I'm going to Mexico in a week to the Mayan Rivera area outside of Cancun near Playa Del Carmen etc...?

Question

What should I expect this time of year? How much money should I bring? Is it safe to eat the food there adn drink? Are there a lot of English speakers there? What kind of food do they have..etc

Answer 1

I have vacationed in Playa del Carmen and Tulum, and enjoyed them both. Unfortunately for me, PdC is getting overly built out with megaresorts, so our preference is now Tulum.

Last time I went I brought 200 bucks and an ATM card. I first realized that while the exchange rate was 11 to 1, most vendors and shop owners were giving back change at a 10 to 1 rate. For example, something was 50 pesos and you gave him a ten dollar bill, he'd give you back 50 pesos, even though you handed him the equivalent of 110 pesos. So, I wound up using dollars as tips and getting Mexican currency.

ATMs have the best exchange rates. You do pay the 3 bucks in fees, so get at least 3000 pesos at a time to take advantage, OR just use your credit card. If you do use your credit card, BE SURE TO CALL THEM TO TELL THEM YOU ARE GOING OUT OF THE COUNTRY.

If you are renting a car, credit card is fine. One thing, if you buy gas it is always in cash, and they prefer pesos (they'll take dollars but give you a bad exchange rate).

Most restaurants and bars have English speaking personnel in the Riviera Maya. Your maid may not speak English but your waiter, bartender, and shopkeeper will.

As a point of courtesy in a foreign country, a few phrases in Spanish go a long way! Even if you are just telling them "thank you," gracias goes a long way.

The food and drink are generally safe, especially in resorts and bars catering to tourists. However, if you buy fruit be sure to buy whole fruit, not pre-cut. Be careful of ice in some dive bar or restaurant favored by the locals. It will be made from local water, which might not agree with you. Look for signs that say "agua es potable" (which means that the water is safe to drink). Be careful brushing your teeth. Use mouthwash to rinse everything first.

I pretty much stuck to beer in Mexico. One thing I noticed was that Corona seemed to be the beer most sold in bars. The company seems to be buying bar beverage rights. This was more in PdC and Tulum as of last year. The only place I used ice was at my resort, because it was made from distilled water.

You can get almost any kind of food you like in PdC. There are all kinds of restaurants there, but you'll see more "Yucatan-Mexican" cooking than normal. You'll also find some very creative dishes in the oddest locations. My wife and I had a great lunch at a restaurant in Tulum that had no walls and a thatched roof (most of it was destroyed by Hurricane Wilma in late 2005). We had a Chicken Milanese that would knock your socks off. Beautifully presented, too. What was weird was the fact that the only entertainment came from a video jukebox and most of the other patrons were cabdrivers.

Hey, while you're at it, see some of the architectural sites. We did both Chichen Itza and Coba in one day, and Tulum the next (on one visit).

One thing you'll note. You'll feel tall on the Yucatan. My 5'4" wife towered over most of the natives, including the men. At 5'11" I felt like Godzilla.

Have a good time!

Answer 2

Wellcome to México!

This time of the year you can expect hot, some rains (not as much as to have bad time), many tourists and beautiful landascape. The money to take there dependes on the spending time, I think at least US$500 american dolars ($5'000 pesos mexicanos) but you can take more cash from any ATM. It is safe to eat any food IF it is properly managed and cooked, look for restarurants (I mean, don't eat at the street) and open your eyes and your nose (trust it!, if it smells bad, it is bad!). There are many english speakers, most of natives speak three languages: mayan, spanish and english; and all touristic sites have english speakers, many mexicans speak english anyway (as myself). The food they have is gorgeus!, you can find international food at restaurantes, but the local cuisine (from Yucatán penninsula) is very rich, one if the best in México, try to eat some: salbutes, panuchos, cochinita pibil, sopa de lima, tamales yucatecos, fish variety, and more.

Enjoy your tour, wellcome to México; although that particular area is far from the whole country and it is VERY different, it looks as interesting and different to me as if it were another country. I live in the semi-desertic north; there are not indigenuos people here and we are more western culturally (too close to Texas and USA maybe).

Answer 3

i am from chihuahua mexico where are u form

have you been to mexico

yes is pretty nice mexico

good people

polite

Answer 4

I would drink only bottled water i i were you. When we went the hotel provided us with a bunch of bottled water...most of the Mexicans can speak English but it would help to know the basic words in Spanish just in case. They have all kinds of food. In the all inclusive hotels they usually have restaurants there and they have a real mix with Japanese and American foods... but it really depends on where your staying.

