Monday, November 24, 2008

Mayan culture lines the Mexican coast close to Cancun
"Malo ken" - "good morning" - said the guide as he welcomed us to the modest archeological site of Muyil. His words were in Yucatec Mayan, and his profile could have easily served as a model for the carvings adorning the temples and monuments left by his ancient ancestors.

For sheer bang for your travel buck, you could go pretty far and still not find a destination as culturally rich and exotic as Mexico's "Riviera Maya." Only a four-hour flight from New York, this gateway to the Mayan world stretches 80 miles along the Caribbean from just south of Cancún to Muyil - entrance to Sian Ka'an Biosphere, a 2,000-square-mile home to wild jaguars, tapirs, monkeys and crocodiles.
Mexico's Riviera Maya offers adult paradise
Children are wonderful, but sometimes you need a break. That's what adults-only resorts are designed to provide.

The term "adults only" occasionally means the resort is racy, offering, for instance, nude beaches. But mostly it means no children allowed. In some cases, the minimum age is 16; in others, it's 18.

Cecile Mortel, senior travel consultant at Homestead Travel, a division of Wings Travel, in Hummelstown, recently visited four adults-only, all-inclusive resorts along Mexico's Riviera Maya.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Experience Real Beauty Under The Sea
CANCUN, Nov 17, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Ever thought of swimming under extremely crystal clear waters while observing the most incredible marine species that inhabit the Earth?
Stop dreaming and visit a spectacular paradise considered one of the top places in the world for diving. Cancun offers some of the best natural landscapes and the highest quality in resources to ensure an unforgettable experience.
Cancun's coastline is located in front of the Great Mesoamerican Reef, a system extending 450 miles all the way from Punta Nizuc to the Bay of Islands in Honduras. This reef system is home to 100 coral species, 350 mollusks, and 164 species of reef dwelling fish, sea turtles, crocodiles, lemon sharks, dolphins and manatees, among other exotic creatures. The best news is that you don't have to travel many hours since there are between ten to 12 coral reefs, some of which are located at only 45 minutes from the shore.
Retreating to the jungles of Tulum
TULUM, Mexico — The Mayan Riviera along the Yucatán Peninsula is renowned for its spectacular beaches, stretching from the increasingly Las Vegas-like Cancun to solitary stretches of white and turquoise to the south.

But in the beach town of Tulum, about two hours south of Cancun, a new kind of tourism is emerging: the jungle vacation. A growing number of developers and hoteliers are beginning to market the allure of the area's thick jungle, home to Mayan villagers, mysterious underground pools and the occasional jaguar.
Lots of sunny fun on Mexican coast
CHECKING into Riu Yucatan in the resort of Playacar, Mexico, I had little idea just how special a place it would be.

Set right on the white sands of the Caribbean — the hotel pool area had steps leading down to the beach — the all-inclusive five-star hotel offered luxuriously spacious rooms, two pools complete with pool bars, regular bars, a shop, theatre and three speciality restaurants to die for.

I travelled with my best friend Suzy, whose birthday we'd planned the two-week holiday to celebrate. While we took full advantage of the beach and pool, we were spoiled for choice by the range of activities and trips on offer from Thomson, our tour operator.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Mexico's Asur Oct passenger traffic up 1 pct | Reuters
MEXICO CITY, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Mexican airport operator Asur said on Thursday its passenger traffic rose 1 percent in October as its operation in the Caribbean resort of Cancun partially offset weakness in nearly all of its eight other airports.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Delta adds nonstop flight to Cancun
Nashville International Airport says Delta Air Lines will begin non-stop flights to Cancun on Dec. 27.

The new service will leave Nashville at 11:25 a.m. on Saturdays and arrive in Cancun on 2:30 pm. The return flight will depart from Cancun on Saturdays at 3:20 p.m. and arrive in Nashville at 6:50 p.m.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Dreaming of Cancun, waking to find all-inclusive deal for adults only
Last night I had a dream about Cancun. I’ve never been there, but in my dream I was standing on a beach looking at the waves and thinking, “This is nice, but it’s not Cancun.” Cancun had become my measuring stick for beach travel. I wasn’t able to get back to sleep, so I started surfing around the Web and found a new all-adults, all-inclusive resort 15 miles south of Cancun on the Riviera Maya, where I wish my dream would pick up again.
Take me out to the béisbol game
CANCUN, Mexico — When the Quintana Roo Tigres hosted the Mexico City Diablos one night this summer, a fan strapped a pinata in the shape of a red devil to the railing on the baseball stadium's upper level. Every time the Tigres scored a run, the man or one of his children ran over and beat the pinata with a belt. Next to the pinata was a prayer candle. And, shades of Chicago baseball showman Bill Veeck, a dwarf dressed in a Tigres uniform served as batboy.

Welcome to the AAA Mexican League.

I'm not normally a baseball fan — my last trip to a park with my son was nearly two decades ago in Durham, N.C., to catch a Bulls game.