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fantastic vacation location

brutusbabe

owner of great buckeyes
Just an FYI post....

If you are looking for somewhere to go to get away from the job, the kid, hell even the significant other, you need to check out the Mayan Riviera. Just got back from 6 days there and already planning the trip back next February. All-inclusive resorts, gorgeous beaches with crystal clear waters, and great little towns where drinking and skin are permitted on the street. It was amazing.
 
brutusbabe said:
Just an FYI post....

If you are looking for somewhere to go to get away from the job, the kid, hell even the significant other, you need to check out the Mayan Riviera. Just got back from 6 days there and already planning the trip back next February. All-inclusive resorts, gorgeous beaches with crystal clear waters, and great little towns where drinking and skin are permitted on the street. It was amazing.
So where did you stay? It is one of the places I found while doing research on possible honeymoon locations. It seemed like a great location but not the usual place like most honeymoond hotspots. I was looking at either Secrets or Aventura Palace.
 
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Piney said:
So where did you stay? It is one of the places I found while doing research on possible honeymoon locations. It seemed like a great location but not the usual place like most honeymoond hotspots. I was looking at either Secrets or Aventura Palace.

My wife and I went to Aventura Palace five years ago. I don't think it had been open for a full season yet. I did not like it, but my wife did.

The reasons I did not like it were:
1. It had no real beach with waves. There was this sandy beach but it was behind a break wall and was just a glorified pool.
2. There was not much to do on the site (Again, we went when it first opened).
3. The closest town, Playa Del Carmen, was a good 10 minute taxi drive away.

Now, I am not one to take a vacation and sit around in the sun. I can handle about a day of that and then I go stir crazy. I would have preferred to be within walking distance to Playa as there were lots of shops and restaurants right there. The hotel had a shop, but everything was crap.

What I did like about the vacation was who we booked it through. We went through Apple Vacations and they had a representative meet us at the hotel. He explained all the local stuff (tip vs. no tip) and signed us up for excursions. We went on a snorkel trip one day and I headed over to Cozumel one day to dive. There were all kinds of things you could sign up for, they just cost extra. (By the way, the guy was available 24 hours a day if you needed anything. I ended up getting sick and having to reschedule my dive trip. He took care of everything for me).

The rooms were nice and the place was well built, I just felt like I was trapped in a compound. If you want to spend the week in the sun and having free drinks go for it. If you want to be close to a town to wander around on your own considering a place closer to Playa, unless you want to pay for a taxi all the time.
 
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Aventura is where we stayed as well. We loved it but would stay at another Palace resort, Xpu Ha, the next time only becuase we like the estuary and inlet for snorkeling. BIM is correct there is no real beach at Aventura but the resorts offer free shuttle service to the other Palace resorts so that you can do the beach thing. Your all-inlcusive package is good at thiese other places too. We only sat all day in the sun 2 days, the first and last. We took the free shuttle into Playa del Carmen at 9 am and then the ferry to Cozumel for part of the day. The ferry fee is $33 US round-trip for 2 people. The free shuttle will pick you up again in the eveing at 7:20 but it makes for a long day so hail a taxi for $12 US to take you back to Aventura. We did the shuttle both ways. Shopping in Playa was less "in your face" than Cozumel and know that any price give can be beaten, you have to barter. We ate at a nice restuarant on 5th Ave in Playa, sat on the street watching the people and had the best meal. The beach in Playa is fantastic, as well. A server, for lack of a better term, brought the drinks right to our chaisses. I spent several hours sunning and swimming topless like the locals. Well like some of the locals...some of them use the Carribbean as their bathtub. The best beach we went to was at Tulum. This is the site of some phenominal Mayan Ruins, the workmenship is breathtaking. We went there on a free tour the hotel offered, they offer several, to Xpu Ha and Tulum. The beach here is at the bottom of a cliff that have been cut back by the sea. I would have gone there again had there been more days on our trip. The best part about Aventura is the age is 18+. This is NOT a swingers resort but just kid-free. We enjoyed that part since we left ours at home. Here is a link to all the Palace Resorts if you want a marketing view, and pm me I have some we took if you are interested.
HTML:
http://www.1vacation.com/plcrst.html
 
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brutusbabe said:
Aventura is where we stayed as well. We loved it but would stay at another Palace resort, Xpu Ha, the next time only becuase we like the estuary and inlet for snorkeling. BIM is correct there is no real beach at Aventura but the resorts offer free shuttle service to the other Palace resorts so that you can do the beach thing. Your all-inlcusive package is good at thiese other places too. We only sat all day in the sun 2 days, the first and last. We took the free shuttle into Playa del Carmen at 9 am and then the ferry to Cozumel for part of the day. The ferry fee is $33 US round-trip for 2 people. The free shuttle will pick you up again in the eveing at 7:20 but it makes for a long day so hail a taxi for $12 US to take you back to Aventura. We did the shuttle both ways. Shopping in Playa was less "in your face" than Cozumel and know that any price give can be beaten, you have to barter. We ate at a nice restuarant on 5th Ave in Playa, sat on the street watching the people and had the best meal. The beach in Playa is fantastic, as well. A server, for lack of a better term, brought the drinks right to our chaisses. I spent several hours sunning and swimming topless like the locals. Well like some of the locals...some of them use the Carribbean as their bathtub. The best beach we went to was at Tulum. This is the site of some phenominal Mayan Ruins, the workmenship is breathtaking. We went there on a free tour the hotel offered, they offer several, to Xpu Ha and Tulum. The beach here is at the bottom of a cliff that have been cut back by the sea. I would have gone there again had there been more days on our trip. The best part about Aventura is the age is 18+. This is NOT a swingers resort but just kid-free. We enjoyed that part since we left ours at home. Here is a link to all the Palace Resorts if you want a marketing view, and pm me I have some we took if you are interested.
HTML:
http://www.1vacation.com/plcrst.html

Sounds like they have improved their services with offering shuttle services elsewhere. The only shuttle when we stayed was to and from the airport.

The topless beach in town was funny when I was there because of all the boys sitting right by it watching everyone.

Now, where are your pics?
 
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What I did like about the vacation was who we booked it through. We went through Apple Vacations and they had a representative meet us at the hotel. He explained all the local stuff (tip vs. no tip) and signed us up for excursions.
I agree about Apple. I've used them three times for trips to Cancun and stayed at the Cancun Palace each time. You can't beat the price you pay for what you get at the Palace Resorts. My wife and I are planning on staing at the Moon Palace the next time we're there.
 
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