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[shrewdtraveler]

Mexico

Mexico City (Apr 2021)

Summary

Spent a week in Mexico City's Roma Norte area.

Lodgings

Stayed in Airbnb in Roma Norte area. It’s central with easy access to food, groceries, restaurants, downtown area, etc. Unfortunately, there was no A/C in the unit, it's very much needed due to constant bad air quality, how warm/hot it was, and tons of mosquitoes so sleeping with open windows will net you many bites.

Cancun (Apr 2021)

Summary

Visited Cancun and nearby towns like Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and did some tours. Beware that the entire area is a huge tourist trap!

Where to Stay

DO NOT STAY in Cancun or these gated communities: Aldea Ha, Aldea Kiin, Aldea Ka'an, Aldea Umm.

Aldea gated communities are like maximum-security prisons with no safe foot access to food, groceries, restaurants, etc. To go anywhere, you have to have a car, take a taxi, or a Colectivo (cheapest option). We stayed at an Airbnb in Aldea Ha and had one of the worst Airbnb experiences ever. Each house in the Aldea communities run on their own gas and septic tank and during our stay, we ran out of gas and the Airbnb host asked us to pay for gas refuel, we pushed for reimbursement and got it but guests should have never been asked to do that in the first place. The place also reeked of sewage after a few days and was asked to dump Clorox down the drains 🤦

If you want to stay in Cancun, stay in an all-inclusive resort, otherwise, stay in Puerto Morelos which is in between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Unfortunately, Playa del Carmen, like Cancun, has turned into a major tourist trap.

Transportation

Cancun (and airport) and surrounding areas are run like a cartel with a lock on transportation options blocking out Uber, so tourists' primary option is expensive taxi rides. If possible, you should rent a car and drive to the attractions instead of joining fully-packed buses with families and screaming kids, required visits to tourist trap shops, and leaving little time at the ruins. airport taxi ride to Cancun downtown about $40.

Tours

If you must do tours, walk around in Puerto Morelos and talk to a tour agent in person. Their prices are usually better than what you would get in a hotel or hostel but you should always negotiate for an additional 20-30% off and arrange for pickup at your hotel/hostel. We took a tour that picked us up at our place and transferred to a big tour bus filled with families. The 4-in-1 Tulum, Coba, Cenote, and Playa del Carmen tour was conducted by Jesus Cocay company and was one of the worst tours I have ever taken in my life and I have taken many. At the Tulum ruins, we were given 10-15 mins to take pictures (way too short) and at Coba, the tour guide simply said go explore on your own without telling us where to go and we missed the most important ruin, Nohoch Mul Pyramid. Oh, one of the guides tried to fear-monger us into buying expensive insect repellant, instead, we went to a 7-Eleven and got one for half the price. When we told the guide that, he said "whatever" #TotalAsshat.

Eating Out

The best restaurant we ate at is Mar-Bella Fish Market in Puerto Moleros, it has fresh Ceviche and solid drinks but I was disappointed in the main fish dish which was overcooked. In general, almost all the cocktails are watered down and expensive, it’s another way they are fleecing tourists. Bring your own tequila bottle, order a juice and add your own alcohol, it’ll save you a ton of money.

Puerto Vallarta (Nov 2020)

[shrewdtraveler]

Hola!

I am a semi-budget conscious traveler and prefers off the beaten path experiences which might not be suitable for most people, please keep this in mind as you read my blog. 

NOTE: I have NO affiliation with any of the services referenced in my blog.