First Time to Mexico – A Few Questions | Debbie's Caribbean Resort Reviews Forums

Hi There,We are newbies to Mexico and will be going to Akumal Beach Resort beginning of February. We have only ever travelled to Cuba and have a few questions with regard to Mexico. First of all, are there facecloths provided (I know, seems silly but no facecloths at hotels in Cuba…)?Because there are more motorized water craft are there any special precautions when snorkelling? And, what about the water… I have seen coolers outside in the hallways in pictures – do they have bottled water? Do you brush your teeth with the bottled water? We have never had problems with the water in Cuba hotels (3 star).Any hints, tips, tricks would be appreciated!Thank you!

Susan

Oh, and what about electrical adapters – do we need them. And I really didn’t look to see if there was a place on the forum that answered all of these questions. I will look now and if I find one I apologize in adavance ! ;D

Electricity is 110 v, just like in Canada, facecloths are provided as are soap, shampoo, etc.If there are seadoos, they usually have a cordoned-off area for swimming that is clearly marked. You can get bottled water from any bartender and they also put bottles in your room as well.I tip 1USD as does my travel friend at each meal, we each leave a dollar a day for the maid. The difference with MX is that you just tip with USD or Pesos, you don’t need to bring gifts in the same way you would with Cuba (although who doesn’t like goodies?).

We found Riviera Maya to be very safe and friendly, although you will realize that the shopping is much more North American in its pricing.

Thank you eloisegirl. We are looking forward to it. It will be nice not to have last minute angst about what did we forget as it will be easier to buy forgotten items in Mexico than in cuba.

susan

Susan, hope you enjoy ABR as much as we have!No need to worry about seadoos as they are not permitted here because of the reef. Do however watch out for the motor boats that go out for deep sea fishing although there is a clearly marked channel that they use so stay away from that area when snorkeling. We noticed a substantial increase in motor boat traffic over the years.The village of Akumal is just a short stroll down the beach from the resort and there are a couple of "general" stores, souvenir shops, restaurants, etc. so if you forget something, you’ll be able to readily buy it.The bottled water stations in the hallways of each building are handy but we preferred to refill our water bottles at the bar dispenser to get nice cold water rather than tepid. Plenty of towels & facecloths provided. No need for converters or adaptors.Wi-fi internet is available and there are a couple of computer stations, so you can stay "connected" if you wish.

Be sure to make some time to visit the Akumal Ecology Centre! www.ceakumal.org/

Enjoy your trip! Looking forward to your review when you return.

I didn’t know about the ecology centre but we will make a point of going. We are only there for a week and will be concentrating on snorkelling and relaxing so will take in things that are within walking distance.Thank you so muich for the information. These boards and the people that populate them are an invaluable aid for travellers!

Susan

The ecology centre is in Akumal just a short 10 minute leisurely walk down the beach from the resort. Worth an hour or so of your time and if you’re lucky, there’ll be a fellow in the market square close by offering fresh coconuts. Our grandson loved watching the guy get the coconuts from the tree, whack off the top with a machete and offer the coconut milk taste tests. Btw, lots of turtles to see when snorkeling off the beach area directly in front of the ecology centre.

One more thing I just thought of – in Cuba we usually take our own towels as we don’t like to rely on the resort’s supply as it can be iffy. Is this an issue in Mexico; should we continue as before and take our own towels?Thanks again!

Susan

We’ve not had a problem with towel supply at resorts in Mexico but we do like to take our own beach towels for a couple of reasons. 1) It’s easier to find our lounge chairs when coming back from a swim in the ocean and 2) I don’t have to worry about lost/stolen resort towel charges which was an issue during our 2003 visit. Seems that two couples "lost" their towels and sought out replacements from unattended towels on loungers before they checked out. Caused a bit of a chain reaction! I also prefer to bring my own towels when going snorkeling off resort.

You can get bottled water from any bartender and they also put bottles in your room as well.

I don’t think this applies to the ABR. The two times that I was there, we could get our water just filled from the bartenders, but they did not provide "bottled water" for the rooms. The coolers outside the buildings are holding water, but I don’t think that it is cooling the water.

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