots everywhere. My husband and I were glad to have worn our hiking sandals, and I would encourage anyone going on this tour to consider a pair. I would have been uncomfortable in closed shoes, especially with either damp socks or no socks at all after swimming.

The rappelling could have been disastrous, but wasn’t: at the very bottom, as I was settling into the inner tube that was waiting for me in the cenote, my hair got caught in the hooks and ropes of the rappelling harness. The native guide in the cenote called up to the people back at the top of the rope, and they hauled up on the rope just enough to free my hair. An incident that could have ruined my entire vacation in a very major way ended up being just a 30-second blip in the fun.

The zipline was brief but enjoyable. We each got a helmet and a wooden stick to be used as a brake. For those of us larger types, the brake didn’t seem to do much, and the photos of us at the end of the zipline were basically us with expressions of abject horror that we WEREN’T STOPPING — but there was a foam sleeve around the zipline at the end that finished the braking process, thankfully.

The canoeing seemed to be just a timesink — something to allow the staff to finish up the meal preparation and photo transfers — but it was relaxing and enjoyable nonetheless. It had been years since either I or my husband went canoeing, so just tooling around a lake was fun and relaxing.

The Mayan meal was simple and delicious: chicken, beans, empanadas, tortillas, rice, and flavored waters (I’m a big fan of the tamarind water).

After lunch, we got to view the photos taken by the staff. There were a few that were well-composed and better than your average snapshot, but a single printed photo cost $20, and even the package deals (digital photos on CD) were entirely too expensive. I’m glad I brought my own camera, but disappointed that the staff photos were so overpriced.

On our way back, Rodolfo took us past the Alltournative shop for a “technical stop” and a round of tequila shots (for those of us of age). Unfortunately, he didn’t mention that he wanted to do a toast, so one person grabbed her shot, and the rest of us followed suit while Rodolfo was away from the table for a moment. When he came back and saw that we’d already finished our shots, he seemed very disappointed that we hadn’t gotten to toast our day together, “but this time we do it the American way, no?”

Overall, this was a great way to try some new things, see some amazing and beautiful sights, and learn about the Mayan culture. To Rodolfo — I had a great time, and I hope you weren’t too intimidated by my TripAdvisor hat. I wasn’t really a “secret shopper.” 🙂

As the first of several reviews I’ll be writing about our experiences with the businesses and services in and around Playa del Carmen, QR, Mexico, I chose to review our resort, the Royal Playa del Carmen.

Despite a few negative experiences I felt necessary to point out, I gave the resort a rating of five out of five. My review reads, in part:

In a nutshell: The Royal has spacious rooms, a beautiful beach, delicious food, and impeccable service. There were negative points, of course, but the positives far outweighed those.

We stayed at the Royal for six nights, and ate at every restaurant at least once. Maria Marie, the French-Mexican fusion restaurant, quickly became our favorite; we’d had little to no prior experience with pricey French cuisine, and discovered that we love the selections at Maria Marie. Second on our list was the 24-Hour All-Inclusive Snack Bar, oddly enough. They had hors d’oeuvres that were appropriate for the time of day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night), plus beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, so it was a great place to stop in at off-times: for an early breakfast before a tour, or in the afternoon if we were planning a late dinner.

Regarding our room (Junior Suite): It was easily the largest and most posh room we’ve ever stayed in. The ceilings were amazingly tall; the bed large and comfortable, with plenty of pillows to choose from; the AC worked splendidly, as did the ceiling fan; and the double jacuzzi was much appreciated.

…

[The] negative points really were far outweighed by the fabulous experience we had at the Royal. There were beach chairs both in the sun and the shade (which we, as pasty white Midwesterners, highly appreciated), with servers who brought us beverages as we read books and surfed the internet on our smartphones using the resort’s free wi-fi. The service at all of the restaurants was nearly impeccable: never before have I had my chair pulled out for me AND my napkin laid on my lap. The food was delicious and attractive, and the desserts (especially anything involving chocolate) were absolutely amazing. And whenever we were at a loss as to where to go or what to do, we’d simply stop into the Lobby Bar and enjoy the comfy chairs, the breeze, and a few drinks. (And the wi-fi.)

As far as relaxing, resort-style beach vacations go, this was an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend the Royal to anyone who is considering a vacation in Playa.

For my full review, along with photos of The Royal, visit my list of reviews on TripAdvisor. They take a few days to approve reviews, so it should be posted by early next week was posted on Wednesday.