| Just back from Blau Costa Verde. We had a good vacation. You can check out my review which will be posted within the next day or so. Pictures here:
link Any questions don’t hesitate to ask. Hope the link works. Susan |
|
|
Oh, and we did book for Akumal Beach Resort the next year for two weeks, asked for the older rooms as we loved them and had a super excellent vacation! |
|
| From experience, a few years ago we booked two weeks at the Akumal Beach Resort in June for February of the next year. We had just spent a week there and had fallen in love with the resort and the snorkeling and the area too – lots of easy exploration possible. In November or December our TA advised us that we were being bumped to a 5* resort down the road because ABR was overbooked – they had started tearing down part of the older resort to prepare for renovations. We were hugely disappointed but the only thing the tour operator would do was refund our money…. We researched cost of flights and booking ABR on our own but that was way too expensive and since we had gotten a great deal on the initial booking, taking the credit wasn’t going to get us anywhere special so we sucked it up, did some research on the new place and found out that there was snorkeling off the beach and that we could take the collective to Akumal Bay and snorkel there. We ended up having an excellent vacation although the mega resort was not to our liking we now can say been to a 5* and probably won’t spend the extra $$$ in the future. The only other time I complained was when we were booked into an upstairs room with no balcony – I asked politely for a room with a terrace or balcony (like the outside space) and was accommodated the next day.
I love lemonade Susan |
|
![]("http://images.proboards.com/v5/smiley/wink.png")
the online site I use has the option for you to see prices with or without "tax" I always choose with as I like to see the total price. A few years ago we booked in April for one week in Jibacoa (villas) for $408 each (all in) for a week – we jumped on it immediately! and would do so again ![]("http://images.proboards.com/v5/smiley/smiley.png")
Susan |
|
| Well, I have to chime in here – I am in no way fussy or picky but I do have to say that Akumal Beach Resort does not compare to Villas Jibacoa…. The rooms in the old part of Akumal compare to the rooms in Jibacoa but for sure the food offerings do not. Now, to be fair we usually go to Jibacoa in April which is a lower season for them but I have found in the past years that the food has, I don’t know, has or is being "recycled" more. And yes, you can always find something to eat but lately it has been trying to guess what the offerings are. Snacks during the day are almost non existent where at Akumal there is a very well run snack bar with fresh offerings. And yes I do agree eeeefarm, that if we ate at a Canadian buffet every day for a week we would get bored with the offerings but I must admit that I eat pretty much the same lunch every day and don’t get bored easily and I will try anything once but the quality and presentation of the food at Jibacoa has gone downhill in recent years; at least in my experience in the month of April / early May. We found AKumal Beach Resort more expensive but it also had more amenities and variety. My humble opinion only The only other three star we have been to in Cuba was the Club Amigo and the first time we went there in 2005 there were no seats on the toilets in the lobby washrooms. Rooms were fine. We also went to Havana in 2008 and went to a private home for supper – no toilet seat. On that same trip we went to a restaurant in old Havana that seemed to be very upscale; beautiful marble bathroom but no toilet seat. We stayed in a Casa and yes, they did have toilet seats. Cuba does have its charm!Susan |
|
| Well we just booked Blau costa Verde for $995 pp taxes in from Halifax for a week. that is very good pricing for me considering we are on the East Coast. That is for april 11
Susan |
|
| Tulum beaches are beautiful and lots of beach bars to sample along the way. Tulum beach crawls are popular.We leave for Riviera May on Feb. 28 for 2 weeks. Staying at Grand Sirenas Maya – had booked at ABR but got bumped due to construction. Not really happy about it but what the heck – it will be sun, sand and sea.
Susan |
|
| Same as many of you I use tripcentral because I do like that the price you see is the price you pay. I usually take that price to my local travel agent and they have always matched it – I really like to give my business to local people. Although, in May I found a super deal, $408 all in at CVJ which is super from the maritimes. It was a Friday night so I did book online. I have booked online before and have always had excellent service.
Susan |
|
| I have been only to two places – Cuba and the Mayan area in Mexico. We stayed at Akumal Beach Resort and I felt perfectly safe there. Granted, we didn’t do much exploring at night but were out and about early morning and in this location there were many, many tourists taking the local transportation (collectivos) to get around and we walked everywhere and felt quite safe even when using ATMs. But, as everyone says, common sense goes a long way!
susan |
|
|
Thanks Wossa – Love looking at yours too! It is a wonderful world under the water! |
|
| Just back from Cameleon Villas Jibacoa. Wonderful time although weather had been bad the few days before we got there and the day we arrived so first few days were murky and cloudy for snorkelling. Reef in front of Cameleon seems in much worse shape than just last year. I notice the large pink buoy (sp?) that marked that reef is gone now. Also noticed 3 scuba divers coming in from a dive and STANDING ON THE REEF out there – Holy Crap! I really wish that the employees would educate the tourist population. Once the reef and the life it supports is gone so are the tourists…Anyway, these pictures were all taken on the same morning in the area in front of the amphitheatre. Enjoy!
picasaweb.google.com/106863985822993624255/JibacoaMay42012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPTartu5op2o5AE&feat=directlink If anyone has any questions just ask Susan |
|
| Love the pictures and can’t wait to be there next week! Will you be doing a review?Thanks so much !
Susan |
|
| THanks eeeefarm! Looking forward to your trip report and pictures (I’m hoping). We were in Akumal earlier this year and loved it but then came upon a really great deal for CVJ ($408 txs inc.) and couldn’t resist so back we go May 1.
Susan |
|
| Anyone have any problems with these at either the airport or hotel? We are going to CVJ May 1 and will take older bills if necessary.Thanks,
Susan |
|
| We just got back from the Rivier Maya (Akumal Beach Resort) and had an excellent time. Went out and explored the area on our own and via taxi. Common sense goes a long way. This was our first time in Mexico and we are hooked…. Really want to go back. Will post my review shortly.
Susan |
|
| We just got back from Akumal Mexico and one of the little restaraunts there have lionfish tacos on the menu and they are very popular! We saw our first lionfish and it was a little creepy…wonderful pictures as always eeeefarm; we did quite a bit of snorkelling at Akumal but was was not as clear as we are used to in Jibacoa. It was quite windy in the mornings and it was full capacity at the resort so the snorkellers were out in full force stirring up that nice fine, soft sand… I will post a link to my pictures on the Mexico forum once I get them all straightened out.
Susan |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| Excellent photos as always eeeefarm. Makes me wish we were going there this year but am very excited for our first trip to Akumal Beach Resort in Mexico! Are you still using your Canon underwater camera?
Susan |
|