Answer 5

The weather should be warm, but tolerable.  However, beware of sunburns.  Usually there is a good breeze. How much money to take depends on what you intend to do, stay and eat. The newer hotels have modern water treatment plants-so it is possible to eat and drink the water. To be on the safe side drink bottled water , beer or soda and avoid uncooked  food.  Try the black bean soup and the lime chicken soup. Try some seafood.  Also, some people avoid ice.  There will be a lot of English speakers.  The resorts make their money off of English speakers.  However, you may observe more Mexican families on vacation.

Answer 6

I think that you should just not go and then you won't have to worry about it! You will be leaving someone behind who will miss you and be very lonely without you! :-(

Answer 7

yes the people there for the most part will understand what you are saying and most of the guests will all speak english all though there is a big group of French people that seem to travel to Mexico.

The food is safe and the resorts have systems to purfiy the water i still would only drink bottled but I do have drinks with ice and have never gotten sick.

I have been there in July and it was nice I was there in May also I preferred may over july just because it is so hot.  Remember to pack tons of sunscreen you have to wear something even if you think you don't and it's so expensive to buy there.

If you are staying at an all inclusive resort then you won't need money besides tipping cabs if you plan to go anywhere, gifts, or if you want to eat off the resort.  i would take at least $500 but it's totally up to you.  I usually use my credit card as much as I can because the exchange rate is better plus if they rip you off when buying something you can dispute it.  I have been ripped off buying at the flea market etc and my visa card took care of it no problems.

They have a good mix of food if you are staying at decent resort so there will be mexican as well as burgers, etc.  I always stay at Dreams Resort it is great and the selection is huge.  You should do a day trip the horseback riding one is fun as well as the 4-wheeler one they are about $100 they pick you up drop you off and you get lunch too.  It was great.

Enjoy yourself and apply sunscreen every couple hours the sun is so much hotter there and I always burn easier there.

Pack cold medicine, headache medicine, that kind of stuff so you don't have to pay an arm and leg for it, if you get sick at all you have to do is go to the drug store and buy a z pack or whatever you don't have to have a prescribtion it was strange but came in handy it was costly but at least i didn't waste my week sick.

Have fun

Answer 8

It usually rains around this tme but it is also really warm. When I went to mexico for a 3 weeks I took $1000 but that was because I drove with someone and had a faimly to stay with. Yes it is safe to eat the food. The food might taste different than here but it's alot better. I have never been to where your going but if it is tourist area than yea there will be people that speak english. as far as food they have alot of things...I could be here all day. it would be more authenic food though

Answer 9

I have heard that as long as you eat foods that are cooked well, no salads, no fruit unless it is unpeeled and only drink bottled water from the resort areas only.  

I was their a few years ago and my husband got sick from chewing the ice (he thinks it was the ice.), but I did not, I guess it depends on the person.

Have a great time and relax, and almost everyone we met were very kind and gracious!

Answer 10

Expect some rain but it should still be pleasant.

Take a day trip to Tulum, Xelha and Xcaret.

You should bring about $200 USD with you in 10s and 20s and not spend it unless it is urgent. Use the ATMs and any major bank, you will get a good exchange rate.

Mostly everyone speaks decent enough English so it shouldn't be a problem.

Food and water are safe in the resort area but not inside the old town section of the City of Cancun. Try the Pollo Pibil (Mayan bbq chicken).

Don't rent a car, too expensive. There are nice air conditioned buses with TVs on the headrests to every tourist location.

Take  a trip to Chichenitza, it will blow your mind.

Take mosquito repellent and plenty of sunblock but make sure it is bio-degradable because some beaches only allow bio-degradable lotions to protect the ocean wildlife.

I wouldn't rent a scooter/vespa because the drivers down there are reckless and use them for target practice.

Keep an eye on your wallet/purse and camera. Better safe than sorry.

Keep your passport at the safe in your room or at the front desk safe. You won't need it once you are in the country. Make a photo copy of your passport and keep that with you.

Buy your tours through the hotel or through another major hotel near you. They should come by the hotel to pick you up and take you to the larger bus that will take you on your tour.