Plugs for Mexico - days out in Akumal & beyond?

MrsE_2

Off to Mexico on 21 Nov, staying at the Grand Sirenis in Akumal. What plug sockets do they have there? I think the room safes are included in the package price? I will bring insulated drink mugs to keep drinks chilled

I play to have about 10 days of lazing on the beach & 4 busy days out & about (or thereabouts).

1. Chitzen Itza
2. Day out in Cancun
3.
4.

Ideas welcome:D

Thinking about Tullum, Coba, Xel-Ha, Xcaret, any other ideas?

Not into Disney stuff, but love nature.

Plan to get the bus into Cancun. Thinking about coco-bongos for a night out.

Any thing I must see or do? I can swim partner not a strong swimmer. I haven't been too well lately & not sure how physical I will be in 3 weeks - so nothing too active like zip wiring!

jaytar

Hi

The plug sockets are the two pin flat ones same as USA.

You will be close to Akumal bay so you MUST go snorkelling to see the turtles. They can be seen very close to the shore. Hire your gear from the dive shop and walk into the sea in front of the Lol-Ha restaurant and you are almost guaranteed to see them. My partner doesn't snorkel, so he just stood in waist deep water and saw loads !

Xel-Ha is beautiful, and less "themed" than Xcaret. It is all water based but they do provide life jackets for everyone.

There are 2 Coco Bongos. One in Cancun and one in Playa del Carmen. The one in Playa is a lot closer to where you are staying. We went to Cancun for the day, but didn't like it much it was too 'Americanised'. I much preferred Playa del Carmen.

Tulum will be an easy visit for you as its close to where you are staying.

If you go to Chichen Itza I suggest taking a hat as it gets VERY hot there.

Hope that helps.

benjus

Plugs are US style flat pin: http://electricaloutlet.org/type-a
Check that anything you plan to take with you is compatible with the local voltage (127V).

sare88

Tulum is nice but the ruins aren't great compared to Palenque and Chitzen Itza. Palenque (ruins in the jungle) is much better than Chitzen Itza too, as you are actually allowed to climb all over the ruins still. You can get an overnight bus from Tulum to Palenque which was very comfortable with toilet onboard and air con etc. Was pretty cheap too. We just did Palenque as a one day trip. If you like nature, include a trip to Agua Azul, a beautiful waterfall not far from Palenque! I was there in March this year for 3 weeks.

The beaches are awesome in Cancun but it's so so touristy and full of Americans. Tulum is touristy too but not nearly as bad!

Bongedone

Akumel is excellent. The poster above is correct. Lots of turtles and stingrays. Cozumel is worth a visit from Playa del Carmen.

A trip snorkelling in a Cenote is worth it also. There are a few close to Akumel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenote

Here is the Akumel beach webcam. Its being serviced at the moment but it has a still available at the moment. http://www.locogringo.com/upload/akumal-beach-cam.html

Forgot to mention they rent life jackets and snorkel gear at the beach.

I went about the same time as you a few years ago and the weather was amazing

MrsE_2

benjus wrote: »

Plugs are US style flat pin: http://electricaloutlet.org/type-a
Check that anything you plan to take with you is compatible with the local voltage (127V).

GHDs - they will be ok?:eek:

MrsE_2

jaytar wrote: »

Hi

The plug sockets are the two pin flat ones same as USA.

You will be close to Akumal bay so you MUST go snorkelling to see the turtles. They can be seen very close to the shore. Hire your gear from the dive shop and walk into the sea in front of the Lol-Ha restaurant and you are almost guaranteed to see them. My partner doesn't snorkel, so he just stood in waist deep water and saw loads !

Xel-Ha is beautiful, and less "themed" than Xcaret. It is all water based but they do provide life jackets for everyone.

There are 2 Coco Bongos. One in Cancun and one in Playa del Carmen. The one in Playa is a lot closer to where you are staying. We went to Cancun for the day, but didn't like it much it was too 'Americanised'. I much preferred Playa del Carmen.

Tulum will be an easy visit for you as its close to where you are staying.

If you go to Chichen Itza I suggest taking a hat as it gets VERY hot there.

Hope that helps.

Fantastic thats just the sort of review I was after:beer:

MrsE_2

Bongedone wrote: »

Akumel is excellent. The poster above is correct. Lots of turtles and stingrays. Cozumel is worth a visit from Playa del Carmen.

A trip snorkelling in a Cenote is worth it also. There are a few close to Akumel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenote

Here is the Akumel beach webcam. Its being serviced at the moment but it has a still available at the moment. http://www.locogringo.com/upload/akumal-beach-cam.html

Forgot to mention they rent life jackets and snorkel gear at the beach.

I went about the same time as you a few years ago and the weather was amazing

Don't fancy the cenotes - I imagine the water to be cold?

We have snorkle gear, life jacket would be good for partner - give him extra confidence.

Glad you said the weather was good - I was worrying it might be too cool for me.

MrsE_2

sare88 wrote: »

Tulum is nice but the ruins aren't great compared to Palenque and Chitzen Itza. Palenque (ruins in the jungle) is much better than Chitzen Itza too, as you are actually allowed to climb all over the ruins still. You can get an overnight bus from Tulum to Palenque which was very comfortable with toilet onboard and air con etc. Was pretty cheap too. We just did Palenque as a one day trip. If you like nature, include a trip to Agua Azul, a beautiful waterfall not far from Palenque! I was there in March this year for 3 weeks.

The beaches are awesome in Cancun but it's so so touristy and full of Americans. Tulum is touristy too but not nearly as bad!

I thought the "one in the jungle" was called Coba - or is it the same place?

814man

At last a thread I can post on about something I know. I lived in this area some time back and have returned frequently for holidays, including last year to Grand Serenis and in September this year we stayed just south of Akumal at the Gran Bahia Principe.
So my personal recomendations would be:
Maya Ruins. Tulum is close and certainly very spectacular so worth a visit. I'd also recomend Coba as a site not too overrun by tourists and where you can explore a bit. Chichen Itza is awesome but a good drive from Akumal and gets very busy, being inland its also very hot during the day. Palenque is a long way to go (have a look on map first) and you'd need to be a real Maya buff to make that journey. My personal recomendation, and the trip I did this year with family would be to hire a car, make sure you collect it night before, we did this for no extra charge, then get up early for breakfast and get away by 7ish. Head to Chichen Itza to get there as it opens about 10. You can then look around in relative quite and before it gets too hot. After that head down the new toll road back towards Cancun but turn off to a small Maya site called Ek Balam. This is a stunning site just being fully explored but well set out and when we went there were only about 10 others on whole site. http://www.yucatantoday.com/en/topics/ek-balam
Ek Balam also has a cenote which is wonderway way to cool down. Final point on visiting Maya ruins I always find Saturdays are good days to go, not too many tour busses as its change over day for many and not too busy with locals as they all get free entry to public facilities such as these on Sundays.
I'll add some more personal stuff later. I love this area of Mexico please send me a pm if you want to ask a specific question.

notanewuser

MrsE wrote: »

GHDs - they will be ok?:eek:

GHDs have an American plug inside the 3 pin plug. So not only will they work, they won't need an adaptor!!