Dreams Cancun true: Roving Reader in Mexico

I have been selling Mexico for 10 years now and this was my third visit, but it was a different experience this time as we ventured from the hotel.

I expected Cancun to be worse than it was, because of its reputation of crowded streets and nightlife mayhem, but I was to be proved wrong – I actually found it quite pleasant.

We first stayed at Dreams Cancun Resort & Spa and had a some delicious sushi at its Oceana Restaurant. Our rooms overlooked a pool where dolphins were playing and the following day we swam with them, which was one of the highlights of the trip.

Gadling goes to Chichen Itza (and so does everyone else)

Located in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula, Chichen Itza is one of Mexico's most popular Mayan ruins, and for good reason. Only three hours by bus from Cancún, the thousand-year-old ruins transport you back to an age of hierogloyphics, massive temple-pyramids, and human sacrifices.

Are there tourists? Oh yeah, in spades. Tell someone traveling around Mexico that you've just been to Chichen Itza, and within ten seconds some variation of the word "touristy" will escape their lips.

A Golf Mecca in the Riviera Maya

When Jack Nicklaus first started coming to Cancun and the Riviera Maya, he recognized two characteristics that would make that part of Mexico’s Yucatan ideal for golf. “It has great weather and miles and miles of sandy beaches,” said the world-famous golfer and golf-course architect.

So Nicklaus started doing his part to turn the Mexican Caribbean into a premier golf destination, first by designing the 27-hole golf course at the Moon Spa & Golf Club. Now, he’s followed that up with another Palace Resorts course: the 18-hole Riviera Cancun Golf Course.

Behind the Scenes: Cancun Classic

To finish out the last week of winter break the team traveled internationally to Cancun for competition and some fun in the sun. The trip was great, providing some of the team with their first experience in Mexico. We managed to slip some relaxation into the first two days of the trip even though our focus was on gymnastics until the competition concluded.

Tough year ahead for Mexican airport firms

MEXICO CITY, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Mexican airport operators are bracing for a tough 2009 as small airlines, hurt by the financial crisis and fuel costs, close businesses and travelers fly less.

Leading airport operator GAP (GAPB.MX) (PAC.N) warned on Wednesday it sees 2009 passenger traffic down between 3 percent and 5 percent compared with the expected results for 2008.

Gymnasts open season with wins at Cancun

CANCUN, Mexico — The Stanford women's gymnastics team opened its season at the Cancun Classic on Friday with solid victories over three schools that advanced to the NCAA postseason in 2008.

The Cardinal, ranked No. 5 in the national preseason coaches poll, scored 195.600 points to beat No. 9 Oregon State (194.575), No. 14 Denver (189.125) and unranked BYU (189.125) in the four-team evening session.

Coach Kristen Smyth, beginning her eighth season at Stanford, felt the team's performance on the balance beam was the highlight of the meet. Allyse Ishino, in her first competition since injuring her knee at the Pac-10 Conference championships in March, set the tone by helping the team refocus after a teammate's miss.

Travelers seek deals for 2009

Dollar-stretching Mexico has five destinations in the top 10: Cancun, No. 2; Riviera Maya, No. 3; Puerto Vallarta, No. 4; Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos, No. 9; and Mexican cruises (tied for No. 10).

Other findings in the Travel Leaders 2009 trends survey:

/>> 90.5 percent say customers are cutting back on travel compared with the same period last year.

/>> 81.6 percent say clients are trading down when it comes to hotels.